Morphing wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401027-B2
Application number	US-201816605621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2018
Priority date	Sep 17, 2018
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is a wing in which, while a continuous surface is maintained, a chord length and camber of an airfoil may be modified via only a rotational drive alone, whereby a structure is simple and aerodynamic efficiency may be improved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wing, made of a plurality of ribs connected to each other, wherein each of the ribs includes:
a leading edge portion;
a trailing edge portion;
a plurality of intermediate slide portions slidably coupled and disposed between the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion; and
a wire connected from the leading edge portion to the trailing edge portion via each of the intermediate slide portions, and
by winding or unwinding one end of the wire, a slide movement of each of the intermediate slide portions is made, wherein each of the intermediate slide portions forms a curvature and provides a continuous surface from the leading edge portion up to the trailing edge portion.

2. The wing of claim 1 , wherein
a drive shaft hole is provided in the leading edge portion, and a drive shaft is rotatably coupled to the drive shaft hole,
the trailing edge portion is rotatably coupled to the intermediate slide portion adjacent thereto, and
each end of the wire is connected to each of the drive shaft and a coupling shaft.

3. The wing of claim 2 , wherein each of the ribs further includes an angle adjusting unit for limiting a rotation angle range of the trailing edge portion.

4. The wing of claim 3 , wherein the angle adjusting unit includes:
an angle adjusting slot provided in the trailing edge portion or the intermediate slide portion adjacent to the trailing edge portion over a rotation angle range of the trailing edge portion; and
an angle adjusting pin inserted into the angle adjusting slot.

5. The wing of claim 2 , wherein each of the intermediate slide portions includes:
a slide arm part for being slidably coupled to the leading edge portion or other intermediate slide portion adjacent to each of the intermediate slide portions; and
a pair of cover parts facing and coupled to each other at opposite sides of the slide arm part.

6. The wing of claim 5 , wherein, in a space between the pair of cover parts, the slide arm part of the other intermediate slide portion adjacent to each of the intermediate slide portions, or the trailing edge portion is disposed.

7. The wing of claim 6 , wherein the slide arm part includes:
a first arm part forming an upper surface of an airfoil when sliding and is wound along a circumference thereof by the wire; and
a second arm part facing the first arm part and forming a lower surface of the airfoil when sliding.

8. The wing of claim 7 , wherein the pair of cover parts include a wire guide part providing a path for the wire to be guided and altering a running direction of the wire.

9. The wing of claim 8 , wherein the wire is connected from the drive shaft to the coupling shaft along the first arm part of each of the intermediate slide portions and along the wire guide parts, wherein
a running direction of the wire is altered when the wire is connected to the first arm part from the drive shaft or the wire guide part, and when the wire passing through by wrapping the first arm part is connected to the wire guide part.

10. The wing of claim 9 , wherein, when one end of the wire is pulled by rotating the drive shaft connected thereto, the slide arm part of each of the intermediate slide portions is slid from the leading edge portion or from the cover part of the other intermediate slide portion adjacent to each of the intermediate slide portions, the trailing edge portion begins to rotate from the intermediate slide portion adjacent thereto, and each of the intermediate slide portions and the trailing edge portion, from the leading edge portion, form a continuous curvature and are curved.

11. The wing of claim 8 , wherein, in order for the slide arm part and the leading edge portion or the cover part of the intermediate slide portion facing the slide arm part to be coupled to each other so as to be slidably movable, a coupling hole, which is formed long along the slide direction, is provided on one side, and a moving part, which is installed to be movable within the coupling hole, is provided on the other side.

12. The wing of claim 11 , wherein the first arm part includes internally a first coupling hole formed long along the slide direction.

13. The wing of claim 12 , wherein the leading edge portion and the pair of cover parts include:
at least one second coupling hole formed at positions facing the positions of the first coupling holes; and
a coupling pin installed by being inserted into the first coupling holes and the second coupling holes at the same time and are movable along the longitudinal direction of the first coupling holes.

14. The wing of claim 13 , wherein the second arm part includes a plurality of coupling protrusions provided on opposite ends.

15. The wing of claim 14 , wherein the leading edge portion and the pair of cover parts further include a third coupling hole provided long along the slide direction at the position facing the second arm part, wherein
the coupling protrusion provided on one end of the second arm part is coupled into the third coupling hole.

16. The wing of claim 15 , wherein the pair of cover parts is coupled to a coupling protrusion provided on an opposite end of the second arm part.

17. The wing of claim 13 , wherein each of the ribs further includes bearings installed between the second coupling holes and the coupling pins.

18. The wing of claim 8 , wherein the cover part further includes stringer grooves coupled with stringers for connecting the pair of cover parts in the plurality of ribs arranged side by side.

19. The wing of claim 18 , wherein the stringer groove is provided on a side above the wire guide part.

20. The wing of claim 2 , further comprising:
a drive unit for driving the rotation of the drive shaft.

21. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of intermediate slide portions includes a first to a third intermediate slide portions disposed between the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion.

22. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the leading edge portion further includes a spar slot coupled with a spar for connecting a plurality of the leading edge portions in the plurality of ribs arranged side by side.

23. The wing of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wing skin for wrapping the plurality of ribs, wherein
the wing skin is made of an elastic material.

24. The wing of claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic member, of the respective rib, connecting from the leading edge portion to the trailing edge portion via the plurality of intermediate slide portions.

Assignees

• Iucf Korea Aerospace Univ

Inventors

• Bae Jae Sung
• Lee Hyun Chul
• Lee Soo Yong

Classifications

• B64C3/48 Primary

  by relatively-movable parts of wing structures · CPC title

• B64C3/182

  Stringers, longerons · CPC title

• B64C3/185

  Spars · CPC title

• B64C2003/142

  with variable camber along the airfoil chord · CPC title

• B64C3/187 Primary

  Ribs · CPC title