Folding wing for aerocar

Abstract

The invention provides a folding wing for a hovercar, comprising: two wings hinged to both sides of the body of the hovercar, each wing comprising a plurality of wing sections hinged in sequence; the folding assembly is connected with two adjacent wing sections, so that the plurality of wing sections can be folded in a Z shape; the two storage assemblies are fixedly arranged on one side of the car body and hinged to the wing sections of the connecting ends of the corresponding wings correspondingly and used for overturning the folded wings into the hovercar. According to the embodiment, the multiple wing sections are hinged in sequence, and the multiple wing sections are folded in a Z shape through the folding assemblies arranged between every two adjacent wing sections, so that the space occupied by the wings is greatly reduced, the folded wings can be turned over through the storage assemblies, and on the premise that the lift-drag ratio of the wings is guaranteed, the folding efficiency of the wings is improved. And the wings are stored in the body of the hovercar with the conventional size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of flying cars, and in particular to a folding wing for a flying car. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, advances in aircraft and vehicle design have gradually brought the concept of "flying cars" to the forefront. Ideally, a flying car would operate on the ground as a regular civilian vehicle; when needed, it could transform into an aircraft using a transforming mechanism. The advent of flying cars could potentially integrate land and air transportation, improving both transport efficiencies.

[0003] However, the demands of ground travel and aerial flight place different demands on vehicle design. For example, a typical fixed-wing flying car requires taxiing for takeoff and landing, so shortening the taxiing distance is crucial. This necessitates a wing design with a high aspect ratio to improve the lift-to-drag ratio. This often results in a wingspan several times greater than the length and width of a conventional civilian-grade vehicle.

[0004] For ground travel, the overall dimensions of the vehicle body must be constrained within a fixed range. For example, the typical envelope dimensions of a civilian car are: length × width × height ≈ 5000mm × 2000mm × 2200mm. This creates a conflict between a large wingspan and a highly compact wing stowage design.

[0005] Currently, fixed-wing flying car designs, both domestically and internationally, primarily utilize a folding wing system. The left and right wings are rotated along several axes at the wing root, ultimately folding their spans parallel to the vehicle body. While this significantly reduces the vehicle's overall width, the wings often exceed the vehicle's overall length. This limits the wingspan to the vehicle's length, ultimately hindering the lift-to-drag ratio. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The content of this disclosure is intended to briefly introduce concepts that will be described in detail in the detailed description below. The content of this disclosure is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed technical solution.

[0007] Some embodiments of the present invention provide folding wings for a flying car to solve the technical problems mentioned in the above background technology section.

[0008] Some embodiments of the present invention provide a folding wing for a flying car, comprising: Two wings, hinged to the sides of the flying car's body, each wing consisting of multiple wing sections hinged in sequence; a folding assembly connecting two adjacent wing segments so that the plurality of wing segments can be folded in a Z-shape, wherein, in the folded state, the wing segment at the free end of the wing is at the uppermost end; The two storage components are respectively fixed to one side of the vehicle body and hinged to the wing sections at the connecting ends of the corresponding wings, so as to flip the folded wings into the flying car.

[0009] Optionally, each wing section includes a wing spar arranged along the length direction of the wing, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs are vertically fixed on the wing spar.

[0010] Optionally, the folding assembly includes a first linear actuator, a transfer rod and a triangular plate, the first linear actuator is fixed to the inner wall of the reinforcement rib of a wing section, the push-pull rod of the first linear actuator passes through the reinforcement rib and is hinged to the transfer rod and the first corner of the triangular plate in sequence, wherein the second corner of the triangular plate is also hinged to the reinforcement rib of the wing section, and the triangular plate is also fixedly connected to the reinforcement rib of another wing section; as the push-pull rod is extended and retracted, the other wing section rotates around the second corner of the triangular plate.

[0011] Optionally, the triangular plate is a right-angled isosceles triangle.

[0012] Optionally, hinged joints are provided on the reinforcing ribs of two adjacent wing sections, and locking holes are provided at the open ends of the two hinged joints; when the wing is unfolded, the locking holes of the two hinged joints are coaxial.

[0013] Optionally, the folding assembly further comprises a locking actuator fixed to the reinforcing rib, and when the wing is unfolded, the telescopic rod of the locking actuator extends out and passes through the coaxial locking hole.

[0014] Optionally, the first linear actuator and the locking actuator are electric push rods.

