Wing longitudinal folding mechanism

Abstract

This invention relates to a longitudinal folding mechanism for an aircraft wing, comprising an inner wing, an outer wing, and a drive device fixed near the fuselage. The inner wing and the outer wing are connected by a shaft. The inner wing includes a main support frame, an upper inner wing surface, and a lower inner wing surface. The drive device simultaneously drives the outer wing, the upper inner wing surface, and the lower inner wing surface via a linkage assembly, causing the outer wing to fold longitudinally between the upper inner wing surface and the lower inner wing surface. In this invention, the inner wing surface shares the driving force for wing deployment, eliminating the need for an additional drive source. The mechanism is simple and reliable, with high space utilization, high transmission efficiency, and minimal impact on aerodynamic shape. Through modification, it can be applied to wing / missile folding and deployment mechanisms for various UAVs / missiles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wing folding structure technology, and more particularly to a longitudinal wing folding mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] To reduce the space occupied by UAVs / missiles in storage, transportation, and on launch devices and launch vehicles, the wings / missile wings are often folded to reduce the wingspan. After the UAV / missile flies away from the launch device, the wings / missile wings automatically unfold to ensure the normal flight of the UAV / missile.

[0003] Currently, the folding wings of airborne UAVs / missiles both domestically and internationally are all longitudinally folded, with the folding pivot located on the fuselage, and the folded wings located above or below the fuselage.

[0004] Under special operating conditions (such as design constraints on the space above and below the fuselage), the folding pivot needs to be placed in the middle of the wing. The wing is divided into a folding section (referred to as the outer wing) and a fixed section (referred to as the inner wing). The outer wing folds backward along the pivot. In this case, the outer wing will interfere geometrically with the inner wing.

[0005] Therefore, a new technical solution is needed to solve the above-mentioned geometric interference problem. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a longitudinal folding mechanism for an airfoil, which enables the outer wing to be folded longitudinally, folded within a constraint envelope before storage, transportation, and launch, without geometric interference between the outer and inner wings, and the unfolded state of the entire mechanism does not change the original aerodynamic shape of the airfoil or add additional drag.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention provides a longitudinal folding mechanism for an aircraft wing, comprising an inner wing, an outer wing, and a drive device fixed to one side near the fuselage; the inner wing and the outer wing are connected by a shaft.

[0008] The inner wing includes a main support frame, an upper inner wing surface, and a lower inner wing surface;

[0009] The drive device simultaneously drives the outer wing, the upper surface of the inner wing, and the lower surface of the inner wing via a linkage assembly, and causes the outer wing to fold longitudinally between the upper surface of the inner wing and the upper surface of the inner wing.

[0010] According to one technical solution of the present invention, when the outer wing folds inward, the upper dimension surface of the inner wing and the lower dimension surface of the inner wing gradually open, and the outer wing and the inner wing do not interfere with each other.

[0011] According to one technical solution of the present invention, when the outer wing unfolds outward, the upper dimension surface of the inner wing and the lower dimension surface of the inner wing gradually close together.

[0012] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the connecting rod assembly includes a first bell-shaped crank, a second bell-shaped crank, and a first connecting rod;

[0013] One end of the first bell-shaped crank is connected to the drive device, and the other end is hinged to one end of the second bell-shaped crank via the first connecting rod;

[0014] Both the first bell-shaped crank and the second bell-shaped crank are axially connected to the main support frame;

[0015] One end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the first bell-shaped crank, and the other end is hinged to the outer wing.

[0016] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the driving device includes a driving cylinder, a slider, and a guide rod;

[0017] The drive cylinder and the guide rod are fixed to the main support frame or the machine body, and the slider is fixed to the telescopic end of the drive cylinder.

[0018] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the slider is connected to the first bell-shaped crank via a second connecting rod;

[0019] The second connecting rod is hinged to the slider and the first bell-shaped crank.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first connecting rod and the second bell-shaped crank are connected by a third connecting rod.

[0021] The first connecting rod has a protrusion, and the third connecting rod is hinged to the protrusion.

