Wingtip load reduction mechanism and aircraft

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a wingtip load reduction mechanism and an aircraft. The wingtip load reduction mechanism includes: a wing having a tip end portion disposed along its wingspan direction; a wingtip movably mounted at the tip end portion of the wing; and a hinge assembly including a first hinge member and a second hinge member hinged to each other. The first hinge member is fixedly connected to the tip end portion of the wing, and the second hinge member is fixedly connected to the wingtip. Wherein, a load reduction element is disposed between the first hinge member and the second hinge member. Under the action of the load reduction element, the wingtip automatically forms a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing under different load conditions. According to the present invention, it enables the wingtip to automatically form a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing under different load conditions, effectively reducing the load on the wing, improving the aerodynamic performance of the wing, and thus improving the flight performance of the aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of aircraft aerodynamics, and particularly to a wingtip load reduction mechanism and an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] Relevant aerodynamic research shows that airfoils can effectively improve the aerodynamic characteristics of an aircraft according to changes in different flight environments. Variable-camber wingtips can improve maneuverability, reduce induced drag, and improve stall performance. For example, a larger wingspan can achieve better aerodynamic performance in the cruise state; in the case of high overload, the wingtip load and moment are large, and according to aerodynamic research, adjusting the wingtip sweep angle can effectively reduce the load; at the same time, in the parked state, in order to make the best use of the runway width, the wingspan in the parked state is close to the width of the corresponding runway grade. To further utilize the wingspan to improve performance, it is necessary to retract and fold the wings in the parked state.

[0003] Currently, in the existing folding wing technology, the sweep angle of the wingtips during flight and parking is fixed at a pre-designed angle by a mechanism and cannot be adjusted according to changes in the flight environment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide a wingtip load reduction mechanism and an aircraft to improve the flight performance of the aircraft.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, embodiments of the present invention disclose the following technical solutions:

[0006] On the one hand, a wingtip load reduction mechanism is provided, including: a wing, a tip end portion being provided on the wing along its wingspan direction;

[0007] a wingtip, which is movably mounted at the tip end portion of the wing; and

[0008] a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly including: a first hinge member and a second hinge member that are hinged to each other, the first hinge member being fixedly connected to the tip end portion of the wing, and the second hinge member being fixedly connected to the wingtip;

[0009] wherein, a load reduction element is provided between the first hinge member and the second hinge member;

[0010] Under the action of the load reduction element, the wingtip automatically forms a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing under different load conditions.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the above-disclosed features, or as an alternative, the load reduction element is a torsion spring.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, define the stiffness coefficient of the load reduction element as K, and the stiffness coefficient K satisfies:

[0013]

[0014] where M 0 is the torque of the load reduction element when the wing tip is not loaded; M 1 is the torque of the load reduction element when the load on the wing tip is 1G; α is the dihedral angle of the wing tip relative to the wing.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, at least one load reduction element is provided,

[0016] define the number of the load reduction elements as X, and the stiffness coefficient of each load reduction element is K 1 , and satisfies:

[0017] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the dihedral angle α of the wing tip relative to the wing satisfies: 45° ≤ α ≤ 90°.

[0018] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, define the anhedral angle of the wing tip relative to the wing as β, and satisfies: 0 ≤ β ≤ 80°.

[0019] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, an installation chamber is formed between the first hinge and the second hinge, and the load reduction element is disposed in the installation chamber.

[0020] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, a first connection portion is provided on the tip end portion, a second connection portion is provided at one end of the first hinge near the wing, and the first connection portion is fixedly connected to the second connection portion;

[0021] A third connection portion is provided at one end of the wing tip near the wing in the wingspan direction thereof, a fourth connection portion is provided at one end of the second hinge near the wing tip, and the third connection portion is fixedly connected to the fourth connection portion.

[0022] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, a wing beam is provided on the wing, the first connection portion is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the wing beam, and the extending directions of the first connection portion and the second connection portion are parallel to the extending direction of the wing beam.

[0023] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the hinge assembly further includes: a hinge shaft, the first hinge member, the second hinge member, and the load-reducing element are all sleeved on the outer periphery of the hinge shaft; and

[0024] at least two fixing members, the fixing members are fixedly installed on the hinge shaft, and each of the fixing members is respectively arranged at the side end of the first hinge member along the axial direction of the hinge shaft.

[0025] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, it further includes: a fairing, the fairing is arranged between the wing and the wing tip, and the interior of the fairing is hollow to form a sealed cavity, and the hinge assembly is arranged in the sealed cavity;

[0026] The fairing is streamlined.

