Adjustable roller unit for moving a slat of an aircraft wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11905016-B2
Application number	US-202017769149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Oct 21, 2019
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A roller unit for moving a slat of an aircraft wing is provided. The roller unit is adjustable in height and axial position to adjust a gap between an idle roller and a guide rail integral with the slat. The idle roller is carried by an eccentric pin having a stem portion with a threaded portion and an axially grooved end portion. A threaded annular element cooperates with the threaded portion of the stem portion to define a desired axial position of the idle roller. An anti-rotation annular element, coupled in an axially slidable manner with the grooved end portion of the stem portion, may be coupled with the threaded annular element to prevent rotation thereof on the threaded portion of the stem portion. The threaded annular element and the anti-rotation annular element are tightened together between a pair of nuts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roller unit for moving a slat of an aircraft wing, the slat being fixed to a plurality of guide rails, each guide rail sliding on facing pairs of roller units carried by facing pairs of ribs between a closed slat position and a deployed slat position, wherein each roller unit comprises:
a roller supporting pin having a stem portion capable of being fixed in an adjustable manner to one rib of the aircraft wing and defining a first axis (y);
a roller mounted idle on the roller supporting pin and rotatable around a second axis (x) that is eccentric with respect to the first axis (y);
a first threaded nut for locking the stem portion of the roller supporting pin in a selected angular position to place the second axis (x) of the roller at a selected relative height with respect to the first axis (y);
adjusting means for adjusting an axial position of the roller supporting pin with respect to said rib and an axial gap between the roller and an associated guide rail of the slat;
wherein said adjusting means for adjusting the axial position of the roller supporting pin comprise:
a threaded length of the stem portion of the roller supporting pin and a threaded annular element cooperating with the threaded length to define therewith a desired axial position of the roller, the threaded annular element axially abutting against the first threaded nut in said desired axial position of the roller;
an axially splined end length of the stem portion of the roller supporting pin and an anti-rotation annular element axially slidingly coupled with the axially splined end length of the stem portion, the anti-rotation annular element engaging the threaded annular element to prevent rotation of the threaded annular element on the threaded length of the stem portion; and
a second threaded locking nut for axially tightening the anti-rotation annular element against the threaded annular element and providing an axial abutment for the threaded annular element and the anti-rotation annular element on an axial side opposite to the first threaded nut.

2. The roller unit of claim 1 , wherein the first threaded nut comprises an outer cylindrical threaded surface on which a threaded inner cylindrical surface of the second threaded locking nut is threadedly coupled to axially tighten the anti-rotation annular element against the threaded annular element.

3. The roller unit of claim 1 , wherein
each roller unit further comprises a flanged bushing comprising an outer cylindrical surface with a threaded end portion and an axially extending inner cavity partially accommodating a cylindrical portion of the stem portion of the roller supporting pin, and
the first threaded nut comprises an inner cylindrical threaded cavity that can be coupled to the threaded end portion of the outer cylindrical surface of the flanged bushing, so as to tighten the flanged bushing in a through-seat of one rib and lock the flanged bushing with respect to the rib.

4. The roller unit of claim 3 , wherein
the axially extending inner cavity of the flanged bushing provides a cavity portion having a non-circular cross-section,
the stem portion of the roller supporting pin comprises a non-circular portion having a cross-section corresponding to the non-circular cavity portion of the flanged bushing, and
the non-circular portion of the stem portion is received in the non-circular cavity portion of the flanged bushing, whereby the roller supporting pin is rotationally locked with respect to the flanged bushing but axially adjustable with respect thereto.

5. An aircraft wing, comprising:
at least one slat,
a plurality of ribs extending in parallel vertical planes and spaced perpendicularly along a wingspan,
a plurality of roller units according to claim 1 , the roller units facing one another in pairs and being mounted on pairs of facing ribs, each roller unit being accommodated in a respective cylindrical circular seat extending horizontally and axially between two opposite sides of a rib, and
a plurality of guide rails fixed to each slat, the guide rails being parallel and spaced from one another and each interposed in a central position between a pair of facing ribs, the guide rails rollably engaging a plurality of idle rollers each provided by a respective one of the roller units.

Assignees

• Leonardo Spa

Inventors

• Trinchillo Angelo

Classifications

• B64C9/02 Primary

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• B64C9/22 Primary

  at the front of the wing · CPC title

• F16C23/10

  Bearings, parts of which are eccentrically adjustable with respect to each other · CPC title

• F16C2326/43

  Aeroplanes; Helicopters · CPC title

• F16C3/18

  Eccentric-shafts · CPC title