Aircraft with a foldable wing tip device

• US 10,759,522 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2019
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Axford, Timothy, Fong, Tony, Alexander, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Xavier, Valentina
• Application Number:
  US16/509,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20200010177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/072 the wing tip airfoil devices being moveable in their entirety
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/185 Spars
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/54 Varying in area
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/546 by foldable elements
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/56 Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

An aircraft including a wing and a wing tip device is disclosed. The wing tip device is moveable between a flight configuration for use during flight and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations. In the ground configuration the wing tip device is folded inwardly from the flight configuration such that the span of the aircraft is reduced. The wing tip device is connected to the wing along a hinge axis by spar beams of the wing tip device, one of the beams being mounted for pivoting about a fixed axis and the other beam being mounted on a spherical bearing to provide greater freedom of movement. Various actuator arrangements may be provided to pivot the wing tip device.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising a wing and a wing tip device at the tip of the wing, wherein the wing tip device is moveable between:

i. a flight configuration for use during flight, in which the wing tip device projects from the wing increasing the span of the aircraft, and

ii. a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the wing tip device is pivoted about a hinge axis from the flight configuration such that a span of the aircraft is reduced,

wherein the wing tip device comprises a spar beam which has a first end fixed in the wing tip device and a second end which, in the flight configuration, is disposed in the wing, and wherein one or more actuators are provided for pivoting the wing tip device between the flight configuration and the ground configuration, the one or more actuators acting on the spar beam,

wherein a first actuator is provided for pivoting the wing tip device from the flight configuration to an intermediate configuration partway between the flight configuration and the ground configuration, and a second actuator is provided for pivoting the wing tip device from the intermediate configuration to the ground configuration.

2. An aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the first and second actuators are linear actuators.

12. An aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the one or more actuators are arranged such that the ratio of the amount of linear or rotary movement of the actuator to the angular movement of the wing tip device is relatively great in a region where the center of gravity of the wing tip device is relatively far in a horizontal direction from the hinge axis and is relatively small in a region where the center of gravity of the wing tip device is relatively close in a horizontal direction to the hinge axis.

3. An aircraft comprising a wing and a wing tip device at the tip of the wing, wherein the wing tip device is moveable between:

i. a flight configuration for use during flight, in which the wing tip device projects from the wing increasing the span of the aircraft, and

ii. a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the tip device is pivoted about a hinge axis from the flight configuration such that a span of the aircraft is reduced,

wherein the wing tip device comprises a spar beam which has a first end fixed in the wing tip device and a second end which, in the flight configuration, is disposed in the wing, and wherein one or more actuators are provided for pivoting the wing tip device between the flight configuration and the ground configuration, the one or more actuators acting on the spar beam, wherein a single actuator is provided and is connected to a linkage that comprises a link that is connected to the spar beam and a link that is connected to the wing.

4. An aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the linkage comprises first and second links pivotally connected to each other at their first ends and pivotally connected to the spar beam and the wing respectively at their second ends, the actuator being pivotally connected to the first ends of the first and second links and to the wing.

5. An aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the single actuator is a linear actuator.

6. An aircraft according to claim 3, wherein the single actuator is a rotary actuator.

7. An aircraft according to claim 5, wherein the linkage comprises first and second links pivotally connected to each other at their first ends and connected by universal joints to the spar beam and the wing respectively at their second ends.

8. An aircraft according to claim 7, wherein a locking device is provided for locking the first ends of the links to the wing when the wing tip device is in the flight configuration.

9. An aircraft according to claim 7, wherein the first and second links extend along a substantially straight path when the wing tip device is in the ground configuration.

10. An aircraft according to claim 7, wherein top and bottom faces of the first and/or second links are effective to transfer loads between the wing tip device and the wing in the flight configuration of the wing tip device.

11. An aircraft comprising a wing and a wing tip device at the tip of the wing, wherein the wing tip device is moveable between:

i. a flight configuration for use during flight, in which the wing tip device projects from the wing increasing the span of the aircraft, and

ii. a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the wing tip device is pivoted about a hinge axis from the flight configuration such that a span of the aircraft is reduced,

wherein the wing tip device comprises a spar beam which has a first end fixed in the wing tip device and a second end which, in the flight configuration, is disposed in the wing, and wherein one or more actuators are provided for pivoting the wing tip device between the flight configuration and the ground configuration, the one or more actuators acting on the spar beam, wherein the spar beam passes through the hinge axis of the wing tip.