Mini-spoilers for enhancing the effectiveness of lateral-control surfaces of aircraft wings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052992-B2
Application number	US-201916692704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 22, 2019
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Mini-spoilers for enhancing the effectiveness of lateral-control surfaces of aircraft wings are described. An example aircraft includes a wing, a lateral-control surface, and a mini-spoiler. The lateral-control surface is movably coupled to the wing. The lateral-control surface is movable between a neutral position, a first upward deflected position, and a second upward deflected position extending beyond the first upward deflected position. The mini-spoiler is located on or forward of the lateral-control surface. The mini-spoiler is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position. The mini-spoiler is configured to be moved from the retracted position to the deployed position based on the lateral-control surface being moved from the neutral position to or toward the first upward deflected position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a wing;
a lateral-control surface movably coupled to the wing, the lateral-control surface movable between a neutral position, a first upward deflected position, and a second upward deflected position extending beyond the first upward deflected position; and
a mini-spoiler located on or forward of the lateral-control surface, the mini-spoiler movable between a retracted position and a deployed position, the mini-spoiler configured to be moved from the retracted position to the deployed position based on the lateral-control surface being moved from the neutral position to or toward the first upward deflected position, the mini-spoiler further configured to be moved from the deployed position to the retracted position based on the lateral-control surface being moved from the first upward deflected position to or toward the second upward deflected position.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the mini-spoiler includes an upper surface having a chordwise dimension between approximately one percent and approximately five percent of a local wing chord when the mini-spoiler is in the retracted position, wherein the local wing chord is measured from a leading edge of the wing to a trailing edge of the wing at a location local to the mini-spoiler.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the mini-spoiler is movably coupled to the wing and located forward of the lateral-control surface.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the mini-spoiler is movably coupled to the lateral-control surface.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first upward deflected position is angled approximately five degrees from the neutral position, and wherein the second upward deflected position is angled approximately fifteen degrees from the neutral position.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first actuation mechanism operatively coupled to the lateral-control surface, the first actuation mechanism configured to move the lateral-control surface;
a second actuation mechanism operatively coupled to the mini-spoiler, the second actuation mechanism configured to move the mini-spoiler independently from the lateral-control surface being moved by the first actuation mechanism; and
a controller operatively coupled to the first and second actuation mechanisms, the controller configured to independently control the first and second actuation mechanisms.

7. The aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to command the first and second actuation mechanisms to simultaneously move the lateral-control surface from the neutral position toward the first upward deflected position and the mini-spoiler from the retracted position toward the deployed position.

8. The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising:
an actuation mechanism operatively coupled to the lateral-control surface, the actuation mechanism configured to move the lateral-control surface and to mechanically slave the mini-spoiler to the lateral-control surface such that the mini-spoiler moves based on the actuation mechanism moving the lateral-control surface; and
a controller operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism, the controller configured to control the actuation mechanism.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the lateral-control surface is a spoiler.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the lateral-control surface is a flaperon.

11. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the lateral-control surface is an aileron.

12. A method, comprising:
moving a lateral-control surface coupled to a wing of an aircraft from a neutral position to a first upward deflected position, and from the first upward deflected position to a second upward deflected position extending beyond the first upward deflected position;
moving a mini-spoiler located on or forward of the lateral-control surface from a retracted position to a deployed position based on the lateral-control surface being moved from the neutral position to or toward the first upward deflected position; and
moving the mini-spoiler from the deployed position to the retracted position based on the lateral-control surface being moved from the first upward deflected position to or toward the second upward deflected position.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mini-spoiler includes an upper surface having a chordwise dimension between approximately one percent and approximately five percent of a local wing chord when the mini-spoiler is in the retracted position, wherein the local wing chord is measured from a leading edge of the wing to a trailing edge of the wing at a location local to the mini-spoiler.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mini-spoiler is movably coupled to the wing and located forward of the lateral-control surface.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mini-spoiler is movably coupled to the lateral-control surface.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first upward deflected position is angled approximately five degrees from the neutral position, and wherein the second upward deflected position is angled approximately fifteen degrees from the neutral position.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising independently controlling a first actuation mechanism operatively coupled to the lateral-control surface and a second actuation mechanism operatively coupled to the mini-spoiler, wherein the first actuation mechanism is configured to move the lateral-control surface and the second actuation mechanism is configured to move the mini-spoiler.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling an actuation mechanism operatively coupled to the lateral-control surface, wherein the actuation mechanism is configured to move the lateral-control surface and to mechanically slave the mini-spoiler to the lateral-control surface such that the moving of the mini-spoiler is mechanically dependent on the moving of the lateral-control surface.

19. An aircraft, comprising:
a wing having a fixed upper surface;
a lateral-control surface movably coupled to the wing, the lateral-control surface movable between a neutral position, a first upward deflected position, and a second upward deflected position extending beyond the first upward deflected position; and
a mini-spoiler located along the fixed upper surface of the wing forward of the lateral-control surface, the mini-spoiler having an upper surface, the mini-spoiler movable between a retracted position and an upward deployed position, the mini-spoiler configured to be moved from the retracted position to the upward deployed position based on the lateral-control surface being moved from the neutral position to or toward the first upward deflected position, the upper surface of the mini-spoiler to be aligned with the fixed upper surface of the wing when the mini-spoiler is in the retracted position.

20. The aircraft of claim 19 , wherein the mini-spoiler is further configured to be moved from the upward deployed position to the retracted position based on the lateral-control surface being moved from the first upward deflected position to or toward the second upward deflected position.

21. An aircraft, comprising:
a wing;
a lateral-control surface movably coupled to the wing, the lateral-control surface having an upper surface, the lateral-control surface movable between a neutral position, a first upward deflected position, and a second upward deflected position extending beyond the first upward deflected position; and
a mini-spoiler located on the lateral-control surface along

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Vijgen Paul M
• Malachowski Adam P
• Konings Christopher A
• Geppert Brian E

Classifications

• B64C9/00 Primary

  Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10) · CPC title

• B64C3/58 Primary

  provided with fences or spoilers (adjustable for control purposes B64C9/00) · CPC title

• B64C3/28

  Leading or trailing edges attached to primary structures, e.g. forming fixed slots · CPC title

• B64C9/04

  with compound dependent movements · CPC title

• B64C2009/005

  Ailerons · CPC title