Swing wing tip system, assembly and method with dual load path structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296471-B2
Application number	US-201314047012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2013
Priority date	Oct 6, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A swing wing tip system for an air vehicle is provided. The swing wing tip system has a swing wing tip assembly with an unfixed wing tip portion movably connected to a fixed wing portion of a wing. The swing wing tip assembly has a dual load path structure configured to transfer load from the unfixed wing tip portion to the fixed wing portion. The dual load path structure has dual wing skin plates and a rotation joint coupled between the dual wing skin plates and configured to rotationally couple the unfixed wing tip portion to the fixed wing portion. The rotation joint has a dual rotation pin element having a center rotation axis and dual rotation elements configured to rotate about the center rotation axis. The swing wing tip system has an actuator assembly coupled to the rotation joint and a controller system coupled to the actuator assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A swing wing tip system for an air vehicle, the system comprising:
a swing wing tip assembly comprising:
an unfixed wing tip portion movably connected to a fixed wing portion of a wing of an air vehicle;
a dual load path structure providing two separate load bearing paths comprising dual wing skins and a rotation joint to carry load in a fail-safe manner, and the dual load path structure configured to transfer load from the unfixed wing tip portion to the fixed wing portion, the dual load path structure comprising:
dual wing skin plates comprising an upper wing skin with a separate plate portion attached to the upper wing skin and comprising a lower wing skin with another separate plate portion attached to the lower wing skin, the separate plate portions being flush with the respective upper wing skin and the lower wing skin; and
the rotation joint coupled between the dual wing skins and configured to rotationally couple the unfixed wing tip portion to the fixed wing portion, the dual wing skins positioned across both sides of the rotation joint, the rotation joint comprising:
a dual rotation pin element having a center rotation axis; and,
dual rotation elements configured to rotate about the center rotation axis;

an actuator assembly operatively coupled to the rotation joint to actuate the rotation joint enabling rotation of the unfixed wing tip portion with respect to the fixed wing portion about the center rotation axis at a selected operation condition; and,
a controller system operatively coupled to the actuator assembly to control actuation of the rotation joint and rotation of the unfixed wing tip portion.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a navigation element positioned near a hinge line between the fixed wing portion and the unfixed wing tip portion and operable to be exposed and activated in response to rotation of the unfixed wing tip portion.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the swing wing tip assembly further comprises a moving panel positioned near a trailing edge of the unfixed wing tip portion and configured to move before the unfixed wing tip portion is rotated.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the dual load path structure further comprises dual channel segments coupled between the dual wing skins.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each plate portion comprises a titanium plate portion.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the dual rotation pin element comprises one of: a disc pin, a pivot pin, and a plate pin.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the dual rotation elements comprise one of: lug elements, rotation fitting elements, and rotation plate elements.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuator assembly comprises one of: a rotary electric actuator assembly, a linear hydraulic actuator assembly, and a ball screw actuator assembly.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuator assembly comprises an actuator element and a locking element, the locking element configured to lock the unfixed wing tip portion in a rotation position relative to the fixed wing portion when the actuator element actuates the rotation joint.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the selected operation condition provides a position of the unfixed wing tip portion comprising one of: an unfolded flight position, an aft folded ground position, and a forward folded flight position.

11. An aircraft having fail-safe load paths for one or more wings, the aircraft comprising:
at least one fuselage;
one or more wings having a swing wing tip assembly, the swing wing tip assembly comprising:
an unfixed wing tip portion movably connected to a fixed wing portion of the one or more wings;
a dual load path structure providing fail-safe load paths comprising dual wing skins and a rotation joint to carry load in a fail-safe manner for the one or more wings and dual load path structure configured to transfer load from the unfixed wing tip portion to the fixed wing portion, the dual load path structure comprising:
dual wing skin plates comprising an upper wing skin with a separate titanium plate portion attached to the upper wing skin and a lower wing skin with another separate titanium plate portion attached to the lower wing skin, the separate titanium plate portions being flush with the respective upper wing skin and the lower wing skin; and
the rotation joint coupled between the dual wing skins and configured to rotationally couple the unfixed wing tip portion to the fixed wing portion, the dual wing skins positioned across both sides of the rotation joint, the rotation joint comprising:
a dual rotation pin element having a center rotation axis; and,
dual rotation elements configured to rotate about the center rotation axis; and,

dual channel segments coupled between the dual wing skins;

an actuator assembly operatively coupled to the rotation joint to actuate the rotation joint enabling rotation of the unfixed wing tip portion with respect to the fixed wing portion about the center rotation axis at a selected operation condition;
a controller system operatively coupled to the actuator assembly to control actuation of the rotation joint and rotation of the unfixed wing tip portion; and,
a navigation element positioned near a hinge line between the fixed wing portion and the unfixed wing tip portion and operable to be exposed and activated in response to rotation of the unfixed wing tip portion.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 wherein the aircraft has a wingspan configured to reduce in length to provide a reduced wingspan to allow ground operation of the aircraft at an airport that prohibits ground operation of aircraft with an expanded wingspan.

13. The aircraft of claim 11 wherein the selected operation condition provides a position of the unfixed wing tip portion comprising one of: an unfolded flight position, an aft folded ground position, and a forward folded flight position.

14. The aircraft of claim 11 wherein the swing wing tip assembly further comprises a moving panel positioned near a trailing edge of the unfixed wing tip portion and configured to move before the unfixed wing tip portion is rotated.

15. A method for providing fail-safe load paths for a wing of an air vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
operatively coupling a swing wing tip assembly to a wing of an air vehicle, the swing wing tip assembly comprising:
an unfixed wing tip portion movably connected to a fixed wing portion of the wing; and,
a dual load path structure providing two separate load bearing paths comprising dual wing skins and a rotation joint to carry load in a fail-safe manner, and the dual load path structure comprising:
dual wing skin plates comprising an upper wing skin with a separate plate portion attached to the upper wing skin and comprising a lower wing skin with another separate plate portion attached to the lower wing skin, the separate plate portions being flush with the respective upper wing skin and the lower wing skin; and,
a rotation joint coupled between the dual wing skins, the dual wing skins positioned across both sides of the rotation joint, the rotation joint comprising a dual rotation pin element having a center rotation axis and dual rotation elements configured to rotate about the center rotation axis;

operatively coupling an actuator assembly to the rotation joint;
operatively coupling a controller system to the actuator assembly to control the actuator assembly to actuate the rotation joint; and,
transferring load from the unfixed wing tip portion to the fixed wing portion via the dual load path structure to provide fail-safe load paths for the wing.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sakurai Seiya
• Kosko Ryan W
• Santini Gregory M

Classifications

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• B64C5/14

  Varying angle of sweep · CPC title

• B64C3/56

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

• B64C9/00 Primary

  Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10) · CPC title

• B64C3/40 Primary

  Varying angle of sweep · CPC title