Air Guide Arrangement for Movable Folding Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing activation arrangements for movable folding devices, such as airfoils and rotor blades, are costly to manufacture and assemble, susceptible to lightning strikes, and prone to leaks in hydraulic systems, leading to functional failures and environmental contamination.
Innovation Solution
An activation arrangement featuring an air guiding arrangement with a base element, actuator element, and air guiding element, where the air guiding element is arranged in a recess on the suction side, allowing for adjustable and optimized aerodynamic surface control using prestressed materials and easy exchangeability, reducing manufacturing and assembly costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional activation arrangements with electrical lines are used, then the device can be actuated, but there is susceptibility to lightning strikes which calls the function into question
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes electrical lines from the activation arrangement and replaces them with a purely mechanical actuation system. The actuator element is directly coupled to the air guide element, eliminating electrical components that could be affected by lightning strikes. This extraction of harmful electrical elements resolves the reliability issue while maintaining actuation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a mechanical actuation system that is simpler and more resilient than electrical systems. The mechanical components are inherently more resistant to environmental factors like lightning, providing a more reliable and cost-effective solution that can withstand harsh weather conditions without requiring complex protection systems.
2Ease of operation
If directly actuated flaps via hydraulic systems are used, then the device can be controlled, but these must always be completely sealed and withstand correspondingly high pressures, yet leaks can occur during normal use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex hydraulic systems with a simpler mechanical actuation mechanism. The actuator element directly mechanically couples to the air guide element, eliminating the need for hydraulic fluid, seals, and high-pressure containment. This substitution removes the source of leaks while maintaining full control capability through direct mechanical transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the hydraulic system components including seals, fluid reservoirs, and pressure containment structures. By taking out these complex sealed systems and replacing them with open mechanical linkages, the design eliminates leak risks while simplifying the overall structure and reducing maintenance requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex activation arrangements are used to optimize aerodynamic surface control, then the aerodynamically effective area can be adjusted, but the manufacturing and assembly costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the activation arrangement into distinct, modular components: the air guide element, the actuator element, and the base element. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simple processes, then assembled by straightforward mechanical coupling. The modular design reduces manufacturing complexity and assembly costs while maintaining full aerodynamic adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive mechanical components that can be easily manufactured and replaced. The air guide element and actuator element are designed as simple mechanical parts rather than complex assembled systems, reducing material and manufacturing costs. This approach maintains functional effectiveness while significantly lowering the economic barrier to deployment and maintenance.
4Ease of operation
If existing activation arrangements are used, then the device can be actuated, but they are cost-intensive in both manufacturing and assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex, cost-intensive activation arrangements with a simplified mechanical system. The direct mechanical coupling between the actuator element and air guide element eliminates the need for expensive electrical systems, hydraulic components, or complex control mechanisms. This substitution maintains full actuation functionality while dramatically reducing manufacturing and assembly costs through the use of simple, readily available mechanical parts.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an activation arrangement for movable folding devices, in particular for a wing, rotor blade and the like, which is characterized in that the air guide arrangement has at least one base element, at least one actuator element, and at least one air guide element, that the base element is arranged in at least one recess, that at least one free end of the air guide element is arranged on the base element, and that the air guide element together with the base element encloses at least one receiving space in which the actuator element is arranged.