[0027] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the fairing includes: a fixing portion, which is arranged at the tip end of the wing; and

[0028] a following portion, which is arranged at one end of the wing tip close to the wing in the wingspan direction;

[0029] The fixing portion and the following portion surround to form the sealed cavity.

[0030] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, it further includes: a locking assembly, the locking assembly is used to lock the wing tip in a drooping state;

[0031] The locking assembly includes: a receiving member, which is arranged on the second hinge member;

[0032] a fixed shaft, which is arranged on the first hinge member; and

[0033] a snap unit, which is movably arranged on the outer periphery of the fixed shaft;

[0034] With the cooperation of the receiving member and the snap unit, the wing tip is locked in a drooping state.

[0035] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the snap unit includes: a fixed snap, which is arranged on the first hinge member;

[0036] a movable snap, which is movably arranged on the fixed shaft; and

[0037] an elastic element, which is arranged between the fixed snap and the movable snap, and the head and tail ends of the elastic element are respectively fixedly connected to the fixed snap and the movable snap.

[0038] In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features disclosed above, the locking assembly further includes: an unlocking driver, which is mounted on the first hinge member, and the power output end of the unlocking driver is in transmission connection with the movable buckle;

[0039] Under the action of the unlocking driver, the movable buckle moves away from the fixed buckle.

[0040] On the other hand, an aircraft is also provided. In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features disclosed above, the aircraft includes the wingtip load alleviation mechanism as described in any one of the above.

[0041] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: In the present invention, by arranging a load alleviation element between the first hinge member and the second hinge member, the wingtip can automatically form a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing under different load conditions, which can effectively alleviate the load on the wing, improve the aerodynamic performance of the wing, and thus improve the flight performance of the aircraft.

[0042] Another one of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: In the present invention, by arranging a fairing between the wing and the wingtip and arranging the hinge assembly inside the fairing at the same time, the hinge assembly is isolated from the external environment to prevent the external environment from damaging the airflow of the wing surface, and the fairing is streamlined to eliminate the influence of the fairing on the wing surface of the aircraft, so that the fairing does not affect the aerodynamic lift and drag of the wing surface of the aircraft, and thus improves the flight performance of the aircraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The following will, by way of a detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings, make the technical solutions and other beneficial effects of the present invention obvious.

[0044] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural view of the wingtip load alleviation mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 is an exploded structural view of the wingtip load alleviation mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wingtip load alleviation mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 is Figure 3 a partial enlarged view of;

[0048] Figure 5 is a front view of the wingtip load alleviation mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the present invention in the anhedral state;

[0049] Figure 6is a front view of the wingtip load alleviation mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention in a drooping state;

[0050] Figure 7 is a front view of the hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 is a front view of the hinge assembly and the locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a straight state;

[0052] Figure 9 is a front view of the hinge assembly and the locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a drooping state;

[0053] Figure 10 is a front view of the locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in an open state;

[0054] Figure 11 is a front view of the locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a closed state.

[0055] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0056] 100, wingtip load alleviation mechanism;

[0057] 110, wing; 111, tip end; 112, first connection part;

[0058] 120, wingtip; 121, third connection part;

[0059] 130, hinge assembly; 131, first hinge member; 1311, second connection part; 1312, first limiting surface; 1313, third limiting surface; 132, second hinge member; 1321, fourth connection part; 1322, second limiting surface; 1323, fourth limiting surface; 133, installation chamber; 134, hinge shaft; 135, fixing member;

[0060] 140, load alleviation element;

[0061] 150, fairing; 151, sealed cavity; 152, fixing part; 153, follower part;

[0062] 160, locking assembly; 161, member to be clamped; 162, fixed shaft; 163, buckle unit; 1631, fixed buckle; 1632, movable buckle; 1633, elastic element; 164, unlocking driver; 165, guiding member; 166, movable member. Detailed implementation manners

[0063] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described in this specification are only for explaining the present invention and not for limiting the present invention.

[0064] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0065] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mounted", "connected" and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection, a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and may be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0066] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "under" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0067] Relevant aerodynamic research shows that airfoils can effectively improve the aerodynamic characteristics of an aircraft according to the changes in different flight environments.

