Variable-sweep multiplane wing folding and unfolding mechanism
By designing a multi-plane wing folding and unfolding mechanism with variable sweep angle, the wing can be stacked and unfolded in different planes and in the same plane. The sweep angle can be adjusted by worm gear and motor drive, which solves the problems of insufficient space utilization and control performance, and improves the efficiency and economy of the aircraft.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410175109.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-11-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-02-07
AI Technical Summary
Existing wing folding and unfolding mechanisms have shortcomings in terms of space utilization and control performance. Folding and unfolding mechanisms in the same plane have low space utilization, while folding and unfolding mechanisms in different planes require rudder resources to balance the rolling torque, which affects the control performance of the aircraft.
Design a multi-plane wing folding and unfolding mechanism with variable sweep angle. The mechanism enables the wing to be stacked and stored in different planes through drive and transmission components. After unfolding, the wing is in the same plane and the sweep angle can be changed. The folding, unfolding and sweep angle adjustment of the wing are achieved by using worm gear and motor drive.
It improves space utilization, saves rudder resources, enhances the aircraft's handling performance and environmental adaptability, enables rapid automatic wing deployment and sweep angle adjustment, and reduces transportation and manufacturing costs.
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Figure CN118025529B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a wing folding and deployment mechanism, specifically a multi-plane wing folding and deployment mechanism with variable sweep angle, belonging to the field of aircraft design technology. Background Technology
[0002] With the continuous deepening of research in the field of aircraft, UAV technology is constantly iterating and updating, and the military and civilian markets for UAVs are developing rapidly. Compared with rotary-wing UAVs, fixed-wing UAVs have more mission modes and better environmental adaptability, thus they have considerable economic benefits and broad development prospects in both civilian and military fields.
[0003] With the rapid development of the civilian drone sector and the continuous expansion of future warfare concepts, higher demands are being placed on the environmental adaptability, versatility, economy, and rapid deployment of aircraft. Currently, the main approach is to reduce the storage space of high-aspect-ratio aircraft wings through foldable wing designs, thereby facilitating storage, transportation, and rapid deployment in combat.
[0004] The main body of a foldable wing is the folding and unfolding mechanism. This type of mechanism generally includes the specific implementation mechanism of the wing folding-unfolding function and the drive device. The main functions of this type of mechanism are: to enable the wing to be folded and stored as large as possible during storage and transportation to save space; and to unfold the wing to a specific position and lock it in place when performing a mission.
[0005] Currently, the most common implementation mechanisms can be divided into "in-plane folding and unfolding mechanisms" and "in-plane folding and unfolding mechanisms." In an "in-plane folding and unfolding mechanism," the wings are folded and housed within the same plane, unfolding directly within that plane. This mechanism requires the folded wing to have a width greater than two chord lengths to accommodate space, resulting in relatively low space utilization and limiting the wing area. In a "in-plane folding and unfolding mechanism," the wings are on different planes regardless of whether they are folded or unfolded. Each wing rotates within a fixed plane during folding / unfolding. While this mechanism improves space utilization, the fact that the wings are on different planes when unfolded generates additional rolling torque on the fuselage, requiring rudder resources for balancing and affecting the aircraft's control performance.
[0006] Currently, some wings with "in-plane folding and unfolding mechanisms" can achieve variable sweep angles. The sweep angle refers to the angle between the wing and the perpendicular line to the fuselage axis. Wings with sweep angles offer better high-speed flight performance and lateral stability compared to straight wings. Aircraft with variable sweep angle wings have greater environmental adaptability and can better meet the needs of multimodal missions. Summary of the Invention
[0007] In view of this, the present invention provides a multi-plane wing folding and unfolding mechanism with variable sweep angle. The wing can be stacked in different planes and unfolded into a plane with a variable sweep angle, thereby improving space utilization, saving rudder resources, and improving environmental and mission adaptability.
[0008] A variable sweep angle multi-plane wing folding and unfolding mechanism includes: a drive assembly A and a transmission assembly A corresponding to wing A, and a drive assembly B and a transmission assembly B corresponding to wing B;
[0009] Both drive component A and drive component B include a folding and unfolding drive unit and a variable sweep angle drive unit.
