Folding Patents (Class 244/49)
  • Patent number: 12017807
    Abstract: A spacecraft capable of re-entry into atmosphere includes an airframe, including a body and one or more wings, and one or more propulsion devices, for example, rocket engines, reaction control thrusters, and jet engines. One or more louver systems are incorporated into the airframe to assist in controlling the aerodynamic profile of the spacecraft. The louver system includes a number of fins rotatable about and axis. An actuator system may rotate the fins in unison or independently of the other fins. A controller may receive information from sensors incorporated into the airframe and send instructions to the actuator system to rotate the fins in response to the sensor information in order to achieve a calculated aerodynamic profile. The spacecraft may also include retractable landing legs. One or more of the wings may be actuated wings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Inventor: Jasem Jamal Alhubail
  • Patent number: 11999514
    Abstract: A drone propeller of the present invention includes a plurality of blades and a rotary shaft, wherein the blades comprise a rotation retaining unit connected to the rotary shaft side, a separation and detachment unit that is on the outer side of the blades and is to be separated when damaged, and a breakage inducing unit which connects the rotation retaining unit and the separation and detachment unit and is damaged during a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Inventor: Min Cheol Lee
  • Patent number: 11964783
    Abstract: Examples include an apparatus for delivering a payload. The apparatus includes a first autonomous vehicle and a second autonomous vehicle that are configured to be coupled to an aircraft. The first autonomous vehicle includes a wing and a first propulsion system configured to deliver the second autonomous vehicle to a first destination. The second autonomous vehicle includes a payload and a second propulsion system configured to deliver the payload to a second destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
    Inventor: Tony Shuo Tao
  • Patent number: 11958619
    Abstract: A remote piloted aircraft comprising a secondary flight assembly adapted to intervene in case of failure or an emergency of the aircraft, said secondary flight assembly being provided with an additional control unit configured to process flight relevant data and which includes an additional receiver configured to receive commands from the remote pilot by means of a remote control unit, in case of failure or emergency said additional control unit being configured to generate, as a response, an activation command adapted to activate a first device to expel an upper wing placed in a first compartment of the aircraft and to inflate a lower wing housed in a second compartment of the aircraft, and also to generate an interdiction command of the primary propulsion unit, said upper wing being maneuverable by means of a further remote control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: RPS AEROSPACE S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giacomo Lunerti, Nausicaa Asia Vezzoli, Andrea Berna
  • Patent number: 11958600
    Abstract: A roadable vehicle includes main wings, a fuselage, a sliding door on a lateral side surface of the fuselage, and hinge mechanisms. The hinge mechanisms connect the main wings to the fuselage. The hinge mechanisms allow the main wings to turn between a first state where the main wings are folded beside the fuselage and a second state where the main wings are opened on the lateral sides of the fuselage. In the first state, the sliding door is opened and closed by sliding the sliding door in a space formed between one of the main wings and the fuselage while an outer side of the fuselage and an inner side of the sliding door facing each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Hirabayashi, Keisuke Tajiri, Yutaka Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11945578
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for limiting trailing edge deflection in aircraft folding wing tips are disclosed herein. An example aircraft wing disclosed herein includes a fixed wing portion. The fixed wing portion includes an outboard rib. The aircraft wing also includes a wing tip moveably coupled to the fixed wing portion. The wing tip is moveable between an extended position and a folded position. The wing tip includes an inboard rib that is disposed in a trailing edge section of the wing tip. The wing tip includes a stop plate coupled to the inboard rib. The stop plate extends inboard from the inboard rib such that when the wing tip is in the extended position, the stop plate is disposed below a portion of the outboard rib of the fixed wing portion to limit upward deflection of the trailing edge section of the wing tip relative to the fixed wing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Michael Olds, Eric George Gruner, Billy P. Tung, Eric Dwight Blohm
  • Patent number: 11945608
    Abstract: A spacecraft that is capable of re-entry into an atmosphere includes an airframe, including a body and one or more wings, and one or more propulsion devices, for example, rocket engines, reaction control thrusters, and jet engines. One or more louver systems are incorporated into the airframe to assist in controlling the aerodynamic profile of the spacecraft. The louver system includes a number of fins rotatable about and axis. An actuator system may rotate the fins in unison or independently of the other fins. A controller may receive information from sensors incorporated into the airframe and send instructions to the actuator system to rotate the fins in response to the sensor information in order to achieve a calculated aerodynamic profile. The spacecraft may also include retractable landing legs. One or more of the wings may be an actuated wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Inventor: Jasem Alhubail
  • Patent number: 11905011
