# US 2017/0283035 A1 · Foldable wing and rotocraft and glider using the same

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- Number: US 2017/0283035 A1
- Document ID: US20170283035A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/479,301
- Filed: 2017-04-05
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-05
- Inventors: Lanping JI; Xu WANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170283035A1

## CPC

- B64C 27/26: characterised by provision of fixed wings
- B64C 31/032: having delta shaped wing
- B64U 10/25: Fixed-wing aircraft (VTOL aircraft B64U10/20)
- B64U 30/12: Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
- B64U 10/50: Glider-type UAVs, e.g. with parachute, parasail or kite (for landing B64U70/83)
- B64U 70/70: Launching or landing using catapults, tracks or rails (launching from storage containers B64U70/50)
- B64U 80/70: in containers (B64U80/60 takes precedence)
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

## Abstract

The present invention provides a foldable wing which comprises a wing supporting skeleton, a sliding rail, a skin supporting rib, a skin and a wing movement unit. The wing supporting skeleton comprises a horizontal beam, a longitudinal beam, a wing front edge beam, a wing trailing edge beam, a fixture connector and a sliding block, The wing supporting skeleton is a triangular girder for maintaining planar and sectional shapes of the foldable wing, supporting the skin supporting rib and the skin, and sustaining an aerodynamic load from the skin and a load of a fuselage. After the triangular girder is subjected to a force of the wing movement unit, a shape and an area of the triangular girder are changed so as to achieve folding and unfolding of the foldable wing. A rotocraft and a glider using the foldable wing are also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A foldable wing comprising: a wing supporting skeleton; a sliding rail; a skin supporting rib; a skin; and a wing movement unit,
wherein the wing supporting skeleton comprises a horizontal beam, a longitudinal beam, a wing front edge beam, a wing trailing edge beam, a fixture connector and a sliding block,
the wing supporting skeleton is a triangular girder for maintaining planar and sectional shapes of the foldable wing, supporting the skin supporting rib and the skin, and sustaining an aerodynamic load from the skin and a load of a fuselage, and
after the triangular girder is subjected to a force of the wing movement unit, a shape and an area of the triangular girder are changed so as to achieve folding and unfolding of the foldable wing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The foldable wing according to claim 1, wherein the sliding rail is connected to a fuselage of an aircraft, and is connected to the triangular girder of the foldable wing via the fixture connector and the sliding block, and the sliding block is restrained by a sliding rail slot and is capable of sliding along the sliding rail when being subjected to the force of the wing movement unit, thereby changing the shape and the area of the triangular girder of the foldable wing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The foldable wing according to claim 1, wherein the skin supporting rib comprises an upper rib and lower rib, fronts of the upper rib and the lower rib are connected with the wing front edge beam via a hinge, and backs of the upper rib and the lower rib are connected with each other to form a complete tail.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The foldable wing according to claim 3, wherein the skin is adhered to an outer surface of the skin supporting rib and the wing front edge beam to form an outer surface of the foldable wing, the skin comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and the upper surface and the lower surface of the skin are respectively connected to the upper rib and the lower rib of the skin supporting ribs, and are slidably with the skin supporting ribs.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The foldable wing according to claim 3, further comprising a stretch assisting equipment having an inner tension cable of the skin, wherein an end of the inner tension cable is connected to a wing root, another end of the inner tension cable is connected to a wing tip, a middle part of the inner tension cable is connected to tail tips of each of a plurality of the skin supporting rib in series and each of a plurality of connecting points on an upper surface and a lower surface of the skin at a wing trailing edge of the foldable wing, and
when the foldable wing unfolds, the inner tension cable is tightened with unfolding of the foldable wing, and the tail tips of the skin supporting ribs act as supporting points and the connecting points on the skin act as pulling points to pull the upper surface and the lower surface of the skin towards the tail tips of the skin supporting ribs.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The foldable wing according to claim 3, further comprising a stretch assisting equipment having an outer tension cable of the skin, wherein an end of the outer tension cable is connected to a wing root, another end of the outer tension cable is connected to a wing tip, a middle part of the outer tension cable is connected to each of a plurality of connecting points on an upper surface and a lower surface of the skin at a wing trailing edge of the foldable wing in series, and
when the foldable wing unfolds, the outer tension cable is tightened with unfolding of the foldable wing, the connecting points on the skin at the wing trailing edge part is pulled, and the upper surface and the lower surface of the skin are stretched towards a tail tip of the skin supporting rib.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The foldable wing according to claim 1, wherein the skin is made of a foldable flexible material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The foldable wing according to claim 1, wherein a fixed short arm of the wing supporting skeleton extends outwards from the fixture connector and the sliding block for a determined length, the fixed short arm hinged to the wing front edge beam has a longest length, the fixed short arm hinged to the wing trailing edge beam has a shortest length, and a plurality of the fixed short arm are connected with respective nodes at wing roots of the triangular girder via hinges.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The foldable wing according to claim 1, wherein a fixed short arm of the wing supporting skeleton is fixed above two of the sliding block and does not rotate when the foldable wing moves.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The foldable wing according to claim 1, wherein a fixed short arm of the wing supporting skeleton is an extension part of the longitudinal beam and the wing front edge beam, a top of the fixed short arm is connected to a central position between the fixture connector and the sliding block via a hinge,
when the sliding block moves along the sliding rail, the triangular girder is driven to deform along the sliding rail with a hinge between the extended fixed short arm and the wing front edge beam with respect to the fixture connector as a center to achieve folding and unfolding of the foldable wing, and
when the sliding block slides, the fixed short arm rotates along with the longitudinal beam and the wing front edge beam.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The foldable wing according to claim 10, wherein when the foldable wing deforms, an upper surface and a lower surface of the skin respectively slide along surfaces of an upper rib and a lower rib of the skin supporting rib under restraint of the skin supporting rib so as to accommodate tension sustained by the skin when the foldable wing deforms.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The foldable wing according to claim 10, wherein an upper surface and a lower surface of the skin are connected at a wing trailing edge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The foldable wing according to claim 1, wherein no slidable connection is present between the skin supporting rib and the skin, the skin is adhered to an outer surface of the skin supporting rib and the wing front edge beam, each of a plurality of the skin supporting rib are connected with each other by a positioning cable for determining a position between the skin supporting ribs, when the foldable wing is folded the skin is relaxed, and when the foldable wing is unfolded the skin is stretched and tightened.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A rotocraft comprising the foldable wing according to claim 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A glider comprising the foldable wing according to claim 1.