Distributed linear hydraulic high lift actuation system with synchronization members

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773795-B2
Application number	US-201816139423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2018
Priority date	Sep 24, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

An actuation system for controlling flight control members of a vehicle. Each flight control member is controlled by two or more linear hydraulic actuators. Synchronization members extend between the hydraulic actuators on the same flight control members to synchronize the movements of the hydraulic actuators for consistent movement across the length of the flight control members. Brakes can maintain the positions of the synchronization members and thus the flight control members. Motors can provide for moving the synchronization members to control the positioning of the hydraulic actuators and flight control members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuation system to control first and second flight control members on a vehicle, the actuation system comprising:
a first pair of hydraulic actuators that are operatively connected to a first flight control member;
a second pair of hydraulic actuators that are operatively connected to a second flight control member;
a first synchronization member that extends between the first pair of hydraulic actuators to synchronize movements of the first pair of hydraulic actuators;
a second synchronization member that extends between the second pair of hydraulic actuators to synchronize movements of the second pair of hydraulic actuators, the second synchronization member being independent from the first synchronization member;
a first brake to prevent movement of the first synchronization member;
a second brake to prevent movement of the second synchronization member;
a first motor operatively connected to the first synchronization member to adjust the first pair of hydraulic actuators to adjust the first flight control member independently from the second flight control member; and
a second motor operatively connected to the second synchronization member to adjust the second pair of hydraulic actuators to adjust the second flight control member independently from the first flight control member;
each of the first and second pairs of hydraulic actuators comprising a pacing hydraulic actuator with a first gear configuration that can be back-driven by the respective first and second flight control members and drive the respective synchronization member, and each of the first and second pair of hydraulic actuators comprising a slave hydraulic actuator with a different second gear configuration that cannot be back-driven by the respective first and second flight control members.

2. The actuation system of claim 1 , wherein the slave hydraulic actuator comprises meshing first and second worm gears and the pacing hydraulic actuator comprising meshing first and second gears with a same efficiency in both operating directions.

3. The actuation system of claim 2 , wherein each of the first pair of hydraulic actuators and the second pair of hydraulic actuators comprises a first chamber section that receives hydraulic fluid to extend the first pair of hydraulic actuators and the second pair of hydraulic actuators and a second chamber section that receives the hydraulic fluid to retract the first pair of hydraulic actuators and the second pair of hydraulic actuators.

4. The actuation system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second synchronization members are spaced apart by a gap, the gap positioned between the first pair of hydraulic actuators and the second pair of hydraulic actuators.

5. The actuation system of claim 1 , further comprising a hydraulic fluid line that extends between each hydraulic actuator of the first pair of hydraulic actuators and the second pair of hydraulic actuators and wherein the first and second synchronization members are positioned within the hydraulic fluid line.

6. The actuation system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuation control unit configured to:
receive signals from sensors indicating an angular orientation of the first synchronization member and the second synchronization member; and
in response to the signals, adjust valves to control a flow of hydraulic fluid to the first pair of hydraulic actuators and the second pair of hydraulic actuators.

7. The actuation system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first brake and the first motor are operatively connected to the first synchronization member between the first pair of hydraulic actuators.

8. The actuation system of claim 1 , wherein the second brake is operatively connected to the second synchronization member at a first point and the second motor is operatively connected to the second synchronization member at a different second point.

9. The actuation system of claim 1 , wherein the first gear configuration of the pacing hydraulic actuator comprises a pair of bevel gears.

10. The actuation system of claim 1 , wherein the first gear configuration of the pacing hydraulic actuator comprises a pair of gears that form a spur gear mesh.

11. An actuation system to control first and second flight control members on a vehicle, the actuation system comprising:
two or more control segments that extend along the vehicle, each of the control segments comprising:
a flight control member;
hydraulic actuators that are operatively connected to the flight control member;
a synchronization member that extends between and is connected to the hydraulic actuators to synchronize movements of the hydraulic actuators;
a brake operatively connected to the synchronization member to prevent rotation of the synchronization member; and
a motor operatively connected to the synchronization member to rotate the synchronization member to adjust the hydraulic actuators and position the flight control member relative to the vehicle;

an actuation control unit comprising a processing circuit to position of the flight control members relative to the vehicle;
the synchronization members being spaced apart along the vehicle and being independent from each other;
wherein the hydraulic actuators of the control segments comprise a slave hydraulic actuator and a pacing hydraulic actuator, the slave hydraulic actuator comprises a first gear combination comprising a worm gear mesh formed between first and second worm gears and the pacing hydraulic actuator comprising a different second gear mesh formed between first and second gears with a same efficiency in both operating directions.

12. The actuation system of claim 11 , wherein for each control segment the slave hydraulic actuator is positioned away from a center of the vehicle and the pacing hydraulic actuator is positioned towards the center of the vehicle.

13. The actuation system of claim 11 , further comprising a hydraulic fluid line that extends within a first one of the control segments and a second one of the control segments, the hydraulic fluid line carrying hydraulic fluid to control movement of the hydraulic actuators of each of the first and second flight control segments.

14. The actuation system of claim 13 , wherein the synchronization members of both of the first and second control segments are positioned within the hydraulic fluid line.

15. The actuation system of claim 14 , wherein the synchronization members are spaced apart within the hydraulic fluid line by a gap, the gap positioned between the first and second control segments.

16. The actuation system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the control segments comprises a second flight control member.

17. The actuation system of claim 11 , further comprising a shut-off valve to prevent hydraulic fluid from moving to the control segments.

18. A method of moving first and second flight control members on a vehicle, the method comprising:
supplying hydraulic fluid to first hydraulic actuators and moving a first flight control member and supplying hydraulic fluid to second hydraulic actuators and moving a second flight control member;
after the first flight control member is at a first predetermined position, preventing movement of a first synchronization member that extends between the first hydraulic actuators and maintaining the first flight control member at the first predetermined position;
after the second flight control member is at a second predetermined position, preventing movement of a second synchronization member that extends between the se

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Good Mark S

Classifications

• B64D45/0005

  Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear · CPC title

• B64C13/36 Primary

  fluid · CPC title

• F15B11/22

  Synchronisation of the movement of two or more servomotors · CPC title

• F15B2211/782

  Concurrent control, e.g. synchronisation of two or more actuators · CPC title

• F15B2211/665

  Methods of control using electronic components · CPC title