Patent ID: 11939038
Assignee: KOK & VAN ENGELEN COMPOSITE STRUCTURES B.V.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  Y | IPC B

Claim 7:
8. A method for manufacturing a fuselage structure of an aircraft, comprising:
providing a plurality of frame elements spaced apart from one another in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and extending in a circumferential direction of the aircraft;
providing a plurality of fiber-reinforced composite skin panels to extend between each pair of frame elements, such that a stiffener integrally formed in each composite skin panel extends radially inwards from an inner surface of each composite skin panel and in a direction parallel to the aircraft longitudinal axis;
interconnecting the plurality of fiber-reinforced composite skin panels by joining second wall parts of composite skin panels; and to form an integrated fuselage skin part between each pair of frame elements;
connecting the plurality of fiber-reinforced composite skin panels to each pair of frame elements by joining first wall parts of each composite skin panel to first wall parts of each frame element; and
repeating the above steps for each pair of frame elements until a fuselage skin is formed, extending along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and enclosing an inner space thereof, and being supported by the plurality of frame elements, wherein the first wall parts of the composite skin panels are located more radially inwards than the first wall parts of the frame element to which they are joined,
wherein at least some of the first wall parts of the composite skin panels and the frame elements and/or at least some of the second wall parts of the composite skin panels are joined through an induction welded connection, and
wherein further a composite skin panel is connected to another composite skin panel by joining second wall parts of both, wherein the second wall part of a composite skin panel comprises a side edge joggle provided at a side edge of the composite skin panel, and the second wall part of the other composite skin panel is brought in overlapping arrangement with the composite skin panel's second wall part to permit maintaining a flush outer surface of the fuselage skin.