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US 11,884,394 B2Granted
Wing assemblies with tandemly actuated flight control surfaces, aircraft, and related methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorKevin Raylin Tsai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Wing assemblies (100) comprise an inboard flight control surface (102), an outboard flight control surface (104) positioned directly adjacent to and outboard of the inboard flight control surface (102), and a dual actuation assembly (106) coupled directly to and forming a linkage between the inboard flight control surface (102) and the outboard flight control surface (104). The dual actuation assembly (106) is configured to selectively transition the inboard flight control surface (102) and the outboard flight control surface (104), in tandem, amongst a retracted configuration (108) and a range of extended configurations (110).
Claims22
A wing assembly, comprising:
- an inboard flight control surface;
- an outboard flight control surface, positioned adjacent to and outboard of the inboard flight control surface;
- and
- a dual actuation assembly coupled to and forming a linkage between the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface;
- wherein the dual actuation assembly is configured to selectively transition the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface, in tandem, amongst a retracted configuration and a range of extended configurations, and
- wherein the wing assembly is configured such that the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface can only be actuated in tandem.
3 more elements
A dual actuation assembly for a wing assembly, the dual actuation assembly comprising:
- a frame comprising a mount configured to be coupled to a wing support structure;
- a single actuator supported by the frame;
- an inboard carrier beam pivotally coupled relative to the frame, operatively coupled to the single actuator, and configured to be operatively coupled to an inboard flight control surface of the wing assembly;
- and
- an outboard carrier beam pivotally coupled relative to the frame, operatively coupled to the single actuator, and configured to be operatively coupled to an outboard flight control surface of the wing assembly;
- wherein the single actuator is configured to selectively transition the inboard carrier beam and the outboard carrier beam, in tandem, amongst a retracted configuration and a range of extended configurations.
3 more elements
A method of operating an aircraft, the method comprising:
- with a dual actuation assembly comprising a single actuator, transitioning an inboard flight control surface and an outboard flight control surface, in tandem, amongst a retracted configuration and a range of extended configurations, wherein the dual actuation assembly is configured to only transition the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface in tandem.
A wing assembly, comprising:
- an inboard flight control surface;
- an outboard flight control surface, positioned adjacent to and outboard of the inboard flight control surface;
- a dual actuation assembly coupled to and forming a linkage between the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface, wherein the dual actuation assembly is configured to selectively transition the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface, in tandem, amongst a retracted configuration and a range of extended configurations;
- a dual-actuation-assembly fairing associated with the dual actuation assembly and having a dual-actuation-assembly-fairing wetted area;
- an inboard actuation assembly coupled directly to the inboard flight control surface and configured to selectively transition the inboard flight control surface amongst the retracted configuration and the range of extended configurations, in tandem, with the dual actuation assembly;
- and
- an inboard-actuation-assembly fairing associated with the inboard actuation assembly and having an inboard-actuation-assembly-fairing wetted area that is less than the dual-actuation-assembly-fairing wetted area.
4 more elements
A wing assembly, comprising:
- an inboard flight control surface;
- an outboard flight control surface, positioned adjacent to and outboard of the inboard flight control surface;
- a dual actuation assembly coupled to and forming a linkage between the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface, wherein the dual actuation assembly is configured to selectively transition the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface, in tandem, amongst a retracted configuration and a range of extended configurations, and wherein the dual actuation assembly has a dual-actuation-assembly weight;
- and
- an inboard actuation assembly coupled directly to the inboard flight control surface and configured to selectively transition the inboard flight control surface amongst the retracted configuration and the range of extended configurations, in tandem, with the dual actuation assembly, wherein the inboard actuation assembly has an inboard-actuation-assembly weight that is less than the dual-actuation-assembly weight.
2 more elements
A wing assembly, comprising:
- an inboard flight control surface;
- an outboard flight control surface, positioned adjacent to and outboard of the inboard flight control surface;
- and
- a dual actuation assembly coupled to and forming a linkage between the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface, wherein the dual actuation assembly is configured to selectively transition the inboard flight control surface and the outboard flight control surface, in tandem, amongst a retracted configuration and a range of extended configurations, and wherein the dual actuation assembly comprises:
- a frame comprising a mount configured to be coupled to a wing support structure;
- a single actuator supported by the frame;
- an inboard carrier beam pivotally coupled relative to the frame and operatively coupled between the single actuator and the inboard flight control surface;
- and
- an outboard carrier beam pivotally coupled relative to the frame and operatively coupled between the single actuator and the outboard flight control surface.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.