    Abstract: An air mobility may include a wing portion extending from a fuselage of the air mobility; a folded portion provided at an edge portion of the wing portion, configured to extend from the wing portion to form a part of the wing portion during unfolding of the folded portion, and configured to move to overlap with the wing portion during folding of the folded portion, so that an area of air resistance in a vertical direction of the wing portion is reduced; an actuator connected to the folded portion and configured to provide power to the folded portion, so that the folded portion is unfolded or folded to the wing portion; and a controller connected to the actuator and configured to control the actuator, so that the folded portion is folded during vertical takeoff or landing of the fuselage, and configured to control the actuator to unfold the folded portion during cruising of the fuselage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Sang Hyun Jung, Kyu Hoon Cho, Chung Sik Yim, Jae Young Choi
  • Patent number: 11906331
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to measure the output of a rotary actuator unit includes a rotary actuator unit. The unit includes a stationary portion, a rotating portion, and a main rotational axis (L) that runs in an axial direction from a first end of the rotary actuator unit to a second end of the rotary actuator unit. The first end is opposite the second end. The apparatus also includes a linear position sensor comprising a follower, a sensor, and a sensor arm, wherein the follower is attached to the sensor by sensor arm; and wherein the sensor is attached to the stationary portion. The apparatus also includes a follower track attached or formed in, or on, to the rotating portion. The follower track is aligned in the circumferential direction that is perpendicular to axial direction of the main rotational axis (L). The follower is configured to follow the follower track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: GOODRICH ACTUATION SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Jonathan A Darby, Daniel Foster
  • Patent number: 11884389
    Abstract: A wing for an aircraft is disclosed having a fixed wing, a foldable wing tip portion and a flight latch device for latching the foldable wing tip portion in the extended position, wherein the flight latch device includes a housing, a latch bolt, and a motor for driving the latch bolt between the latched and unlatched positions. A flight latch device includes a threaded shaft rotationally driven by the motor, a nut engaging the shaft, so that the nut can rotate relative to the shaft, the nut is connected to the housing via a linear guide and is connected to the latch bolt for common linear movement with the latch bolt, and the flight latch device includes an offset compensation, providing that the shaft is supported pivotable relative to the housing and the latch bolt is coupled to the nut via a compensational bearing allowing angular play between the nut and the latch bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Lorenz
  • Patent number: 11858619
    Abstract: An aircraft (100) with a rotary wing (40) is equipped with a propulsion system (10). The aircraft (100) includes a rotating mast (50) that rotates the rotor wing (40). The propulsion system (10) includes a pole (20) mechanically connected to the rotating mast (50) of the aircraft (100), where at least one end of the pole (20) is equipped with a motor (30) configured to rotate the pole (20) around the axis of the rotating mast (50) in such a way that the rotation of the pole (20) can be used to rotate the rotating wing (40). At each end of the pole (20) is placed a motor group (30), where each motor group (30) includes a pair of counter-rotating propellers (32,32), said pair of counter-rotating propellers (32,32?) being arranged in such a way as to generate a rotational torque to rotate the pole (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: VINATI S.R.L.
    Inventors: Felice Vinati, Giacomo Vinati, Matteo Vinati, Mariachiara Vinati, Samuele Vinati
  • Patent number: 11834163
    Abstract: An aerial vehicle with a plurality of selectively collapsible arms capable of transitioning between an extended state and a contracted state is described. In the extended position, the distance between the main body of the vehicle and the rotor associated with each arm is maximized. In the contracted state, the distance between the main body of the vehicle and the rotor associated with each arm is minimized. In certain embodiments, each of the arms may include one or more tape springs that are biased to selectively move the associated one or more rotors of each arm between the retracted and extended states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: David Patterson, Mark Silver
  • Patent number: 11827358
    Abstract: A sensor magazine arrangement for a drone, the arrangement comprising a chassis configured to receive at least a portion of a drone to position a load point of such drone relative to the chassis. Also included is an array of sensor receptacles supported by the chassis, each receptacle configured to receive a sensor, and a carriage system fast with the chassis and having a manipulator configured to transfer a sensor between the array and a transfer point proximate the load point. Further included is a controller configured to control the carriage system to allow transfer of a sensor between the array and transfer point. The magazine arrangement broadly facilitates autonomous deployment and/or retrieval of a plurality of sensors via drone. An associated method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Inventor: Farlin Anooz Mohideen
  • Patent number: 11820502
    Abstract: A wing for an aircraft is disclosed having a fixed wing, a foldable wing tip portion mounted to the fixed wing via a hinge rotatable about a hinge axis between an extended position and a folded position, and an actuation unit for actuating the foldable wing tip portion for movement about the hinge axis. The wing includes a brake unit for securing the foldable wing tip portion in the folded position, and the brake unit is formed separately from the actuation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Lorenz
  • Patent number: 11814166
