Flap assembly
AssigneeShort Brothers PLC
InventorRobert L. Jennings
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flap assembly includes a flap member (2) located at the trailing edge of an aircraft wing (4). A bracket (12) extends down from the flap member (2), and a mounting arm (8) extends rearwardly from the lower surface of the wing. Two link arms (14 and 16) are pivotally mounted at their upper ends (18 and 20) to the mounting arm (8), and at their lower ends (22 and 24) to the bracket (12). The flap member (2) is moved between its stowed and its downwardly extended positions by an actuating mechanism (26) which is mounted on the aircraft wing (4), and connected either to the flap member (2) or to the bracket (12). The actuating mechanism (26) may be of either a linear or a rotary type.
Claims14
A flap assembly for an aerofoil, said assembly comprising
- a support structure secured to the aerofoil and extending rearwardly from the lower surface of the aerofoil,
- a first flap member,
- a first bracket extending from said flap member,
- a first linkage mechanism connecting said bracket to said support structure to mount said flap member on said support structure for movement between an upper forward stowed position and a lower rearwardly, downwardly extended position, said linkage mechanism being dimensioned and arranged so that the majority of the rotation of said flap member takes place over the rearward part of the flap member travel,
- means for actuating said first linkage mechanism to move said flap member between said stowed and downwardly extended positions,
- wherein said first linkage mechanism comprises two link members pivotally mounted at their upper ends to the support structure and at their lower ends to said first bracket, one of said members at its upper mounting having rotational freedom about only its pivotal axis, and the lower mounting of this link member, and both mountings of the other link member, having complete rotational freedom.
- a second flap member,
- a second bracket extending from said second flap member,
- a second linkage mechanism connecting said second bracket to the said first bracket to mount said second flap member on said first bracket for movement between an upper forward stowed position and a lower rearwardly, downwardly extended position, and
- means for actuating said second linkage mechanism to move said second flap member between said stowed and downwardly extended positions.
In combination,
- an aircraft wing;
- a mounting arm secured to and extending from a lower surface of said wing;
- a flap assembly including a flap member and a fin shaped bracket depending from said flap member;
- a linkage mechanism connecting said bracket to said mounting arm, said linkage including a pair of link arms, each arm being pivotally connected at an upper end to said mounting arm and at a lower end to said bracket, said upper end of one of said link arms having rotational freedom only about its pivotal axis, and the lower end of this link arm, and both ends of the other of said link arms having complete rotational freedom;
- and
- an actuating mechanism for moving said flap member between a stowed position within said wing and a downwardly extended position spaced from said wing, said actuator mechanism being connected to and between said wing and said bracket to effect pivoting of said link arms on said mounting arm and movement of said flap from said wing first with a downward and rearward movement to clear said wing and then with a rotation movement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.