Clutch for use in actuating a wing tip device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11098767-B2
Application number	US-201916728479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2019
Priority date	Jan 2, 2019
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A clutch for use in actuating an aircraft wing tip device is disclosed. The clutch includes first and second friction members each having a frusto-conical friction surface, and a third friction member arranged coaxially with, and between, the first and second friction members. The third friction member has first and second frusto-conical friction surfaces. When the clutch is engaged, the first and second friction surfaces of the third friction member are brought into contact with the friction surfaces of the first and second friction members, respectively. The clutch also includes spacer means operable to separate the friction surfaces from one another when the clutch is in a disengaged state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft wing, comprising:
a clutch for use in actuating a wing tip device on an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a fixed wing, a wing tip device, and a wing tip actuator for moving the wing tip device relative to the fixed wing, the clutch being operable to selectively transmit torque between the wing tip actuator and the wing tip device via engagement of a first shaft with a second shaft, the clutch comprising:
first and second friction members coupled with the first shaft, and each having a frusto-conical friction surface;
a third friction member coupled with the second shaft, and arranged coaxially with, and between, the first and second friction members, the third friction member having first and second frusto-conical friction surfaces operable such that, when the clutch is engaged, the first and second friction surfaces of the third friction member are brought into contact with the friction surfaces of the first and second friction members, respectively;
spacer means arranged between the first and second friction members, the spacer means being operable to separate the first and second friction surfaces of the third friction member from the friction surfaces of the first and second friction members, respectively, when the clutch is in a disengaged state; and
a fourth friction member coupled with the second shaft and arranged coaxially with the first, second and third friction members, the second friction member being arranged between the third friction member and the fourth friction member, the fourth friction member having a frusto-conical friction surface,
wherein the second friction member has first and second frusto-conical friction surfaces operable such that, when the clutch is engaged, the first friction surface of the second friction member is brought into contact with the second friction surface of the third friction member, and the second friction surface of the second friction member is brought into contact with the friction surface of the fourth friction member.

2. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer means are configured such that, when the clutch is in the disengaged state, a distance between the first friction surface of the third friction member and the friction surface of the first friction member is substantially equal to a distance between the second friction surface of the third friction member and the friction surfaces of the second friction member.

3. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer means are configured to resiliently bias the first and second friction members towards the disengaged state.

4. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer means comprise at least one spring.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third friction members are movable in a coaxial direction independently of one another.

6. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein, when the clutch is in the disengaged state, the first shaft is free to rotate relative to the second shaft in a substantially frictionless manner.

7. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the first shaft comprises a central shaft and the second shaft comprises an outer housing at least partially encompassing the central shaft, the central shaft and the outer housing being configured to rotate together about a shared rotational axis when the clutch is in an engaged state.

8. The aircraft wing according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second friction members are coupled to the first shaft, and the third friction member is coupled to the second shaft, via splines orientated substantially parallel to the shared rotational axis.

9. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the friction surface of the first and/or second friction member, and/or one or both of the friction surfaces of the third friction member, is comprised of aluminium.

10. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , the aircraft wing comprising a clutch assembly, the clutch assembly comprising the clutch and further comprising a dog clutch.

11. The aircraft wing according to claim 10 , wherein the dog clutch is arranged coaxially with the clutch.

12. The aircraft wing according to claim 10 , wherein the dog clutch is at least partially enclosed by the first shaft and/or the second shaft.

13. The aircraft wing according to claim 10 , wherein the clutch assembly is configured to be engaged by, sequentially:
engaging the clutch; and
engaging the dog clutch.

14. The aircraft wing according to claim 10 ,
wherein the clutch is configured to be engaged when an applied axial force exceeds a first threshold value, and
wherein the dog clutch is configured to be engaged when an applied axial force exceeds a second threshold value, different from the first threshold value.

15. The aircraft wing according to claim 14 , wherein the first threshold value is less than the second threshold value.

16. The aircraft wing according to claim 10 ,
wherein the clutch comprises a first restoring spring operable to generate a first restoring force to urge the clutch into the disengaged state,
wherein the dog clutch comprises a second restoring spring operable to generate a second restoring force to urge the dog clutch into a disengaged state, and
wherein the first restoring spring has a spring constant having a first value, and the second restoring spring has a spring constant having a second, different value.

17. The aircraft wing according to claim 16 , wherein the value of the spring constant of the first restoring spring is smaller than the value of the spring constant of the second restoring spring.

18. A method for selectively transmitting torque on an aircraft, the method comprising:
providing a clutch being operable to selectively transmit torque between an actuator and a device via engagement of a first shaft and a second shaft, the clutch comprising a plurality of frusto-conical friction members including first, second, third, and fourth friction members, wherein the fourth friction member is coupled with the second shaft and arranged coaxially with the first, second, and third friction members, the third friction member comprising a first friction surface and a second friction surface, opposite the first friction surface; and
engaging the clutch by moving two or more of the first, second and third friction members along the common rotational axis, such that the first and second friction surfaces of the third friction member are brought into contact with friction surfaces of the first and second friction members, respectively,
wherein the clutch comprises spacer means arranged between the first friction member and the second friction member, the spacer means being operable to separate the first and second friction surfaces of the third friction member from the friction surfaces of the first and second friction members, respectively, when the clutch is in a disengaged state.

19. An aircraft, comprising:
a wing, the wing having a fixed wing with a wing tip device, the wing tip device rotatably mounted on a hinge such that the wing tip device may rotate, about the hinge, relative to the fixed wing;
an actuator operable to cause the wing tip device to rotate about the hinge; and
a clutch arranged to selectively disengage the wing tip device from the actuator, the clutch comprising a plurality of frusto-conical friction members including first, second and third friction members having a common rotational axis, each of the first, second and third friction members being

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Dussart Gaetan
• O'Rourke Ciaran
• Wilson Thomas
• Lone Mudassir

Classifications

• B64C3/56

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

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• F16D13/60

  Clutching elements (friction lining or attachment thereof F16D69/00) · CPC title

• F16D21/00

  Systems comprising a plurality of actuated clutches (for synchronisation F16D23/04) · CPC title

• B64C3/38 Primary

  Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof · CPC title