Variable sweep wing and aircraft

Abstract

This invention discloses a variable-sweep wing and an aircraft. The variable-sweep wing includes an external linkage system based on a multi-link mechanism, an internal linkage system based on a crank-slider mechanism, and a power assembly. The external linkage system is hinged to the fuselage of the aircraft to form the wing body. The internal linkage system is also hinged to the fuselage to maintain the attitude of the wing body formed by the external linkage system. The internal linkage system is connected to the external linkage system via at least one intermediate link, forming a single-degree-of-freedom planar multi-link structure with multiple hinges. The power assembly can drive changes in the attitude of each link in the external and internal linkage systems, thereby altering the sweep angle of the wing body. This invention has the advantages of a simple driving method and more uniform overall force distribution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a variable sweep wing and an aircraft with a variable sweep angle during flight. Background Technology

[0002] During the flight of an aircraft or other flying vehicle, different aerodynamic performance requirements are placed on the wings in different flight phases such as takeoff, cruise, and high speed. The original fixed-wing aircraft can no longer meet these requirements, and the concept of variable-sweep wing mechanisms has emerged. Among them, the variable-sweep wing is one. A small sweep angle corresponds to a large aspect ratio and a high relative thickness, resulting in high lift, which is suitable for climbing; a large sweep angle corresponds to a small aspect ratio and a low relative thickness, reducing drag, which is suitable for high-speed maneuvering.

[0003] Existing variable-sweep wings mainly use parallel linkage mechanisms. Although the mechanism is simple, it requires multiple parallel four-bar linkage units to be repeatedly arrayed to meet the wing area requirements. This makes the driving method of the mechanism more complex. To drive multiple four-bar linkages at the same time, the driving mechanism needs to be placed in multiple units. However, the placement direction, number and position of the driving mechanism become new problems. This often requires a lot of simulation optimization and verification to obtain a suitable driving mechanism arrangement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the main objective of this invention is to provide a variable-sweep wing and aircraft with a simple driving method and more uniform overall force distribution.

[0005] To achieve the aforementioned main objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a variable-sweep wing for an aircraft; the variable-sweep wing includes:

[0006] An external linkage system based on a multi-link mechanism is hinged to the fuselage of the aircraft to form the main body of the wing;

[0007] An internal linkage system based on a crank-slider mechanism is hinged to the fuselage of the aircraft to maintain the attitude of the wing body formed by the external linkage system. The internal linkage system is connected to the external linkage system through at least one intermediate link, so that the external linkage system and the internal linkage system form a single-degree-of-freedom planar multi-link structure with multiple hinges.

[0008] The power unit can drive changes in the position and attitude of each link in the external and internal linkage systems, and change the sweep angle of the wing body.

[0009] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the internal linkage system includes a sliding seat, a first link, and a second link; the sliding seat is disposed on the fuselage of the aircraft and can slide along the front-rear direction of the fuselage; one end of the first link and one end of the second link are hinged together through a first hinge point, the other end of the first link is connected to the fuselage through a second hinge point, and the other end of the second link is connected to the sliding seat through a third hinge point; wherein, the second hinge point is located in front of the third hinge point.

[0010] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the external linkage unit includes a third linkage, a fourth linkage, and a fifth linkage connected in sequence; one end of the third linkage is connected to the machine body through a fourth hinge point, one end of the fourth linkage is hinged to the other end of the third linkage through a fifth hinge point, one end of the fifth linkage is hinged to the other end of the fourth linkage through a sixth hinge point, and the other end of the fifth linkage is connected to the sliding seat through a seventh hinge point; wherein, the fourth hinge point is located in front of the seventh hinge point.

[0011] According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the two ends of the intermediate connecting rod are respectively connected to the first hinge point and the sixth hinge point.

[0012] According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the two ends of the intermediate connecting rod are respectively connected to the first hinge point and the fifth hinge point.

[0013] According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the second hinge point and the fourth hinge point coincide.

[0014] According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the third hinge point is located in front of the seventh hinge point.

[0015] According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the power assembly is used to drive the sliding seat to slide along the front-rear direction of the body and / or rotate at any one of the hinge points.

[0016] According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a flexible skin that covers the exterior of the wing body formed by the external linkage system and generates adaptive elastic deformation when the sweep angle of the variable sweep wing changes.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention provides an aircraft including a fuselage and a variable-sweep wing as described above.