[0068] At present, in the existing folding wing technology, the upward angle of the wing tip during flight and when parked is fixed at a pre-designed angle by a mechanism lock, and the upward angle cannot be adjusted according to changes in the flight environment.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figures 1 to 9 shown, the wing tip load reduction mechanism 100 may include: a wing 110, a tip end portion 111 is provided on the wing 110 along its wingspan direction; a wing tip 120, which is movably mounted at the tip end portion 111 of the wing 110; and a hinge assembly 130, the hinge assembly 130 includes: a first hinge member 131 and a second hinge member 132 that are hinged to each other, the first hinge member 131 is fixedly connected to the tip end portion 111 of the wing 110, and the second hinge member 132 is fixedly connected to the wing tip 120;

[0070] Wherein, a load reduction element 140 is provided between the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132; under the action of the load reduction element 140, the wing tip 120 automatically forms a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing 110 under different load-bearing conditions.

[0071] Specifically, the aircraft has three states: parked, cruising, and high load. When the aircraft is in the parked state, the wing tip 120 is not subject to aerodynamic load, and at the same time, the load reduction element 140 does not provide torque. The wing tip 120 deflects downward relative to the wing 110 under its own gravity and is in a drooping state to reduce the overall length of the wing 110 and the wing tip 120 to adapt to the airport length, so that the aircraft can fit in the taxiway and / or boarding gate.

[0072] When the aircraft is in the cruising state, the load on the wing tip 120 causes the second hinge member 132 to twist upward relative to the first hinge member 131. At this time, the load reduction element 140 generates a reverse torque due to being pulled, and the torque provided by the load reduction element 140 reaches an equilibrium with the load on the wing tip 120, so that the wingspan direction of the wing tip 120 is in the same straight line as the wingspan direction of the wing 110, to maintain the wing tip 120 in a straight state, lengthen the overall wingspan of the aircraft, provide the maximum lift to the greatest extent, obtain the maximum aerodynamic performance, and improve the aerodynamic performance of the wing;

[0073] When the aircraft is in the high load state during flight, the load on the wing tip 120 drives the second hinge member 132 to twist further relative to the first hinge member 131, so that the load reduction element 140 twists further, and the stroke of the load reduction element 140 increases to provide a greater reverse torque, and the wing tip 120 deflects upward relative to the wing 110 to maintain the wing tip 120 in an upward angle state corresponding to the load received, so as to achieve effective load reduction of the wing tip and further improve the aerodynamic performance of the wing.

[0074] Among them, the "first" and "second" in the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132 are only used to distinguish different hinge elements respectively connected to the wing 110 and the wing tip 120, and they do not limit the number or order of the hinge elements. For example, the first hinge member 131 is fixedly connected to the tip end portion 111 of the wing 110, and correspondingly, the second hinge member 132 is fixedly connected to the wing tip 120. For another example, the second hinge member 132 is fixedly connected to the tip end portion 111 of the wing 110, and correspondingly, the first hinge member 131 is fixedly connected to the wing tip 120.

[0075] In an embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figures 2 to 4 , the load reduction element 140 is a torsion spring, which is easy to obtain and has a low price, and can effectively reduce costs.

[0076] In an embodiment of the present invention, it is defined that the stiffness coefficient of the load reduction element 140 is K, and the stiffness coefficient K satisfies:

[0077]

[0078] Among them, M 0 is the torque of the load reduction element 140 when the wing tip 120 is not loaded; M 1 is the torque of the load reduction element 140 when the load on the wing tip 120 is 1G; α is the dihedral angle of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110.

[0079] It can be understood that in the present invention, by limiting the stiffness coefficient of the load reduction element 140, so that under the action of the load reduction element 140, the wing tip 120 automatically forms a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing 110 in the case of bearing different loads, thereby improving the flight performance of the aircraft.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present invention, the stiffness coefficients of a single load reduction element 140 satisfy a linear superposition relationship.

[0081] Specifically, at least 1 load reduction element 140 is provided, and it is defined that the number of the load reduction elements 140 is X, and the stiffness coefficient of each load reduction element 140 is K 1 , satisfying:

[0082]

[0083] For example, when the number of the load reduction elements 140 is 2, the stiffness coefficient of each load reduction element 140 is K 1 is 0.5K; for another example, when the number of the load reduction elements 140 is 3, the stiffness coefficient of each load reduction element 140 is K 1is 1 / 3K; for another example, when the number of the load reduction elements 140 is 4, the stiffness coefficient of each load reduction element 140 is K 1 is 1 / 4K.