[0015] Optionally, the storage assembly includes a fixed beam fixed to the vehicle body, and the fixed beam is hinged to the wing section at the connecting end of the wing.

[0016] Optionally, the storage assembly further comprises a second linear actuator, which is telescopically hinged to the wing section at the connecting end of the wing and the vehicle body.

[0017] Optionally, the second linear actuator is an electric push rod.

[0018] The above embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: By using the folding wings for a flying car of the present invention, the wings can be stored in a body of a flying car of conventional size while ensuring a lift-to-drag ratio.

[0019] Specifically, the reason these flying cars can't be stowed inside a vehicle body is that they rotate the wings along their root axis, bringing their spans parallel to the vehicle body. While this significantly reduces the vehicle's overall width, the wings often exceed the vehicle's overall length while maintaining lift-to-drag ratio. Shortening the wings, however, makes it difficult to improve the lift-to-drag ratio. Furthermore, the wings' limited fore-aft range complicates the design of the vehicle's control and trim.

[0020] Based on this, some embodiments of the present invention use folding wings for flying cars, which adopt multi-section wing segments that are hinged in sequence, and then use folding components set between two adjacent wing segments to fold the multiple wing segments in a Z shape, thereby significantly reducing the space occupied by the wings. The storage component can flip the folded wings and store the wings into the body of a conventional-sized flying car while ensuring the lift-to-drag ratio of the wings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the folding wings for a flying car of the present invention in the unfolded and stowed states; Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a wing folding process of a folding wing for a flying car of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a folding wing for a flying car of the present invention in a folded state; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the folding wing for a flying car of the present invention in a folded state; Figure 5 FIG1 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the folding wing for a flying car of the present invention in a folded state; Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the folding wings for a flying car of the present invention in a stowed state; Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the folding wings for a flying car of the present invention in a stowed state; Figure 8 The figure is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the folding wings for a flying car of the present invention in an unfolded state.

[0023] Description of reference numerals: 1: Wing section; 2: Wing section; 3: Wing section; 4: Wing section; 5: Wing section; 6: Body; 7: Locking actuator; 8: Reinforcement rib; 9: Reinforcement rib; 10: First linear actuator; 11: Push-pull rod; 12: Adapter rod; 13: Triangular plate; 14: Wing beam; 15: Pin hole; 16: Locking hole; 17: Pin; 18: Locking hole; 19: Fixed beam; 20: Articulated seat; 21: Second linear actuator; 22: Push-pull rod; 23: Articulated seat; 24: Articulated seat; 25: Articulated seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical solutions of the present invention are described clearly and completely below with reference to the embodiments. It is obvious that the embodiments described are only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like to indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0026] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present invention, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. In addition, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a communication between the 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 the specific circumstances.

[0027] The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with embodiments.

[0028] First see Figure 1 ,like Figure 1 As shown, the folding wings for a flying car of the present invention include two wings hinged to the sides of the flying car's body 6. Since both wings are identical, the wing on the left side of the body 6 is used as an example for description. Each wing is composed of wing segments 1, wing segments 2, wing segments 3, wing segments 4, and wing segments 5, which are hinged in sequence. Wing segment 1 is hinged to the body 6. The five wing segments can be folded in a Z-shape and then moved to the left ( Figure 1 The wing is flipped (in the direction of the center) and thus stored in the vehicle body 6, thereby realizing the conversion of the wing from flying in the air to driving on the ground.

[0029] It should be noted that although the above text and the accompanying drawings are described using five wing segments as an example, the number of wing segments is not fixed. Those skilled in the art can adjust the number of wing segments according to actual conditions, but such changes do not exceed the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0030] The structure of each wing section is similar. Taking wing section 1 as an example, it can include a spar 14 and multiple reinforcing ribs 8. The spar 14 is arranged along the length of the wing, and the multiple reinforcing ribs 8 are arranged perpendicular to the spar 14 and spaced apart. Furthermore, stringers parallel to the spar 14 can be fixed between adjacent reinforcing ribs 8 to increase the strength of the wing section 1. Finally, a skin can be added to the above structure to form the wing section 1.

[0031] A folding assembly is provided between two adjacent wing sections for folding or unfolding the two wing sections. Next, the folding assembly between wing section 1 and wing section 2 is used as an example for explanation.