[0018] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] In this invention, the external linkage system and the internal linkage system are connected by an intermediate linkage to form a single-degree-of-freedom planar multi-link structure with a complex hinge. The overall driving method is simpler and more diverse. The variable sweep wing can achieve a sweep angle variation range of 20°-70°, which has the advantage of a large angle variation range.

[0020] In addition, using flexible skin to cover the outside of the wing body has the advantages of more uniform stress distribution on the overall structure and lower load when stationary.

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and advantages of this invention, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a simplified diagram of the mechanism of the aircraft of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a simplified diagram of the mechanism of the variable sweep wing of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the aircraft of the present invention at its first sweep angle.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the aircraft of the present invention at its second sweep angle.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a simplified diagram of an extension structure of the variable sweep wing of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a simplified diagram of another extended structure of the variable sweep wing of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a simplified diagram of another extended structure of the variable sweep wing of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and therefore the scope of protection of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0030] like Figure 3-4 As shown, the aircraft of this embodiment includes a fuselage 10 and a wing 20, specifically a variable-sweep wing with a compound hinge structure. The variable-sweep wing in this embodiment is designed using a multi-functional eight-bar linkage analytical method. The initial mechanisms are selected as a crank-slider mechanism and a four-bar linkage. These are appropriately combined, and then an intermediate link is added to reduce the overall degree of freedom, resulting in an eight-bar single-degree-of-freedom variable-sweep wing mechanism design, as shown below. Figure 1-2 As shown; wherein, the variable sweep wing includes an external linkage system 21 based on a multi-link mechanism, an internal linkage system 22 based on a crank-slider mechanism, an intermediate link 23, and a power assembly.

[0031] Specifically, the external linkage system 21 is used to form the wing body, and the internal linkage system 22 is used to maintain the attitude of the wing body formed by the external linkage system 21. The external linkage system 21 and the internal linkage system 22 are connected by at least one intermediate link 23, forming a single-degree-of-freedom planar multi-link structure with complex hinges, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the power unit can drive changes in the position and orientation of each link in the external linkage system 21 and the internal linkage system 22, and change the sweep angle of the wing body.

[0032] Please continue reading. Figure 2 The internal linkage system 22 of the embodiment includes a sliding seat 221, a first link 222, and a second link 223. The sliding seat 221 is mounted on the fuselage 10 of the aircraft and can slide along the front-rear direction of the fuselage 10. One end of the first link 222 and one end of the second link 223 are hinged together through a first hinge point R1. The other end of the first link 222 is connected to the fuselage 10 through a second hinge point R2. The other end of the second link 223 is connected to the sliding seat 221 through a third hinge point R3. The second hinge point R2 is located in front of the third hinge point R3.

[0033] The external linkage system 21 of the embodiment includes a third linkage 211, a fourth linkage 212, and a fifth linkage 213 connected in sequence; one end of the third linkage 211 is connected to the body 10 through a fourth hinge point R4, one end of the fourth linkage 212 is hinged to the other end of the third linkage 211 through a fifth hinge point R5, one end of the fifth linkage 213 is hinged to the other end of the fourth linkage 212 through a sixth hinge point R6, and the other end of the fifth linkage 213 is connected to the sliding seat 221 through a seventh hinge point R7; wherein, the fourth hinge point R4 is located in front of the seventh hinge point R7.

[0034] Specifically, the two ends of the intermediate connecting rod 23 are respectively connected to the first hinge point R1 and the sixth hinge point R6. In order to simplify the structure and maintain the regularity of the structure, the second hinge point R2 and the fourth hinge point R4 in the embodiment coincide, and the third hinge point R3 is located in front of the seventh hinge point R7. The second hinge point, the third hinge point and the seventh hinge point can be collinear in the front-back direction, or they can be set in an offset form according to the installation needs, which will not be elaborated here.

[0035] The variable sweep wing in this embodiment is a single-degree-of-freedom planar multi-link structure, without the repetitive array of multiple parallel link mechanism units. This allows for more structural options for the power assembly, greatly simplifying its design. Furthermore, driven by the power assembly, the sweep angle response is faster and the movement is more sensitive. Specifically, the power assembly changes the sweep angle by driving the sliding block 221 to slide along the fore-and-aft direction of the fuselage 10, or by driving any hinge point to rotate. It can also simultaneously drive the sliding block 221 along the fore-and-aft direction of the fuselage 10 and rotate any hinge point for redundant driving to change the sweep angle, thereby improving the stability and smoothness of the variable sweep wing during sweep angle changes. Figure 3-4 As shown, driven by the power unit, the variable sweep wing of the embodiment can achieve a sweep angle variation range of 20°-70°.