[0022] According to one technical solution of the present invention, one end of the second bell-shaped crank is hinged to the first connecting rod through the third connecting rod, and the other end is provided with a U-shaped groove, in which a rotating shaft horizontal with the first connecting rod is provided.

[0023] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the rotating shaft is provided with a fourth connecting rod for driving the lower surface of the inner wing and a fifth connecting rod for driving the upper surface of the inner wing;

[0024] The fourth link and the fifth link are offset from each other.

[0025] According to one technical solution of the present invention, the lower dimensional surface of the inner wing is hinged to the fourth connecting rod via a connecting piece;

[0026] The upper surface of the inner wing is hinged to the fifth link via a connecting piece.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] According to the present invention, when the outer wing folds inward, the upper and lower surfaces of the inner wing gradually open, and the outer wing and the inner wing do not interfere with each other; when the outer wing unfolds outward, the upper and lower surfaces of the inner wing gradually close, thereby enabling the outer wing to fold longitudinally, and fold within the constraint envelope before storage, transportation and launch, achieving the purpose of reducing size. At the same time, the outer wing and the inner wing do not interfere geometrically, and the unfolded state of the entire mechanism does not change the original wing aerodynamic shape or add additional drag.

[0029] This invention utilizes the shared driving force of the inner wing's three-dimensional surface for wing deployment, eliminating the need for an additional drive source. The mechanism is simple, reliable, space-efficient, and highly efficient in transmission, with minimal impact on aerodynamic shape. Through modification, it can be applied to the wing / missile folding and deployment mechanisms of various UAVs / missiles. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the longitudinal folding mechanism of the wing in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 This schematic diagram illustrates the structure of the longitudinal folding mechanism of the wing in an embodiment of the present invention when it is not fully folded or unfolded.

[0033] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a partial enlarged view of the longitudinal folding mechanism of the wing in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The description of the embodiments in this specification should be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which should form part of the complete specification. In the drawings, the shape or thickness of the embodiments may be exaggerated and may be indicated in a simplified or convenient manner. Furthermore, parts of the various structures in the drawings will be described separately; it is worth noting that elements not shown in the figures or not described in words are in a form known to those skilled in the art.

[0035] The descriptions of the embodiments herein, including any references to directions and orientations, are for ease of description only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. The following description of preferred embodiments involves combinations of features, which may exist independently or in combination; the invention is not particularly limited to the preferred embodiments. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a longitudinal folding mechanism for an airfoil according to the present invention includes an inner wing, an outer wing 10, and a drive device fixed to one side near the fuselage; the inner wing and the outer wing 10 are connected by a shaft.

[0037] The inner wing includes a main support frame 11, an upper inner wing surface and a lower inner wing surface 9. The main support frame 11 may include a frame and a shell that encloses the frame.

[0038] The drive unit drives the outer wing 10, the upper inner wing surface and the lower inner wing surface 9 simultaneously through the linkage assembly, and causes the outer wing 10 to fold longitudinally between the upper inner wing surface and the lower inner wing surface.

[0039] Specifically, when the outer wing 10 folds inward, the upper and lower dimensions of the inner wing 9 gradually open, and the outer wing 10 does not interfere with the inner wing; when the outer wing 10 unfolds outward, the upper and lower dimensions of the inner wing 9 gradually close, so that the outer wing 10 can be folded longitudinally, and folded within the constraint envelope before storage, transportation and launch, to achieve the purpose of reducing size. At the same time, the outer wing 10 does not interfere geometrically with the inner wing, and the unfolded state of the whole mechanism does not change the original wing aerodynamic shape or add additional drag.

[0040] The inner wing's cross-sectional surface shares the same driving force for wing deployment, eliminating the need for an additional drive source. The mechanism is simple, reliable, space-efficient, and has high transmission efficiency, with minimal impact on aerodynamic shape. Through modification, it can be applied to the wing / missile folding and deployment mechanisms of various UAVs / missiles.

