Low-profile wing hinge mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150556-B2
Application number	US-201615161372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	May 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A airborne vehicle comprising a fuselage, a folding wing-like structure which is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position, and a hinge mechanism which couples the folding wing-like structure to the fuselage in a manner so that the folding wing-like structure displaces and rotates during movement from the stowed position to the deployed position. The hinge mechanism is housed within an outer mold line of the fuselage and folding wing-like structure to decrease the signature of the airborne vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airborne vehicle comprising a fuselage, a folding wing-like structure which is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position, and a hinge mechanism which couples the folding wing-like structure to the fuselage in a manner so that the folding wing-like structure displaces and rotates during movement from the stowed position to the deployed position, wherein the hinge mechanism is housed within outer mold lines of the fuselage and folding wing-like structure and comprises: a first fixed linkage pin attached to the fuselage; a second fixed linkage pin attached to the folding wing-like structure; a link coupling pin; a first angled link having one end rotatably coupled to the first fixed linkage pin, an intermediate portion of the first angled link being coupled to the link coupling pin; and a second angled link having one end rotatably coupled to the second fixed linkage pin, an intermediate portion of the second angled link being coupled to the link coupling pin, at least one of the intermediate portions of the first and second angled links being rotatably coupled to the link coupling pin to allow relative rotation of the first and second angled links.

2. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a first linear guide surface formed in the fuselage and a second linear guide surface formed in the folding wing-like structure, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises: a first link slider pin coupled to the second angled link and a second link slider pin coupled to the first angled link, and further wherein the first link slider pin is displaceable parallel to the first linear guide surface and the second link slider pin is displaceable parallel to the second linear guide surface.

3. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a linear actuator configured to cause the first link slider pin to displace relative to the fuselage when the linear actuator is actuated, wherein the linear actuator is housed within the fuselage.

4. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first and second linear guide surfaces are slots.

5. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fuselage comprises a first cavity, and the airborne vehicle further comprises a locking block which is movable from a first position in the first cavity when the folding wing-like structure is in the stowed position to a second position partly in and partly projecting out of the first cavity when the folding wing-like structure is in the deployed position.

6. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 5 , further comprising a spring arranged to urge the locking block toward the second position.

7. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the folding wing-like structure comprises a second cavity, and a portion of the locking block projects into the second cavity when the folding wing-like structure is in the deployed position.

8. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the second cavity has tapered surfaces and the portion of the locking block that projects into the second cavity has tapered surfaces.

9. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein a difference between a first angle of orientation of the folding wing-like structure in the stowed position and a second angle of orientation of the folding wing-like structure in the deployed position is approximately 113 degrees.

10. An airborne vehicle comprising:
a fuselage;
a folding wing-like structure which is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position;
a hinge mechanism which couples the folding wing-like structure to the fuselage in a manner so that the folding wing-like structure displaces and rotates during movement from the stowed position to the deployed position, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises:
a first fixed linkage pin having opposed ends attached to the fuselage;
a second fixed linkage pin having opposed ends attached to the folding wing-like structure;
a link coupling pin;
first and second angled links each having one end rotatably coupled to the first fixed linkage pin and an intermediate portion coupled to the link coupling pin; and
third and fourth angled links each having one end rotatably coupled to the second fixed linkage pin and an intermediate portion coupled to the link coupling pin,
wherein at least two of the first through fourth angled links are rotatably coupled to the link coupling pin to allow concurrent rotation of the first and second angled links relative to the third and fourth angled links.

11. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 10 , further comprising first and second linear guide surfaces formed in the fuselage and third and fourth linear guide surfaces formed in the folding wing-like structure, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises: a first link slider pin coupled to each of the third and fourth angled links and a second link slider pin coupled to each of the first and second angled links, wherein opposing ends of the first link slider pin are displaceable parallel to the first and second linear guide surfaces respectively, while opposing ends of the second link slider pin are displaceable parallel to the third and fourth linear guide surfaces respectively.

12. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 11 , further comprising a linear actuator configured to cause the first link slider pin to displace relative to the fuselage when the linear actuator is actuated, wherein the linear actuator is housed within the fuselage.

13. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 10 , wherein the fuselage comprises a first cavity, and the airborne vehicle further comprises a locking block which is movable from a first position in the first cavity when the folding wing-like structure is in the stowed position to a second position partly in and partly projecting out of the first cavity when the folding wing-like structure is in the deployed position.

14. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 13 , further comprising a spring arranged to urge the locking block toward the second position.

15. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein the folding wing-like structure comprises a second cavity, and a portion of the locking block projects into the second cavity when the folding wing-like structure is in the deployed position.

16. The airborne vehicle as recited in claim 15 , wherein the second cavity has tapered surfaces and the portion of the locking block that projects into the second cavity has tapered surfaces.

17. An airborne vehicle comprising:
a fuselage having a longitudinal axis;
a first cylinder housed inside and rotatably coupled to the fuselage;
a folding control fin which is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position and which is also rotatable about a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
a second cylinder housed inside and fixedly coupled to the folding control fin; and
a hinge mechanism which couples the first and second cylinders in a manner such that the second cylinder is displaceable and rotatable relative to the first cylinder, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises:
a first fixed linkage pin having opposed ends attached to the first cylinder;
a second fixed linkage pin having opposed ends attached to the second cylinder;
a link coupling pin;
a first angled link having one end rotatably coupled to the first fixed linkage pin and an intermediate portion coupled to the link coupling pin; and
a second angled link having one end rotatably coupled to the second fixed linkage pin and an intermediate portion coupled to the link couplin

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Stanley Daniel Christopher
• Fogarty John Hershey

Classifications

• F42B15/105

  Air torpedoes, e.g. projectiles with or without propulsion, provided with supporting air foil surfaces · CPC title

• F42B10/14 Primary

  using fins spread or deployed after launch, e.g. after leaving the barrel · CPC title

• B64C39/02

  characterised by special use · CPC title

• B64C3/56 Primary

  Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft · CPC title

• B64C2201/102

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic