Flight vehicle wing positioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683079-B2
Application number	US-201715479378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A control system of a flight vehicle automatically varies the relationship between the center of gravity and the center of pressure of the flight vehicle. The control system automatically adjusts a center of pressure of the flight vehicle depending on a varying payload or payload type that is removably couplable to the flight vehicle. The control system automatically limits translational movement of the one or more wings of the flight vehicle in response to coupling of a payload to a fuselage of the flight vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned flight vehicle comprising:
a fuselage having a forward end and an aft end and the fuselage configured to couple with a payload structure;
a wing extending from the fuselage, where the wing is configured to deploy from a non-launch position to a launch position; and
a wing positioning system engageable with the payload structure and coupled to the fuselage between the forward end and the aft end for carrying the wing, the wing positioning system being configured to translate the wing between the forward and aft ends from the non-launch position to the launch position, wherein in response to mechanical engagement of the wing positioning system with the payload structure the wing positioning system is configured to automatically limit the translational movement of the wing between the non-launch and launch positions by a predetermined amount based on the mechanical engagement of the wing positioning system with the payload structure.

2. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the wing positioning system is configured to translate the wing along a central longitudinal axis of the fuselage.

3. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the wing positioning system is configured to prevent pitch rotation of the wing relative to the fuselage.

4. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 1 , further including another wing, wherein the wing and the another wing are opposed wings extending in opposite directions from the fuselage and each extending between a respective attached end coupled to the wing positioning system and a respective free end spaced from the fuselage upon deployment.

5. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the wing positioning system includes an engagement member for engagement by the wing,
wherein upon coupling of the payload structure with the fuselage the engagement member is movable via engagement with the payload structure to a predetermined position determined by engagement of the engagement member with an indexing projection of the payload structure as the payload structure and the fuselage are coupled together, and
wherein the engagement member in the predetermined position limits the translational movement of the wing via engagement of the wing with the engagement member.

6. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the wing positioning system further includes a carriage carrying the wing, wherein the engagement member extends between a payload structure coupling location of the fuselage and an opposing end of the fuselage, and wherein the carriage is engageable with the engagement member in the predetermined position to limit the translational movement of the wing.

7. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the engagement member is movable along a central longitudinal axis of the fuselage in response to coupling of the payload structure with the fuselage.

8. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the engagement member includes a hard stop protrusion shaped for engagement by the wing to limit the translational movement of the wing.

9. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the wing positioning system further includes a plurality of stop protrusions disposed at predetermined positions between the forward and aft ends of the fuselage, and wherein the engagement member is shaped to move the stop protrusions one at a time from a default position to a position engageable by the wing upon engagement of the engagement member by the payload structure.

10. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 1 , in combination with the payload structure, the payload structure being removably couplable to the fuselage and engageable with the wing positioning system upon the coupling of the payload structure with the fuselage.

11. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 10 ,
wherein the wing positioning system includes an engagement member for engagement by the wing;
wherein the payload structure includes an indexing projection that engages the wing positioning system causing the engagement member of the wing positioning system to move to a predetermined position;
wherein upon coupling of the payload structure with the fuselage the engagement member is movable via engagement with the indexing projection to a predetermined position as the payload structure and the fuselage are coupled together; and
wherein the engagement member in the predetermined position limits the translational movement of the wing via engagement of the wing with the engagement member.

12. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the wing positioning system is configured to limit the translational movement of the wing to a plurality of predetermined launch positions in response to engagement with a respective plurality of different payload structures.

13. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the wing positioning system includes a biasing member against which the payload structure acts when coupled to the fuselage.

14. An unmanned flight vehicle comprising:
a fuselage configured to couple with a payload structure;
a wing extending from the fuselage and configured to deploy from a non-launch position to a launch position; and
a control system coupled to the fuselage between the forward and aft ends;
wherein the control system is configured to automatically control a center of pressure of the flight vehicle in response to engagement of the control system with a payload structure;
wherein the control system is configured to move a component of the flight vehicle to a predetermined position, which position is set in response to engagement of the payload structure with the fuselage, with an indexing projection of the payload structure pressing against and translating an engagement member of the control system.

15. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the control system is a wing positioning system for carrying the wing, the wing positioning system being configured to limit movement of the wing to a plurality of predetermined launch positions to control the center of pressure of the flight vehicle.

16. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the wing positioning system is configured to prevent pitch rotation of the wing relative to the fuselage.

17. An unmanned flight vehicle comprising:
a fuselage extending along a central longitudinal axis between a forward end and an aft end;
a payload structure removably coupled to fuselage; and
opposed wings deployable relative to and coupled to the fuselage by a wing positioning system,
wherein the wing positioning system includes
a housing coupled to the fuselage,
a carriage coupled to respective ends of the opposed wings and being translatable with the opposed wings along the housing along the central longitudinal axis,
a movable engagement member that limits the extent which the carriage and opposed wings are translatable along the central longitudinal axis, wherein the engagement member is engageable by the payload structure upon coupling of the payload structure to the fuselage, to move the engagement member to a predetermined position providing the translational limit of the opposed wings along the central longitudinal axis, and

wherein the payload structure includes an indexing projection that mechanically engages and moves the engagement member of the wing positioning system to the respective predetermined position automatically as part of the coupling together of the payload structure and the fuselage.

18. The unmanned flight vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the wing positioning system is configured to pre

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Koessler Jeffrey H
• Lee Anthony O
• Tretschok Cody D
• Artz Gregory J

Classifications

• B64U30/16

  movable along the UAV body · CPC title

• B64C2211/00

  Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters · CPC title

• B64C3/38 Primary

  Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof · CPC title

• B64C17/02

  by gravity or inertia-actuated apparatus · CPC title

• B64C1/22

  Other structures integral with fuselages to facilitate loading {, e.g. cargo bays, cranes} · CPC title