PIVOTING AIRCRAFT WING AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

• US 20050274844A1
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Stuhr, Victor Ken
• Granted Patent: US 7,051,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/46
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/40 Varying angle of sweep
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

A pivoting aircraft wing and associated system and method are provided. The pivoting aircraft wing includes a wing member, a carry-through structure, and a spar box assembly pivotally connected to the carry-through structure. The spar box assembly extends longitudinally within the wing member. The spar box assembly comprises a spar box and a bearing support structure attached to the spar box. The aircraft wing further includes a plurality of bearings disposed within a plurality of bearing races defined by the bearing support structure and carry-through structure. The plurality of bearing races advantageously define an arcuate path of rotation such that the wing member is capable of rotating about a virtual axis of rotation.

Claims

1. A pivoting aircraft wing comprising:

a wing member;

a carry-through structure assembly coupled to the wing member, the carry-through structure assembly comprising;

a carry-through structure;

a plurality of bearings attached to the carry-through structure; and

at least one bearing support structure attached to the carry-through structure; and

a spar box assembly pivotally connected to the carry-through structure assembly and extending longitudinally within the wing member, the spar box assembly comprising;

a spar box;

at least one bearing attached to the spar box; and

a plurality of bearing support structures attached to the spar box,

wherein the bearings of the carry-through structure assembly and spar box assembly are disposed within a plurality of respective bearing races defined by each of the bearing support structures of the spar box assembly and carry-through structure assembly, and wherein the plurality of bearing races define an arcuate path of rotation such that the wing member is capable of rotating about a virtual axis of rotation.

2. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 1, wherein the bearings of the carry-through structure assembly and spar box assembly comprise first, second, and third bearings.

3. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 2, wherein the first and second bearings are attached to the carry-through structure.

4. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 3, wherein the spar box assembly comprises a pair of bearing support structures, and wherein each of the bearing support structures defines at least one respective bearing race.

5. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 4, wherein the first and second bearings are disposed within respective ones of the bearing races such that the spar box assembly is capable of pivoting about the first and second bearings.

6. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 2, wherein the third bearing is attached to an end of the spar box proximate to the carry-through structure.

7. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 6, wherein the end of the spar box tapers to define a generally triangular end proximate to the third bearing.

8. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 6, wherein the carry-through structure assembly comprises a bearing support structure attached to the carry-through structure and defining at least one bearing race, and wherein the third bearing is disposed within the bearing race such that the third bearing is capable of pivoting about the bearing race.

9. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 1, further comprising an actuator connected to the spar box assembly and operable to pivot the wing member from an unswept position to a swept position about the virtual axis of rotation.

10. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 1, wherein the wing member is positioned at a sweep angle of about 10 degrees in an unswept position.

11. A pivoting aircraft wing according to claim 1, wherein the wing member is capable of pivoting to a sweep angle of at least 70 degrees.

12. A pivoting aircraft wing system comprising:

a pair of wing members;

a fuselage member;

a carry-through structure assembly carried by the fuselage member, wherein the carry-through structure assembly comprises;

a carry-through structure;

a plurality of bearings attached to the carry-trough structure; and

at least one bearing support structure attached to the carry-through structure; and

a pair of spar box assemblies, wherein each of the spar boxes is pivotally connected to the carry-through structure assembly and extends longitudinally within a respective wing member, wherein each of the spar box assemblies comprise;

a spar box; and

at least one bearing attached to a respective spar box; and

a plurality of bearing support structures attached to a respective one of the spar boxes, and

wherein the bearings of the carry-through structure assembly and each soar box assembly are disposed within a plurality of bearing races defined by each of the bearing support structures of the spar box assembly and carry-through structure assembly, and wherein the plurality of bearing races define an arcuate path of rotation such that each of the wing members is capable of rotating about a respective virtual axis of rotation.

13. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 12, wherein the bearings of the carry-through structure assembly and each spar box assembly comprise first, second, and third bearings for facilitating rotation about a respective virtual axis of rotation.

14. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 13, wherein each of the first and second bearings is attached to the carry-through structure to define the respective virtual axis of rotation.

15. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 14, wherein each of the spar box assemblies comprises a pair of bearing support structures, and wherein each of the bearing support structures defines at least one respective bearing race.

16. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 15, wherein each of the first and second bearings is disposed within a respective bearing race to define a respective virtual axis of rotation such that each of the spar box assemblies is pivotable about the first and second bearings.

17. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 13, wherein each of the third bearings is attached to an end of a respective spar box proximate to the carry-through structure.

18. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 17, wherein the end of each of the spar boxes tapers to define a generally triangular end proximate to each of the third bearings.

19. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 17, wherein the carry-through structure assembly comprises a pair of bearing support structures attached to the car-through structure, and wherein each respective bearing support structure defines at least one bearing race, and wherein each of the third bearings is disposed within a respective bearing race such that each of the third bearings is capable of pivoting about the respective bearing race.

20. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 12, further comprising a pair of actuators, wherein each of the actuators is connected to a respective spar box assembly and is operable to pivot each of the wing members from an unswept position to a swept position about a respective virtual axis of rotation.

21. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 12, wherein each of the wing members is positioned at a sweep angle of about 10 degrees in an unswept position.

22. A pivoting aircraft wing system according to claim 12, wherein each of the wing members is capable of pivoting to at least a sweep angle of 70 degrees.

23. A method of pivoting aircraft wings, the method comprising:

providing a carry-through structure carried by a fuselage member;

providing a pair of spar boxes, wherein each of the spar boxes is pivotally connected to the carry-through structure and extends longitudinally within a respective one of a pair of wing members; and

pivoting each of the wing members about a virtual axis of rotation to predetermined sweep angles.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein pivoting comprises pivoting about a virtual axis of rotation defined by a plurality of bearings disposed within respective bearing races defined between the carry-through structure and the spar boxes.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein pivoting comprises actuating each of the wing members to pivot approximately simultaneously.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein pivoting comprises pivoting each of the wing members to a sweep angle of at least 70 degrees.