[0084] In an embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figure 6 , the dihedral angle α of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 satisfies: 45° ≤ α ≤ 90°. That is, the dihedral angle α of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 can be controlled within the range of 75° - 80°. For example, the dihedral angle α of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 can be 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 85°, 90°, etc. It should be noted that the specific values of the dihedral angle α are only given exemplarily, and any value within the range of 45° - 90° is within the protection scope of the present application. In the present invention, by controlling the dihedral angle α of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 within the range of 45° - 90°, it can be ensured that the overall length of the wing 110 and the wing tip 120 is adapted to the airport length, so that the aircraft can cooperate within the taxiway and / or boarding gate.

[0085] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figure 7 , a first limiting surface 1312 is provided on the first hinge member 131, and a second limiting surface 1322 is provided on the second hinge member 132. In the present invention, the cooperation of the first limiting surface 1312 and the second limiting surface 1322 is used to limit the extreme position of the downward deflection of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110, so as to prevent the wing tip 120 from deflecting excessively and causing damage to the components.

[0086] Among them, the "first" and "second" in the first limiting surface 1312 and the second limiting surface 1322 are only used to distinguish different limiting surfaces on the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132 respectively, and they are not a limitation on the number or order of the limiting surfaces.

[0087] Specifically, define the angle between the first limiting surface 1312 and the vertical direction as θ, and define the angle between the second limiting surface 1322 and the vertical direction as η. Then, the included angle θ, the included angle η and the dihedral angle α satisfy:

[0088] θ + η = α, so as to jointly form the downward deflection angle stroke of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110.

[0089] Preferably, considering uniform load transmission, the first limiting surface 1312 and the second limiting surface 1322 are symmetrically arranged, so that the included angle θ and the dihedral angle α satisfy: θ = α / 2; the included angle η and the dihedral angle α satisfy: η = α / 2.

[0090] Specifically, for the angle distribution of the first limiting surface 1312 and the second limiting surface 1322, considering the uniform load transmission, a slight adjustment is made on the basis of the near-symmetric distribution to facilitate processing and manufacturing.

[0091] Furthermore, in combination with Figure 5 , the dihedral angle of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 is defined as β, satisfying: 0 ≤ β ≤ 80°. That is, the dihedral angle β of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 can be controlled within the range of 0 to 80°. For example, the dihedral angle β of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 can be 0, 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°, etc. It should be noted that the specific values of the dihedral angle α are only given exemplarily, and any value within the range of 0 to 80° is within the protection scope of this application. In the present invention, by controlling the dihedral angle β of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 within the range of 0 to 80°, it can be ensured that the wing tip 120 automatically forms a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing 110 under different load-bearing conditions, improving the flight performance of the aircraft.

[0092] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figure 7 , a third limiting surface 1313 is provided on the first hinge member 131, and a fourth limiting surface 1323 is provided on the second hinge member 132. In the present invention, the cooperation between the third limiting surface 1313 and the fourth limiting surface 1323 is used to limit the extreme position of the upward deflection of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110, so as to prevent the wing tip 120 from deflecting excessively and causing damage to the components.

[0093] Among them, the "third" and "fourth" in the third limiting surface 1313 and the fourth limiting surface 1323 are only used to distinguish different limiting surfaces on the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132 respectively, and they are not restrictions on the number or order of the limiting surfaces.

[0094] Specifically, the angle between the third limiting surface 1313 and the vertical direction is defined as γ, and the angle between the fourth limiting surface 1323 and the vertical direction is defined as δ. Then, the angle γ, the angle δ and the dihedral angle β satisfy:

[0095] γ + δ = β, so as to jointly form the upward deflection angle stroke of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110.

[0096] Preferably, considering the uniform load transmission, the third limiting surface 1313 and the fourth limiting surface 1323 are symmetrically arranged, so that the angle γ and the dihedral angle β satisfy: γ = β / 2; the angle δ and the dihedral angle β satisfy: δ = β / 2.

[0097] Specifically, for the angle distribution of the third limiting surface 1313 and the fourth limiting surface 1323, considering the uniform load transmission, a slight adjustment is made on the basis of the nearly symmetric distribution to facilitate processing and manufacturing.

[0098] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the load on the wing tip 120 is defined as 2G, the torque M of the load reduction element 140 2 , when the load on the wing tip 120 is defined as 2G, the dihedral angle of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 is β 1 , satisfying:

[0099]

[0100] When the load on the wing tip 120 is defined as 2.5G, the torque M of the load reduction element 140 3 , when the load on the wing tip 120 is defined as 2.5G, the dihedral angle of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 is β 2 , satisfying:

[0101]

[0102] Define the maximum dihedral angle of the wing tip 120 relative to the wing 110 as β max , satisfying: β 1 ≤β max ≤β 2 .

