Resolver Skew Sensor Gimbal Linkage for Wing Flap Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor arrangements for movable wing flaps struggle to accurately detect and communicate both linear and rotational movements within the limited space of an aircraft wing, limiting their ability to accommodate full movement of the flaps.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly with a linkage system that includes pivot shafts and pivot arms, allowing for mechanical communication of both linear and rotational movements to a sensing device, which generates a signal indicative of the flap's position, ensuring accurate detection and communication to a controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor is mounted to measure movement of the flap actuation mechanism, then the sensor can detect flap position, but the sensor mechanism cannot accommodate full movement of the flap within the limited wing space
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage mechanism is divided into multiple segments: a first linkage member connected to the flap, a second linkage member connected to the sensor, and a gimbal assembly connecting these members. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific portions of the movement, enabling the sensor to detect full flap travel while remaining compact enough for wing installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gimbal assembly acts as an intermediary between the flap and the sensor, mechanically translating the complex combined linear and rotational flap movement into a form that the sensor can accurately measure. This intermediary mechanism accommodates the full range of motion while preserving measurement precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sensor assembly accommodates both linear and rotational movement of the flap, then full flap travel is captured, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gimbal assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it connects the flap to the sensor, accommodates linear movement, accommodates rotational movement, and provides a mechanical interface for the linkage members. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each movement type, thereby managing complexity while achieving full motion accommodation.
3Volume of stationary object
If the sensor assembly is contained within the interior volume of the wing, then space is conserved, but the sensor may not be able to detect full flap movement
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly is nested within the wing's interior volume, with the gimbal assembly and linkage members arranged in a compact configuration. The first and second linkage members are positioned to fold or articulate within the available space, allowing the complete mechanism to fit within the constrained wing volume while still detecting full flap travel.
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed sensor assembly for detecting movement and a position of a wing flap includes a sensing device that generates a signal corresponding to a position of the flap. The sensor assembly includes a linkage that is attached to the movable flap for mechanically communicating movement of the flap to the sensing device. The linkage includes a first pivot shaft mounted to the flap that is disposed about a first axis and a second pivot shaft attached to the first pivot shaft for movement about a second axis transverse to the first axis.