Device for an adjustable flap of a wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573676-B2
Application number	US-201213684882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2012
Priority date	May 26, 2010
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for a adjustable flap adjustably mounted on a main wing surface of an aeroplane wing, in particular, a landing flap, with at least one adjustment unit for purposes of adjustment of the adjustable flap, which has an actuator arranged, or that can be arranged, on the main wing surface, and has a kinematic adjustment mechanism running between the actuator and the adjustable flap, wherein the adjustable flap is mechanically coupled with the actuator via the kinematic adjustment mechanism. At least one damping unit for purposes of damping a dynamic loading effected by the adjustable flap on the adjustment unit, which can occur as a result of a critical malfunction event occurring in the region of the adjustable flap, is arranged, or can be arranged, between the main wing surface and the adjustable flap.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for an adjustable flap adjustably mounted on a main wing surface of an airplane wing, the device comprising:
at least one adjustment unit configured to adjust the adjustable flap, wherein the at least one adjustment unit has an actuator arranged, on the main wing surface and a kinematic adjustment mechanism running between the actuator and the adjustable flap, wherein the adjustable flap is mechanically coupled with the actuator via the kinematic adjustment mechanism; and
at least one damping unit configured to damp a dynamic loading effected by the adjustable flap on the adjustment unit due to a critical malfunction event occurring in a region of the adjustable flap, wherein the at least one damping unit is arranged between the main wing surface and the adjustable flap,
wherein the at least one damping unit comprises a passive damper which comprises a damping characteristic configured to effect no substantial damping of an adjustment movement of the adjustable flap under normal flight conditions, but which damps out any suddenly occurring dynamic loading exerted by the adjustable flap onto the adjustment unit, and
wherein the damping unit is located at substantially a same wingspan location as the adjustment unit with respect to a wingspan direction of the airplane wing.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the damping unit is designed and arranged, relative to the adjustment unit, such that the damping unit damps out movement of the adjustable flap upon a fracture occurring in the kinematic adjustment mechanism.

3. The device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the damping unit is separate from the kinematic adjustment mechanism, arranged external to the kinematic adjustment mechanism, the kinematic adjustment mechanism being articulated both on the main wing surface and also on the adjustable flap, and extends transverse to the wingspan direction between the main wing surface and the adjustable flap.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the damping unit is designed and arranged to reduce the dynamic loading occurring as a result of a fracture of a further adjustment unit which is spaced apart from the first adjustment unit in the wingspan direction and is configured to adjust the adjustable flap.

5. The device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the damping unit is integrated into the adjustment unit.

6. The device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the kinematic adjustment mechanism has a drive rod with one end articulated on the actuator and another end articulated on the adjustable flap, and wherein the damping unit is integrated into the drive rod to form a section of the drive rod between the ends of the drive rod which are preferably rigid.

7. The device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the kinematic adjustment mechanism comprises a drive rod and the damping unit has a breaking strength that exceeds a breaking strength of the drive rod.

8. The device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the damping unit is designed as a mechanical or hydraulic oscillation damper.

9. The device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the damping unit is further operable in a fixed operating mode, in which the damping unit is fixed, and/or in a free-running operating mode, in which the damping unit effects little or no damping.

10. The device in accordance with claim 9 ,
wherein a control unit is configured to select an operating mode of the damping unit.

11. The device in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising a malfunction event detection unit coupled with the control unit, the malfunction event detection unit comprising at least one sensor arranged on the adjustable flap, in a vicinity of the adjustable flap, or on the adjustment unit for the adjustable flap, wherein the malfunction event detection unit is configured for instantaneously detecting a malfunction event on the adjustment unit using sensor signals obtained from the sensor.

12. A method for operating a device in accordance with claim 11 , the method comprising:
operating the damping unit in a normal operating mode,
monitoring the adjustable flap, and
operating, after detection of a malfunction event, the damping unit in the fixed operating mode, wherein, for a period of time during which an adjustment of the adjustable flap takes place, the damping unit is operated in the normal operating mode or in the free-running operating mode.

13. A method for operating a device in accordance with claim 11 , the method comprising:
operating the damping unit in the free-running operating mode and monitoring the adjustable flap before the malfunction event has occurred and
selecting a normal operating mode for the damping unit, upon detection of a malfunction.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Dyckrup Werner
• Ellmers Wilfried

Classifications

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• Y02T50/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C13/42

  having duplication or stand-by provisions · CPC title

• B64C13/28 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B64C9/16

  at the rear of the wing · CPC title