[0010] The folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly A is used to drive the transmission assembly A to rotate circumferentially or move vertically. When the transmission assembly A moves vertically, it drives the wing A to rise and fall. After the wing A rises, the wing A and the wing B can be stacked vertically. After the wing A falls to its position, the wing A and the wing B are located in the same horizontal plane. When the transmission assembly A rotates circumferentially, it drives the wing A to rotate in the horizontal plane to unfold or fold.
[0011] The folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly B is used to drive the transmission assembly B to rotate circumferentially, so as to drive the wing B to rotate in the horizontal plane to unfold or fold.
[0012] The variable sweep angle drive unit is used to change the sweep angle of the corresponding wing.
[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: the folding and unfolding drive unit includes: a main motor and a worm gear directly driven by the main motor;
[0014] One end of the worm gear is coaxially connected to the power output shaft of the main motor, and the other end is supported on a bearing seat via a worm gear bearing. The bearing seat is mounted on a fixed bay cover; the fixed bay cover is located on the aircraft fuselage. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmission assembly A includes: a worm gear A, an outer lifting shaft, and an inner lifting shaft.
[0015] The worm gear A engages with the worm of the folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly A for transmission.
[0016] The inner lifting shaft is vertically arranged, with its lower end supported on the bottom surface of the fixed cover chamber by bearing B, and its upper end extending out of the center hole of the worm gear A having external threads. When the worm gear A rotates, it drives the inner lifting shaft to rotate synchronously.
[0017] The outer lifting shaft is coaxially fitted outside the inner lifting shaft and is threadedly engaged with the outer thread on the inner lifting shaft via an internal thread; the upper end of the outer lifting shaft is supported on the fixed cover chamber by bearing A, and bearing A is installed on the fixed cover chamber via end cap A.
[0018] The end cap A has an upwardly extending cylindrical portion. A protrusion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the outer lifting shaft located within the cylindrical portion of end cap A. A sliding groove is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of end cap A to slide in conjunction with the protrusion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a shoulder D is provided on the outer side of the lower end of the outer lifting shaft. When the outer lifting shaft rises until the protrusion disengages from the sliding groove of end cap A, the shoulder D abuts against the bearing A.
[0019] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: the upper end face of the cylindrical part of the end cover A is provided with a stop block A and a stop block B for limiting the rotation of the outer lifting shaft.
[0020] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmission assembly B includes: a worm gear B and a rotating shaft;
[0021] The worm gear B engages with the worm of the folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly B for transmission.
[0022] The rotating shaft is vertically arranged, with its lower end supported on the fixed cover by bearing C and its upper end supported on the fixed cover by bearing D; when the worm gear B rotates, it drives the rotating shaft to rotate synchronously.
[0023] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: the variable sweep angle drive unit includes: a motor and a motor direct drive connector;
[0024] The motor includes a motor rotor and a motor stator; the motor rotor is fixed to the corresponding wing via a connector, and the motor stator is connected to the transmission assembly of the corresponding wing.
[0025] Beneficial effects:
[0026] (1) The wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention can realize the "layered" storage of the two wings in different planes when folded, which improves the space utilization rate and reduces the transportation cost. Compared with the current "folding and unfolding mechanism in the same plane", the wing area that can be accommodated is doubled, making the use of the aircraft more efficient.
[0027] (2) The wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention can achieve the effect of the wings being in the same plane after unfolding. Compared with the current "folding and unfolding mechanism in different planes", it can save the rudder resources used to balance the additional torsional torque, thereby improving the overall handling performance of the aircraft.
[0028] (3) The wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention can realize the automatic unfolding of the wing in the air under the drive of the motor. When the aircraft with the folded wing is released in the air, the wing is automatically unfolded in the air under the drive of the motor, which has strong rapid start-up capability.
[0029] (4) The wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention realizes the automatic change of the wing sweep angle under motor drive by reasonably arranging the drive motor. By adjusting the wing sweep angle, the aircraft can have better adaptability in different mission modes and can play a better flight performance.
[0030] (5) The wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention has good self-locking performance and high stability through the design of physical structures such as motor arrangement, worm gear, and thread. It can meet the needs of rapid and multiple wing unfolding, save manufacturing costs, and improve the economic performance of the aircraft. Attached Figure Description
[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall shape of the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention when fully unfolded;
[0032] Figure 2 This is an overall cross-sectional view of the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention when fully unfolded;
[0033] Figure 3 This is a partial schematic diagram of the wing folding and unfolding mechanism and the wing sweep angle mechanism of the present invention;
[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall and partial aspects of the wing folding and unfolding mechanism at the end of its lifting phase according to the present invention;
[0035] Figure 5 This is an overall and partial view of the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the present invention when it is fully folded.
[0036] Wherein: 1-Right wing, 2-Connector, 3-Outer lifting shaft, 4-End cover A, 5-Worm gear A, 6-End cover B, 7-Fixed cover chamber, 8-Worm seat, 9-Worm bearing, 10-Main motor, 11-Worm, 12-Worm gear B, 13-End cover H, 14-Rotating shaft, 15-Screw A, 16-Bolt, 17-Retaining ring B, 18-Left wing, 19-Protrusion, 20-Bearing A, 21-End cover C, 22-Inner lifting shaft, 23-Retaining ring A 24-Key A, 25-Shoulder A, 26-End Cover D, 27-Bearing B, 28-Bearing C, 29-End Cover E, 30-End Cover F, 31-Shoulder B, 32-Key B, 33-Shoulder C, 34-End Cover G, 35-Bearing D, 36-Motor Rotor, 37-Motor Stator, 38-Connector Bearing A, 39-Screw B, 40-Connector Bearing B, 41-Stop A, 42-Slide Groove, 43-Stop B, 44-Shoulder D. Detailed Implementation
[0037] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0038] This embodiment provides a multi-plane wing folding and unfolding mechanism with variable sweep angle. This wing folding and unfolding mechanism can realize the "layered" folding and storage of two wings in different planes, and after unfolding, they are in the same plane and the sweep angle can be changed.
[0039] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the variable sweep angle multi-plane wing folding and unfolding mechanism includes: a fixed bay cover 7, two transmission components and two drive components; each wing is provided with one transmission component and one drive component; of the two wings, one has a lifting function relative to the other; let the two wings be wing A and wing B respectively, for the sake of description, let wing A be the right wing 1 and wing B be the left wing 18. In this example, the right wing 1 can lift and lower; based on this, let the transmission component corresponding to the right wing 1 be transmission component A, and the transmission component corresponding to the left wing 18 be transmission component B.
[0040] The fixed bay cover 7 is a thin-walled box-shaped structure and is installed on the aircraft fuselage; the wing assembly, drive assembly and transmission assembly are all directly or indirectly fixed inside or outside the fixed bay cover 7.
[0041] The drive components for both wings have identical structures, each including a folding / deployment drive unit and a sweep angle drive unit. The folding / deployment drive unit includes a main motor 10 and a worm gear 11 directly driven by the main motor 10. One end of the worm gear 11 is coaxially connected to the power output shaft of the main motor 10, and the other end is supported on a bearing seat 8 via a worm bearing 9. The bearing seat 8 is mounted on the inner bottom surface of the fixed bay cover 7. The worm gears 11 of the two drive components are arranged side-by-side inside the fixed bay cover 7.
[0042] The variable sweep angle drive unit is used to change the sweep angle of the wing, such as... Figure 3As shown, the sweep angle drive unit includes a motor and a direct-drive connector 2. The motor is a micro-motor, including a motor rotor 36 and a motor stator 37. The motor rotor 36 is fixed to the corresponding wing via the connector 2 (the connector 2 is fixed to the motor rotor 36 via screw A15 and to the corresponding wing via screw B39; the circumferential movement of the connector 2 depends entirely on the rotation of the micro-motor, therefore the connector 2 can only rotate in the horizontal plane and is only controlled by the micro-motor, thus the horizontal rotation of the wing is entirely controlled by the micro-motor). The motor stator 37 is connected to the transmission assembly of the corresponding wing. The upper ends of the connector 2 are supported on the rotation axis of the corresponding wing via connector bearings (for the left wing 8, its sweep angle rotation axis is rotation axis 14; for the right wing 1, its sweep angle rotation axis is the outer elevator shaft 3). Figure 3 As shown, taking the left wing 8 as an example, the two ends of the connector 2 are supported on the rotating shaft 14 by the connector bearings A38 and B40 respectively. That is, the inner rings of the connector bearings A38 and B40 are fixed to the rotating shaft 14, and the two ends of the connector 2 are restricted by the outer rings of the connector bearings A38 and B40 respectively, so the axial movement is locked.