[0032] See also Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4The folding assembly includes a first linear actuator 10, a transfer rod 12, and a triangular plate 13. The first linear actuator 10 is fixed to the inner wall of a reinforcing rib 8 on the wing section 1. The push-pull rod 11 of the first linear actuator 10 slidably passes through the reinforcing rib 8 and is hinged to the transfer rod 12 and the first corner of the triangular plate 13 in sequence. The second corner of the triangular plate 13 is hinged to a hinge seat 23 fixed to the wing section 1. The triangular plate 13 is also fixedly connected to the reinforcing rib 9 of the wing section 2.

[0033] It should be noted that the above-mentioned triangular plate 13 can be a right-angled isosceles triangle, and one right-angled side of the triangular plate 13 can be fixedly connected to the wing section 2, with the acute angle close to the wing section 1 serving as the second angle, and the acute angle away from the wing section 1 serving as the first angle.

[0034] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the push-pull rod 11 of the first linear actuator 10 is extended, the adapter rod 12 can drive the triangular plate 13 to rotate around the hinge seat 23, thereby causing the wing section 2 to rotate counterclockwise ( Figure 2 The first linear actuator 10 may be an electric push rod controlled by a servo motor.

[0035] Re-read Figure 1 and Figure 5 During the folding process, wing section 5 is folded under wing section 4, wing section 4 is folded over wing section 3, wing section 3 is folded under wing section 2, and wing section 2 is folded over wing section 1, completing the Z-shaped folding. At this time, from top to bottom, it is wing section 5 to wing section 1. The free end of the wing ( Figure 1 The right end of the wing section 5 is located at the top, and the connecting end of the wing ( Figure 1 The wing section 1 (left end in FIG) is located at the bottom.

[0036] A storage assembly is provided between the wing section 1 and the vehicle body 6 for flipping the folded wing into the flying car for storage.

[0037] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 The storage assembly includes a fixed beam 19 and a second linear actuator 21. The fixed beam 19 is fixed to the left side of the vehicle body 6 and is hinged to the wing section 1. The two ends of the second linear actuator 21 are hinged to the vehicle body 6 and the wing section 1 respectively. When the push-pull rod 22 of the second linear actuator 21 is retracted, the folded wing can be rotated counterclockwise relative to the fixed beam 19 ( Figure 7 The second linear actuator 21 can be an electric push rod controlled by a servo motor.

[0038] When the wing is unfolded, the push-pull rod 22 of the second linear actuator 21 is extended first, so that the wing in the stowed state rotates clockwise relative to the fixed beam 19 ( Figure 7 direction), flip to the outside of the vehicle body 6, and enter the Figure 6 Next, the push-pull rod 11 of the first linear actuator 10 contracts, causing the adapter rod 12 to drive the triangular plate 13 to rotate around the hinge seat 23, thereby causing the wing section 2 to rotate clockwise ( Figure 2 In the direction of the middle section), the wing section 1 is finally docked. Similarly, the wing section 3, the wing section 4 and the wing section 5 rotate in sequence and enter the following Figure 1 The wings are shown in their deployed position.

[0039] In order to improve the rigidity of the wing when it is unfolded and prevent adjacent wing sections from flipping over, the folding wing also includes a locking actuator 7. Specifically, still taking wing section 1 and wing section 2 as an example, a hinge seat 24 and a hinge seat 25 are respectively provided on the reinforcing rib 8 of wing section 1 and the reinforcing rib 9 of wing section 2. The connecting ends of the hinge seat 24 and the hinge seat 25 are both provided with a pin shaft hole 15, and the pin shaft 17 passes through the two pin shaft holes 15 to realize the hinge connection of the hinge seat 24 and the hinge seat 25. In this way, when the wing section 2 flips over relative to the wing section 1, the hinge seat 24 and the hinge seat 25 can provide supporting force. Of course, two or more groups of hinge seats 24 and hinge seats 25 can also be provided, and those skilled in the art can make adjustments according to actual conditions.

[0040] The open ends of the hinge seats 24 and 25 are respectively provided with locking holes 16 and 18. When the wing is deployed and wing sections 1 and 2 are docked, the locking holes 16 and 18 of the hinge seats 24 and 25 are coaxial. The locking actuator 7 can be fixed to the reinforcing rib 8 of wing section 1. The push-pull rod of the locking actuator 7 extends and can pass through the coaxial locking holes 16 and 18, thereby preventing relative rotation between the hinge seats 24 and 25, ensuring that wing sections 1 and 2 remain docked at all times, and improving the stability and reliability of the wing in the deployed state.