[0041] Additionally, it should be noted that the figures of this invention only show one side of the wing surface; the other side has a symmetrical structure, meaning the two sides of the wing are symmetrical. That is, the entire mechanism of this invention can achieve single-drive full-drive deployment of the left outer wing 10, deployment of the right outer wing 10, and closure of the upper three-dimensional wing surface of the left inner wing, the lower three-dimensional wing surface of the left inner wing, the upper three-dimensional wing surface of the right inner wing, and the lower three-dimensional wing surface of the right inner wing. Furthermore, to facilitate the explanation of the internal structure of this invention, the upper three-dimensional wing surface of the inner wing is hidden in the figures; those skilled in the art can determine the position of the upper three-dimensional wing surface based on the position of the lower three-dimensional wing surface 9.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present invention, the connecting rod assembly includes a first bell-shaped crank 3, a second bell-shaped crank 6, and a first connecting rod 4;

[0043] One end of the first bell-shaped crank 3 is connected to the drive device, and the other end is hinged to one end of the second bell-shaped crank 6 via the first connecting rod 4.

[0044] Both the first bell-shaped crank 3 and the second bell-shaped crank 6 are axially connected to the main support frame 11;

[0045] One end of the first connecting rod 4 is hinged to the first bell-shaped crank 3, and the other end is hinged to the outer wing 10.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, the slider 1 is connected to the first bell-shaped crank 3 via the second connecting rod 2;

[0047] The second connecting rod 2 is hinged to the slider 1 and the first bell-shaped crank 3.

[0048] In this embodiment, the drive device drives the first bell-shaped crank 3 to rotate, thereby driving the second bell-shaped crank 6 to rotate and the first connecting rod 4 to move. When the first connecting rod 4 moves, it will simultaneously drive the outer wing 10 to fold inward.

[0049] The intermediate holes of the first bell-shaped crank 3 and the second bell-shaped crank 6 are connected to the main support frame 11 of the fuselage or inner wing via cylindrical bearings (the first bell-shaped crank 3 and the second bell-shaped crank 6 can be connected to the same structure or different structures). The connection between the first bell-shaped crank 3, the second bell-shaped crank 6 and the first connecting rod 4 can be hinged via spherical bearings, which can release the degree of freedom in the bending moment direction of the wing and prevent the bending moment of the outer wing 10 from being transmitted to the mechanism and causing the mechanism to jam.

[0050] When designing a mechanism, a margin should be considered so that the mechanism is still under stress when the three-dimensional surfaces are closed, in order to ensure the elimination of gaps and avoid the shaking of the three-dimensional surfaces.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, the driving device includes a driving cylinder 12, a slider 1, and a guide rod;

[0052] The drive cylinder 12 and the guide rod are fixed to the main support frame 11 or the machine body, and the slider 1 is fixed to the extension end of the drive cylinder 12.

[0053] Understandably, the drive cylinder 12 can also be replaced with other power sources.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first connecting rod 4 and the second bell-shaped crank 6 are connected by a third connecting rod 5;

[0055] When the outer wing 10 is deployed, the third link 5 is parallel to or at a certain angle to the first link 4;

[0056] A protrusion is provided on the first link 4, and the third link 5 is hinged to the protrusion.

[0057] By setting the third link 5 and the protrusion located on the first link 4, the problem of the outer wing 10 getting stuck when folding and unfolding can be avoided.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention, one end of the second bell-shaped crank 6 is hinged to the first connecting rod 4, and the other end is provided with a U-shaped groove, in which a rotating shaft horizontal to the first connecting rod 4 is provided.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, a fourth link 7 for driving the lower surface 9 of the inner wing and a fifth link 8 for driving the upper surface 9 of the inner wing are provided on the rotating shaft.

[0060] The fourth link 7 and the fifth link 8 are set in a staggered manner.

[0061] The staggered arrangement of the fourth link 7 and the fifth link 8 refers to the fact that there is a central plane between the upper and lower dimensions of the inner wing 9, and the parallel plane parallel to the central plane where the rotation axis is located. There is an angle between the fourth link 7, the fifth link 8 and this parallel plane. For example, if the angle between the fourth link 7 and the parallel plane is 2°, then the angle between the fifth link 8 and the parallel plane is -2°. It can be understood that the fourth link 7 and the fifth link 8 can also be asymmetrical.

[0062] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lower wing profile 9 is hinged to the fourth link 7 via a connecting piece;

[0063] The upper surface of the inner wing is hinged to the fifth link 8 via a connecting piece.

[0064] By using spherical bearings for connection, the degree of freedom between the second bell-shaped crank 6 and the fourth connecting rod 7 and the fifth connecting rod 8 can be released, preventing the fourth connecting rod 7 and the fifth connecting rod 8 from jamming when the second bell-shaped crank 6 rotates along the middle hole.

[0065] Figures 1 to 3 In the middle, because the upper surface of the inner wing is hidden, the connecting piece that connects the fifth link 8 to the upper surface of the inner wing is also hidden.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, the folding process using the longitudinal folding mechanism of the present invention is as follows:

[0067] The extension end of the drive cylinder 12 retracts, causing the slider 1 to move downward along the guide rod. At this time, the second connecting rod 2 moves downward, the first bell-shaped crank 3 rotates clockwise, the first connecting rod 4 moves to the lower right, causing the third connecting rod 5 to rotate first and then move to the right, while the second bell-shaped crank 6 rotates counterclockwise, and the outer wing 10 rotates counterclockwise. At the same time, the fourth connecting rod 7 and the fifth connecting rod 8 respectively cause the lower dimensional surface 9 of the inner wing and the upper dimensional surface of the inner wing to retract.

[0068] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention using the methods and techniques disclosed above, or modify them into equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes, without departing from the spirit and technical essence of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent substitutions, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wing longitudinal folding mechanism, characterized by, The wing includes an inner wing, an outer wing (10) and a driving device fixed to one side of the fuselage; the inner wing and the outer wing (10) are connected by a shaft; The inner wing includes a main support frame (11), an upper inner wing profile and a lower inner wing profile (9); The driving device drives the outer wing (10), the upper inner wing profile and the lower inner wing profile (9) through a connecting rod assembly, and makes the outer wing (10) longitudinally fold between the upper inner wing profile and the lower inner wing profile; The connecting rod assembly includes a first bell crank (3), a second bell crank (6) and a first connecting rod (4); One end of the first bell crank (3) is connected with the driving device, and the other end is hinged with one end of the second bell crank (6) through the first connecting rod (4); The first bell crank (3) and the second bell crank (6) are connected with the main support frame (11) by a shaft; One end of the first connecting rod (4) is hinged with the first bell crank (3), and the other end is hinged with the outer wing (10); The driving device includes a driving oil cylinder (12), a sliding block (1) and a guide rod; The driving oil cylinder (12) and the guide rod are fixed to the main support frame (11) or the fuselage, and the sliding block (1) is fixed to the telescopic end of the driving oil cylinder (12); The sliding block (1) is connected with the first bell crank (3) through a second connecting rod (2); The second connecting rod (2) is hinged with the sliding block (1) and the first bell crank (3); The first connecting rod (4) is connected with the second bell crank (6) through a third connecting rod (5); A protrusion is arranged on the first connecting rod (4), and the third connecting rod (5) is hinged on the protrusion.

2. The wing longitudinal folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein When the outer wing (10) is folded inward, the upper inner wing profile and the lower inner wing profile (9) gradually open, and the outer wing (10) does not interfere with the inner wing.

3. The wing longitudinal folding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein When the outer wing (10) is unfolded outward, the upper inner wing profile and the lower inner wing profile (9) gradually close.

4. The wing longitudinal folding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the second bell crank (6) is hinged on the first connecting rod (4) through the third connecting rod (5), and the other end is provided with a U-shaped groove, and a rotating shaft horizontal to the first connecting rod (4) is arranged in the U-shaped groove.

5. The wing longitudinal folding mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, A fourth connecting rod (7) for driving the lower inner wing profile (9) and a fifth connecting rod (8) for driving the upper inner wing profile are arranged on the rotating shaft; The fourth connecting rod (7) and the fifth connecting rod (8) are arranged in a staggered manner.

6. The wing longitudinal folding mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lower inner wing profile (9) is hinged with the fourth connecting rod (7) through a connecting sheet; The upper inner wing profile is hinged with the fifth connecting rod (8) through a connecting sheet.

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