US 10,870,480 B2Granted

Magnetic seals

AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH

InventorDavid Brakes

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An aerodynamic structure for an aircraft including a first region having a first magnetic sealing surface, movably connected to a second region having a second magnetic sealing surface. The structure is moveable between a first configuration in which the first sealing surface contacts the second sealing surface such that the first region and the second region form a continuous aerodynamic surface, and a second configuration in which a gap exists between the first and second magnetic sealing surfaces and. The magnetic sealing surfaces are configured such that an attractive magnetic force exists between the magnetic sealing surfaces in the first configuration. The aerodynamic structure is configured such that during movement between the first and second configurations, relative movement of the first and second regions occurs along a direction at an angle in the range 1-90° to the normal of the first sealing surface and/or the second sealing surface.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An aerodynamic wing structure comprising:

a first wing segment having a first side and a first slot in the first side;
a second wing segment having a second side and a second slot in the second side;
a first magnet slidably mounted in the first slot, wherein the first magnet is configured to slide in the first slot between an extended position in which a portion of the first magnet extends beyond the first side and a retracted position in which the first magnet is retracted within the first slot;
a second magnet slidably mounted in the second slot, wherein the second magnet is configured to slide in the second slot between an extended position in which a portion of the second magnet extends beyond the second side and a retracted position in which the first magnet is retracted within the second slot;
wherein the first and second magnets are aligned to magnetically attract and attach to each other to close a gap between the first side and the second side while at least one of the first wing segment and the second wing segment is in a first position, and
wherein the first magnet is retracted in the first slot and the second magnet is retracted in the second slot while at least one of the first and second wing segments is in a second position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/957,100Filed 19 Apr 2018
Priority: GB 1706640.826 Apr 2017
Published: US 2018/0312242 A11 Nov 2018
Granted: 22 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B64C 7/00
Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for
B64C 1/30
Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like: parts of fuselage relatively movable to reduce…
B64C 3/50
Varying camber: by leading or trailing edge flaps
B64C 3/546
Varying in area: by foldable elements

Family

US 2018/0312242 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Nov 2018
US 10,870,480 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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