[0041] The folding assembly of the present invention forms a three-bar mechanism through a first linear actuator, a transfer rod, and a triangular plate, which can fold each wing section into a Z-shape or unfold along the span direction of the wing. Since in the folding assembly shown in the figure, the first linear actuator, the transfer rod and other moving parts are all coaxially arranged along the span direction of the wing, the linear motion is converted into folding rotational motion through the swinging of the transfer rod, so that the thickness of the wing can be fully utilized.

[0042] Compared to traditional hydraulic direct-drive actuator folding components, this one is basically driven by a two-link mechanism consisting of a linear actuator and a triangular plate. During the driving process, the linear actuator will swing relative to the driven wing section.

[0043] In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the folding assembly of the present invention has a three-link mechanism. The first linear actuator is fixed relative to the wing section, and the large swing of the traditional hydraulic direct-drive actuator is converted into a small swing of the adapter rod through the adapter rod. Because the adapter rod itself is much smaller than the first linear actuator itself, and the swing angle is also smaller than the hydraulic direct-drive actuator in the two-link solution, the requirements for wing thickness and chord length can be reduced, and the internal space of the wing can be maximized, and a 180° folding can be achieved within the narrow wing space. At the same time, according to the folding angle requirements of different wing sections, the length of the adapter rod can be fine-tuned to ensure that each wing section is at a dead point after folding, so that when the folding wing is driven on the ground, it will not be affected by additional torque such as vibration caused by additional driving.

[0044] When two adjacent wing sections are docked, the locking holes of the two hinged joints on the two wing sections are coaxial. The push-pull rod of the locking actuator extends and passes through the two coaxial locking holes, preventing the two hinges from rotating relative to each other, ensuring that the two wing sections remain docked, and improving the stability and reliability of the wing in the deployed state.

[0045] In order to facilitate use and maintenance, the traditional solution of installing the folding mechanism on the wing structure is abandoned. The above-mentioned folding component can be designed as an independent module, which reduces the requirements for wing processing and assembly accuracy, and ensures that the operation of the folding component is not affected when the wing is deformed due to flight load, thereby improving work reliability and safety.

[0046] The unfolding, locking, folding and storage of the wings are achieved through electric push rods controlled by three servo motors, which is more suitable for flying cars with smaller take-off weights.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A folding wing for a flying car, characterized in that: include: Two wings, hinged to the sides of the flying car's body, each wing consisting of multiple wing sections hinged in sequence; a folding assembly connecting two adjacent wing segments so that the plurality of wing segments can be folded in a Z-shape, wherein, in the folded state, the wing segment at the free end of the wing is at the uppermost end; The two storage components are respectively fixed to one side of the vehicle body and hinged to the wing sections at the connecting ends of the corresponding wings, so as to flip the folded wings into the flying car.

2. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each wing section includes a wing spar arranged along the length direction of the wing, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs are vertically fixed on the wing spar.

3. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 2, characterized in that: The folding assembly includes a first linear actuator, a transfer rod and a triangular plate. The first linear actuator is fixed to the inner wall of the reinforcement rib of a wing section. The push-pull rod of the first linear actuator passes through the reinforcement rib and is hinged to the transfer rod and the first corner of the triangular plate in sequence. The second corner of the triangular plate is also hinged to the reinforcement rib of the wing section, and the triangular plate is also fixedly connected to the reinforcement rib of another wing section. As the push-pull rod is extended and retracted, the other wing section rotates around the second corner of the triangular plate.

4. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 3, characterized in that: The triangular plate is a right-angled isosceles triangle.

5. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 3, characterized in that: Hinge seats are provided on the reinforcing ribs of two adjacent wing sections, and locking holes are provided at the open ends of the two hinge seats. When the wing is unfolded, the locking holes of the two hinge seats are coaxial.

6. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 5, characterized in that: The folding assembly further comprises a locking actuator fixed to the reinforcing rib, wherein when the wing is unfolded, a telescopic rod of the locking actuator extends out and passes through the coaxial locking hole.

7. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first linear actuator and the locking actuator are electric push rods.

8. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage assembly includes a fixed beam fixed to the vehicle body, and the fixed beam is hinged to the wing section at the connecting end of the wing.

9. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 8, characterized in that: The storage assembly further includes a second linear actuator that is telescopically hinged to the wing section at the connecting end of the wing and the vehicle body.

10. The folding wing for a flying car according to claim 9, characterized in that: The second linear actuator is an electric push rod.

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