Method and apparatus for supporting aircraft components, including actuators
First Claim
1. An aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
a wing depending from the fuselage;
a device that is movable relative to at least one of the fuselage and the wing;
an actuator housing having a receptacle portion coupled to at least one of the wing and the fuselage, the receptacle portion including at least one receptacle having a receptacle surface with a first registration feature;
an actuator releasably disposed in the receptacle, the actuator being positioned adjacent to the receptacle surface and having a second registration feature engaged with the first registration feature; and
an actuator linkage coupled between the actuator and the device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for supporting aircraft components, including actuators are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an actuator housing having an actuator receptacle that securely yet releasably receives an actuator. The actuator receptacle can include conformal walls that conform at least in part to the shape of the actuator and can accordingly squeeze the actuator and properly align the actuator. At least one of the actuator walls can further include a projection that is releasably received in a corresponding recess of the actuator. One of both of these features can releasably secure the actuator relative to the aircraft, reducing and/or eliminating the likelihood that the actuator will be misaligned and/or mispositioned relative to the aircraft during installation and/or replacement.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An aircraft, comprising:
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a fuselage;
a wing depending from the fuselage;
a device that is movable relative to at least one of the fuselage and the wing;
an actuator housing having a receptacle portion coupled to at least one of the wing and the fuselage, the receptacle portion including at least one receptacle having a receptacle surface with a first registration feature;
an actuator releasably disposed in the receptacle, the actuator being positioned adjacent to the receptacle surface and having a second registration feature engaged with the first registration feature; and
an actuator linkage coupled between the actuator and the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An aircraft, comprising:
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a fuselage;
a wing depending from the fuselage;
a component housing integrally attached to at least one of the wing and the fuselage, the component housing having at least one flexible, resilient receptacle surface positioned adjacent to a receptacle, the at least one receptacle surface having a first registration feature; and
an aircraft component releasably disposed in the receptacle, the aircraft being positioned adjacent to the receptacle surface and having a second registration feature engaged with the first registration feature. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An unmanned aircraft, comprising:
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a fuselage;
a wing depending from the fuselage;
a flight control surface that is movable relative to the wing;
an actuator housing having a receptacle portion integrally coupled to the wing, the receptacle portion including at least one receptacle having at least one receptacle surface formed from a resilient, conformal material, the at least one receptacle surface having a projection;
an actuator releasably disposed in the receptacle, the actuator having at least one recess into which the projection is releasably received, the actuator being under a compressive force exerted by the at least one receptacle wall; and
an actuator linkage coupled between the actuator and the flight control surface. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An apparatus for releasably carrying an aircraft actuator, the aircraft actuator having an actuator registration feature, the apparatus comprising:
a housing that includes;
a plurality of receptacle surfaces positioned around a receptacle, the receptacle having an opening positioned to receive the aircraft actuator, at least one of the receptacle surfaces being formed from a conformable material to flex between a first position when the aircraft actuator is positioned in the receptacle and a second a second position when the aircraft actuator is removed from the receptacle, at least one of the receptacle walls having a receptacle registration feature positioned to engage with the actuator registration feature when the actuator is received in the receptacle; and
a cover removably secured to at least one of the receptacle walls to cover the opening. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. An unmanned aircraft, comprising:
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a fuselage;
a wing having a spanwise portion extending away from the fuselage in a first direction and a winglet extending away from the spanwise portion in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the winglet having an access aperture;
a component housing removably received in the winglet through the access aperture; and
at least one aircraft component releasably carried by the component housing and removable from the winglet as a unit with the component housing. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An unmanned aircraft, comprising:
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a fuselage;
a wing depending from the fuselage;
a device that is movable relative to at least one of the fuselage and the wing;
actuator housing means for releasably carrying an actuator, the actuator housing means having a receptacle portion with a first registration feature;
an actuator releasably disposed in the receptacle, the actuator being positioned adjacent to the receptacle wall and having a second registration feature engaged with the first registration feature; and
an actuator linkage coupled between the actuator and the component. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for replacing an actuator in an aircraft, comprising:
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accessing an actuator housing positioned in at least one of a wing and a fuselage of the aircraft;
accessing a first actuator positioned in a receptacle portion of the actuator housing;
disengaging a first registration feature of the actuator housing and a second registration of the first actuator;
removing the first actuator from the actuator housing and the aircraft; and
replacing the first actuator with a second actuator by placing the second actuator in the receptacle of the actuator housing, with a second registration feature of the second actuator engaged with the first registration feature of the of the actuator housing. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification