Telescopic wing with articulated structural spar

• US 7,762,500 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanjay Dhall
• Original Assignee: Sanjay Dhall
• Inventors: Dhall, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansen; Michael R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Michener; Joshua J
• Application Number:
  US11/935,448
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 244/35.R, 244/218, 244/46, 244/99.2, 244/99.3, 244/123.1, 244/123.8, 244/123.9, 244/172.6, 244/131, 244/45.R, 244211-217, 745/21
• US Class Current: 244/218
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 5/02 convertible into aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/56 Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 37/00 Convertible aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/12 Canard-type aircraft

Abstract

A telescopic aircraft wing having an articulated structural spar. The telescopic wing includes a root portion and a tip portion that is telescopically related to the root portion. A spar assembly connects the root portion to the tip portion for providing structural support to the tip portion, and the spar assembly has a plurality of links that are pivotally connected to one another. The spar assembly moves the tip portion with respect to the root portion between an extended position and a retracted position.

Claims

1. An aircraft wing, comprising:

a root portion;

a tip portion that is telescopically related to the root portion;

a spar assembly that connects the root portion to the tip portion for providing structural support to the tip portion, the spar assembly having a plurality of links that are pivotally connected to one another;

an extension axis defined from the root portion to the tip portion, wherein the spar assembly moves the tip portion with respect to the root portion between an extended position,

wherein each link of the plurality of links of the spar assembly extends parallel to the extension axis, and a retracted position, wherein adjacent links of the plurality of links form acute interior angles with respect to one another;

wherein each link has a first joint portion and a second joint portion disposed on opposite ends thereof, the first joint portions are pivotally connectable to the second joint portions of an adjacent link for connecting adjacent links in a vertically aligned fashion;

wherein the first joint portions include an inclined limit surface, the limit surface is engageable with a side surface of an adjacent link for defining the minimum interior angle that may be formed between adjacent links; and

wherein the limit surface is inclined with respect to a longitudinal face of its corresponding link.

2. The aircraft wing stated in claim 1, further comprising:

a locking member capable to selectively restrain pivotal motion of at least one link of the plurality of links with respect to at least one other link of the plurality links.

3. The aircraft wing stated in claim 1, wherein each link has a cross-sectional height and a cross-sectional width such that the cross-sectional height is equal to or greater than the cross-sectional width.

4. The aircraft wing stated in claim 1, wherein the first joint portions include a finger portion and the second joint portions include spaced furcations between which the finger portion is received.

5. The aircraft wing stated in claim 1, wherein the plurality of links includes a first grouping of links that are pivotally connected at the ends thereof and a second grouping of links that are pivotally connected at the ends thereof, wherein each link of the first grouping of links is disposed above and pivotally connected to a corresponding link of the second grouping of links.

6. The aircraft wing stated in claim 5, wherein each link of the first grouping of links is pivotally connected to the corresponding link of the second grouping of links by a pivot pin having a spacer element disposed thereon for vertically spacing the first grouping of links with respect to the second grouping of links.

7. The aircraft wing stated in claim 5, wherein adjacent links of the first grouping of links are pivotally connected in a vertically staggered manner, adjacent links of the second grouping of links are pivotally connected in a vertically staggered manner, and each link of the first grouping of links is pivotally connected to the corresponding link of the second grouping of links by a pivot pin having a spacer element disposed thereon for vertically spacing the first grouping of links with respect to the second grouping of links.

8. The aircraft wing stated in claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator for driving the spar assembly between the extended position and the retracted position.

9. The aircraft wing stated in claim 1, further comprising:

the tip portion having at least two tubular support elements and an outboard structural rib; and

a flexible skin connected to the root portion and further connected to the tip portion solely at the outboard structural rib thereof.

10. An aircraft wing, comprising:

a root portion;

a tip portion that is telescopically related to the root portion, the tip portion having a first skin portion disposed thereon;

at least one intermediate portion telescopically disposed between the root portion and the tip portion, the at least one intermediate portion having a second skin portion disposed thereon;

a spar assembly that connects the root portion to the tip portion for supporting the tip portion, the spar assembly having a first spar portion and a second spar portion, the first spar portion having a plurality of links that are pivotally connected to one-another by the end portions thereof, and the second spar portion having a plurality of links that are pivotally connected to one-another by the end portions thereof, wherein each link of the first spar portion is disposed above and pivotally connected to a respective link of the second spar portion at an intermediate location along the length thereof,

wherein the spar assembly moves the tip portion with respect to the root portion between an extended position, wherein the root portion and the tip portion are telescopically extended with respect to one another and the first skin portion cooperates with the second skin portion to define a flying surface, and a retracted position, the root portion and the tip portion are telescopically retracted with respect to one another;

wherein each link has a first joint portion and a second joint portion disposed on opposite ends thereof, the first joint portions are pivotally connectable to the second joint portions of an adjacent link for connecting adjacent links in a vertically aligned fashion;

wherein the first joint portions include an inclined limit surface, the limit surface is engageable with a side surface of an adjacent link for defining the minimum interior angle that may be formed between adjacent links; and

wherein the limit surface is inclined with respect to a longitudinal face of its corresponding link.

