Lightweight structure, particularly primary aircraft structure or subassembly, as well as method for the manufacture thereof

US9138958B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED · DE

Inventors

• Robert Alexander Goehlich · Hamburg, DE
• Johannes Maslennikov · Hamburg, DE
• Alexei Vichniakov · Hamburg, DE
• Cihangir Sayilgan · Hamburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 8, 2012
• Grant date: Sep 22, 2015
• Expiry date: Nov 8, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/161
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A lightweight structure at least sectionally composed of a plurality of connected mosaic elements and/or skin mosaic elements. The lightweight structure allows an essentially load-appropriate arrangement of the mosaic elements and/or the skin mosaic elements including the optional skin. The lightweight structure requires a significantly reduced number of connecting elements, such that the assembly effort can be reduced and an additional weight reduction can be achieved. Also, two variations of a method for manufacturing a lightweight structure are provided. Large-format lightweight structures such as, for example, an aircraft fuselage cell or partial shells thereof can also be manufactured in a reliable and dimensionally accurate fashion because only mosaic elements and skin mosaic elements, with relatively small dimensions, need to be handled. Other applications of the lightweight structure include launch vehicles, rocket stages, space stations, space station modules, satellites and masts or towers of wind power plants.