[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the transmission component A corresponding to the liftable right wing 1 includes: a worm gear A5, an outer lifting shaft 3, and an inner lifting shaft 22. The circumferential movement of the inner lifting shaft 22 is determined by the rotation of the worm gear A5. The axial ends of the inner lifting shaft 22 are restricted by bearings B27 and retaining rings A23, respectively, preventing axial movement. Specifically, the inner lifting shaft 22 is vertically positioned, with its lower end supported on the inner bottom surface of the fixed cover 7 by bearing B27 (i.e., the lower end of the inner lifting shaft 22 is interference-fitted with the inner ring of bearing B27). The outer ring of bearing B27 is fixed by end caps B6 and D26, which are bolted and nut-mounted on the bottom plate of the fixed cover 7. End cap B6 is located inside the fixed cover 7, and end cap D26 is located outside the fixed cover 7. The inner lifting shaft 22 coaxially passes through the central hole of the worm gear A5 and is connected to the worm gear A5 by a key A24. Retaining rings A23 and shoulders A25 are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the worm gear A5 on the inner lifting shaft 22.
[0044] The upper end of the inner lifting shaft 22, extending out of the center hole of the worm gear A5, has an external thread. The outer lifting shaft 3 is coaxially fitted outside the inner lifting shaft 22 and is threadedly engaged with the external thread on the inner lifting shaft 22 through its internal thread. The upper end of the outer lifting shaft 3 extends out of the fixed cover 7 and is connected to the motor stator 37 in the variable sweep angle drive unit corresponding to the right wing 1. The portion of the upper end of the outer lifting shaft 3 that passes through the top cover of the fixed cover 7 is supported on the fixed cover 7 by the bearing A20 (i.e., the outer lifting shaft 3 and the inner ring of the bearing A20 are interference-fitted). The outer ring of the bearing A20 is fixed by the end caps C21 and A4, which are installed on the top plate of the fixed cover 7 by bolts and nuts. The end cap C21 is located inside the fixed cover 7, and the end cap A4 is located outside the fixed cover 7.
[0045] Therefore, when the drive assembly drives the worm gear A5 to rotate, the worm gear A5 drives the inner lifting shaft 22 to rotate. The rotation of the inner lifting shaft 22 is transmitted to the outer lifting shaft 3 through the sliding screw, so that the outer lifting shaft 3 exhibits axial movement, thereby driving the right wing 1 to rise and fall.
[0046] End cap A4 has an upwardly extending cylindrical portion. The portion of the outer lifting shaft 3 extending out of the fixed cover compartment 7 passes through the cylindrical portion of end cap A4 and connects to the variable sweep angle drive unit corresponding to the right wing 1. A protrusion 19 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the outer lifting shaft 3 located inside the cylindrical portion of end cap A4. A groove 42 is provided on the corresponding inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of end cap A4, which slides in conjunction with the protrusion 19. The cooperation between the protrusion 19 and the groove 42 serves not only to guide the lifting of the outer lifting shaft 3 but also to prevent circumferential movement of the outer lifting shaft 3 during lifting. That is, the circumferential movement of the outer lifting shaft 3 is restricted by the groove 42 on end cap A4, and the axial movement of the outer lifting shaft 3 is determined by the circumferential movement of the inner lifting shaft 33, which is connected by a thread. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when the two wings are fully deployed, the outer lifting shaft 3 and the inner lifting shaft 22 are connected by a sliding screw drive (at this time, the threaded parts of the two are fully engaged) to form a whole, and the two ends of the whole are positioned by bearing A20 and bearing B27 respectively.
[0047] The lower end of the outer lifting shaft 3 is provided with a shoulder D44. When the outer lifting shaft 3 rises to the point where the protrusion 19 disengages from the slide groove 42 of the end cover A4; as Figure 4 As shown, at this time, the circumferential movement restriction of the outer lifting shaft 3 is released, and the upper end face of the lower end shoulder D44 of the outer lifting shaft 3 just abuts against the inner ring of the bearing A20, and cannot continue to rise, that is, the axial movement of the outer lifting shaft 3 is limited; at this time, the rotation of the inner lifting shaft 22 can drive the outer lifting shaft 3 to perform circumferential rotation, thereby driving the right wing 1 to fold.