11. The aircraft wing stated in claim 10, wherein the end portions of the links of the first spar portion substantially overlie the end portions of the links of the second spar portion when the spar assembly is in the extended position.

12. The aircraft wing stated in claim 10, further comprising:

an extension path defined from the root portion to the tip portion, wherein the links of the first and second spar portions extend substantially along the extension path when the spar assembly is in the extended position.

13. The aircraft wing stated in claim 12, further comprising:

a root joint that pivotally connects the first spar portion and the second spar portion of the spar assembly to the root portion; and

a tip joint that pivotally connects the first spar portion and the second spar portion of the spar assembly to the tip portion, wherein the extension path defines a straight line from the root joint to the tip joint.

14. The aircraft wing stated in claim 12, further comprising:

a root joint that pivotally connects the first spar portion and the second spar portion of the spar assembly to the root portion; and

a tip joint that pivotally connects the first spar portion and the second spar portion of the spar assembly to the tip portion, wherein the extension path defines a non-straight line from the root joint to the tip joint.

15. The aircraft wing stated in claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of spacer elements disposed between the first spar portion and the second spar portion for vertically spacing the first spar portion with respect to the second spar portion.

16. An aircraft wing, comprising:

a root portion;

a tip portion that is telescopically related to the root portion;

a first spar portion connected to the root portion and the tip portion, the first spar portion having a plurality of first spar links, wherein each first spar link is an elongate body that extends longitudinally along a link axis from a first joint half to a second joint half, and adjacent first spar links of said plurality of first spar links are pivotally connected to one another by connection of the first joint half of one of the adjacent first spar links to the second joint half of the other of the adjacent first spar links;

a second spar portion connected to the root portion and the tip portion having a plurality of second spar links, wherein each second spar link is an elongate body that extends longitudinally along a link axis from a first joint half to a second joint half, and adjacent second spar links of said plurality of second spar links are pivotally connected to one another by connection of the first joint half of one of the adjacent second spar links to the second joint half of the other of the adjacent second spar links;

a plurality of connecting elements, each connecting element of the plurality of connecting elements pivotally connects an intermediate portion of a first spar link of the plurality of first spar links to an intermediate portion of a second spar link of the plurality of second spar links, wherein the first spar portion and the second spar portion cooperatively move along an extension axis between an extended position, wherein the link axis of each first spar link is parallel to the extension axis and the link axis of each second spar link is parallel to the extension axis, and a retracted position, wherein adjacent first spar links are disposed at acute interior angles with respect to one another and adjacent second spar links are disposed at acute interior angles with respect to one another;

wherein each link has a first joint portion and a second joint portion disposed on opposite ends thereof, the first joint portions are pivotally connectable to the second joint portions of an adjacent link for connecting adjacent links in a vertically aligned fashion;

wherein the first joint portions include an inclined limit surface, the limit surface is engageable with a side surface of an adjacent link for defining the minimum interior angle that may be formed between adjacent links; and

wherein the limit surface is inclined with respect to a longitudinal face of its corresponding link.

17. An aircraft wing, comprising:

a first wing section including at least one wing panel;

a second wing section including at least one wing panel, the second wing section disposed outboard of the first wing section and telescopically related to the first wing section;

at least one aileron panel hingedly connected to an outboard edge of the at least one wing panel of the second wing section for pivotal movement with respect thereto;

a sleeve hingedly connected to the at least one wing panel of the first wing section, the at least one aileron panel slidably disposed within the sleeve;

at least one flap panel hingedly connected to the at least one wing panel of the first wing section for pivotal movement with respect thereto, wherein the at least one aileron panel is telescopically receivable within the at least one flap panel, and the second wing section moves with respect to the first wing section between an extended position, wherein the at least one aileron panel may pivot independent of the at least one flap panel, and a retracted position, wherein the at least one aileron panel is telescopically disposed at least partially within the at least one flap panel;

a spar assembly that connects a root portion to a tip portion for providing structural support to the tip portion, the spar assembly having a plurality of links that are pivotally connected to one another;

an extension axis defined from the root portion to the tip portion, wherein the spar assembly moves the tip portion with respect to the root portion between an extended position,

wherein each link of the plurality of links of the spar assembly extends parallel to the extension axis, and a retracted position, wherein adjacent links of the plurality of links form acute interior angles with respect to one another;

wherein each link has a first joint portion and a second joint portion disposed on opposite ends thereof, the first joint portions are pivotally connectable to the second joint portions of an adjacent link for connecting adjacent links in a vertically aligned fashion;

wherein the first joint portions include an inclined limit surface, the limit surface is engageable with a side surface of an adjacent link for defining the minimum interior angle that may be formed between adjacent links; and

wherein the limit surface is inclined with respect to a longitudinal face of its corresponding link.