Flight Control Surface Linkage for Precise Deployed Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft systems face challenges in accurately aligning flight control surfaces during movement, leading to errors such as surfaces moving beyond target positions or becoming misaligned, which can affect aerodynamics.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an aircraft apparatus comprising a flight control surface, an actuation assembly, a link, and an arm, where the arm is pivotally coupled to the link and features a contact surface that engages a stop surface to limit pivotal movement, defining the deployed configuration of the flight control surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flight control surfaces are moved between positions to affect aerodynamics, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but alignment errors occur causing surfaces to move beyond target positions or become misaligned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism through the link and arm system with stop surfaces that provide tactile and positional feedback to the actuation assembly. The stop surface on the link engages with the arm to provide a mechanical stop that feedbacks the target position to the actuator, enabling precise alignment control during flight control surface movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The link acts as an intermediary element between the actuation assembly and the flight control surface. It transmits motion while providing alignment guidance through its stop surface, mediating the interaction to ensure precise positioning without direct mechanical constraint on the actuator itself.
2Manufacturing precision
If stop surface and contact surface are added to limit pivotal movement, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the alignment guidance function and the movement limitation function into a single integrated link-component. The stop surface is formed as part of the link structure itself rather than being a separate element, combining multiple functions into one component to minimize overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The link and arm system is designed to self-align and self-limit movement through the geometric relationship between the stop surface and contact surface. The system uses its own structural features to provide alignment guidance and movement constraints without requiring external control mechanisms or additional active components.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft apparatus comprises a flight control surface, an actuation assembly, a link, and an arm. The actuation assembly transitions the flight control surface between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The link is pivotably coupled to a support and comprises a stop surface. The arm is connected to the flight control surface and is pivotally coupled to the link. The arm comprises a contact surface arranged to engage the stop surface to limit pivotal movement of the arm relative to the link and thus define the deployed configuration of the flight control surface.A method comprises translating an arm and a flight control surface in a first direction towards a deployed configuration while simultaneously rotating a link. The method further comprises bringing the arm and the stop surface of link into contact to stop translation of the arm at the deployed configuration of the flight control surface.