Patent ID: 11952101
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An assembly connecting an aircraft wing to an aircraft body, the assembly comprising:
a panel on the aircraft body, the panel having a panel forward edge, the panel forward edge having a forward edge surface;
the panel having an inboard side surface, an outboard side surface, and a perpendicular bottom flange, wherein the bottom flange defines a panel bottom, including, in a cross-sectional view, an inboard portion of the bottom flange and an outboard portion of the bottom flange, the panel bottom having a panel bottom surface;
the panel forward edge surface opposing a rearward edge surface of a rearward extending flange on the aircraft wing;
the panel bottom surface opposing a top surface of a rearward extending plate on the aircraft wing;
a forward connection connected to the panel and to the rearward extending flange and connecting the panel and the rearward extending flange;
the forward connection comprising a forward splice plate, the forward splice plate being engaged in surface engagement with the panel and being connected to the panel;
the forward splice plate being engaged in surface engagement with the rearward extending flange and being connected to the rearward extending flange;
a gap between the panel bottom surface and the top surface of the rearward extending plate on the aircraft wing, wherein:
the gap has an inboard portion of the gap between the panel bottom surface of the inboard portion of the bottom flange and an outboard portion of the gap between the panel bottom surface of the outboard portion of the bottom flange on opposite sides of the gap; and,
in the cross-sectional view, the inboard portion of the gap tapers as the inboard portion of the gap extends into the gap and the outboard portion of the gap tapers as the outboard portion of the gap extends into the gap;

an inboard shim inserted into the inboard portion of the gap; and,
an outboard shim inserted into the outboard portion of the gap.