[0036] In this embodiment, the variable sweep wing is covered with a flexible skin. The flexible skin undergoes adaptive elastic deformation when the sweep angle of the variable sweep wing changes, resulting in more uniform stress distribution and lower load under static conditions.

[0037] In this embodiment, the complex hinge structure can be divided into multiple different single hinges by changing the order of the connecting rods; for example... Figure 5-6 As shown; in Figure 5 In the simplified diagram of an extended structure shown, the first link 222 is equivalent to a first triangular mechanism and the fifth link 213 is equivalent to a second triangular mechanism. In this case, the two ends of the intermediate link 23 are not directly connected to the first hinge point R1 and the sixth hinge point R6, but are connected to the first triangular mechanism and the second triangular mechanism respectively; similarly, in Figure 6 In the simplified diagram of another extended structure shown, the second link 223 is equivalent to the third triangular mechanism and the fourth link 212 is equivalent to the fourth triangular mechanism. In this case, the two ends of the middle link 23 are not directly connected to the first hinge point R1 and the sixth hinge point R6, but are connected to the third triangular mechanism and the fourth triangular mechanism respectively; wherein, Figure 5-6 Although the number of links in the illustrated mechanism changes, the number of kinematic pairs remains unchanged during the process of splitting the compound hinge into single hinges, and the overall mechanism still maintains a single degree of freedom. Similarly, the above-mentioned link deformation is not all deformation methods. Links related to the compound hinge (first hinge point R1 and sixth hinge point R6) (including first link 222, second link 223, fourth link 212, fifth link 213, and intermediate link 23) can all change their link order. It should be noted that during the deformation of a specific link, it must be ensured that at most one link in the single compound hinge changes; therefore, in some cases, intermediate link 23 can simultaneously deform into quadrilateral links on both sides, such as... Figure 7 As shown.

[0038] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to specific embodiments, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any person skilled in the art can make variations / modifications without departing from the scope of the invention; all equivalent variations / modifications made in accordance with the present invention should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable sweep wing for an aircraft; characterised in that, The variable sweep wing includes: An external linkage system based on a multi-link mechanism is hinged to the fuselage of the aircraft to form the main body of the wing. The external linkage system includes a third link, a fourth link, and a fifth link connected in sequence. One end of the third link is connected to the fuselage via a fourth hinge point. One end of the fourth link is hinged to the other end of the third link via a fifth hinge point. One end of the fifth link is hinged to the other end of the fourth link via a sixth hinge point. The other end of the fifth link is connected to a sliding seat via a seventh hinge point. The fourth hinge point is located in front of the seventh hinge point. An internal linkage system based on a crank-slider mechanism is hinged to the fuselage of the aircraft to maintain the attitude of the wing body formed by the external linkage system. The internal linkage system is connected to the external linkage system via at least one intermediate link, forming a single-degree-of-freedom planar multi-link structure with multiple hinges. The internal linkage system includes a sliding seat, a first link, and a second link. The sliding seat is mounted on the fuselage and can slide along the fore-and-aft direction of the fuselage. One end of the first link and one end of the second link are hinged at a first hinge point, the other end of the first link is connected to the fuselage via a second hinge point, and the other end of the second link is connected to the sliding seat via a third hinge point. The second hinge point is located in front of the third hinge point. The power unit can drive changes in the position and orientation of each link in the external and internal linkage systems, and alter the sweep angle of the wing body.

2. The variable sweep wing of claim 1, wherein: The two ends of the intermediate connecting rod are respectively connected to the first hinge point and the sixth hinge point.

3. The variable sweep wing as defined in claim 1 wherein: The two ends of the intermediate connecting rod are respectively connected to the first hinge point and the fifth hinge point.

4. The variable sweep wing as defined in claim 1 wherein: The second hinge point and the fourth hinge point coincide.

5. The variable sweep wing as defined in claim 4 wherein: The third hinge point is located in front of the seventh hinge point.

6. The variable sweep wing as defined in claim 1 wherein: The power unit is used to drive the sliding seat to slide along the front-rear direction of the fuselage and / or rotate at any one of the hinge points.

7. The variable sweep wing as defined in claim 1 wherein: It also includes a flexible skin that covers the exterior of the wing body formed by the external linkage system and produces adaptive elastic deformation when the sweep angle of the variable sweep wing changes.

8. An aircraft characterized by: Includes the fuselage and the variable-sweep wing as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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