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US 11,028,725 B2Granted
Adaptive morphing engine geometry
AssigneeRaytheon Technologies Corporation
InventorsZaffir A. Chaudhry, Andrzej Ernest Kuczek, Dilip Prasad
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Abstract
A morphing aerodynamic control surface geometry comprising a control surface having an articulated portion comprising a flexible skin coupled at an exterior of the articulated portion, the flexible skin comprising opposed interlocking elements sandwiched within a flexible polymer coupled to the interlocking elements; wherein the flexible skin is configured compliant responsive to an articulation of the articulated portion.
Claims22
A morphing aerodynamic control surface geometry comprising:
- a control surface having an articulated portion comprising a flexible skin coupled at an exterior of said articulated portion, said flexible skin comprising opposed interlocking elements sandwiched within a flexible polymer coupled to said interlocking elements;
- wherein said flexible skin is configured compliant responsive to an articulation of said articulated portion;
- said interlocking elements comprise at least one upper element and at least one lower element opposite said at least one upper element;
- said at least one upper element comprises an upper element exterior surface and an upper element interior surface having a feature opposite said upper element exterior surface;
- said at least one lower element comprises a lower element exterior surface and a lower element interior surface with a feature opposite said lower element exterior surface;
- said upper element interior feature configured to interlock with a lower element interior feature;
- said upper element interior feature comprises a peg extending out of a portion of said upper element interior surface and said lower element interior feature comprises a receiver formed in said lower element interior surface.
4 more elements
A morphing aerodynamic control surface geometry comprising:
- a control surface having an articulated portion comprising a flexible skin coupled at an exterior of said articulated portion, said flexible skin comprising opposed interlocking elements sandwiched within a flexible polymer coupled to said interlocking elements;
- said flexible skin is configured compliant responsive to an articulation of said articulated portion;
- said interlocking elements comprise at least one upper element and at least one lower element opposite said at least one upper element;
- said at least one upper element comprises an upper element exterior surface and an upper element interior feature opposite said upper element exterior surface;
- said at least one lower element comprises a lower element exterior surface and a lower element interior feature opposite said lower element exterior surface;
- said upper element interior feature configured to interlock with the lower element interior feature;
- said upper element interior feature and said lower element interior feature comprises inverted edges along a portion of said upper element and said lower element respectively;
- said inverted edges comprise corners bend into flat hooks facing said interior surface for each of said upper element and said lower element.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.