Wing for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11713107-B2
Application number	US-202117490357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2017
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A wing for an aircraft, including a main wing, a slat, and a connection assembly movably connecting the slat to the main wing, such that the slat is movable between a retracted position and at least one extended position. The connection assembly includes a first connection station and a second connection station spaced apart from the first connection station in a wing span direction. The object, to prevent the slat from skewing, is achieved in that the connection assembly includes a sync shaft coupling the first connection station to the second connection station for sync movement of the first and second connection stations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wing for an aircraft, comprising
a main wing;
a slat; and
a connection assembly movably connecting the slat to the main wing, such that the slat is movable between a retracted position and at least one extended position, the connection assembly comprising:
a drive shaft configured to generate a rotary input;
a first connection station comprising:
a first linkage pivotally mounted to the main wing via a first joint and pivotally mounted to the slat via a second joint;
a first slat track that is guided at the main wing for movement along a predefined path, and that is pivotally mounted to the slat via a third joint; and
a first drive station including a first input section coupled to the drive shaft, a first output section drivingly coupled to the first slat track, and a first gear unit coupled between the first input section and the first output section;

a second connection station spaced apart from the first connection station in a wing span direction, the second connection station comprising:
a second linkage pivotally mounted to the main wing via a fourth joint and pivotally mounted to the slat via a fifth joint;
a second slat track that is guided at the main wing for movement along a predefined path, and that is pivotally mounted to the slat via a sixth joint; and
a second drive station including a second input section coupled to the drive shaft, a second output section drivingly coupled to the second slat track, and a second gear unit coupled between the second input section and the second output section; and

a sync shaft attached at a first end to the first linkage and attached at a second end to the second linkage such that the sync shaft, the first linkage, and the second linkage are coupled in rotation for sync movement of the first and second connection stations.

2. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the first output section comprises a first drive pinion engaging a first rack at the first slat track for driving the first slat track along the path, and/or
wherein the second output section comprises a second drive pinion engaging a second rack at the second slat track for driving the second slat track along the path.

3. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the sync shaft is parallelly spaced apart from the drive shaft.

4. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the sync shaft is arranged such that an axis of rotation of the first joint coincides with an axis of rotation of the fourth joint.

5. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the first linkage comprises a first link element mounted to the main wing via the first joint and mounted to the slat via the second joint, and/or
wherein the second linkage comprises a second link element mounted to the main wing via the fourth joint and mounted to the slat via the fifth joint.

6. The wing according to claim 5 , wherein the first link element is mounted to the slat via a first bar that is fixedly mounted to the slat and that is pivotally mounted to the first link element via the second joint, and/or
wherein the second link element is mounted to the slat via a second bar that is fixedly mounted to the slat and that is pivotally mounted to the second link element via the fifth joint.

7. The wing according to claim 5 , wherein the sync shaft couples the first link element to the second link element.

8. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the first linkage is formed as a four-bar-linkage comprising two link elements that are pivotally mounted to the main wing spaced apart from one another and that are pivotally mounted to the slat spaced apart from one another, and/or
wherein the second linkage is formed as a four-bar-linkage comprising two link elements that are pivotally mounted to the main wing spaced apart from one another and that are pivotally mounted to the slat spaced apart from one another.

9. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the sync shaft comprises a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion connected to one another via a coupling mechanism that provides:
torsional decoupling of the first and second shaft portions during normal operation of the connection assembly; and
torsional coupling of the first and second shaft portions upon failure of one of the first and second drive stations.

10. The wing according to claim 9 , wherein the coupling mechanism is a clutch, a torsional play mechanism, or a torsional compliance element.

11. An aircraft comprising a wing, the wing comprising
a main wing;
a slat; and
a connection assembly movably connecting the slat to the main wing, such that the slat is movable between a retracted position and at least one extended position, the connection assembly comprising:
a first connection station comprising:
a first linkage pivotally mounted to the main wing via a first joint and pivotally mounted to the slat via a second joint;

a first slat track that is guided at the main wing for movement along a predefined path, and that is pivotally mounted to the slat via a third joint; and
a first drive station including a first input section coupled to a drive shaft, a first output section drivingly coupled to the first slat track, and a first gear unit coupled between the first input section and the first output section;

a second connection station spaced apart from the first connection station in a wing span direction, the second connection station comprising:
a second linkage pivotally mounted to the main wing via a fourth joint and pivotally mounted to the slat via a fifth joint;
a second slat track that is guided at the main wing for movement along a predefined path, and that is pivotally mounted to the slat via a sixth joint; and
a second drive station including a second input section coupled to the drive shaft, a second output section drivingly coupled to the second slat track, and a second gear unit coupled between the second input section and the second output section; and

a sync shaft attached at a first end to the first linkage and attached at a second end to the second linkage such that the sync shaft, the first linkage, and the second linkage are coupled in rotation for sync movement of the first and second connection stations.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Schlipf Bernhard
• Lorenz Florian

Classifications

• B64C13/28 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• B64C9/22

  at the front of the wing · CPC title

• B64C3/48

  by relatively-movable parts of wing structures · CPC title