Rotational joint for an aircraft folding wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017355437-A1
Application number	US-201715618696-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A wing ( 1 ) having a fixed wing ( 3 ) and a wing tip device ( 4 ) rotatable between a flight configuration and a ground configuration, a rotational joint ( 10 ) rotatably couples the wing tip device ( 4 ) to the fixed wing ( 3 ) and a locking mechanism ( 46 ) locks the wing tip device ( 4 ) in the flight and ground configurations. The locking mechanism ( 11 ) includes first and second locking members ( 51, 52 ) and first and second receiving members ( 53, 54 ), the locking mechanism ( 11 ) being configured to lock the wing tip device ( 4 ) in one of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first and second locking members ( 51, 52 ) in the first and second receiving members ( 53, 54 ) respectively, and to lock the wing tip device ( 4 ) in the other of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first locking member ( 51 ) in the second receiving member ( 54 ).

First claim

1 . An aircraft comprising a wing, the wing comprising a fixed wing and a wing tip device at the tip of the fixed wing, the wing tip device being rotatable relative to the fixed wing between a flight configuration for use during flight, and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the wing tip device is rotated relative to the fixed wing such that the span of the wing is reduced, the aircraft comprising:
a rotational joint comprising a rotation mechanism that rotatably couples the wing tip device to the fixed wing, configured to allow the wing tip device to rotate relative to the fixed wing between the flight and ground configurations, and a locking mechanism configured to lock the rotation mechanism such that the wing tip device is locked in the flight and ground configurations, wherein the locking mechanism comprises first and second locking members and first and second receiving members, the locking mechanism being configured to lock the wing tip device in one of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first and second locking members in the first and second receiving members respectively, and to lock the wing tip device in the other of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first locking member in the second receiving member.

2 . The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the wing tip device in the other of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first locking member in the second receiving member and the second locking member in a third receiving member.

3 . The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the wing tip device in the flight configuration by receiving the first and second locking members in the first and second receiving members respectively, and to lock the wing tip device in the ground configuration by receiving the first locking member in the second receiving member.

4 . The aircraft according to claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the wing tip device in the ground configuration by receiving the first locking member in the second receiving member and the second locking member in a third receiving member.

5 . The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein one of the first and second locking members is a master locking member and the other is a backup locking member, configured such that when the wing tip device is in at least one of the flight configuration and the ground configuration, the master locking member transfers loads on the wing tip device to the fixed wing, and the backup locking member only transfers loads on the wing tip device to the fixed wing if there is failure of the master locking member.

6 . The aircraft according to claim 5 wherein when the wing tip device is in at least one of the flight configuration and ground configuration, the master locking member forms a close-fit with the receiving member that it is received in and the backup locking member is such that a clearance is provided between an outer surface of the backup member and an inner surface of the receiving member that the backup member is received in, such that the master locking member transfers loads on the wing tip device to the fixed wing and the backup locking member only transfers loads on the wing tip device to the fixed wing if there is failure of the master locking member.

7 . The aircraft according to claim 6 wherein when the wing tip device is in at least one of the flight configuration and ground configuration, the backup locking member has a smaller diameter than the receiving member that it is received in.

8 . The aircraft according to claim 6 wherein the backup locking member has a diameter that is less than that of the master locking member.

9 . The aircraft according to claim 5 wherein the first locking member is the master locking member and the second locking member is the backup locking member.

10 . The aircraft according to claim 9 wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the wing tip device in the flight configuration by receiving the master locking member in the first receiving member and the backup locking member in the second receiving member and to lock the wing tip device in the ground configuration by receiving the master locking member in the second receiving member and the backup locking member in the third receiving member.

11 . The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the locking members is biased into a position in which it is received in a respective receiving member or into a position in which it is not received in a respective receiving member.

12 . The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a follower and a guide, one of the follower and guide being rotationally fixed relative to the wing tip device and the other being rotationally fixed relative to the fixed wing such that as the wing tip device rotates, the follower and guide are rotated relative to each other, wherein when the locking mechanism locks the rotation mechanism, it rotationally fixes the follower relative to the guide.

13 . The aircraft according to claim 12 wherein the follower comprises a first ring and the guide comprises a second ring, the first and second rings being concentric.

14 . The aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the locking members are pins and the receiving members are internal spaces for receiving the pins.

15 . A rotational joint for use as the rotational joint in claim 1 , the rotational joint comprising a rotation mechanism for rotatably coupling a wing tip device to a fixed wing, to allow the wing tip device to rotate relative to the fixed wing between a flight configuration for use during flight, and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the wing tip device is rotated relative to the fixed wing such that the span of the wing is reduced, and
a locking mechanism configured to lock the rotation mechanism such that the wing tip device is locked in the flight and ground configurations, wherein the locking mechanism comprises first and second locking members and first and second receiving members, the locking mechanism being configured to lock the wing tip device in one of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first and second locking members in the first and second receiving members respectively, and to lock the wing tip device in the other of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first locking member in the second receiving member.

16 . The rotational joint according to claim 15 wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the wing tip device in the other of the flight configuration and ground configuration by receiving the first locking member in the second receiving member the second locking member in a third receiving member.

17 . A wing tip device for use on the aircraft of claim 1 , the wing tip device being for coupling to a fixed wing of an aircraft to rotate between: a flight configuration for use during flight, and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the wing tip device is rotated relative to the fixed wing such that the span of the wing is reduced,
by a rotation mechanism, of a rotational joint, the rotational joint further comprising a locking mechanism for locking the rotation mechanism such that the wing tip device is locked in the flight and ground configu

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd
• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Bishop Benjamin
• Winkelmann Christoph
• Rupp Johannes

Classifications

• B64C3/56 Primary

  Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft · CPC title

• B64C23/072

  the wing tip airfoil devices being moveable in their entirety · CPC title

• F16C11/10

  Arrangements for locking · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title