Leading edge assembly, wing, and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12221209-B2
Application number	US-202017615358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A leading edge assembly for an aircraft wing. The leading edge assembly includes a housing configured to be connectable to a fixed wing section of the wing, the housing formed with a first opening connecting an exterior of the housing with an interior of the housing, an actuating element movably connected to the housing, such that the actuating element is movable between a first position and at least one second position. The actuating element extends through the first opening and includes a first section arranged in the interior of the housing and a second section arranged at the exterior of the housing. The actuating element is configured to be connectable to a high lift device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A leading edge assembly for a wing, comprising:
a preassembled module connectable to a fixed wing section of the wing as a single unit, the preassembled module comprising:
a housing configured to be connectable to a fixed wing section of the wing with a first opening formed in the housing connecting an exterior of the housing with an interior of the housing and a second opening through a sidewall of the housing connecting the exterior of the housing with the interior of the housing,
an actuating element within the housing and movably connected to the housing such that the actuating element is movable between a first position and at least one second position,
wherein the actuating element extends through the first opening and comprises a first section arranged in the interior of the housing and a second section arranged at the exterior of the housing, the actuating element being configured to be connectable to a high lift device,
wherein the second opening is configured for accepting a drive mechanism therethrough for connection to the actuating element configured to drive movement of the actuating element,
wherein an annular seal is connected to the housing for abutting the drive mechanism,
wherein the leading edge assembly comprises a seal having a first seal section connected to the housing and a second seal section abutting the actuating element when the actuating element is moved between the first position and the at least one second position, such that the exterior of the housing and the interior of the housing are separated from each other by the seal,
wherein the leading edge assembly is arranged entirely in front of a front spar of the fixed wing section and does not penetrate the front spar of the fixed wing section,
wherein the leading edge assembly comprises a roller bearing, and
wherein the first section of the actuating element is mounted to the housing via the roller bearing,
wherein the roller bearing comprises a second roller rotatably mounted to the housing,
wherein the second roller engages a second engagement surface formed by the second section of the actuating element and by a middle section of the actuating element, such that the second roller rolls on the second engagement surface when the actuating element is moved between the first position and the at least one second position,
wherein the actuating element comprises a lower flange section, an upper flange section, and a web section connecting the upper flange section and the lower flange section,
wherein the second roller is arranged in a recess between the lower flange section and the upper flange section,
wherein the lower flange section, the upper flange section, the web section, and the recess each extend along a longitudinal axis of the actuating element,
wherein the second engagement surface is formed by at least one of the upper flange section or the lower flange section.

2. The leading edge assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the leading edge assembly comprises the high lift device mounted to the second section of the actuating element, and
wherein when the actuating element is in the first position the high lift device is in a retracted position and when the actuating element is in the at least one second position the high lift device is in at least one extended position.

3. The leading edge assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the high lift device is a slat.

4. The leading edge assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the high lift device is a droop nose.

5. The leading edge assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the high lift device is a Krueger flap.

6. The leading edge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the leading edge assembly comprises a drive mechanism configured to drive movement of the actuating element.

7. The leading edge assembly according to claim 6 ,
wherein the drive mechanism comprises a rack and a pinion,
wherein the rack is mounted to the actuating element and the pinion is rotatably mounted to the housing, and
wherein the rack and the pinion meshingly engage with each other such that rotation of the pinion drives movement of the rack.

8. The leading edge assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the roller bearing comprises a guide rail mounted to the housing and a first roller rotatably mounted to the first section of the actuating element,
wherein the first roller engages a first engagement surface formed by the guide rail such that the first roller rolls on the first engagement surface when the actuating element is moved between the first position and the at least one second position.

9. A wing for an aircraft comprising a leading edge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the housing of the leading edge assembly is mounted to the fixed wing section of the wing.

10. The wing according to claim 9 , wherein the housing of the leading edge assembly is mounted to a wing box of the fixed wing section of the wing.

11. The wing according to claim 10 , wherein the housing of the leading edge assembly is mounted to a rib of the fixed wing section, wherein the rib is mounted to the wing box.

12. An aircraft comprising a wing according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Krey Dennis
• Schlipf Bernhard
• Lücken Peter
• Lorenz Florian

Classifications

• B64C13/34

  using toothed gearing · CPC title

• B64C9/24 Primary

  by single flap · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• B64C9/22

  at the front of the wing · CPC title