Control surface assembly
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorEric Wildman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerodynamic control surface assembly comprising: an aerodynamic control surface (4); an actuator (10) for controlling deployment of the control surface; and a locking mechanism (30) moveable from a locked to an unlocked position. When the locking mechanism is set to the locked position, the actuator is operatively coupled to the control surface and the control surface can move in dependently of the actuator when the locking mechanism is set to the unlocked position. Such an assembly may be used in an aircraft to prevent clashing between a deployed flap (16) and a drooped spoiler (4) in the event of an actuator control systems failure.
Claims18
An aerodynamic control surface assembly comprising:
- a first aerodynamic control surface;
- a second aerodynamic control surface, said second control surface moveable at least between deployed and stowed positions;
- an actuator for controlling deployment of the first control surface;
- and
- a locking mechanism moveable from a locked to an unlocked position, wherein the actuator is operatively coupled to the first control surface when the locking mechanism is set to the locked position and the first control surface can move independently of the actuator when the locking mechanism is set to the unlocked position, wherein, said first control surface at least partially extends into the path of said second control surface when moving between said deployed and stowed positions, wherein, upon failure of the actuator to retract the first control surface during stowing of the second control surface, the locking mechanism, as a result of movement of said second control surface, unlocks said locking mechanism.
A method of operatively decoupling a first aerodynamic control surface from an actuator for controlling deployment of the first control surface, a second aerodynamic control surface moveable between deployed and stowed positions, the actuator is operatively coupled to the first control surface by a locking mechanism when set to a locked position and the locking mechanism is moveable from the locked position to an unlocked position, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the second control surface to a deployed position;
- moving, by actuation of said actuator, said first control surface at least partially extending into the path of said second control surface when moving between said deployed and stowed positions;
- whereupon failure of said actuator with said first control surface at least partially extending into said path, moving said second control surface toward a stowed position causes
- unlocking of the locking mechanism permitting the first control surface to move independently of the actuator.
A method of operatively decoupling a first aerodynamic control surface from an actuator for controlling deployment of the first control surface, a second aerodynamic control surface moveable along a path between deployed and stowed positions, the actuator is coupled to the first control surface by a locking mechanism when set to a locked position, and the locking mechanism is moveable from the locked position to an unlocked position, wherein the second aerodynamic control surface is positioned aft of the first control surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the second surface to the deployed position;
- moving, by actuation of said actuator, said first control surface to at least partially extend into said path;
- and
- upon failure of said actuator with said first control surface at least partially extending into said path, moving said second control surface toward the stowed position and thereby unlocking the locking mechanism allowing the first control surface to move independently of the actuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.