Aircraft wing assembly including high lift device with an overlapped connection point
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorPeter Kelly
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft wing assembly includes a wing box including an upper surface, a lower surface, and a leading edge structure connecting the upper surface to the lower surface and secured to the upper surface at a connection point. The aircraft wing assembly includes a drive mechanism secured to the wing box and a high lift device mounted to the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is configured to move the high lift device between a retracted position and an extended position in use, and wherein the high lift device is configured to overlap the connection point when in the retracted position.
Claims20
An aircraft wing assembly comprising:
- a wing box comprising:
- an upper surface;
- a lower surface;
- a leading-edge structure connecting the upper surface to the lower surface and secured to the upper surface at a connection point;
- a drive mechanism secured to the wing box;
- and
- a high lift device mounted to the drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to move the high lift device between a retracted position and an extended position in use;
- and
- wherein the high lift device overlaps the connection point when the high lift device is in the retracted position;
- wherein the leading-edge structure is connected to the upper surface by one or more fasteners at the connection point;
- and
- wherein, in overlapping the connection point when in the retracted position, the high lift device extends over the upper surface, such that the one or more fasteners, the connection point, and at least a portion of the upper surface are covered by the high lift device.
A method of assembling an aircraft wing assembly, the method comprising:
- connecting, using a leading-edge structure, an upper surface of a wing box of the aircraft wing assembly to a lower surface of the wing box of the aircraft wing assembly;
- securing the structure to the upper surface at a connection point;
- securing a drive mechanism to the wing box;
- mounting a high lift device to the drive mechanism;
- and
- moving, using the drive mechanism, the high lift device between a retracted position and an extended position in use;
- wherein the high lift device overlaps the connection point when the high lift device is in the retracted position;
- wherein the leading-edge structure is connected to the upper surface by one or more fasteners at the connection point;
- and
- wherein, in overlapping the connection point when in the retracted position, the high lift device extends over the upper surface, such that the one or more fasteners, the connection point, and at least a portion of the upper surface are covered by the high lift device.
An aircraft wing assembly comprising:
- a wing box comprising:
- an upper surface;
- a lower surface;
- a spar located between the upper surface and the lower surface and secured, at a first end of the spar, to the upper surface and, at a second end of the spar, to the lower surface;
- a leading-edge structure connecting the upper surface to the lower surface and secured to the upper surface at a connection point;
- a drive mechanism secured to the wing box;
- and
- a high lift device mounted to the drive mechanism,
- wherein the drive mechanism is removably secured to the spar and configured to move the high lift device between a retracted position and an extended position in use, and
- wherein the high lift device is configured to overlap the connection point when in the retracted position;
- and
- a support secured to the upper surface and to the spar, wherein the drive mechanism is secured to the support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.