Actuating system for aircraft wing slat and flap panels
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An actuating system for aircraft wing slat and flap panels, comprising:
- a plurality of actuators spaced along an aircraft wing for hinging a panel to the wing and for rotating the panel, the plurality including first and second pairs of actuators;
a coaxial input shaft coupled to a power unit and coupled to each of the plurality of actuators for driving said actuators, each actuator of said first and second pairs of actuators having an arm mounted to the panel;
means for mounting the arms of each actuator of the first pair to the panel so as to permit wing to panel rotation during wing/panel bending;
means for mounting the arms of each actuator of the second pair to the panel so as to permit angular displacement of said arms relative to the arms of the actuators of the first pair so that the panel does not resist wing bending via the actuators; and
differential gear means coupling the coaxial input shaft to the arms of the actuators in the first and second pairs for permitting relative angular displacement between selected actuator arms in said first and second actuator pairs and for permitting one of the arms in each of the first and second pairs to be angularly displaced as a unit.
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Abstract
An actuating system effects rotation of wing slat and flap panels of an aircraft and includes actuators having arms rigidly mounted to the panel and allowing some wing-to-panel rotation during wing/panel bending, and actuators having arms mounted to the panel to allow angular displacement of the arms relative to the rigidly mounted arms, whereby structural deflection of the frame of the aircraft is inhibited from imposing unanticipated destructive loads on either the actuating system components or the aircraft frame itself.
23 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An actuating system for aircraft wing slat and flap panels, comprising:
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a plurality of actuators spaced along an aircraft wing for hinging a panel to the wing and for rotating the panel, the plurality including first and second pairs of actuators; a coaxial input shaft coupled to a power unit and coupled to each of the plurality of actuators for driving said actuators, each actuator of said first and second pairs of actuators having an arm mounted to the panel; means for mounting the arms of each actuator of the first pair to the panel so as to permit wing to panel rotation during wing/panel bending; means for mounting the arms of each actuator of the second pair to the panel so as to permit angular displacement of said arms relative to the arms of the actuators of the first pair so that the panel does not resist wing bending via the actuators; and differential gear means coupling the coaxial input shaft to the arms of the actuators in the first and second pairs for permitting relative angular displacement between selected actuator arms in said first and second actuator pairs and for permitting one of the arms in each of the first and second pairs to be angularly displaced as a unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification