The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Christopher J Mills

Michael A Ritts

Emily Yang

Gregory W Davidson

Michael Patrick Durbin

Michael Steven Lewis

James S Bradley

Timothy Mark Jones

Brad Jeremy Reeves

Brian M Wilkie

Supriya Balachander

Timothy M Jones

Raj A Desai

James Robert Park

Julio E Abreu

Christopher Brad Long

Mark W Whalon

A fastener insert for securement to a composite sandwich panel at an opening in the composite sandwich panel includes a base and a fastener carrier. The base has a body and a flange integral with the body. The flange extends laterally outward of an outer perimeter of the body. The base defines a central cavity extending entirely through both the body and the flange. The base includes a first locking feature disposed at the central cavity. The fastener carrier is configured to insert into the central cavity of the base. The fastener carrier defines a fastener opening and has a second locking feature configured for mechanical engagement with the first locking feature of the base to retain the fastener carrier to the base. A panel assembly and a method of fastening a component to a composite sandwich panel utilize the fastener insert.

Fastener insert for a composite sandwich panel, a panel assembly, and a method of fastening a component to a composite sandwich panel

A system and a method for securing and stabilizing one or more galley carts within a stowage compartment within an internal cabin of a vehicle include one or more dampers configured to be secured to one or more surfaces of the stowage compartment. The one or more dampers are configured to exert a spring force into the one or more galley carts to stabilize the one or more galley carts between the one or more dampers and one or more other surfaces of the stowage compartment.

Galley cart securing systems and methods

A floor panel connection system for attaching a floor panel to an airframe is disclosed. The connection system includes an offset flange insert comprising a base portion, a flange portion, and an interconnect portion. The base portion of the insert is configured to be received in a hole in an edge region of the floor panel and includes an opening that is sized to receive a fastener. The interconnect portion extends laterally from the base portion such that when the edge portion of the floor panel is overlapping a lateral edge portion of the airframe, the flange portion of the insert is beyond the lateral edge portion. The flange portion is also configured to be bonded to a bottom surface of the floor panel beyond the lateral edge portion of the airframe.

Offset flange floor panel connection system

A fastener-receiving insert system includes a fastener-receiving insert having a proximal end and a distal end and at least one adhesive-dispensing chamber adjacent to the distal end of the insert, containing at least one part of an adhesive material within a chamber wall. The fastener-receiving insert system further includes a puncturing device operably engaged with and configured to puncture the chamber wall to release the at least one part of the adhesive material around the fastener-receiving insert.

Sealant pod self-securing insert

A floor panel connection system for attaching a floor panel to an aircraft airframe is disclosed. The connection system includes a vertical load resisting coupling device and a shear load resisting coupling device to connect the floor panel to the airframe and resist forces applied to the panel. The vertical load resisting coupling device is configured to resist forces perpendicular to a top facial plane of the floor panel, without significantly resisting lateral forces. The shear load resisting coupling device is configured to resist forces parallel to the top facial plane of the floor panel, without significantly resisting vertical forces.

Aircraft floor panel floating connection system

Aircraft floor panel connection system

The present disclosure relates to inserts for use with sandwich panels, such as composite panels, and related methods. Presently disclosed inserts may include a retention feature and/or an anti-rotation feature that may be configured to retain the insert in place within a bore formed in the sandwich panel. In this manner, presently disclosed inserts may be secured without the use of adhesive compounds, which may increase efficiency and/or reduce costs in manufacturing apparatus that include one or more sandwich panels having one or more inserts placed therein. Presently disclosed methods of installing an insert into a sandwich panel may include rotating the insert with respect to the sandwich panel as the insert is installed, such that a portion of the insert may be positioned under the skin of the sandwich panel (e.g., a portion of the insert may be positioned between the skin and the core of the sandwich panel).

Sandwich panel inserts and related methods

A fastener assembly for attaching a floor panel to an airframe is disclosed. The fastener assembly includes a collet, a pin, a capnut, and a subplate. The collet comprises at least one tang, extending from a cylindrical collar that defines a collet aperture. An external thread is formed on the collar, and a tab is formed on a distal end of the tang. The collet tang extends through a floor panel aperture, a subplate aperture, and an airframe aperture, and may interact with a subplate asymmetry. The capnut is screwed onto the collet, such that the pin is forced to slide along the collet tang and the tab is engaged with the airframe.

Floor panel fastener assembly

A panel assembly including a first panel defining a slot, a second panel comprising a tab, wherein the tab is received in said slot and defines a gap in the slot between the tab and the first panel, and a joining assembly positioned in the gap, the joining assembly including an outer rack member engaged with the first panel, an inner rack member engaged with the second panel and a shim in ratcheting engagement with the outer rack member and the inner rack member.

Sandwich panel assembly and method

A spring fastener clip includes first, second, and third strips, each with a corresponding hole therethrough. The clip is bent to form an S-shape, wherein the first strip, the second strip, and the third strip are aligned one with another, and the three holes are aligned one with another. The spring fastener clip further includes a hook extending from the second strip to the first strip and including a tab proximate the first hole. When a substrate is disposed between the first and second strips, the tab hooks over an edge of the substrate and resists flexing of the clip on installation of a fastener.

Flex reduction clip nut

A panel apparatus is described that includes a first sandwich panel and a second sandwich panel arranged substantially parallel to each other, and the first sandwich panel and the second sandwich panel each include a core material inserted between at least two skin layers. The panel apparatus also includes at least one mechanical fastener mechanically embedded into the first sandwich panel and the second sandwich panel. The at least one mechanical fastener at least extends through one skin layer and into the core material of the first sandwich panel and at least extends through one skin layer and into the core material of the second sandwich panel, and the at least one mechanical fastener is configured to accept insertion of an item. Methods of assembling the panel apparatus are also described.

Panel apparatus including multiple panels and mechanical fasteners and methods of assembling the panel apparatus

Disclosed is a removable seat divider for placement in a seat. The removable seat divider includes a vertical structure configured to be placed on the seat along an approximate center of the seat. The vertical structure includes a first outer surface, second outer surface, top, and back portion, where the back portion of the vertical structure is configured to be placed adjacent to a back portion of the seat. The removable seat divider also includes a cavity located adjacent to the back portion, where the cavity connects the first outer surface to the second outer surface, and the cavity is configured to pass a seat belt through the cavity. The base back portion is configured to produce a restraining force against the seat that is proportional to a tension on the seat belt that passes through the cavity. The removable seat divider further includes two opposing planar members that are rotationally coupled to the top of the vertical structure, where the two opposing planar members are configured to fold outward from the vertical structure to form a T-type structure, when fully folded out, having two work surfaces.

Removable seat divider for placement in a seat

A method for installing an interior structure for a mobile platform is provided. The method may involve carrying a lightweight collapsible frame through a man-door of a mobile platform while the collapsible frame is in a collapsed state. The collapsed frame may then be expanded to provide at least a portion of a load bearing frame for a mobile platform interior structure. A plurality of interchangeable panels may be attached to the collapsible frame to form interior surfaces of the mobile platform interior structure.

Growing community of inventors

Everett, WA, United States of America

Christopher J Mills