Foldable Wing Connectors for Span Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large passenger aircraft face limitations in wing span due to airport operating rules, requiring complex and heavy dedicated lock actuators for folding mechanisms, which can be unreliable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A foldable aerodynamic structure with a multiplicity of connectors that transfer loads between inner and outer regions, allowing for a single actuator to move the structure between flight and ground configurations, eliminating the need for dedicated lock actuators and ensuring fail-safe redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple dedicated lock actuators are used to secure the outer region in flight configuration, then reliability is improved through multiple load transfer paths, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking function and movement function into a single actuator system. The connectors serve dual purposes: they lock the outer region to the inner region during flight configuration while also serving as the mechanism for moving the outer region between configurations. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated lock actuators, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability through the multiplicity of connectors providing multiple load transfer paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The connectors are designed to perform multiple functions: they act as locking mechanisms to secure the outer region in the flight configuration, serve as structural elements for load transfer, and function as the articulation mechanism for moving the outer region between flight and ground configurations. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed while maintaining system reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple dedicated lock actuators are used to secure the outer region, then reliability is improved through redundancy, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the locking function with the movement function into a single actuator system. The same actuator that moves the outer region also provides the locking action through the connectors. This eliminates the need for additional dedicated lock actuators, thereby reducing the overall weight of the folding mechanism while maintaining reliability through the multiplicity of connectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The connectors are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support for load transfer, act as locking mechanisms, and serve as the articulation points for movement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate locking components, reducing weight while maintaining redundancy and reliability through multiple load transfer paths.
3Device complexity
If a single actuator is used to move the outer region between configurations, then device complexity is reduced, but the actuator must perform multiple functions including locking and moving
Solution Approach 1:
The single actuator is designed to perform multiple functions: it moves the outer region between flight and ground configurations, and it provides the locking action through the connectors. The connectors themselves are designed to serve multiple purposes: they are structural elements for load transfer, locking mechanisms, and articulation points. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity while the adaptability is maintained through the geometric design of the connectors and articulation mechanism that enable both locking and movement functions.
4Device complexity
If the outer region is displaced to disengage connectors for unlocking, then the locking mechanism is simplified, but the displacement must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic articulation mechanism where the outer region is displaced along a predetermined geometric path defined by the articulation mechanism. The connectors are designed with specific geometries that guide the displacement motion, ensuring that the disengagement occurs at the correct position without requiring high-precision control systems. The geometric constraints of the articulation mechanism naturally control the displacement, reducing the need for complex control systems while maintaining reliable locking and unlocking functions.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft, for example a passenger aircraft, comprises a foldable wing having an inner region and an outer region. The outer region is moveable relative to the inner region between a flight configuration, an intermediate configuration, and a ground configuration. In the flight configuration the inner and outer regions are locked together via a multiplicity of connectors for transferring loads. In the intermediate configuration the outer region is displaced, for example forwardly, such that the connection is disengaged to unlock the outer region from the inner region. In the intermediate configuration the outer region is also connected to the inner region via a hinge. In the ground configuration, the outer region is rotated about the hinge, such that the span of the wing is reduced.