Rotary drive assembly for wing tip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783284-B2
Application number	US-201414282595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A rotary drive assembly is provided. The assembly includes a tip hinge box, a body hinge box pivotably coupled to the tip hinge box, a rotary actuator positioned within the body hinge box, and a linkage mechanism coupled between the rotary actuator and the tip hinge box, the linkage mechanism including a first linkage fixedly coupled to the rotary actuator, and a second linkage coupled between the first linkage and the tip hinge box, wherein rotation of the rotary actuator causes the tip hinge box to rotate relative to the body hinge box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary drive assembly comprising:
a wing tip hinge box configured to be coupled to a wing tip;
a wing body hinge box configured to be coupled to a wing body, said wing body hinge box coupled to said wing tip hinge box in an interlocking connection using a plurality of bushings that extend through apertures formed in said wing tip hinge box and said wing body hinge box, the plurality of bushings enabling said wing tip hinge box to pivot relative to said wing body hinge box;
a rotary actuator positioned within said wing body hinge box, said rotary actuator configured to rotate about a first axis;
a linkage mechanism coupled between said rotary actuator and said wing tip hinge box, said linkage mechanism comprising:
a first linkage comprising first and second ends, said first end fixedly coupled to said rotary actuator and configured to rotate about the first axis; and
a second linkage comprising first and second ends, said first end coupled to said second end of said first linkage and said second end coupled to said wing tip hinge box, wherein rotation of said rotary actuator causes said wing tip hinge box to rotate relative to said wing body hinge box; and

a pair of fittings coupled to said wing tip hinge box, each fitting having a plurality of holes defined therethrough and configured to receive latch pins extending from said wing body that lock said wing tip hinge box in a first position.

2. A rotary drive assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said wing tip hinge box is configured to rotate relative to said wing body hinge box about a second axis that is offset from the first axis.

3. A rotary drive assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said wing tip hinge box is rotatable between a first position and a second position, wherein said wing tip hinge box is oriented substantially parallel to said wing body hinge box in the first position, and wherein said wing tip hinge box is oriented substantially orthogonal to said wing body hinge box in the second position.

4. A rotary drive assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein rotation of said rotary actuator through a first angle causes said wing tip hinge box to rotate through a second angle that is half of the first angle.

5. A rotary drive assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said rotary actuator comprises a geared rotary actuator.

6. A wing assembly for an aircraft, said wing assembly comprising:
a wing body;
a wing tip; and
a rotary drive assembly coupling said wing body to said wing tip such that said wing tip is rotatable with respect to said wing body, said rotary drive assembly comprising:
a tip hinge box extending from said wing tip;
a body hinge box extending from said wing body and coupled to said tip hinge box in an interlocking connection using a plurality of bushings that extend through apertures formed in said tip hinge box and said body hinge box, the plurality of bushings enabling said tip hinge box to pivot relative to said body hinge box;
a rotary actuator positioned within said body hinge box, said rotary actuator configured to rotate about a first axis;
a linkage mechanism coupled between said rotary actuator and said tip hinge box, said linkage mechanism comprising:
a first linkage comprising first and second ends, said first end fixedly coupled to said rotary actuator and configured to rotate about the first axis; and
a second linkage comprising first and second ends, said first end coupled to said second end of said first linkage and said second end coupled to said tip hinge box, wherein rotation of said rotary actuator causes said wing tip to rotate relative to said wing body; and

a pair of fittings coupled to said wing tip hinge box, each fitting having a plurality of holes defined therethrough and configured to receive latch pins extending from said wing body that lock said wing tip hinge box in a first position.

7. A wing assembly in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said wing tip is configured to rotate relative to said wing body about a second axis that is offset from the first axis.

8. A wing assembly in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said wing tip is rotatable between a first position and a second position, wherein said wing tip is oriented substantially parallel to said wing body in the first position, and wherein said wing tip is oriented substantially orthogonal to said wing body in the second position.

9. A wing assembly in accordance with claim 6 , wherein rotation of said rotary actuator through a first angle causes said wing tip to rotate through a second angle that is half of the first angle.

10. A wing assembly in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said rotary actuator comprises a geared rotary actuator.

11. A method of assembling a rotary drive assembly configured to rotate a wing tip relative to a wing body, said method comprising:
coupling a wing body hinge box extending from the wing body to a wing tip hinge box extending from the wing tip in an interlocking connection using a plurality of bushings that extend through apertures formed in the wing tip hinge box and the wing body hinge box, the plurality of bushings enabling the wing tip hinge box to pivot relative to the wing body hinge box;
positioning a rotary actuator within the wing body hinge box, the rotary actuator configured to rotate about a first axis;
coupling a linkage mechanism between the rotary actuator and the wing tip hinge box, the linkage mechanism including a first linkage having first and second ends, the first end fixedly coupled to the rotary actuator and configured to rotate about the first axis, and a second linkage having first and second ends, the first end coupled to the second end of the first linkage and the second end coupled to the wing tip hinge box such that rotation of the rotary actuator causes the wing tip hinge box to rotate relative to the wing body hinge box; and
coupling a pair of fittings to the wing tip hinge box, each fitting having a plurality of holes defined therethrough and configured to receive latch pins extending from the wing body that lock the wing tip hinge box in a first position.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising rotating the rotary actuator to rotate the wing tip between a first position and a second position, wherein the wing tip is oriented substantially parallel to the wing body in the first position, and wherein the wing tip is oriented substantially orthogonal to the wing body in the second position.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein rotating the rotary actuator comprises rotating the rotary actuator about the first axis such that the wing tip rotates relative to the wing body about a second axis that is offset from the first axis.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein rotating the rotary actuator comprises rotating the rotary actuator through a first angle such that the wing tip rotates through a second angle that is half of the first angle.

15. A method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein positioning a rotary actuator comprises positioning a geared rotary actuator within the wing body hinge box.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Townsend Keith
• Fox Stephen J

Classifications

• B64C3/56 Primary

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

• Y10T29/49318

  Repairing or disassembling · CPC title