Fairing door assembly and methods of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604231-B2
Application number	US-201715717018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A fairing door assembly for use with an aircraft includes a first door pivotable between a first door open position and a first door closed position. The first door open position is associated with a first flap position of a flap of the aircraft, and the first door closed position is associated with a second flap position of the flap. The fairing door assembly also includes a second door pivotally coupled to the first door. The second door is pivotable between a second door open position and a second door closed position. The second door open position is associated with the first flap position and the second door closed position is associated with a third flap position that is different than the first flap position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fairing door assembly for use with an aircraft that includes a flap, said fairing door assembly comprising:
a first door pivotable between a first door open position and a first door closed position, wherein the first door open position is associated with a first flap position of the flap and the first door closed position is associated with a second flap position; and
a second door pivotally coupled to said first door, said second door being pivotable between a second door open position and a second door closed position, wherein the second door open position is associated with the first flap position and the second door closed position is associated with a third flap position different than the second flap position.

2. The fairing door assembly of claim 1 , wherein when said first door is in the first door closed position, said second door is at least partially open in a second door intermediate position.

3. The fairing door assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge configured to couple said first door to a fairing structural panel of the aircraft, wherein said hinge biases said first door toward the first door closed position.

4. The fairing door assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second door comprises a transition member fixedly coupled to said second door.

5. The fairing door assembly of claim 4 , wherein a force on said transition member causes said second door to pivot with respect to first door.

6. The fairing door assembly of claim 4 , wherein a force on said transition member causes said second door to transition between the second door closed position and the second door open position.

7. An aircraft comprising:
a fairing structural panel defining a slot therethrough;
a flap torque tube extending through said slot, said flap torque tube moveable between at least a first flap position, a second flap position, and a third flap position;
a fairing door assembly coupled to said fairing structural panel and said flap torque tube, said fairing door assembly comprising:
a first door pivotally coupled to said fairing structural panel and pivotable between a first door open position and a first door closed position, wherein the first door open position is associated with the first flap position and the first door closed position is associated with the second flap position; and
a second door pivotally coupled to said first door, said second door being pivotable between a second door open position and a second door closed position, wherein the second door open position is associated with the first flap position and the second door closed position is associated with the third flap position.

8. The aircraft in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising a contact member coupled to said flap torque tube and configured to contact said first door to transition said first door between the first door open position and the first door closed position.

9. The aircraft in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said contact member is configured to transition said second door between the second door open position and the second door closed position.

10. The aircraft in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said fairing door assembly comprises a transition member fixedly coupled to said second door, wherein said transition member engages said contact member to transition said second door between the second door open position and the second door closed position.

11. The aircraft in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said contact member contacts said first door when said flap torque tube is in the first flap position and contacts said transition member when said flap torque tube is in the second and third flap positions.

12. The aircraft in accordance with claim 7 , wherein when said first door is in the first door closed position, said second door is at least partially open in a second door intermediate position.

13. The aircraft in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising a hinge configured to couple said first door to said fairing structural panel, wherein said hinge biases said first door toward the first door closed position.

14. The aircraft in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said first door is in the first door closed position when said flap torque tube is in the third flap position.

15. A method of operating a flap assembly, said method comprising:
moving a flap torque tube along a slot in a fairing structural panel between at least a first flap position, a second flap position, and a third flap position;
rotating a first door pivotally coupled to the fairing structural panel between a first door open position and a first door closed position, wherein the first door open position is associated with the first flap position and the first door closed position is associated with the second flap position; and
rotating a second door pivotally coupled to said first door between a second door open position and a second door closed position, wherein the second door open position is associated with the first flap position and the second door closed position is associated with the third flap position.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein rotating the first door comprises biasing the first door toward the first door closed position using a biasing hinge.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein when the first door is rotating to the first door closed position, the second door is rotating to an at least partially open second door intermediate position.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein when the flap torque tube is moved to the third flap position, the first door remains in the first door closed position.

19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein rotating the second door comprises engaging a transition member coupled to the second door with a contact member coupled to the flap torque tube to cause rotation of the second door between the second door closed position and the second door open position.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein rotation of the transition member causes the second door to rotate with respect to first door.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Bond Gary A
• Cohen Gary

Classifications

• B64C9/16

  at the rear of the wing · CPC title

• B64C7/00 Primary

  Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for · CPC title