A wing includes a spar, and a pair of flexible skins that are attached to the spar. The spar is at the leading edge of the wing, and the skins extend toward the trailing edge of the wing. The wing deploys from a stowed condition, in which the skins are curved in the same direction around a fuselage
A wing includes a spar, and a pair of flexible skins that are attached to the spar. The spar is at the leading edge of the wing, and the skins extend toward the trailing edge of the wing. The wing deploys from a stowed condition, in which the skins are curved in the same direction around a fuselage of an aircraft, to a deployed condition, in which the skins provide the wing with an airfoil cross-sectional shape, for example with the skins curve in opposite direction. A lock is used to maintain the skins in the deployed state, with the lock for example located at the trailing edge of the wing. The lock may be a mechanical mechanism that automatically locks the wing in the deployed state, preventing the wing from returning to the stowed state.
대표청구항▼
1. A wing comprising: a pair of flexible skins; anda lock;in a combination with a fuselage to which the wing is coupled;wherein the skin portions each have a first end and a second end opposite the first end;wherein the first ends are spatially separated from one another by a gap;wherein the lock is
1. A wing comprising: a pair of flexible skins; anda lock;in a combination with a fuselage to which the wing is coupled;wherein the skin portions each have a first end and a second end opposite the first end;wherein the first ends are spatially separated from one another by a gap;wherein the lock is able to selectively lock the skins together at a location that is closer to the second ends than it is to the first ends;wherein the lock includes a pair of lock parts that engage in a ratcheting fashion, with one of the parts having teeth, barbs, or tabs, that engage the other of the parts, allowing the wing to go from a stowed state to a deployed state, but not vice versa; andwherein the wing is wrapped about the fuselage when the wing is in the stowed state, with the fuselage on an inside of curves of the skins. 2. The wing of claim 1, wherein the flexible skins have opposite curvatures when the wing is in a deployed state that the wing deploys to from the stowed state. 3. The wing of claim 1, wherein the flexible skins include an upper skin and a lower skin; and wherein the lock includes an upper piece and a lower piece, which are attached to the second ends of the upper skin and the lower skin, respectively. 4. The wing of claim 1, wherein when the wing is in the stowed state the lock parts are separated by a gap; wherein the wing deploys from the stowed state to a deployed state in which the lock parts move further into engagement, thereby at least partially closing the gap. 5. A wing comprising: a pair of flexible skins; anda lock;in combination with a fuselage to which the wing is coupled;wherein the skins each have a first end and a second end opposite the first end;wherein the first ends are spatially separated from one another by a gap;wherein the lock is able to selectively lock the skins together at a location that is closer to the second ends than to the first ends by non-rotational sliding of one piece of the lock relative to another piece of the lock; andwherein the wing is wrapped about the fuselage when the wing is in a stowed state, with the fuselage on an inside of the curves of the skins. 6. The wing of claim 5, further comprising a spar to which the first ends of both of the skins are attached; wherein the spar maintains the first ends separated by the gap. 7. The wing of claim 6, wherein the spar is located at a leading edge of the wing. 8. The wing of claim 7, wherein the lock is located at a trailing edge of the wing. 9. The wing of claim 6, wherein the spar is made of aluminum. 10. The wing of claim 5, wherein the wing is initially in the stowed state in which the skins curve in the same direction; and wherein the wing deploys from the stowed state to a deployed state in which the skins curve in opposite directions, forming an airfoil shape. 11. The wing of claim 10, wherein in the deployed state the lock mechanically locks the skins together, maintaining the wing in the deployed state. 12. The wing of claim 5, wherein the flexible skins are made of a carbon-fiber composite material. 13. The wing of claim 5, in combination with another wing coupled to the fuselage; wherein the another wing is wrapped about the fuselage when the wing is in the stowed state; and wherein the wings partially overlap one another when in the stowed state. 14. The wing of claim 5, wherein the flexible skins are made of sheet metal. 15. The wing of claim 5, further including a flexible material located in the gap. 16. A wing comprising: a pair of flexible skins;a lock; andfold-out ribs between the skins;in combination with a fuselage to which the wing is coupled;wherein the skins each have a first end and a second end opposite the first end;wherein the first ends are spatially separated from one another by a gap;wherein the lock is able to selectively lock the skins together at a location that is closer to the second ends than it is to the first ends; andwherein one end of each of the ribs is a free end that is not directly attached to a remainder of the wing; andwherein the wing is wrapped about the fuselage when the wing is in a stowed state, with the fuselage on an inside of curves of the skins. 17. The wing of claim 16, further comprising a spar to which the first ends of both of the skins are attached; wherein the ribs are hinged coupled to a back surface of the spar. 18. The wing of claim 16, further including springs coupled between the ribs and the spar to enable deployment of the ribs. 19. The wing of claim 16, wherein when the wing is in the stowed state the position of one of the skins prevents the deployment of the ribs; and wherein the wing deploys from the stowed state to a deployed state in which one of the skins moves out of the way of the ribs, allowing the ribs to deploy.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (17)
Kota,Sridhar; Hetrick,Joel A., Adaptive compliant wing and rotor system.
Mabe, James H.; Calkins, Frederick T.; Bushnell, Glenn S.; Bieniawski, Stefan R., Aircraft systems with shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, and associated methods.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.