[0048] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the upper end face of the cylindrical portion of end cap A4 is provided with stop blocks A41 and B43 for limiting the rotation of the outer lifting shaft 3, allowing the outer lifting shaft 3 to rotate within a range of ±90°. When the lifting shaft 3 rises until the protrusion 19 disengages from the slide groove 42 of end cap A4, it rotates 90° to make the protrusion 19 contact the stop block B43. At this time, the right wing 1 folds into place, as shown. Figure 5 As shown; when it is necessary to deploy the right wing 1, first rotate the outer lifting shaft 3 in the opposite direction by 90° so that the protrusion 19 contacts the stop block A41. At this time, the protrusion 19 is located above the slide groove 42 of the end cover A4, so that it can move downward along the axis.
[0049] The transmission component B corresponding to the left wing 18 includes a worm gear B12 and a rotating shaft 14. The circumferential movement of the rotating shaft 14 is determined by the rotation of the worm gear B12. The axial ends of the rotating shaft 14 are positioned by bearings D35 and C28, respectively. That is, the rotating shaft 14 is vertically arranged, and its lower end is supported on the inner bottom surface of the fixed cover 7 by bearing D35 (i.e., the lower end of the rotating shaft 14 is interference-fitted with the inner ring of bearing D35). The outer ring of bearing D35 is fixed by end caps E29 and F30, which are installed on the top plate of the fixed cover 7 by bolts and nuts. End cap F30 is located inside the fixed cover 7, and end cap E29 is located outside the fixed cover 7. The rotating shaft 14 coaxially passes through the central hole of the worm gear B12 and is connected to the worm gear B12 by key B32. The upper and lower ends of the worm gear B12 on the rotating shaft 14 are respectively provided with retaining rings B17 and shoulders B31, with shoulders B31 abutting against the inner ring of bearing C28. The upper end of the rotating shaft 14 extends out of the fixed cover 7 and is connected to the motor stator 37 in the variable sweep angle drive unit corresponding to the left wing 18. The part of the upper end of the rotating shaft 14 that passes through the top cover of the fixed cover 7 is supported on the fixed cover 7 by bearing D35 (i.e., the rotating shaft 14 and the inner ring of bearing D35 are interference-fitted). The outer ring of bearing D35 is fixed by end caps G34 and H13, which are installed on the top plate of the fixed cover 7 by bolts and nuts. End cap G34 is located inside the fixed cover 7, and end cap H13 is located outside the fixed cover 7. There is a shoulder C33 below bearing D35 on the rotating shaft 14. Shoulder C33 abuts against the inner ring of bearing D35, while shoulder B31 abuts against the inner ring of bearing C28, thus restricting the axial movement of the rotating shaft 14 in both vertical and horizontal directions. It cannot move axially, and the circumferential movement depends on the rotation of worm gear B12.
[0050] In summary, the movement of the rotating shaft 14, the outer lifting shaft 3, and the inner lifting shaft 22 depends entirely on the worm gear B12 and the worm gear A5. The worm gears (worm gear B12 and worm gear A5) are connected to the corresponding worms through worm gear transmission. The movement of the worm gears depends on the movement of the worms, which is the speed of the corresponding main motor.
[0051] Assuming the initial state of the wing folding and unfolding mechanism is fully unfolded (at this time, the right wing 1 and the left wing 18 are in the same plane and unfold laterally), as follows... Figure 1As shown below, the three working processes of folding, unfolding, and variable sweep angle will be described in detail in turn.
[0052] Fold: Initial state as Figure 1 As shown, the analysis first focuses on the right wing 1: At this point, the outer elevator shaft 3 and the inner elevator shaft 22 are fully threaded together, and the shoulder 44 at the lower end of the outer elevator shaft 3 presses against the retaining ring A23. The main motor 10 drives the inner elevator shaft 22 to rotate via a worm gear transmission. At this time, the protrusion 19 on the outer elevator shaft 3 is located in the groove 42 of the end cover A4. The end cover A4 is bolted to the fixed cover compartment 7 and cannot move. Therefore, the circumferential movement of the outer elevator shaft 3 is restricted, while the axial movement has no additional limiting conditions. Therefore, the rotation of the inner elevator shaft 22 is manifested as axial movement on the outer elevator shaft 3 through the sliding screw transmission. By controlling the direction of the main motor 10, the outer elevator shaft 3 can be ensured to perform upward movement, thereby driving the right wing 1 to rise, so that the two wings are not in the same plane.
