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US 5,474,257 AGranted
Deployable wing
AssigneeUSBI Co.
InventorsJeffrey A. Fisher, Edward V. Miller, Dennis Van Dam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The deployable wing of the present invention comprises an internal structure having diverging leading edge spars attached to a keel spar and cross spars to form a delta wing configuration. This internal structure is enclosed within a volume defined by a fabric sail having an upper section, a lower section, and fabric ribs disposed therebetween. This fabric sail volume is internally pressurized through a ram air intake at the nose stagnation point. This deployable wing can be folded and deployed in the air.
Claims17
A deployable wing, comprising:
- a. a double membrane fabric sail having an upper section disposed above and joined to a lower section, said sail having a leading edge with a front point, a trailing edge, and wing tips,
- b. an internal structure disposed between said upper section and said lower section, said internal structure having,
- i. two leading edge spars, each of said leading edge spars having a first end and a second end, said first ends of said leading edge spars pivotally connected together at approximately said front point,
- ii. a keel spar connected to and disposed between said leading edge spars at said front point and extending rearward toward said trailing edge, and
- iii. at least two cross spars pivotally attached to said leading edge spars and to a sliding mechanism which transverses along said keel spar;
- c. a plurality of fabric ribs disposed between and connected to said upper section and said lower section, wherein said fabric ribs have at least one slot through which said cross spars extend from said keel spar to said leading edge spars and said fabric ribs define a shape of said fabric sail when inflated, and
- d. a ram air intake located on said leading edge at the stagnation point of the wing during operation.
4 more elements
A method for air dropping a payload, which comprises:
- a. providing a deployable wing comprising:
- i. a double membrane fabric sail having an upper section disposed above and joined to a lower section, said sail having a leading edge, and wing tips,
- ii. an internal structure disposed between said upper section and said lower section, said internal structure having,
- a. two leading edge spars with a first end and a second end, said first ends of said leading edge spars pivotally connected together at approximately said front point,
- b. a keel spar connected to and disposed between said leading edge spars at said front point and extending rearward toward said trailing edge, and
- c. at least two cross spars pivotally attached to said leading edge spars and to a sliding mechanism which transverses along said keel spar;
- iii. a plurality of fabric ribs disposed between and connected to said upper section and said lower section, wherein said fabric ribs have at least one slot through which said cross spars extend from said keel spar to said leading edge spars and said fabric ribs define a shape of said fabric sail when inflated, and
- iv. a ram air intake located on said leading edge at the stagnation point of the wing during operation, wherein said deployable wing is in a closed position such that said leading edge spars are aligned parallel to said keel spar;
- b. attaching the payload to said deployable wing;
- and
- c. deploying said wing from an aircraft, wherein said leading edge spars open, said sliding mechanism moves rearward toward the trailing edge and locks said cross spars into place and air enters said wing through said ram air intake to inflate said wing and form an airfoil shape.
8 more elements
A remotely controllable wing, said wing having a delta-wing geometry, comprising:
- a fabric sail having an upper section joined to a lower section and including an intake opening;
- an internal structure disposed substantially between said upper section and said lower section, said internal structure including at least two leading edge spars connected together at approximately a front point, a keel spar connected to and disposed between said leading edge spars at said front point and at least one cross spar attached to said leading edge spars;
- a plurality of elevon struts connected to the internal structure and substantially enclosed within the fabric sail;
- and
- a control device operatively connected to at least one of said elevon struts, said control device being remotely operable to move at least one of said elevon struts between a first position substantially within a plane defined by the wing and a second position substantially out of the plane of the wing.
2 more elements
A method for remotely controlling a wing, which comprises:
- a. providing a deployable wing comprising:
- i. a fabric sail having an upper section joined to a lower section and including an intake opening;
- ii. an internal structure disposed substantially between said upper section and said lower section, said internal structure including at least two leading edge spars connected to either at approximately a front point, a keel spar connected to and disposed between said leading edge spars at said front point and at least one cross spar attached to said leading edge spars;
- iii. a plurality of elevon struts connected to the internal structure and substantially enclosed within the fabric sail;
- iv. a remotely operable control device operatively connected to at least one of said elevon struts;
- and
- b. signaling said control device to move at least one of said elevon struts between a first position substantially within a plane defined by the deployable wing and a second position substantially out of the plane of the wing.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.