Shutter mechanism for covering a wing deployment opening

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358205-B2
Application number	US-201414896665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2014
Priority date	Jun 16, 2013
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A shutter mechanism for covering a wing's spreading opening formed in an airborne body and a method for covering such opening while implementing the shutter mechanism, wherein the shutter comprises at least one flap assembly, and wherein from the instant that a deployed wing of the airborne body passed and moved over it, it is biased by traction of at least one springy element to an angular motion around an axis, unto a condition where the flap component of the assembly is positioned so that it is substantially conformal to the outline of the outer surface of the fuselage of the airborne body and while it covers the opening through which the wing passed in its motion; and from an instant that the wing returned and connected to the flap component of the assembly, the flap is biased to an angular motion counter the spring, to the state that the wing returns and is relocated on its top surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shutter mechanism for covering an opening formed in an airborne body when a wing rotates from a closed position inside the airborne body to an extended position, the shutter mechanism comprising at least one flap assembly comprising a flap component and at least one biasing element, wherein the shutter mechanism is capable of moving to a plurality of configurations including:
a first configuration, where the wing is in the closed position and a face of the flap component is in contact with a horizontal face of the wing;
a second configuration where the wing is in the extended position and the flap assembly is biased by the at least one biasing element around an axis parallel to an axis extending through a nose and a tail of the airborne body, the second configuration placing the flap component of the flap assembly substantially flush with an outer surface of the airborne body and covering a percentage of the opening; and
a third configuration where the wing is rotated out of the extended position and in contact with the flap component of the flap assembly and the flap component is biased counter said biasing element to a position intermediate the first and second configurations.

2. The shutter mechanism for covering an opening formed in an airborne body in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said mechanism comprises:
an array of said flap assemblies that are installed in series one next to the other, in a manner that enables a covering varying lengths of said opening.

3. The shutter mechanism for covering an opening formed in an airborne body in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said mechanism comprises:
an elongated component that is suited to be installed in parallel to an edge of said wing's deployment opening; and
wherein each of said flap assemblies comprises:
a tab component that constitutes said flap component of the assembly;
a bracket component that is suited to axially install said tab on said bracket component, in a manner that enables said tab to move from a state wherein said tab is tangent to said bracket to a state in which said tab is orthogonal to said bracket in an angle of approximately 90°;
wherein said bracket component is suited to be installed on said elongated component in a manner that said bracket component is tangent to said wing's deployment opening; and
plurality of biasing elements that are mounted between said bracket and said tab and bias said tab unto the tangential state in which said tab covers said wing's deployment opening, but enables propelling said tab unto an angular motion to said orthogonal state counter said biasing element's stress, from an instant that said wing returned and connected to contact with the tab and biases said tab counter said biasing element, up to a state in which the wing returns and becomes located on said tab.

4. The shutter mechanism for covering an opening formed in an airborne body in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said airborne body comprises a gliding bomb, wherein said wing is two wings and said shutter mechanism is two shutter mechanisms.

5. A shutter mechanism for covering an opening formed in an airborne body when a wing rotates from a closed position inside the airborne body to an extended position, the shutter mechanism comprising at least one flap assembly comprising a flap component and at least one biasing element, wherein the shutter mechanism is capable of moving to a plurality of configurations including:
a first configuration, where the wing is in the closed position and a face of the flap component is in contact with a horizontal face of the wing;
a second configuration where the wing is in the extended position and the flap assembly is biased by the at least one biasing element around an axis parallel to an axis extending through a nose and a tail of the airborne body, the second configuration placing the flap component of the flap assembly substantially flush with an outer surface of the airborne body and covering a percentage of the opening; and
a third configuration where the wing is rotated out of the extended position and in contact with the flap component of the flap assembly and the flap component is biased counter said biasing element to a position intermediate the first and second configurations,
wherein said shutter mechanism further comprises:
an elongated component that is suited to be installed parallel to an edge of the opening; and
wherein each of said flap assemblies further comprises:
a bracket component that is coupled to the flap component in a manner that enables the flap component to move from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein said bracket component is suited to be installed on said elongated component; and
a plurality of biasing elements that are mounted between said bracket component and said flap component and bias said flap component.

6. The shutter mechanism in accordance with claim 5 , said mechanism further comprising:
an array of said flap assemblies that are installed in series one next to the other, configured to move from the first configuration to the second configuration sequentially as the wing moves into the extended position.

7. The shutter mechanism of claim 5 , wherein said airborne body is a gliding bomb, and wherein said wing is two wings and said shutter mechanisms is two shutter mechanisms.

8. A shutter mechanism for covering an opening formed in an airborne body when a wing rotates from a closed position inside the airborne body to an extended position, the shutter mechanism comprising at least one flap assembly comprising a flap and at least one biasing element, wherein the shutter mechanism is capable of moving to a plurality of configurations including:
a first configuration, where the wing is in the closed position; and
a second configuration where the wing is in the extended position and the flap is biased by the at least one biasing element to rotate around an axis parallel to an axis extending through a nose and a tail of the airborne body, the second configuration placing the flap flush with an outer surface of the airborne body to cover a percentage of the opening.

9. The shutter mechanism in accordance with claim 8 , the shutter mechanism further comprising:
an array of the flap assemblies that are installed in series one next to the other, configured to move from the first configuration to the second configuration sequentially as the wing moves into the extended position.

10. The shutter mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the airborne body is a gliding bomb, and wherein said wing is two wings and said shutter mechanisms is two shutter mechanisms.

11. A shutter mechanism for covering an opening formed in an airborne body when a wing rotates from a closed position inside the airborne body to an extended position, the shutter mechanism comprising at least one flap assembly comprising a flap and at least one biasing element, wherein the shutter mechanism is capable of moving to a plurality of configurations including:
a first configuration, where the wing is in the closed position; and
a second configuration where the wing is in the extended position and the flap is biased by the at least one biasing element to rotate around an axis parallel to an axis extending through a nose and a tail of the airborne body, the second configuration placing the flap component of the flap assembly substantially flush with an outer surface of the airborne body and covering a percentage of the opening;
wherein the shutter mechanism further comprises:
an elongated component that is suited to be installed parallel to an edge of the opening; and
wherein each of the flap assemblies further comprises:
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Assignees

• Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Saroka Arie
• Schoenmann Amnon

Classifications

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• Y02T50/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C3/40

  Varying angle of sweep · CPC title

• F42B10/14

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

• Y02T50/145

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic