Manual wing-fold mechanism
First Claim
1. A wing-fold apparatus for folding a wing, the wing having a wingtip and a wing root, of an aircraft, comprising:
- an extension tube, coupled to an inboard section of the wing and to an outboard section of the wing, and wherein the extension tube is aligned with a lateral axis of the aircraft when the aircraft is configured for flight, the lateral axis spanning through the wingtip and the wing root of the wing;
a pivot point located at a juncture between the extension tube and the inboard wing section; and
an alignment guide wherein the alignment guide includes a narrowing slot that interacts with a pin affixed to the extension tube as the wing is placed in a flight configuration, and responsive to the pin interacting with the narrowing slot, a plurality of shear pins parallel with the lateral axis and affixed to a wing spar each interact with a corresponding receptacle to join a outboard wing section spar with a inboard wing section spar, and wherein the extension tube is independent of the inboard wing section spar and independent of the outboard wing section spar.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A manual wing-fold mechanism provides a means by which to reconfigure the wing of an aircraft between a flight configuration and one that can be easily stowed and transported. The folding mechanism includes an extension tube that enables the outboard portion of the wing to be extended away from the inboard section of the wing, rotated about the lateral axis of the aircraft and then pivoted rearward so that the wing is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft along side the fuselage. The wing-fold mechanism is independent of the structural components of the wing used to convey aerodynamic loads during flight and provides a means for the user to bring the outboard wing section into a near alignment position while the wing-fold mechanism thereafter assists to refine the alignment into its final flight configuration.
28 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A wing-fold apparatus for folding a wing, the wing having a wingtip and a wing root, of an aircraft, comprising:
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an extension tube, coupled to an inboard section of the wing and to an outboard section of the wing, and wherein the extension tube is aligned with a lateral axis of the aircraft when the aircraft is configured for flight, the lateral axis spanning through the wingtip and the wing root of the wing; a pivot point located at a juncture between the extension tube and the inboard wing section; and an alignment guide wherein the alignment guide includes a narrowing slot that interacts with a pin affixed to the extension tube as the wing is placed in a flight configuration, and responsive to the pin interacting with the narrowing slot, a plurality of shear pins parallel with the lateral axis and affixed to a wing spar each interact with a corresponding receptacle to join a outboard wing section spar with a inboard wing section spar, and wherein the extension tube is independent of the inboard wing section spar and independent of the outboard wing section spar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for folding a wing of an aircraft, the wing having a wingtip and a wing root, the method comprising:
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withdrawing a traverse lock pin from each shear pin; extending an extension tube thereby translating an outboard wing section along a lateral axis away from an inboard wing section, wherein the extension tube is coupled to the inboard section of the wing and to the outboard section of the wing independent of an outboard wing section spar and independent of an inboard wing section spar, and wherein the extension tube is aligned with the lateral, the lateral axis spanning through the wingtip and the wing root of the wing; rotating the outboard wing section about the lateral axis to place the outboard wing section perpendicular with the inboard wing section; pivoting the outboard wing section rearward about a pivot point located at a juncture between the extension tube and the inboard wing section; and aligning the outboard wing section with a fuselage of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification