# US 10,479,480 B2 · Foldable wing for an aircraft and aircraft having a foldable wing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,480 B2 - Document ID: US10479480B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/353,098 - Filed: 2016-11-16 - Published: 2017-05-18 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-18 - Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH - Applicants: Airbus Operations GmbH - Inventors: Christoph Winkelmann; Wilfried Ellmers; Jan Haserodt; Rico Weber; Ivan Petrov Ivanov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479480B2 ## CPC - B64C 3/56: Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS ## Abstract A foldable wing for an aircraft includes a base wing having a base wing end region, a wing tip having a connection region, a first engagement means integrated into the base wing, a second engagement means integrated into the wing tip, and a drive mechanism coupled with the wing tip for moving the wing tip relative to the base wing. The first and second engagement means are adapted for engaging each other along a sliding course from a first position, in which the connection region of the wing tip and the base wing end region are in a flush contact to form a continuous wing, up to a second position, in which the first engagement means and the second engagement means disengage. The drive mechanism includes a first movement element and a second movement element at least partially extending in a spanwise direction, and supported in a linear guide each. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A foldable wing for an aircraft, comprising: a base wing having a base wing end region; a wing tip having a connection region; a first engagement means integrated into the base wing; a second engagement means integrated into the wing tip; and a drive mechanism coupled with the wing tip for moving the wing tip relative to the base wing, wherein the first engagement means and the second engagement means are adapted for engaging each other along a sliding course from a first position, in which the connection region of the wing tip and the base wing end region are in a flush contact to form a continuous wing, up to a second position, in which the first engagement means and the second engagement means disengage, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a first movement element and a second movement element at least partially extending in a spanwise direction, wherein the first movement element and the second movement element are supported in a first linear guide and a second linear guide, respectively, an outboard end of the first movement element being coupled with the wing tip in a first lateral position and an outboard end of the second movement element being coupled with the wing tip in a second lateral position, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to move the first movement element and the second movement element at the same time to move the wing tip relative to the base wing at least along the sliding course between the first position and the second position, and wherein the first and second linear guides are aligned parallel to one another such that the first and second movement elements are supported parallel to one another. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to move the first movement element and the second movement element with different velocities to rotate the wing tip relative to the base wing when the first engagement means and the second engagement means are disengaged. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is adapted to rotate the wing tip around a hinge axis at the outboard end of the first movement element relative to the base wing when the first engagement means and the second engagement means are disengaged. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one sealing means attached to one of the base wing end region and the connection region of the wing tip, wherein the at least one sealing means is adapted to seal the base wing end region and the wing tip connection region in the first position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first movement element and the second movement element comprises a plate shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The wing according to claim 5, wherein the first movement element and the second movement element are configured to at least partially extend on or in each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein one of the first engagement means and the second engagement means comprises at least one longitudinal body, while the other one of the first engagement means and the second engagement means comprises at least one recess corresponding to the at least one longitudinal body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The wing according to claim 7, wherein the at least one longitudinal body comprises a tip and a base, wherein the at least one longitudinal body tapers off from the base to the tip. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The wing according to claim 7, wherein the at least one longitudinal body is segmented by means of a folding joint, which extends out of the at least one recess in the second position and positions further away relative to the first position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first engagement means, the second engagement means and a directly adjacent component comprises at least one spigot, and wherein the other of the at least one of the first engagement means, the second engagement means and the directly adjacent component comprises at least one correspondingly shaped lug for receiving the at least one spigot. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is completely integrated into the base wing and the first movement element and second movement element extend through the base wing end region to the wing tip. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is coupled with a single rotary actuator through at least one lever attached to the rotary actuator and the drive mechanism. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is coupled with at least one longitudinal actuator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The wing according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a two-lever drive comprising a first articulation point configured to be attached to a rotary actuator, a second articulation point coupled with the first movement element and a third articulation point coupled with the second movement element. ### Claim 15 An aircraft having a foldable wing comprising: a base wing having a base wing end region; a wing tip having a connection region; a first engagement means integrated into the base wing; a second engagement means integrated into the wing tip; and a drive mechanism coupled with the wing tip for moving the wing tip relative to the base wing, wherein the first engagement means and the second engagement means are adapted for engaging each other along a sliding course from a first position, in which the connection region of the wing tip and the base wing end region are in a flush contact to form a continuous wing, up to a second position, in which the first engagement means and the second engagement means disengage, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a first movement element and a second movement element at least partially extending in a spanwise direction, wherein the first movement element and the second movement element are supported in a first linear guide and a second linear guide, respectively, an outboard end of the first movement element being coupled with the wing tip in a first lateral position and an outboard end of the second movement element being coupled with the wing tip in a second lateral position, and wherein the drive mechanism is configured to move the first movement element and the second movement element at the same time to move the wing tip relative to the base wing at least along the sliding course between the first position and the second position, and wherein the first and second linear guides are aligned parallel to one another such that the first and second movement elements are supported parallel to one another. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The aircraft according to claim 15, wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a two-lever drive comprising a first articulation point configured to be attached to a rotary actuator, a second articulation point coupled with the first movement element and a third articulation point coupled with the second movement element.