초록 ▼

A seal assembly for covering the structural opening in the side of a vertical stabilizer, through which extends a structural member for pivotally mounting a flying horizontal stabilizer to structure within the vertical stabilizer retards or prevents ambient air flow between the upper and lower surfa

A seal assembly for covering the structural opening in the side of a vertical stabilizer, through which extends a structural member for pivotally mounting a flying horizontal stabilizer to structure within the vertical stabilizer retards or prevents ambient air flow between the upper and lower surfaces of the horizontal stabilizer. A seal plate is affixed to the inner end of the horizontal stabilizer, is faired into the upper and lower horizontal stabilizer surfaces, and extends outwardly therefrom in a direction transverse to the horizontal stabilizer. The shape of the periphery of the seal plate is chosen at a predetermined position of the horizontal stabilizer so as to equidistantly space the periphery of the seal plate from that portion of the outer surface of the skin of the vertical stabilizer underlying or adjacent the periphery of the seal plate. A resilient, flexible seal member is affixed to the periphery of the seal plate and engages the surface of the vertical stabilizer in sealing engagement. When in the predetermined position, the seal member is partially flexed or compressed so that as the seal plate moves with the flying horizontal stabilizer, a sealing relationship will be maintained between the seal member and the surface of the vertical stabilizer even though the relative distance between the periphery of the seal plate and the surface of the stabilizer varies upon movement of the seal plate with the horizontal stabilizer.

대표청구항 ▼

In an aircraft tail assembly including a vertical stabilizer and a flying horizontal stabilizer, said vertical stabilizer having a skin with a convex, outer airfoil surface, and an opening through said skin to the interior of said vertical stabilizer, said horizontal stabilizer having an inner end p

In an aircraft tail assembly including a vertical stabilizer and a flying horizontal stabilizer, said vertical stabilizer having a skin with a convex, outer airfoil surface, and an opening through said skin to the interior of said vertical stabilizer, said horizontal stabilizer having an inner end positioned adjacent said opening and a structural member affixed thereto and extending through said opening into said vertical stabilizer, and hinge means for mounting said horizontal stabilizer for upward and downward swinging movement about an axis oriented transversely to the chord line of said vertical stabilizer, the improvement comprising: a seal plate affixed to said horizontal stabilizer adjacent said vertical stabilizer, said seal plate being oriented transversely to said horizontal stabilizer and having a periphery so configured to cover the opening in said vertical stabilizer as said horizontal stabilizer swings about its axis, the periphery of said seal plate being spaced outwardly from the convex, outer surface of the skin of said vertical stabilizer, and; resilient seal means for sealing said opening relative to the air surrounding said vertical and horizontal stabilizers to retard air flow between the upper and lower surfaces of said horizontal stabilizer, said resilient seal means being affixed to the periphery of said seal plate and interposed between said seal plate and the convex, outer surface of the skin of said vertical stabilizer, said resilient seal means being partially flexed when said horizontal stabilizer is in a first predetermined position so that said seal means can flex bi-directionally transversely to the convex, outer surface of the skin of said vertical stabilizer as said horizontal stabilizer swings about its axis and allows the shape of the contact region of said resilient seal means to vary relative to the shape of the periphery of said seal plate, thereby maintaining a constant sealing relationship between said seal plate and the convex, outer surface of the skin of said vertical stabilizer as said horizontal stabilizer swings about its axis.