[0053] Right Wing 1 Folding: When the outer lifting shaft 3 rises to the point where the protrusion 19 disengages from the slide groove 42 of the end cover A14, as... Figure 4 The circumferential movement restriction of the outer lifting shaft 3 is released. At this time, the lower shoulder 44 of the outer lifting shaft 3 is exactly abutting against the inner ring of the bearing A20, preventing it from rising further. The axial movement of the outer lifting shaft 3 is locked. Therefore, the rotation of the inner lifting shaft 22 is manifested as a circumferential rotation on the outer lifting shaft 3 through the sliding screw drive, and the right wing 1 begins to fold. When it is folded to 90°, the protrusion 19 on the outer lifting shaft 3 contacts the stop block B43, the folding is complete, and the movement stops. Figure 5 As shown, at this time, the right wing 1 is stacked on top of the left wing 18.
[0054] During automatic control, the number of revolutions of the main motor 10 required for the right wing 1 to rotate 90° can be calculated through the transmission ratio, thereby accurately controlling the right wing 1 to rotate 90°. The stop block B43 is a mechanical double safety to prevent circuit failure from causing the right wing 1 to rotate more than 90°.
[0055] Left Wing 18 Folding: The left wing 18's rotation is controlled solely by the rotating shaft 14, and its planar orientation remains unchanged. For ease of control during in-flight deployment or folding, worm gears B12 and A5 have the same number of teeth. The main motor 10 of the drive assembly corresponding to the left wing 18 operates as follows... Figure 4 When the state shown is reached (i.e., when the right wing 1 is in the unfolded state and raised to the position), the main motor of the drive component corresponding to the right wing 1 starts to rotate at the same speed, ensuring that the right wing 1 and the left wing 18 rotate 90° at the same time to complete the folding.
[0056] Expand: Initial state as follows Figure 5As shown, let's first analyze the right wing 1: At this time, the downward movement of the protrusion 19 of the outer lifting shaft 3 is restricted by the end cap A4, preventing axial movement; however, the circumferential horizontal rotation from the folded state is unrestricted. Therefore, the rotation of the inner lifting shaft 22, through the sliding screw transmission, manifests as circumferential movement on the outer lifting shaft 3, and the right wing 1 unfolds in the horizontal plane. After the outer lifting shaft 3 rotates 90°, the state is as follows... Figure 4 As shown, at this moment, the circumferential motion is restricted by the stop A41 and cannot move. Meanwhile, the slide groove 42 and the protrusion 19 are directly aligned, thus releasing the restriction on axial motion. At this time, the rotation of the inner lifting shaft 22, via a sliding screw drive, manifests as axial motion on the outer lifting shaft 3. The outer lifting shaft 3 moves downward, causing the right wing 1 to descend to the same plane as the left wing 18. At this time, the lower shoulder D44 of the outer lifting shaft 3 presses against the retaining ring A23, preventing the right wing 1 from descending further. Similarly, during automatic control, the rotation speed of the main motor 10 can also be controlled to ensure that the right wing 1 and the left wing 18 are exactly on the same plane. The stop A41 provides a mechanical double safety. The left wing 18 moves together with the right wing 1, and the main motors of the two drive components rotate at the same speed, ensuring that both wings rotate simultaneously to the fully deployed state, completing the deployment as shown. Figure 1 The state shown.
[0057] Variable sweep angle: The initial state is as follows Figure 1 The image shows the two wings in their fully extended state. Since the sweep angle drive units of the left and right wings are completely symmetrical, motion control is described using only the left wing (18) as an example. The right wing (1) is completely symmetrical to prevent asymmetrical deformation from generating rolling torque that could cause the aircraft to lose balance in the air. Figure 3 As shown, the horizontal rotation of the left wing 18 is completely controlled by the micro motor in the sweep angle drive unit, which can complete the sweep angle control of the wing.
