Wing leading edge slat

A mechanism for extending and positioning a pair of spanwise adjacent high-lift devices relative to an airfoil, comprising:

• a pair of carrier tracks extending chordwise in said airfoil and being pivotally connected at their one end to said high-lift devices;
• cylindrical rollers axially mounted to said airfoil for rolling support of the other end portion of said carrier tracks;
• a structural rib member extending chordwise of said airfoil and being located between said pair of spanwise adjacent high-lift devices;
• a camtrack cut transversely through said rib member and formed structurally integral therewith;
• a pair of chordwise integrated linkage mechanisms spaced apart spanwise and arranged on each side of said rib member for operative connection to each of said high-lift devices;
• each of said chordwise integrated linkage mechanisms comprising, a drive arm mounted to said airfoil for rotation in a chordwise plane, a drive link pivotally connected at one end to the swinging end of said drive arm, and a drive beam extending chordwise and being pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said drive link and being fixedly secured at its other end to one of said high-lift devices;
• a roller cam follower having its rotational axis aligned transversely to said chordwise extending rib member and extending through said camtrack for connection at its ends to the pivotal connection between said drive beam and said drive link of each of said chordwise integrated linkage mechanisms, for producing a force vector component to each of said linkage mechanisms along the arcuate track of said camtrack, and thereby providing a direct interconnection between said adjacent high-lift devices for synchronization of extension actuation with position programming control of angle-of-deflection of said high-lift devices relative to said airfoil.

A mechanism for extending and positioning a pair of spanwise adjacent high-lift devices relative to the leading edge of an airfoil, comprising:

• a pair of carrier tracks extending chordwise fore and aft in said airfoil and being pivotally connected at their fore end to said high-lift devices;
• cylindrical rollers axially mounted to said airfoil for rolling support of the aft portion of said carrier tracks;
• a structural rib member extending chordwise of said airfoil and being positioned between said pair of spanwise adjacent high-lift devices;
• a camtrack cut transversely through said rib member and formed structurally integral therewith;
• a pair of chordwise integrated linkage mechanisms spaced apart spanwise and arranged on either side of said rib member for operative connection to each of said high-lift devices;
• each of said chordwise integrated linkage mechanisms comprising, a drive arm mounted to said airfoil for rotation in a chordwise plane, a drive link pivotally connected at one end to the swinging end of said drive arm, and a drive beam extending fore and aft chordwise and being pivotally connected at its aft end to the other end of said drive link and being fixedly secured at its fore end to one of said high-lift devices;
• a roller cam follower having its rotational axis aligned transversely to said chordwise extending rib member and extending through said camtrack for connection at its ends to the pivotal connection between said drive beam and said drive link of each of said chordwise integrated linkage mechanisms, for producing a force vector component to each of said linkage mechanisms along an arcuate track of said camtrack, and thereby providing a direct interconnection between said adjacent high-lift devices for synchronization of extension actuation with position programming control of angle-of-deflection of said high-lift devices relative to the leading edge of said airfoil.

A mechanism for extending and positioning a high-lift device relative to an airfoil, comprising:

• a carrier track extending chordwise in said airfoil and being pivotally connected at one end to said high-lift device;
• means mounted to said airfoil for supportably guiding the other end portion of said carrier track for chordwise extension movement of said high-lift device relative to said airfoil;
• a camtrack spaced spanwise from said carrier track and fixedly mounted chordwise in said airfoil;
• a rotary actuator mounted in said airfoil;
• a linkage mechanism being in a folded arrangement during a fully retracted position of said high-lift device relative to said airfoil and interconnecting said high-lift device with said camtrack and said rotary actuator;
• said rotary actuator in combination with said linkage mechanism, said camtrack and said carrier track, effecting a simultaneously combined unfolding linkage extension movement of said high-life device on said carrier track from said airfoil, and a camtrack guided angle-of-incidence programming of said high-lift device relative to said airfoil;
• and said camtrack producing a guided force vector component to said linkage mechanism during unfolding linkage extension movement of said high-lift device, for enabling said linkage mechanism to freely operate a complete extension cycle of said high-lift device without locking up.

A leading edge slat extension and position programming control mechanism for an airfoil, comprising:

• a slat panel forming a leading edge nose structure of said airfoil and being extensible from a relatively fixed portion of said airfoil;
• a carrier track extending chordwise fore and aft of said airfoil, and being pivotally connected at its fore end to said slat panel;
• cylindrical rollers being axially mounted to said relatively fixed portion of said airfoil, for rolling contact support of the aft portion of said carrier track;
• a rib member extending chordwise of said airfoil and being structurally integral with said relatively fixed portion of said airfoil;
• a camtrack formed structurally integral with said rib member;
• a chordwise integrated linkage mechanism being positioned adjacent to said rib member and comprising, a drive arm mounted to the relatively fixed portion of said airfoil for rotation in a chordwise plane, a drive link pivotally connected at one end to the swinging end of said drive arm, and a drive beam extending fore and aft chordwise and being pivotally connected at its aft end to the other end of said drive link and being fixedly secured at its fore end to said slat panel;
• a cam follower engaged in said camtrack and connected to the pivotal connection between said drive beam and said drive link for producing a force vector component to said linkage mechanism along the arcuate track of said camtrack;
• a rotary actuator mounted in said airfoil;
• said chordwise integrated linkage mechanism being in a folded arrangement during a fully retracted position of said slat panel relative to said fixed portion of said airfoil, and interconnecting said slat panel with said camtrack and said rotary actuator;
• said rotary actuator in combination with said linkage mechanism, said camtrack and said carrier track, effecting a simultaneously combined unfolding linkage extension movement of said slat panel on said carrier track from said fixed portion of said airfoil, and a camtrack guided angle-of-incidence programming of said slat panel relative to said fixed portion of said airfoil;
• and said camtrack providing a guided force vector component to said linkage mechanism during unfolding linkage extension movement of said slat panel, for enabling said linkage mechanism to freely operate the complete extension cycle of said slat panel without locking up.