[0103] Meanwhile, in the present invention, considering a better load reduction effect, the total stroke of the wing tip 120 deflecting up and down relative to the wing 110 is close to 180°.

[0104] Furthermore, in combination with Figures 3 to 4 , an installation chamber 133 is formed between the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132, and the load reduction element 140 is disposed in the installation chamber 133.

[0105] It can be understood that in the present invention, by forming the installation chamber 133 between the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132 and disposing the load reduction element 140 in the installation chamber 133, the overall structure is compact, the occupied space is small, and the overall size is effectively reduced.

[0106] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an installation groove is provided between the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132 to form the installation chamber 133. For example, an installation groove is provided on the first hinge member 131 so that an installation chamber 133 is formed between the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132. Alternatively, an installation groove is provided on the second hinge member 132 so that an installation chamber 133 is formed between the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132. Or, installation grooves are provided on both the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132 so that an installation chamber 133 is formed between the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132. No specific limitation is made in the present invention.

[0107] Further, in combination with Figures 3 to 4 , a first connection portion 112 is provided on the tip end portion 111, and a second connection portion 1311 is provided at one end of the first hinge member 131 close to the wing 110. The first connection portion 112 is fixedly connected to the second connection portion 1311;

[0108] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first connection portion 112 is integrally formed with the tip end portion 111 of the wing 110; or, the first connection portion 112 is fixedly connected to the tip end portion 111 of the wing 110. No specific limitation is made in the present invention.

[0109] The second connection portion 1311 is integrally formed with the first hinge member 131; or, the second connection portion 1311 is fixedly connected to the first hinge member 131. No specific limitation is made in the present invention.

[0110] Herein, the "first" and "second" in the first connection portion 112 and the second connection portion 1311 are only for distinguishing different connection portions provided on the tip end portion 111 and the first hinge member 131 respectively, and do not limit the number or sequence of the connection portions.

[0111] One end of the wing tip 120 close to the wing 110 along its wingspan direction is provided with a third connection portion 121, and one end of the second hinge member 132 close to the wing tip 120 is provided with a fourth connection portion 1321. The third connection portion 121 is fixedly connected to the fourth connection portion 1321.

[0112] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the third connection portion 121 is integrally formed with the wing tip 120; or, the third connection portion 121 is fixedly connected to the wing tip 120. No specific limitation is made in the present invention.

[0113] The fourth connecting portion 1321 is integrally formed with the second hinge member 132; alternatively, the fourth connecting portion 1321 is fixedly connected to the second hinge member 132, and no specific limitation is made in the present invention.

[0114] Among them, the "third" and "fourth" in the third connecting portion 121 and the fourth connecting portion 1321 are only for distinguishing different connecting portions separately provided on the wing tip 120 and the second hinge member 132, and they do not limit the number or order of the connecting portions.

[0115] In an embodiment of the present invention, a wing beam (not shown in the figure) is provided on the wing 110, the first connecting portion 112 is fixedly connected or integrally formed with the wing beam, and the extending directions of the first connecting portion 112 and the second connecting portion 1311 are parallel to the extending direction of the wing beam.

[0116] It can be understood that the first connecting portion 112 of the present invention is fixedly connected or integrally formed with the wing beam, and the extending directions of the first connecting portion 112 and the second connecting portion 1311 are parallel to the extending direction of the wing beam, so that when the wing tip 120 deflects under load, the shear forces generated among the first hinge member 131, the second hinge member 132 and the load-reducing element 140 are directly transmitted to the wing beam through the first connecting portion 112 and the second connecting portion 1311, so that the force-bearing relationship during load transmission between the wing 110 and the wing tip 120 meets the mechanical requirements of the aircraft, and the components of the aircraft can be effectively protected.

[0117] In an embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figures 3 to 4 , the hinge assembly 130 further includes: a hinge shaft 134, the first hinge member 131, the second hinge member 132 and the load-reducing element 140 are all sleeved on the outer periphery of the hinge shaft 134; and at least two fixing members 135, the fixing members 135 are fixedly installed on the hinge shaft 134, and each fixing member 135 is respectively arranged at the side end of the first hinge member 131 along the axial direction of the hinge shaft 134.

[0118] It can be understood that the present invention limits the first hinge member 131 and the second hinge member 132 by providing the fixing member 135 at the side end of the first hinge member 131 along the axial direction of the hinge shaft 134 to prevent the two from moving randomly during rotation.

[0119] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member 135 is a fixing bolt to reduce the overall cost.

