Methods and apparatus for adjustable surfaces
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsTerry M. Sanderson, Jamie W. Clark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for systems having deployable elements according to various aspects of the present invention comprise a system including a deployable surface and an adaptive actuator including a polymer foam. In one embodiment, the system comprises a vehicle including a deployable wing comprising an exterior surface. The exterior surface may be adjusted by adjusting the shape, size, position, and/or orientation of the adaptive actuator.
Claims24
A vehicle, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- and
- a control surface attached to the fuselage, comprising:
- an exterior surface, wherein a surface area magnitude of the exterior surface is adjustable;
- and
- an adaptive actuator connected to the exterior surface and configured to adjust the surface area magnitude of the exterior surface, wherein the adaptive actuator comprises a polymer foam.
A projectile, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- and
- a deployable wing attached to the fuselage, comprising:
- an exterior surface;
- and
- an adaptive actuator supporting the exterior surface and configured to adjust a surface area of the exterior surface, wherein:
- the adaptive actuator comprises a polymer foam attached to the exterior surface;
- the polymer foam is configured to at least one of extend and retract;
- and
- the exterior surface is configured to at least one of expand and contract in response to the polymer foam.
A method of deploying a wing having an exterior surface, wherein the wing is coupled to a fuselage of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing an actuation signal;
- and
- deforming a polymer foam in response to the actuation signal to thereby adjust a surface area magnitude of the exterior surface of the wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.