Wing fold system rotating latch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370083-B2
Application number	US-201615265258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2012
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and method of a wing fold system may include a latch assembly rotating an unfixed portion of a wing, with respect to a fixed portion of the wing, between a flight position of the wing and a folded position of the wing. A first portion of the wing may hold a rotating portion of the latch assembly. A second portion of the wing may hold a secured portion of the latch assembly. The rotating portion of the latch assembly may rotate between an open position and a closed position. A slot in the rotating portion may receive the secured portion of the latch assembly. A securing portion of the rotating portion may secure a secured portion of the latch assembly. The latch assembly may prevent rotation of the second portion when the wing may be in the flight position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of folding and unfolding a wing, the method comprising:
rotating an unfixed portion of the wing with respect to a fixed portion of the wing between a flight position of the wing and a folded position of the wing;
controlling, via a rotating portion of a latch assembly on the fixed portion of the wing, connecting the unfixed portion to the fixed portion;
securing, a secured portion, comprising a T-shaped end, of the latch assembly in a securing portion of the unfixed portion of the wing;
receiving the secured portion by a slot in a barrel of the latch assembly; and
rotating, between an open position of the latch assembly and a closed position of the latch assembly, the rotating portion of the latch assembly, via moving the barrel, between an open position and a closed position wherein securing the secured portion of the latch assembly by the securing portion of the rotating portion further comprises an end of the barrel comprising a notch engaging an arm.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
securing the secured portion of the latch assembly by a securing portion of the rotating portion via moving the rotating portion to the closed position; and
preventing, via the securing portion of the rotating portion, rotation of the unfixed portion when the wing is in the flight position.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
engaging the rotating portion by a lock of the latch assembly after moving the rotating portion to the closed position; and
preventing rotation of the rotating portion by engaging the lock.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fixed portion comprises a wing box of the wing and the unfixed portion comprises a wingtip of the wing.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the latch assembly as a barrel latch.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the rotating portion:
connecting to an outer lug on the fixed portion of the wing: and
being configured as the barrel; and

the secured portion comprising an inner lug connecting to the unfixed portion.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the barrel being substantially cylindrically shaped.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the fixed portion of the wing comprising a latch actuator connecting to an outer lug retaining the barrel.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the arm connecting to a rod connecting to a lock actuator.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: exerting a force, via the lock actuator, on the arm, acting as a lock, and engaging the notch with the arm.

11. An apparatus comprising:
a fixed portion of a wing;
the unfixed portion of the wing configured to rotate between a folded position of the wing and a flight position of the wing;
the fixed portion of the wing configured to hold a rotating portion of a latch assembly of the wing; and
the unfixed portion of the wing configured to hold a secured portion of the latch assembly of the wing, the latch assembly configured to prevent rotation of the unfixed portion of the wing with the wing in the flight position, the latch assembly comprising the rotating portion:
configured to rotate between: an open position, and a closed position;
being a barrel that extends through an outer lug connecting to the unfixed portion of the wing; and
comprising :
a slot configured to receive the secured portion of the latch assembly,
a securing portion configured to secure the secured portion of the latch assembly with the latch assembly in the closed position
the slot comprising a first diameter width that is larger than a second width of the slot in the securing portion of the barrel, such that the secured portion fits, with the latch assembly in the open position, into the barrel through the first width; and
the second width of the slot comprising a size configured to stop a rotation of the barrel at the closed position of the latch assembly via a contact with a side of the secured portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , the latch assembly further comprising a lock configured to:
engage the rotating portion when the rotating portion is in the closed position; and
prevent rotation of the rotating portion when the lock is in an engaged position.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the fixed portion comprises a wing box of the wing and the unfixed portion comprises a wingtip of the wing.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the secured portion comprises a T-shaped end, the slot of the rotating portion being configured to allow the T-shaped end to fit into the rotating portion with the rotating portion in the open position, and the securing portion of the rotating portion configured to secure the secured portion by the rotating portion with the rotating portion in the closed position.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising the barrel being substantially cylindrically shaped and comprising the slot, and the securing portion, formed thereby, of the rotating portion.

16. A system for improving a fuel efficiency of an aircraft, the system comprising:
a first wingspan of the aircraft configured to expand beyond a length allowed for ground operation of the aircraft at an airport; and
a wing fold system, located within a wing such that the wing fold system comprises a latch assembly of a size that precludes a need to add any thickness and any fairing to a shape of the wing, the wing fold system configured to reduce the first wingspan of the aircraft to a second wingspan of the aircraft, the second wingspan being within the length allowed, such the latch assembly comprises a rotating portion that comprises a barrel that comprises a slot, connected to a fixed portion of the wing and configured to secure a T-shaped secured portion connected to an unfixed portion of the wing and an end that comprises a notch configured to engage an arm.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising the wing fold system configured to preclude a change, due to the latch assembly within the wing of the wing fold system, of a cross-sectional outline of the wing, such that the wing fold system comprises a secured portion configured to engage the rotating portion that comprises the slot and a securing portion.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Fox Stephen John
• Kordel Jan A
• Townsend Keith
• Lassen Matthew August
• Gardner Mark John
• Good Mark Steven

Classifications

• B64C23/072

  the wing tip airfoil devices being moveable in their entirety · CPC title

• Y02T50/164

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/14

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/54

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C3/56 Primary

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