Flap support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9889922-B2
Application number	US-201514943843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2011
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A flap support structure for an aircraft wing having a trailing edge flap, the flap support structure comprising: a flap support beam including an aerodynamic fairing; and a drive unit including a universal support structure which rotatably receives a drive shaft connected to a drive arm for moving the trailing edge flap, wherein the universal support structure also forms part of the flap support beam and supports the aerodynamic fairing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flap support structure for an aircraft wing having a trailing edge flap, the flap support structure comprising: a flap support beam; and a drive unit including a universal support bracket having a bearing which rotatably receives a drive shaft connected to a drive arm for moving the trailing edge flap, wherein the universal support bracket also forms part of the flap support beam and configured to directly support an aerodynamic fairing.

2. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit further comprises an actuator mounted to the universal support bracket and coupled to the drive shaft.

3. A flap support structure according to claim 2 , wherein the drive unit is mounted to an upper portion of the universal support bracket which projects beyond the aerodynamic fairing.

4. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the flap support beam is configured to be supported by the aircraft wing by mounting means provided on the universal support bracket.

5. A flap support structure according to claim 4 , wherein the mounting means are provided on an upper portion of the universal support bracket which projects beyond the aerodynamic fairing.

6. A flap support structure according to claim 4 , wherein the mounting means include bearings for receiving a pin.

7. A flap support structure according to claim 6 , wherein the bearings are spherical bearings.

8. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the drive arm is curved.

9. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the drive arm is fixed in rotation with respect to the drive shaft.

10. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the drive arm is a failsafe drive arm and includes a primary arm and a secondary arm.

11. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein aerodynamic fairing is a structural fairing, and the flap support beam further comprises a plurality of diaphragms for supporting the aerodynamic fairing.

12. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the universal support bracket is disposed approximately centrally along the length of the flap support beam.

13. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic fairing has a generally U-shaped section.

14. A flap support structure according to claim 13 , wherein the flap support beam further comprises one or more structural covers spanning between free edges of the U-shaped fairing.

15. A flap support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the flap support bracket further comprises a linkage arrangement for coupling the trailing edge flap to the flap support beam.

16. An aircraft wing having a trailing edge flap supported from the aircraft wing by a flap support structure according to claim 15 .

17. An aircraft wing according to claim 16 , wherein the flap support beam is mounted to the aircraft wing by a forward fitting and an aft fitting.

18. An aircraft wing according to claim 17 , wherein the aft fitting includes an aft pin coupling the universal support bracket of the flap support structure to one or more aft brackets mounted on the wing.

19. An aircraft wing according to claim 16 , wherein the flap support structure includes an actuator for moving the flap, and the flap actuator is disposed within the wing profile and outside of the flap fairing.

20. An aircraft wing according to claim 16 , further comprising a forward non-structural aerodynamic fairing forward of the flap support structure, and an aft non-structural aerodynamic fairing aft of the flap support structure, wherein outer surfaces of the forward and aft non-structural fairings blend smoothly with an outer surface of the structural fairing of the flap support structure.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Soenarjo Mochamad Agoes

Classifications

• B64C3/50

  by leading or trailing edge flaps · CPC title

• Y02T50/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C9/18 Primary

  by single flaps · CPC title

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title