초록 ▼

An aircraft panel assembly comprising a first panel constructed from a first sheet material having a first thermal expansion coefficient, the first panel comprising a first face, a second panel constructed from a second sheet material having a second thermal expansion coefficient different from the

An aircraft panel assembly comprising a first panel constructed from a first sheet material having a first thermal expansion coefficient, the first panel comprising a first face, a second panel constructed from a second sheet material having a second thermal expansion coefficient different from the first thermal expansion coefficient, the second panel comprising a second face facing the first face, the first and second panels being joined at a first discrete fastening point and a second discrete fastening point, the fastening points being connected by a first notional panel join line describing the shortest distance between the fasteners along the first face, and a second notional panel join line describing the shortest distance between the fasteners along the second face, in which the first panel comprises a stress relief feature between the fastening points such that the first notional panel join line diverges from, and converges with, the second notional panel join line.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aircraft panel assembly comprising: a first aircraft panel formed of a first sheet material having a first thermal expansion coefficient, the first aircraft panel comprising a first face;a second aircraft panel formed of a second sheet material having a second thermal expansion coefficient dif

1. An aircraft panel assembly comprising: a first aircraft panel formed of a first sheet material having a first thermal expansion coefficient, the first aircraft panel comprising a first face;a second aircraft panel formed of a second sheet material having a second thermal expansion coefficient different from the first thermal expansion coefficient, the second aircraft panel comprising a second face facing the first face,the first and second aircraft panels joined at a first discrete fastening point by at least one fastener and at a second discrete fastening point by another fastener,the first and second discrete fastening points aligned along a first notional panel join line defining the shortest distance between the fasteners along the first face, and a second notional panel join curvilinear line describing the shortest distance between the fasteners along the second face, wherein the second notional panel join curvilinear line is longer than the first notional panel join line,a stress relief feature is formed by the second notional panel join curvilinear line diverging from the first notional panel join line between the first and second discrete fastening points, and the second notional panel join curvilinear line converges to the first notional panel join line at each of the first and second discrete fastening points, andwherein said first aircraft panel comprises a structural component of an aircraft and said second aircraft panel comprises an aircraft skin or a second structural component of the aircraft. 2. An aircraft panel assembly comprising: a first aircraft panel constructed from a first sheet material having a first thermal expansion coefficient, the first aircraft panel comprising a first face,a second aircraft panel constructed from a second sheet material having a second thermal expansion coefficient different from the first thermal expansion coefficient, the second aircraft panel comprising a second face facing the first face,the first and second aircraft panels being joined at a first discrete fastening point by at least one fastener and at a second discrete fastening point by another fastener,the first and second discrete fastening points being connected by a first notional panel join line describing the shortest distance between the at least one fastener and the another fastener along the first face, and a second notional panel join line describing the shortest distance between the fasteners along the second face, wherein said first notional panel join line is shorter than said second notional panel join line,in which the first aircraft panel comprises a stress relief feature between the fastening points, wherein the stress relief feature includes the second notional panel join line diverging from the first notional panel join line between the first and second discrete fastening points and converges with the first notional panel join line at each of the first and second discrete fastening points, andin which said first aircraft panel comprises a structural component of an aircraft and said second aircraft panel comprises an aircraft skin or a second structural component of the aircraft. 3. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 2, wherein said first aircraft panel comprises a metal aircraft spar and the second aircraft panel comprises a composite aircraft cover. 4. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 2, wherein said stress relief feature enables elastic deformation of said second aircraft panel. 5. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 2 in which the stress relief feature is configured such that the first notional join line diverges out of a generally smooth surface defined by the first aircraft panel. 6. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 5 in which the first aircraft panel stress relief feature tapers out along the generally smooth surface of the first aircraft panel moving away from the fastening points. 7. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 5 in which the generally smooth surface is planar. 8. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 5, in which the first aircraft panel stress relief feature is curved in cross-section. 9. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 8 in which the first aircraft panel stress relief feature is a corrugation. 10. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 2 in which the stress relief feature is configured such that the first notional join line lies on a generally smooth surface defined by the first aircraft panel. 11. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 10 in which the stress relief feature is a cut-out in an edge of the first aircraft panel. 12. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 11 in which the cut-out is U-shaped. 13. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 2, wherein said stress relief feature is an out of plane deformation of one of said first and second sheets comprising one of a corrugation and bead between said at least one fastener and said at least another fastener. 14. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 13, wherein said first aircraft panel comprises a metal aircraft spar and the second aircraft panel comprises a composite aircraft cover. 15. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 2, wherein said stress relief feature is a U-shaped cutout in one of said first and second sheets between said at least one fastener and said at least another fastener. 16. The aircraft panel assembly according to claim 15, wherein said first aircraft panel comprises a metal aircraft spar and the second aircraft panel comprises a composite aircraft cover. 17. A method of manufacturing an aircraft panel assembly comprising the steps of: providing a first aircraft panel constructed from a first sheet material having a first thermal expansion coefficient, the first aircraft panel comprising a first face, said first face including at least one stress relief feature,providing a second aircraft panel constructed from a second sheet material having a second thermal expansion coefficient different from the first thermal expansion coefficient, the second aircraft panel comprising a second face facing the first face,joining the first and second aircraft panels at a first discrete fastening point by at least one fastener and at a second discrete fastening point by at least another fastener, such that the fastening points are connected by a first notional panel join line describing the shortest distance between the at least one fastener and the another fastener along the first face, and a second notional panel join line describing the shortest distance between the fasteners along the second face, and such that the first notional panel join line diverges from the second notional panel join line, converges with the second notional panel join line at each of the first and second discrete fastening points and diverges from the second notional panel join line between the first and second discrete fastening points, wherein the divergence forms the stress relief feature,wherein said first notional panel join line is shorter than said second notional panel join line, andwherein said first aircraft panel comprise a structural component of an aircraft and the second aircraft panel comprises an aircraft skin of a structural component of the aircraft.