[0120] In an embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figures 1 to 2, the wing tip load alleviation mechanism 100 further includes: a fairing 150, the fairing 150 is arranged between the wing 110 and the wing tip 120, and the interior of the fairing 150 is hollow to form a sealed cavity 151, and the hinge assembly 130 is arranged in the sealed cavity 151; the fairing 150 is streamlined.

[0121] Understandably, currently, existing hinge devices arranged between the wing 110 and the wing tip 120 are all exposed. When the aircraft is in flight, this structure will disrupt the airflow of the wing surface, have a greater impact on the drag, and is not conducive to improving the flight performance of the aircraft. In the present invention, by arranging the fairing 150 between the wing 110 and the wing tip 120 and arranging the hinge assembly 130 inside the fairing 150 at the same time, the hinge assembly 130 is isolated from the external environment to prevent the external environment from disrupting the airflow of the wing surface, and the fairing 150 is streamlined to eliminate the influence of the fairing 150 on the aircraft wing surface, so that the fairing does not affect the aerodynamic lift and drag of the aircraft wing surface, thereby improving the flight performance of the aircraft.

[0122] Furthermore, in combination with Figure 2 , the fairing 150 includes: a fixed part 152, the fixed part 152 is arranged at the tip end 111 of the wing 110; and a follower part 153, the follower part 153 is arranged at one end of the wing tip 120 close to the wing 110 in the wingspan direction; the fixed part 152 and the follower part 153 surround to form the sealed cavity 151.

[0123] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixed part 152 is integrally formed with the tip end 111 of the wing 110; alternatively, the fixed part 152 is fixedly connected to the tip end 111 of the wing 110, and no specific limitation is made in the present invention.

[0124] The follower part 153 is integrally formed with the wing tip 120; alternatively, the follower part 153 is fixedly connected to the wing tip 120, and no specific limitation is made in the present invention either.

[0125] Understandably, the fixed part 152 is arranged at the tip end 111 of the wing 110, so that the fixed part 152 is synchronously in an inactive state with the wing 110. The follower part 153 is arranged at one end of the wing tip 120 close to the wing 110 in the span direction, so that the follower part 153 can rotate synchronously with the wing tip 120. Furthermore, when the wing tip 120 is at different deflection angles relative to the wing 110, the hinge assembly 130 is located in the sealed cavity 151 formed by the fairing 150. At the same time, by connecting in this way, there is no need to preset travel holes for the third connecting part 121 and the fourth connecting part 1321, which can realize the airtight and complete connection of the fairing, ensure the integrity of the outer shape to the greatest extent, and ensure the aerodynamic performance after rectification.

[0126] In an embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figures 8 to 9 , the wing tip load reduction mechanism 100 further includes: a locking assembly 160, and the locking assembly 160 is used to lock the wing tip 120 in a drooping state;

[0127] Specifically, the locking assembly 160 includes: a receiving member 161, and the receiving member 161 is arranged on the second hinge member 132; a fixed shaft 162, and the fixed shaft 162 is arranged on the first hinge member 131; and a buckle unit 163, which is movably arranged on the outer periphery of the fixed shaft 162;

[0128] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the receiving member 161 and the second hinge member 132 are integrally formed; alternatively, the receiving member 161 and the second hinge member 132 are fixedly connected, and no specific limitation is made in the present invention.

[0129] The fixed shaft 162 and the first hinge member 131 are integrally formed; alternatively, the fixed shaft 162 and the first hinge member 131 are fixedly connected, and no specific limitation is made in the present invention either.

[0130] Understandably, when the aircraft is in a parked state, the wing tip 120 is not subject to aerodynamic loads, and at the same time, the load reduction element 140 does not provide torque. The wing tip 120 deflects downward relative to the wing 110 under its own gravity and is in a drooping state. At the same time, the receiving member 161 arranged on the second hinge member 132 deflects downward synchronously with the second hinge member 132, so that the receiving member 161 contacts the buckle unit 163, and the receiving member 161 and the buckle unit 163 are connected in a snap-fit manner. With the cooperation of the receiving member 161 and the buckle unit 163, the wing tip 120 is locked in a drooping state.

[0131] In an embodiment of the present invention, in combination with Figure 9The buckle unit 163 includes: a fixed buckle 1631, which is arranged on the first hinge 131; a movable buckle 1632, which is movably arranged on the fixed shaft 162; and an elastic element 1633, which is arranged between the fixed buckle 1631 and the movable buckle 1632, and the first and second ends of the elastic element 1633 are fixedly connected to the fixed buckle 1631 and the movable buckle 1632 respectively.