[0058] The aforementioned variable sweep angle wing folding and unfolding mechanism has a certain reduction ratio. Through worm gear transmission and sliding screw transmission, it can control the rotation and folding of wings on the same plane to different planes, and can also control the rotation and unfolding of wings folded to different planes to the same plane. Furthermore, the mechanism can control the wing sweep angle through the control of a micro-motor. In one feasible embodiment, the folded wing can be housed within a rectangular fuselage with a width slightly greater than the wing chord length.
[0059] The entire mechanism can fold and store larger wings, greatly saving storage space during transportation. On the other hand, thanks to the self-locking characteristics of the worm gear structure, the transmission of the wing folding and unfolding mechanism can ensure unidirectionality, so that the wing will not transmit deformation to the control end when it is subjected to a certain aerodynamic load. This allows the aircraft to automatically unfold from the folded state in the air, and after unfolding, the wing sweep angle can still be controlled by another set of motors.
[0060] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.
Claims
1. A multi-planar wing folding and unfolding mechanism with variable sweep angle, characterized in that, include: Drive assembly A and transmission assembly A corresponding to wing A, and drive assembly B and transmission assembly B corresponding to wing B; Both drive component A and drive component B include a folding and unfolding drive unit and a variable sweep angle drive unit. The folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly A is used to drive the transmission assembly A to rotate circumferentially or move vertically. When the transmission assembly A moves vertically, it drives the wing A to rise and fall. After the wing A rises, the wing A and the wing B can be stacked vertically. After the wing A falls to its position, the wing A and the wing B are located in the same horizontal plane. When the transmission assembly A rotates circumferentially, it drives the wing A to rotate in the horizontal plane to unfold or fold. The folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly B is used to drive the transmission assembly B to rotate circumferentially, so as to drive the wing B to rotate in the horizontal plane to unfold or fold. The variable sweep angle drive unit is used to change the sweep angle of the corresponding wing; The folding and unfolding drive unit includes: a main motor and a worm gear directly driven by the main motor; One end of the worm gear is coaxially connected to the power output shaft of the main motor, and the other end is supported on a bearing seat through a worm gear bearing. The bearing seat is installed on a fixed compartment cover. The fixed compartment cover is located on the aircraft fuselage. The transmission assembly A includes: a worm gear A, an outer lifting shaft, and an inner lifting shaft; The worm gear A engages with the worm of the folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly A for transmission. The inner lifting shaft is vertically arranged, with its lower end supported on the bottom surface of the fixed cover chamber by bearing B, and its upper end extending out of the center hole of the worm gear A having external threads. When the worm gear A rotates, it drives the inner lifting shaft to rotate synchronously. The outer lifting shaft is coaxially fitted outside the inner lifting shaft and is threadedly engaged with the outer thread on the inner lifting shaft via an internal thread; the upper end of the outer lifting shaft is supported on the fixed cover chamber by bearing A, and bearing A is installed on the fixed cover chamber via end cap A. The end cap A has an upwardly extending cylindrical portion. The outer circumferential surface of the outer lifting shaft located inside the cylindrical portion of the end cap A is provided with a protrusion, and a sliding groove is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of the end cap A to slide in cooperation with the protrusion. The lower end of the outer lifting shaft is provided with a shoulder D. When the outer lifting shaft rises to the slide groove of the protrusion disengaging from the end cover A, the shoulder D abuts against the bearing A.
2. The variable sweep angle multi-plane wing folding and deployment mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end face of the cylindrical part of the end cap A is provided with a stop block A and a stop block B, which are used to limit the rotation of the outer lifting shaft.
3. The variable sweep angle multi-plane wing folding and deployment mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission assembly B includes: a worm gear B and a rotating shaft; The worm gear B engages with the worm of the folding and unfolding drive unit in the drive assembly B for transmission. The rotating shaft is vertically arranged, with its lower end supported on the fixed cover by bearing C and its upper end supported on the fixed cover by bearing D; when the worm gear B rotates, it drives the rotating shaft to rotate synchronously.
4. The variable sweep angle multi-plane wing folding and deployment mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The variable sweep angle drive unit includes: a motor and a motor direct drive connector; The motor includes a motor rotor and a motor stator; the motor rotor is fixed to the corresponding wing via a connector, and the motor stator is connected to the transmission assembly of the corresponding wing.
Citation Information
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