Telescoping mechanisms for control of aerodynamic surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560214-B2
Application number	US-202117370509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Sep 15, 2020
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

An actuation apparatus for an aerodynamic surface includes a cam track plate having a forward cam track and an aft cam track, a support arm coupled to the leading edge slat panel, the support arm having a forward roller and an aft roller thereon, the forward roller disposed in the forward cam track and the aft roller disposed in the aft cam track, and a bell crank pivotally mounted to the cam track plate, the bell crank having an aft end coupled by an aft link to the wing structure and a forward end coupled by a forward link to the support arm. The forward roller translates within the forward cam track and the aft roller translates within the aft cam track to cause downward rotation of the aerodynamic surface and increased camber of the aerodynamic surface as the aerodynamic surface is extended toward a deployed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuation apparatus for a leading edge slat panel for an aircraft, comprising:
a pinion gear rotatably couplable to a wing structure of the aircraft;
a curved track having a gear rack engaged with the pinion gear;
a cam track plate coupled to the curved track, the cam track plate having a forward cam track and an aft cam track;
a support arm couplable to the leading edge slat panel, the support arm having a forward roller and an aft roller thereon, the forward roller disposed in the forward cam track and the aft roller disposed in the aft cam track; and
a bell crank pivotally mounted to the cam track plate, the bell crank having an aft end couplable by an aft link to the wing structure and a forward end coupled by a forward link to the support arm;
wherein the curved track and the cam track plate are movable fore and aft by engaging the gear rack with the pinion gear and by forward movement of the curved track and the cam track plate rotates the bell crank to create forward displacement of the support arm and downward rotation of the leading edge slat panel toward a deployed position.

2. The actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the forward roller translates within the forward cam track and the aft roller translates within the aft cam track to cause downward rotation of the leading edge slat panel and increased camber of the leading edge slat panel as the leading edge slat panel is extended toward the deployed position.

3. The actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the forward cam track has a first end and a second end forward of the first end of the forward cam track, the aft cam track has a first end and a second end forward of the first end of the aft cam track, and the second end of the aft cam track is positioned higher relative to the second end of the forward cam track to create increased downward displacement of the forward roller relative to the aft roller when the leading edge slat panel is extended toward the deployed position.

4. The actuation apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the forward cam track includes a first inflection point and the aft cam track includes a second inflection point such that as the forward roller translates within the forward cam track and the aft roller translates within the aft cam track, the aft roller is lower than the forward roller when the aft roller is at the second inflection point and the aft roller is higher than the forward roller when the leading edge slat panel is at the deployed position.

5. The actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the forward cam track extends laterally through the cam track plate to form a forward cam track opening and the aft cam track extends laterally through the cam track plate to form an aft cam track opening and the support arm includes a first support arm member positioned on a first side of the cam track plate and a second support arm member positioned on a second side of the cam track plate.

6. The actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the forward cam track and the aft cam track is a groove formed in a side surface of the cam track plate.

7. The actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cam track plate is positionable forward of and translatable fore and aft relative to a forward edge of the wing structure.

8. The actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aft link of the bell crank is fixedly couplable to the wing structure, and the bell crank is configured to both rotate and translate fore and aft relative to the wing structure.

9. An aircraft wing including the actuation apparatus of claim 1 , the aircraft wing comprising:
an upper wing surface and a lower wing surface joined by the wing structure; and
the leading edge slat panel;
wherein the leading edge slat panel is coupled to the support arm having the forward roller and the aft roller, and the pinion gear is rotatably couplable to the wing structure.

10. A method for actuation of a leading edge slat panel for an aircraft, comprising:
providing a telescoping mechanism comprising a cam track plate having a forward cam track and an aft cam track, a support arm coupled to the leading edge slat panel, the support arm having a forward roller and an aft roller thereon, the forward roller disposed in the forward cam track and the aft roller disposed in the aft cam track, and a bell crank pivotally mounted to the cam track plate, the bell crank having an aft end coupled by an aft link to a wing structure and a forward end coupled by a forward link to the support arm;
rotatably displacing the cam track plate;
inducing, via the displacement of the cam track plate, extension of the bell crank; and
deploying, via the displacement of the cam track plate and extension of the bell crank, the leading edge slat panel depending from the support arm, where extension of the bell crank causes the forward roller to translate within the forward cam track and the aft roller to translate within the aft cam track to cause downward rotation of the leading edge slat panel and increases a camber of the leading edge slat panel as the leading edge slat panel is extended toward a fully deployed position.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
providing a pinion gear rotatably coupled to the wing structure of the aircraft and providing a curved track coupled to the cam track plate, the curved track having a gear rack engaged with the pinion gear; and
rotatably operating the pinion gear to cause the gear rack engaged with the pinion gear to rotatably displace the curved track and the cam track plate in a forward direction.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising rotatably operating the pinion gear to induce, via displacement of the cam track plate, extension of the bell crank such that the forward roller is positioned within the forward cam track at a first inflection point and the aft roller is positioned within the aft cam track at a second inflection point such that the leading edge slat panel is in a takeoff condition position.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising rotatably operating the pinion gear to induce, via displacement of the cam track plate, extension of the bell crank such that the forward roller is positioned at a forward end of the forward cam track and the aft roller is positioned at a forward end of the aft cam track such that the leading edge slat panel is in a landing condition position.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising rotatably displacing the cam track plate forward and aft relative to a forward edge of the wing structure of the aircraft as the leading edge slat panel is positioned between an undeployed and a deployed position.

15. An actuation apparatus for an aerodynamic surface of an aircraft, comprising:
a roller rotatably couplable to a wing structure of the aircraft;
a curved track in movable engagement with the roller;
a cam track plate having a forward cam track and an aft cam track;
a support arm coupled to the aerodynamic surface, the support arm having a forward roller and an aft roller thereon, the forward roller disposed in the forward cam track and the aft roller disposed in the aft cam track;
a bell crank pivotally mounted to the cam track plate, the bell crank having an aft end couplable by an aft link to the wing structure and a forward end coupled by a forward link to the support arm; and
an actuator coupled with the aft link;
wherein the curved track and the cam track plate are movable fore and aft by the actuator coupled with the aft link, the forward roller translates within the forward cam track, and the aft roller translates within the aft cam track to cause downward rota

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Tsai Kevin Raylin
• Good Mark Steven

Classifications

• B64C9/24

  by single flap · CPC title

• B64C13/32 Primary

  using cam mechanisms · CPC title

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• B64C9/22

  at the front of the wing · CPC title