Aircraft Wing High-Lift Track Rigging for Synchronous Roller Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing roller bearing assembly for aircraft wings requires precise individual rigging of multiple rollers, which can lead to misalignment and uneven stress distribution, resulting in premature degradation and increased rigging time and costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of eccentric connector assemblies with a common alignment member allows for synchronous rigging of roller pairs, ensuring accurate alignment and reducing stress concentrations, thereby extending the lifespan of the rollers and simplifying the rigging process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple rollers are individually rigged, then each roller can be adjusted independently, but misalignment and uneven stress distribution occur leading to premature degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual rigging operations into a single synchronous rigging operation by linking all rollers to the same rigging mechanism. This ensures that all rollers are aligned simultaneously to the same reference, eliminating misalignment between rollers while maintaining the ability to adjust each roller's position through the shared rigging system.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigging mechanism is designed to serve multiple rollers simultaneously through a universal coupling system. The same rigging mechanism can adjust all rollers in the assembly at once, providing both individual adjustment capability and collective alignment, thereby ensuring even stress distribution and preventing premature degradation.
2Ease of operation
If multiple rollers are individually rigged, then each roller position can be adjusted, but the rigging time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sequential rigging operations into a single simultaneous operation. By coupling all rollers to the same rigging mechanism, the entire roller assembly can be rigged in one operation rather than requiring separate adjustments for each roller, significantly reducing rigging time and costs while maintaining full adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows preliminary setup of the rigging mechanism to accommodate multiple rollers simultaneously. The coupling system is pre-configured to engage all rollers at once, enabling the rigging operation to be performed in a single pass without requiring repeated adjustments or multiple operation cycles.
3Manufacturing precision
If tolerance limits are reduced for better alignment, then manufacturing precision improves, but production cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rigging mechanism as an intermediary between the manufactured components and the final assembly. This intermediary system absorbs and compensates for manufacturing tolerances, allowing standard-tolerance components to be assembled into a precisely aligned configuration through the rigging process, thereby maintaining high alignment quality without requiring expensive tight-tolerance manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigging mechanism enables adjustment of alignment parameters after manufacturing is complete. By allowing post-manufacturing adjustment of roller positions and orientations, the system achieves high precision alignment without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, thus maintaining production efficiency while ensuring proper alignment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures precise alignment and even wear distribution among rollers, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing stress concentrations, thus enhancing the longevity and efficiency of the roller bearing assembly.
Implementation Method 1
The elongate track is mounted to the main wing via a roller bearing such that the elongate track is movable along the track longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
The first end of the elongate track may be preferably mounted to either a leading edge slat, or to a trailing edge flap by any appropriate means, e.g. by an arrangement of spherical bearings
Implementation Method 3
Each of the first and second rollers may have respective first and second rotation axes, and the first and second rotation axes may be coaxial. According to this aspect, the first and second eccentric connector assemblies are configured to be engaged simultaneously by a single member for synchronous rigging of the first and second rollers
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4B
AI summary
Described is wing (3) for an aircraft (1) and a high lift assembly for the wing, an elongate track (14), a roller bearing rigging system, a method for rigging a high lift assembly and an aircraft. The wing (1) comprises a main wing (5) and a high lift assembly comprising a high lift body (12), and a connection assembly (9). The connection assembly (9) movably connects the high lift body (12) to the main wing (5) such that the high lift body (12) is movable between a retracted position and at least one extended position, and the connection assembly (9) comprises an elongate track (14) that extends along a track longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end and has an intermediate portion between the first and second ends. The first end and/or the intermediate portion of the track (14) is mounted to the high lift body (12) and the track (14) is mounted to the main wing (5) via a roller bearing such that the track (14) is movable along the track longitudinal axis, wherein the roller bearing comprises at least one roller pair comprising a first and a second roller (18, 20), each of the first and second roller (18, 20) being mounted to at least one of the main wing (5) and the track (14) via a respective first and second eccentric connector assembly (26, 28). Further, the first and second eccentric connector assemblies (26, 28) are configured to be engaged simultaneously by a single alignment member (70) for synchronous rigging of the first and second rollers (18, 20).