The Boeing Company

Steven D Ingham

Mark Ronald McLaughlin

Daniel Justin Cox

Danilo Vukosav

Bernhard Dopker

Richard R Rosman

Branko Lakic

David H Leibov

Charles B Lockin

Kevin Lee Sullivan

Paul Hungwai Lai

Daniel Cox

Richard Forrest Ewing

Jeff S Hollowell

Alfons Menanno

Soma Gopala Rao Paravata

Jenny Young

Kyle Alexander Johnson

Mark R Mclaughlin

Soma Gopala Paravata

Kevin L Sullivan

A connector to connect a center wing box to a bulkhead of an aircraft. The connector includes a panel with a first edge positioned at the center wing box, an opposing second edge positioned at the bulkhead, and a central section. A first flexible seal extends across the panel and provides for relative movement between the first edge and the central section. A second flexible seal extends across the panel and provides for relative movement between the second edge and the central section.

Connector to connect a center wing box to a bulkhead of an aircraft

A flexible strengthening joint for a pressurized vessel includes an outer skin having a localized abrupt change in shape. The outer skin includes a first skin section and a second skin section, the localized abrupt change in shape being located at a junction between the first skin section and the second skin section. A reinforcing bulkhead is located in the interior of the pressurized vessel. The reinforcing bulkhead includes a first bulkhead section that is directly attached to the first section of the outer skin and a second bulkhead section that unattached directly to the first section. A kick frame is located in the interior, the kick frame spanning at least the second bulkhead section. At least one intercostal is secured to the second bulkhead section. The at least one intercostal is also secured to the kick frame.

Pressurized monocoque structure with abrupt change in shape

A fuselage for an aircraft includes a pressure deck assembly extending along a roll axis of the fuselage. The pressure deck assembly includes longitudinal beams and a pressure deck. The longitudinal beams extend lengths along the roll axis of the fuselage. The pressure deck extends between the longitudinal beams along the lengths of the longitudinal beams. The pressure deck is compliant along a pitch axis of the fuselage. The fuselage includes a bulkhead extending along a yaw axis of the fuselage. The bulkhead is joined to the pressure deck assembly at a corner joint. The fuselage includes a compression chord extending a length along the pitch axis of the fuselage. The compression chord is joined between the pressure deck assembly and the bulkhead at the corner joint such that the compression chord extends on an outside of the corner joint.

Compression chord for a fuselage

A pressure deck system for a fuselage of an aircraft. The pressure deck system comprises a first sloping outboard pressure panel, a first longitudinal stiffener connected to the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second sloping outboard pressure panel opposite the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second longitudinal stiffener connected to the second sloping outboard pressure panel, pressure panels between the first sloping outboard pressure panel and the second sloping outboard pressure panel and forming the an upper barrier of a wheel well, longitudinal beams connected to the pressure panels and supporting a cabin floor of the fuselage, and a sloping pressure deck connecting a number of these components to the rear spar of the center wing box. A waterline of the pressure deck system is de-coupled from a side-of-body waterline in the fuselage.

Variable waterline for horizontal pressure deck

A pressure deck assembly for a fuselage includes a longitudinal beam extending a length along a roll axis of the fuselage. The longitudinal beam includes a central member and opposing first and second flanges extending from the central member. The first flange includes a first upper side and a first lower side. The second flange includes a second upper side and a second lower side. The pressure deck assembly includes a pressure deck that includes first and second deck segments. The first deck segment is joined to the first flange of the longitudinal beam along the first lower side of the first flange. The second deck segment is joined to the second flange of the longitudinal beam along the second lower side of the second flange.

Longitudinal beam joint for a pressure deck assembly

Embodiments for aircraft pressure deck. One embodiment is a pressure deck of an aircraft. The pressure deck includes beams extending longitudinally along a fuselage of the aircraft, and a web attached to an underside of the beams, the web including arches between adjacent beams to allow the pressure deck to flex laterally. The pressure deck also includes a box structure between a middle pair of the beams and configured to transfer load forward to a rear spar of a wing of the aircraft and aft to an aft wheel well bulkhead of the aircraft. The pressure deck further includes a first intercostal outboard from the box structure and configured to stabilize a first outboard pair of the beams, and a second intercostal outboard from the first intercostal and coupled between a second outboard pair of the beams via a swing link to allow the second intercostal to flex laterally.

Aircraft pressure deck

Growing community of inventors

Everett, WA, United States of America

Steven D Ingham