Airbus Operations Gmbh

John Flood

Alex Iliopoulos

Paul Hadley

Alan Quayle

The present invention relates to a joint between a laminar composite cover () and a second cover () (which may or may not be also formed from a composite material). The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a joint and a method of manufacturing a composite cover suitable for use in such a joint. The laminar composite cover () comprises a stack of layers, substantially all of the layers being shaped to form a joggle, each joggle comprising a first portion, a second portion where the layer extends substantially parallel with the first portion, and a ramp () between the first and second portions where the layer extends at an angle to the first and second portions, the number of layers being substantially the same on both sides of the ramp. The second cover () partially overlaps with the composite cover, and a clamp or fastener () holds the covers together where they overlap. The covers have external sides which are substantially aligned with each other so as to form a smooth aerodynamic surface.

Composite joint protection

A method of manufacturing a structure, the method comprising: forming a panel assembly by bonding a stack of thickness control plies of composite material to a laminar composite panel, the stack of thickness control plies having a first edge proximate an edge of the laminar composite panel, a second edge opposite the first edge, and a ramp where the thickness of the stack of thickness control plies decreases towards the first or second edge; measuring the thickness of the laminate composite panel or the panel assembly; controlling the number of thickness control plies in accordance with the measured thickness; attaching a first component to the panel assembly, the first component having a surface which engages the laminar composite panel and a ramp which engages the ramp in the stack of thickness control plies; and attaching the laminar composite panel at or near its edge to a further component.

Method of manufacturing a structure

A multi layer composite L-shaped stringer for use in an aerospace structure comprises a foot and a web extending from an edge of the foot. A first surface on the foot is shaped to abut a structure to be stiffened. The foot also has a second surface opposite the first surface. The web has a third surface and a fourth surface at the same layer in the composite material as the first and third surfaces, respectively. The geometry of the stringer may vary along its length (L) so that as the first surface is displaced towards the second surface, the fourth surface is displaced towards the third surface. The developed width (DW) from the distal edge of the foot to the distal edge of the web of the stringer may be substantially constant for all cross-sections along a length of the stringer. The risk of causing, during fabrication of the stringer, undesirable creasing, stressing or stretching of composite material layers in a region in which the geometry of the stringer varies may be reduced by means of such arrangements.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

John Flood