Rotary actuator for leading edge flap of aircraft

A rotary geared actuator for pivotally connecting a flap to a wing of an aircraft, comprising:

• at least two adjacent actuator slices rotatably connected together, each actuator slice including:
• a sun gear rotatably coupled to a drive shaft, said sun gear including gear teeth extending thereabout, and said gear teeth having a curved profile to enable movement of said actuator slices with respect to each other in conformance with bending of the wing of the aircraft;
• a plurality of planetary gears in surrounding and meshing engagement with said gear teeth of said sun gear;
• a movable ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears;
• and
• a fixed ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears and positioned on opposite sides of said movable ring gear;
• at least one fixed side tie bar means for connecting each said fixed ring gear with one of the wing and the flap;
• and
• at least one movable flap side tie bar means for connecting each said movable ring gear with the other of the wing and the flap.

A rotary geared actuator for pivotally connecting a flap to a wing of an aircraft, comprising:

• at least two adjacent actuator slices rotatably connected together, each actuator slice including:
• a sun gear rotatably coupled to a drive shaft;
• a plurality of planetary gears in surrounding and meshing engagement with said first gear teeth of said sun gear;
• a movable ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears;
• and
• a fixed ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears and positioned on opposite sides of said movable ring gear;
• at least one fixed side tie bar means for connecting each said fixed ring gear with one of the wing and the flap;
• at least one movable flap side tie bar means for connecting each said movable ring gear with the other of the wing and the flap;
• and
• securing means for securing each said fixed side tie bar means to one said fixed ring gear and each said movable flap side tie bar means to one said movable ring gear so as to permit a small axial movement between at least one said tie bar means and the respective fixed ring gear and/or movable ring gear.

A rotary geared actuator for pivotally connecting a flap to a wing of an aircraft, comprising:

• at least two adjacent actuator slices rotatably connected together, each actuator slice including:
• a sun gear rotatably coupled to a drive shaft;
• a plurality of planetary gears in surrounding and meshing engagement with said first gear teeth of said sun gear;
• a movable ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears;
• and
• a fixed ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears and positioned on opposite sides of said movable ring gear;
• at least one fixed side tie bar means for connecting each said fixed ring gear with one of the wing and the flap;
• at least one movable flap side tie bar means for connecting each said movable ring gear with the other of the wing and the flap;
• and
• coupling means for coupling an outer one of said actuator slices to a drive shaft, said coupling means including:
• a coupling shaft having an inner end and an outer free end, said outer free end of said coupling shaft including gear teeth having a part-spherical curvature, and the drive shaft including gear teeth having a curvature conforming to the gear teeth of said coupling shaft and in meshing engagement therewith, to provide a flexible drive coupling between the drive shaft and said coupling shaft;
• and
• coupling gear means for rotatably coupling said coupling shaft to the sun gear of said outer one of said actuator slices.

A rotary geared actuator for pivotally connecting a flap to a wing of an aircraft, comprising:

• at least two adjacent actuator slices rotatably connected together, each actuator slice including:
• a sun gear rotatably coupled to a drive shaft, said sun gear including gear teeth extending thereabout, and said gear teeth having a curved profile to enable movement of said actuator slices with respect to each other in conformance with bending of the wing of the aircraft;
• a plurality of planetary gears in surrounding and meshing engagement with said first gear teeth of said sun gear;
• a movable ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears;
• and
• a fixed ring gear in surrounding and meshing engagement with said planetary gears and positioned on opposite sides of said movable ring gear, each fixed ring gear being in meshing engagement only with planetary gears of one said actuator slice;
• at least one fixed side tie bar means for connecting each said fixed ring gear with one of the wing and the flap;
• at least one movable flap side tie bar means for connecting each said movable ring gear with the other of the wing and the flap;
• securing means for securing each said fixed side tie bar means to one said fixed ring gear and said movable flap side tie bar means to one said movable ring gear so as to permit a small axial movement between at least one said tie bar means and the respective fixed ring gear and/or movable ring gear;
• and
• coupling means for coupling an outer one of said actuator slices to a drive shaft, said coupling means including:
• a coupling shaft having an inner end and an outer free end, said outer free end of said coupling shaft including gear teeth having a part-spherical curvature, and the drive shaft including gear teeth having a curvature conforming to the gear teeth of said coupling shaft and in meshing engagement therewith, to provide a flexible drive coupling between the drive shaft and said coupling shaft;
• and
• coupling gear means for rotatably coupling said coupling shaft to the sun gear of said outer one of said actuator slices.