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US 8,136,766 B2Granted
Frangible fasteners for aircraft components and associated systems and methods
AssigneeInsitu, Inc.
InventorBrian D. Dennis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Frangible fasteners and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, an unmanned aircraft can include a fuselage portion, a wing portion, and a winglet carried by the wing portion. The aircraft can also include at least one frangible fastener coupling the winglet to the wing portion. The fastener is coupled to only partially release the winglet from the wing portion when a force on the winglet exceeds a threshold value.
Claims19
An unmanned aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage portion;
- a wing portion;
- a winglet carried by the wing portion;
- and
- at least one frangible fastener coupling the winglet to the wing portion, wherein the frangible fastener comprises two discrete portions that separate by a selected distance while remaining connected when a force on the wing portion and/or the winglet exceeds a threshold value, and wherein the fastener is configured to only partially release the winglet from the wing portion when the force exceeds the threshold value.
2 more elements
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an unmanned aircraft having a fuselage and a pair of wings extending from the fuselage;
- a first component carried by the aircraft;
- a second component carried by the aircraft and positioned adjacent to the first component;
- and
- a frangible link for coupling the first component to the second component, wherein the frangible link comprises two discrete members that separate by a predetermined distance while remaining connected when a force on the frangible link exceeds a threshold tensile force, and wherein the frangible link is configured to separate the first component from the second component by no more than the predetermined distance when the frangible link is subjected to the threshold tensile force.
2 more elements
An unmanned aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage portion;
- a wing portion;
- a winglet carried by the wing portion;
- and
- at least one frangible fastener coupling the winglet to the wing portion, the frangible fastener being configured to only partially release the winglet from the wing portion when a force on the winglet exceeds a threshold value, and wherein the frangible fastener comprises—
- a generally hollow outer portion having an opening extending from a first end of the outer portion to a second end of the outer portion;
- and
- an inner portion at least partially received in the opening, the inner portion having a head portion proximate to the first end of the outer portion and slidably received within the opening, a threaded portion proximate to and coupled to the second end of the outer portion, and a body extending between the head portion and the threaded portion, wherein the inner portion is configured to move axially relative to the outer portion when the force exceeds the threshold force.
5 more elements
An aircraft system, comprising:
- an unmanned aircraft having a fuselage and a pair of wings extending from the fuselage;
- a first component carried by the aircraft;
- a second component carried by the aircraft and positioned adjacent to the first component;
- and
- a frangible link for coupling the first component to the second component, wherein the frangible link is configured to separate the first component from the second component by no more than a predetermined distance when the frangible link is subjected to a threshold tensile force, wherein the frangible link comprises—
- an outer housing having an opening extending axially therethrough, and an inner shaft slidably received within the opening,
- wherein the outer housing is configured to break into two discrete portions under the threshold tensile force, and wherein one portion of the outer housing remains in contact with the first component and the other portion of the outer housing remains in contact with the second component;
- and
- wherein the inner shaft is configured to slidably move within the opening relative to the outer housing and remain coupled to both of the first and second components after the force on the frangible link exceeds the threshold tensile force.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.