[0132] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixing buckle 1631 is integrally formed with the first hinge 131; or, the fixing buckle 1631 is fixedly connected to the first hinge 131, which is not specifically limited in the present invention.

[0133] The elastic element 1633 is any one of a spring, an elastic sheet or an elastic rope. For example, the elastic element 1633 is a spring; another example, the elastic element 1633 is an elastic sheet; another example, the elastic element 1633 is an elastic rope. The specific selection of the elastic element 1633 can be made by the staff according to the actual situation, and is not specifically limited in the present invention.

[0134] In an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 9 The locking assembly 160 also includes: an unlocking driver 164, which is installed on the first hinge 131, and the power output end of the unlocking driver 164 is transmission-connected to the active buckle 1632; under the action of the unlocking driver 164, the active buckle 1632 moves away from the fixed buckle 1631.

[0135] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the unlocking driver 164 is a steering gear, and preferably, the unlocking driver 164 is a linear steering gear.

[0136] The locking assembly 160 also includes: a guide member 165 and at least two movable members 166. The guide member 165 is fixedly mounted on the first hinge member 131. The two movable members 166 are arranged opposite to each other, and both of the movable members are transmission-connected to the power output end of the unlocking driver 164. The two movable members 166 can be movably arranged on the guide member 165.

[0137] Under the action of the unlocking driver 164 , the movable member 166 approaches the movable buckle 1632 to contact the movable buckle 1632 .

[0138] Preferably, the two movable parts 166 can be transmission-connected to the power output end of the unlocking driver 164 via a connecting part (not shown).

[0139] The connecting member can be any one of a rope, a spring, and an elastic rope.

[0140] Specifically, in combination with Figures 8 to 11 , the buckle unit 163 has two states of closing and opening. Under the action of the elastic element 1633, the buckle unit 163 is in the closed state by the support in the natural elongation state of the elastic element 1633;

[0141] When the aircraft is in the parked state, the card-receiving member 161 follows the second hinge member 132 and deflects downward synchronously, so that the card-receiving member 161 hits the movable buckle 1632, the unlocking driver 164 is activated to drive the movable member 166 to move, so that the movable member 166 contacts the movable buckle 1632 and compresses the connecting end of the movable buckle 1632 and the elastic element 1633, generating pressure on the connecting end of the movable buckle 1632 and the elastic element 1633, so that the movable buckle 1632 rotates around the fixed shaft 162, the elastic element 1633 is compressed to generate a restoring elastic force, the buckle unit 163 is in the open state, the card-receiving member 161 enters between the movable buckle 1632 and the fixed buckle 1631, and then, the unlocking driver 164 drives the movable member 166 to reset to the initial position, so that the movable member 166 is separated from the movable buckle 1632. At the same time, under the action of the restoring elastic force of the elastic element 1633, the movable buckle 1632 resets, so that the card-receiving member 161 is snap-connected to the buckle unit 163. With the cooperation of the card-receiving member 161 and the buckle unit 163, the wing tip 120 is locked in the drooping state.

[0142] And in the normal state, the movable member 166 is in a separated state from the movable buckle 1632, and the movable member 166 does not affect the movable buckle.

[0143] When the wing tip 120 needs to be unlocked from the drooping state, the unlocking driver 164 is activated to drive the movable member 166 to move, so that the movable member 166 contacts the movable buckle 1632 and compresses the connecting end of the movable buckle 1632 and the elastic element 1633, generating pressure on the connecting end of the movable buckle 1632 and the elastic element 1633, so that the movable buckle 1632 rotates around the fixed shaft 162, the elastic element 1633 is compressed to generate a restoring elastic force, the buckle unit 163 is in the open state, and the card-receiving member 161 can be separated from the buckle unit 163, realizing the unlocking of the wing tip 120; after unlocking, the unlocking driver 164 drives the movable member 166 to reset to the initial position, so that the movable member 166 is separated from the movable buckle 1632, and at the same time, the movable buckle 1632 resets synchronously under the action of the restoring elastic force of the elastic element 1633.

[0144] On the other hand, the present invention also provides an aircraft, comprising the wingtip load alleviation mechanism as described in any one of the above.

