Apparatus for retaining and deploying a wing of an aerial vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a fuselage body section configured to be secured to an aircraft fuselage;
a pivot column protruding from the fuselage body section; and
a center wing section, that rotates about the pivot column, configured to be secured to a center wing panel of a trifold wing;
wherein the fuselage body section and the center wing section are configured to cooperate with each other to rotate the center wing section relative to the fuselage body section from a stowed position to a deployed position; and
wherein the pivot column is rotationally fixed with respect to the fuselage and comprises a column feature positioned under the center wing panel that protrudes fore and aft relative to the fuselage, the column feature configured to engage with tip features of the trifold wing to hold the trifold wing in a folded configuration when the trifold wing is in the stowed position, and to disengage from the tip features as the trifold wing rotates away from the stowed position to the deployed position, thereby freeing the trifold wing to unfold.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, having: a fuselage body section (180) configured to be secured to an aircraft fuselage (16); a pivot column (310) protruding from the fuselage body section; and a center wing section (214) configured to be secured to a center wing panel of a trifold wing (200). The fuselage body section and the center wing section are configured to cooperate with each other to rotate the center wing section relative to the fuselage body section from a stowed position (250) to a deployed position (302). The pivot column comprises a column feature (240) configured to engage with tip features (236) of the trifold wing to hold the trifold wing in a folded configuration when the trifold wing is in the stowed position and to disengage from the tip features as the trifold wing rotates to the deployed position, thereby freeing the trifold wing to unfold.
16 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a fuselage body section configured to be secured to an aircraft fuselage; a pivot column protruding from the fuselage body section; and a center wing section, that rotates about the pivot column, configured to be secured to a center wing panel of a trifold wing; wherein the fuselage body section and the center wing section are configured to cooperate with each other to rotate the center wing section relative to the fuselage body section from a stowed position to a deployed position; and wherein the pivot column is rotationally fixed with respect to the fuselage and comprises a column feature positioned under the center wing panel that protrudes fore and aft relative to the fuselage, the column feature configured to engage with tip features of the trifold wing to hold the trifold wing in a folded configuration when the trifold wing is in the stowed position, and to disengage from the tip features as the trifold wing rotates away from the stowed position to the deployed position, thereby freeing the trifold wing to unfold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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a fuselage; a trifold wing comprising a port wing panel, a starboard wing panel, and a center wing panel there between; a joint arrangement configured to secure the center wing panel to the fuselage and permit the trifold wing to rotate from a stowed position to a deployed position; a pivot column secured to the fuselage and configured to secure the port and starboard wing panels of the trifold wing in a folded configuration when the trifold wing is in the stowed position and to release from the port and starboard wing panels as the trifold wing rotates away from the stowed position by way of the center wing panel rotating about the pivot column; wherein the pivot column is rotationally fixed with respect to the fuselage and comprises a column feature positioned under the center wing panel that protrudes fore and aft relative to the fuselage to engage respective panel features in the port and starboard wing panels when the trifold wing is in the folded configuration and the stowed position; and wherein as the trifold wing rotates away from the stowed position the column feature disengages from the panel features. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification