Foldable Wingtip Hinge Interface for Aircraft Span Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aircraft with long span wings face constraints due to dimensional limits imposed by airport infrastructure and regulations, limiting their ability to accommodate larger wingspans during flight while requiring reduced spans for ground operations, which affects fuel efficiency and operational costs.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of foldable wing tips and a hinge interface that pivotally couples the foldable wing tip to the fixed wing portion, allowing the wingspan to be increased during flight and reduced for ground operations, utilizing a hinge system positioned outboard of the aileron to minimize weight and maximize fuel efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the wingspan is increased to improve aerodynamic efficiency, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the aircraft cannot fit within airport infrastructure limitations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel consumptionVSAvoidadaptability to airport infrastructure

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The wingtip is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, transitioning from a fixed structure to a movable one that can pivot between extended and retracted positions. This dynamic capability allows the aircraft to optimize wingspan for fuel efficiency during flight while adapting to infrastructure constraints on the ground, directly resolving the contradiction between aerodynamic efficiency and airport adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The wing is segmented into a fixed wing portion and a movable foldable wingtip section. This segmentation allows independent control of each portion, enabling the wingtip to be extended during flight for improved aerodynamics while being retracted during ground operations to meet airport infrastructure limitations, thus resolving the contradiction between fuel efficiency and infrastructure adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the wingspan is reduced to fit airport infrastructure, then the aircraft can operate at more airports, but aerodynamic efficiency and fuel consumption are degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to airport infrastructureVSAvoidfuel consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The movable hinge interface enables dynamic adjustment of wingspan based on operational phase. During ground operations, the wingtip pivots to a retracted position allowing the aircraft to fit within airport infrastructure limitations while maintaining operational versatility. During flight, the wingtip extends to optimal aerodynamic configuration, eliminating the fuel consumption penalty that would result from permanently reduced wingspan

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The foldable wingtip mechanism is configured to be extended before flight operations begin and retracted after landing. This preliminary action ensures that the aircraft always has the appropriate wingspan configuration for its current operational state, preventing fuel consumption degradation by ensuring full wingspan is available during all flight phases while maintaining infrastructure compatibility during ground operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If a foldable wingtip mechanism is added to enable wingspan adjustment, then adaptability to infrastructure is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to airport infrastructureVSAvoidhinge interface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge interface is segmented into discrete, modular components including the pivot connection, locking mechanism, and structural supports. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall design by breaking down the complex foldable wingtip system into manageable subsystems that can be analyzed and manufactured separately, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining infrastructure adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of designing a complex mechanism to achieve folding capability, the invention inverts the approach by integrating the folding function directly into the wingtip structure itself through a pivotal hinge connection. This inversion simplifies the overall system by making the wingtip inherently foldable through its basic structural design rather than adding separate complex actuation and control systems, thus improving infrastructure adaptability while minimizing complexity increase

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11518500B2Aircraft having foldable wings

Publication Date: 2022.12.06 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

Aircrafts having foldable wings are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a fixed wing portion, a foldable wing tip, and a hinge interface to pivotally couple the foldable wing tip and the fixed wing portion. The hinge interface has a first hinge defining a hinge axis that is substantially parallel to a fuselage centerline. The first hinge has a first dimension in a spanwise direction and a second dimension in a chordwise direction. The first dimension is greater than the second dimension.