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US 2020/0346740 A1Published application
Aircraft having foldable wings
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMark Steven Good, Steven Paul Walker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aircrafts having foldable wings are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a fixed wing portion, a foldable wing tip, and a hinge interface to pivotally couple the foldable wing tip and the fixed wing portion. The hinge interface has a first hinge defining a hinge axis that is substantially parallel to a fuselage centerline. The first hinge has a first dimension in a spanwise direction and a second dimension in a chordwise direction. The first dimension is greater than the second dimension.
Claims23
An aircraft, comprising:
- a fixed wing portion;
- a foldable wing tip defining a foldable wing tip chord length;
- and
- a hinge interface to pivotally couple the foldable wing tip and the fixed wing portion, the hinge interface having a first hinge and a second hinge defining a hinge axis that is substantially parallel to a fuselage centerline, each of the first hinge and the second hinge having a first dimension in a spanwise direction and a second dimension in a chordwise direction, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension, the second hinge positioned adjacent a midpoint of the foldable wing tip chord length and the first hinge being positioned fore of the second hinge.
1 more element
An aircraft, comprising:
- a wing having a fixed wing portion and a foldable wing tip;
- and
- a hinge interface to pivotally couple the foldable wing portion to the fixed wing portion, the hinge interface including:
- a first wing rib and a second wing rib spaced from the first wing rib to define a first hinge, the first wing rib to support a first hinge pin and the second wing rib to support a second hinge pin, each of the first wing rib and the second wing rib having a longitudinal axis to extend between the foldable wing tip and the fixed wing portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to a fuselage centerline of the aircraft.
1 more element
An aircraft comprising:
- a first wing having a first fixed portion and a first foldable portion;
- and
- a second wing having a second fixed portion and a second foldable portion, the first wing and the second wing to provide a first wingspan when the first foldable portion and the second foldable portion are in extended positions, the first wing and the second wing to provide a second wingspan when the first foldable portion and the second foldable portion are in folded positions, the first wingspan being greater than approximately 65 meters and the second wingspan being less than approximately 65 meters, and wherein each of the first and second foldable portions rotate about a hinge axis that is substantially parallel relative to a fuselage centerline.
A method comprising:
- moving a foldable wing tip relative to a fixed wing portion of an aircraft about a hinge axis that is substantially parallel relative to a fuselage centerline between a stowed position to provide a first wingspan and an extended position to provide a second wingspan greater than the first wingspan, the foldable wing tip including:
- a hinge interface to pivotally couple the foldable wing tip and the fixed wing portion, the hinge interface having a first hinge and a second hinge, the second hinge positioned adjacent a midpoint of a foldable wing tip chord length and the first hinge being positioned fore of the second hinge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.