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US 12,371,149 B2Granted
Multi-functional trailing edge apparatus and methods for aircraft
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsSeiya Sakurai, Samuel Lewis Block, Bret Alan Bowers, Bryan Jacob Gruner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Multi-functional trailing edge apparatus and methods for aircraft are disclosed herein. An example wing of an aircraft disclosed herein includes an aft edge supporting a trailing edge device. The trailing edge device has a control surface and a side surface. A linkage is rotatably coupled to the side surface and the aft edge, and a rotary actuator is operatively coupled to the linkage to move the control surface.
Claims23
A wing of an aircraft comprising:
- an aft edge including a mounting bracket;
- a trailing edge device, the trailing edge device having:
- a control surface;
- a side surface;
- a linkage rotatably coupled to the side surface and the aft edge, the linkage including:
- a first link pivotally coupled to the mounting bracket;
- and
- a second link pivotally coupled to the side surface of the trailing edge device and the mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket, the first link, the second link and the side surface provide a four-bar linkage system to move the trailing edge device relative to the wing;
- and
- a rotary actuator operatively coupled to the first link to move the control surface relative to the wing.
7 more elements
A trailing edge device of an aircraft comprising:
- a body having a first side surface and a second side surface opposite the first side surface defining a cavity therebetween;
- a first linkage assembly coupled to the first side surface;
- and
- a first actuator positioned within the cavity of the trailing edge device, the first actuator operatively coupled to the first linkage assembly, the first actuator to cause the trailing edge device to rotate through a plurality of positions relative to an airfoil of the aircraft via the first linkage assembly.
1 more element
A method for assembling a trailing edge system of an aircraft comprising:
- coupling a first side of a first trailing edge device to a first mounting point on an airfoil, the coupling of the first side of the first trailing edge device including pivotally coupling a plurality of first linkage members of the first side of the first trailing edge device and the first mounting point, wherein the trailing edge system includes a rotational actuator positioned inside a cavity of the first trailing edge device and coupled to a first linkage member of the plurality of first linkage members;
- and
- coupling a second side of the first trailing edge device to a second mounting point on the airfoil, the coupling of the second side of the first trailing edge device including pivotally coupling a plurality of second linkage members of the second side of the first trailing edge device and the second mounting point, the rotational actuator coupled to a second linkage member of the plurality of second linkage members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.