[0145] The introductions provided in the above steps are only for helping to understand the method, structure and core idea of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wingtip load reduction mechanism, characterized in that, it includes: a wing (110), a tip end portion (111) being provided on the wing (110) along its span direction; a wingtip (120), which is movably mounted at the tip end portion (111) of the wing (110); a hinge assembly (130), the hinge assembly (130) including: a first hinge member (131) and a second hinge member (132) that are hinged to each other, the first hinge member (131) being fixedly connected to the tip end portion (111) of the wing (110), and the second hinge member (132) being fixedly connected to the wingtip (120); and a locking assembly (160), the locking assembly (160) being used to lock the wingtip (120) in a drooping state; the locking assembly (160) including: a receiving member (161), which is provided on the second hinge member (132); a fixed shaft (162), which is provided on the first hinge member (131); and a buckle unit (163), which is movably provided on the outer periphery of the fixed shaft (162); with the cooperation of the receiving member (161) and the buckle unit (163), the wingtip (120) is locked in a drooping state; wherein, a load reduction element (140) is provided between the first hinge member (131) and the second hinge member (132); under the action of the load reduction element (140), the wingtip (120) automatically forms a corresponding deflection angle relative to the wing (110) under different load conditions; defining the stiffness coefficient of the load reduction element (140) as K, the stiffness coefficient K satisfies: K = (M 1 - M 0 ) / α; M 0 is the torque of the load reduction element (140) when the wing tip (120) is not loaded; M 1 is the torque of the load reduction element (140) when the load on the wing tip (120) is 1G; α is the dihedral angle of the wing tip (120) relative to the wing (110).

2. The wingtip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, the load reduction element (140) is a torsion spring.

3. The wingtip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, at least 1 load reduction element (140) is provided, Define the number of the load-reducing elements (140) as X, and the stiffness coefficient of each load-reducing element (140) as K 1 , satisfying:

4. The wingtip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, the dihedral angle α of the wingtip (120) relative to the wing (110) satisfies: 45° ≤ α ≤ 90°.

5. The wingtip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, defining the anhedral angle of the wingtip (120) relative to the wing (110) as β, which satisfies: 0 ≤ β ≤ 80°.

6. The wingtip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, an installation chamber (133) is formed between the first hinge member (131) and the second hinge member (132), and the load reduction element (140) is provided in the installation chamber (133).

7. The wingtip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, a first connection portion (112) is provided on the tip end portion (111), a second connection portion (1311) is provided at one end of the first hinge member (131) close to the wing (110), and the first connection portion (112) is fixedly connected to the second connection portion (1311); One end of the wing tip (120) close to the wing (110) in its wingspan direction is provided with a third connection part (121), one end of the second hinge (132) close to the wing tip (120) is provided with a fourth connection part (1321), and the third connection part (121) is fixedly connected with the fourth connection part (1321).

8. The wing tip load reduction mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that a wing beam is provided on the wing (110), the first connection part (112) is fixedly connected with or integrally formed with the wing beam, and the extending directions of the first connection part (112) and the second connection part (1311) are parallel to the extending direction of the wing beam.

9. The wing tip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge assembly (130) further includes: a hinge shaft (134), the first hinge (131), the second hinge (132) and the load reduction element (140) are all sleeved on the outer periphery of the hinge shaft (134); and at least two fixing parts (135), the fixing parts (135) are fixedly installed on the hinge shaft (134), and each fixing part (135) is respectively arranged at the side end of the first hinge (131) along the axial direction of the hinge shaft (134).

10. The wing tip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it further includes: a fairing (150), the fairing (150) is arranged between the wing (110) and the wing tip (120), and the inside of the fairing (150) is hollow to form a sealed cavity (151), and the hinge assembly (130) is arranged in the sealed cavity (151); the fairing (150) is streamlined.

11. The wing tip load reduction mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that the fairing (150) includes: a fixing part (152) which is arranged at the tip end part (111) of the wing (110); and a follower part (153) which is arranged at one end of the wing tip (120) close to the wing (110) in its wingspan direction; the fixing part (152) and the follower part (153) surround to form the sealed cavity (151).

12. The wing tip load reduction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the buckle unit (163) includes: a fixed buckle (1631) which is arranged on the first hinge (131); a movable buckle (1632) which is movably arranged on the fixed shaft (162); and an elastic element (1633) which is arranged between the fixed buckle (1631) and the movable buckle (1632), and the head and tail ends of the elastic element (1633) are respectively fixedly connected with the fixed buckle (1631) and the movable buckle (1632).

13. The wing tip load reduction mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that The locking assembly (160) further includes: an unlocking driver (164), the unlocking driver (164) is mounted on the first hinge member (131), and the power output end of the unlocking driver (164) is in transmission connection with the movable buckle (1632); Under the action of the unlocking driver (164), the movable buckle (1632) moves away from the fixed buckle (1631).

14. An aircraft, characterized in that, it includes the wingtip load alleviation mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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