    Abstract: An assembly for moving a tip of an airfoil (e.g., an aircraft wing tip) relative to a fixed body of the airfoil. The assembly includes a linear actuator configured to pivotally attach to both the fixed body of the airfoil and the movable tip of the airfoil, such that the linear actuator is configured to extend between a first pivotal attachment on the fixed body and a second pivotal attachment on the movable tip. The linear actuator is configured to repeatedly move the tip of the airfoil from an unfolded position to a folded position, wherein throughout such movement the linear actuator is configured to pivot about both the first and second pivotal attachments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: GOODRICH ACTUATION SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventor: Graham James Burgess
  • Patent number: 11807397
    Abstract: Methods and systems for assembling containerized aircraft as complete aircraft. The methods comprise removing aircraft components from shipping container(s), unloading the aircraft components from shipping fixture(s), removing tooling comprising aircraft component positioning structure(s) from the shipping container(s), loading aircraft component(s) onto aircraft component positioning structure(s), positioning the aircraft components in aircraft component installation positions, positioning the aircraft component(s) using the aircraft component positioning structure(s), and attaching the aircraft components to assemble the complete aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Joseph D. Anderson, Don Russell, Matthew B. Moore, Jason Warner, David Jon Herman, Patrick B. Stone, Michael David Collier, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11787525
    Abstract: A reconfigurable hybrid Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) vehicle includes a turntable bearing coupling a conventional wing to a fuselage. The fuselage, designed to couple to and release a cargo pod from its undercarriage, is configured to accept a high wing juncture such that the wing can rotate from a flight configuration to a transport configuration. The transport configuration aligns the wing with the fuselage sufficient to enable the hybrid VTOL vehicle to fit within a standard intermodal container or transport aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ELROY AIR, INC.
    Inventors: Terik Weekes, Sean Belardo, David Merrill, Clint Cope, Shane Hills
  • Patent number: 11768062
    Abstract: A guided missile with a sleeve-shaped missile body, at least one engine for producing forward thrust, at least one flight direction control device, and at least one aerodynamic extension. The least one flight direction control device is rotatably mounted to a top area and/or a bottom area of the sleeve-shaped missile body for adjusting a flight direction of the guided missile. The least one aerodynamic extension comprises an aerodynamic cross-sectional shape that is arranged on a left-hand side and/or a right-hand side of the sleeve-shaped missile body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Moritz Buesing
  • Patent number: 11767109
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to reconfigurable unmanned vehicles (100). Such vehicles (100) comprise a fuselage (102) presenting a bay (118) for receiving a plurality of components (120-128), each of the plurality of components (120-128) relating to a respective entity for at least one of flight control or operation of the unmanned vehicle (100). The bay (118) comprising a bus to support communications between at least two of the plurality of components (120-128), the plurality of components (120-128) comprising a controller to determine a configuration or presence of one or more than one component of the plurality of components (120-128) when coupled to the bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: BLUE BEAR SYSTEMS RESEARCH LIMITED
    Inventors: Samuel Antony Richardson, Michael Alexander Snook, David Scott Weight
  • Patent number: 11719509
    Abstract: A projectile launch detector, including a body, a mast and a blade rigidly connected to the mast; the mast being capable of sliding between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration, and capable of pivoting between a first and a second angular position. The detector may further includes a first elastic return element to return the mast to the deployed configuration relative to the body; and a first associated sensor; and a second elastic return element to return the mast to the first angular position relative to the body; and a second associated sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: NAVAL GROUP
    Inventors: Thibaut De Sarran, Quentin Deguin, Pierre Nuytten
  • Patent number: 11691714
    Abstract: Some embodiments described herein relate to a wing that is coupled to a body of a vehicle and configured to rotate forward from a deployed configuration, in which the wing extends from the body to a retracted configuration in which a tip portion of the wing is closer to a nose portion of the body than a root portion of the wing is to the nose portion. A hinged beam having a first portion pivotably coupled to a second portion is configured to transmit loads associated with flight from the wing to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TUDOR CROSSFELT, LLP
    Inventor: Samuel Hall Bousfield
  • Patent number: 11691713
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a VTOL aircraft with retractable wings and TEMCS (trailing edge mounted control surface) mounted tilt-able engines. The aircraft has two hover modes; a first hover mode with retracted wings which allows takeoff and landing in tight landing spots, and a second hover mode with extended wings, during these hover modes, the aircraft operates as a multi-rotor aircraft with additional means of vectored forces created by tilt-able engines, with engines directed upward, and a cruise mode with the wings extended and the engines directed in forward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Inventor: Behrang Mehrgan
  • Patent number: 11686330
    Abstract: A manufacture configured to and process for inhibiting, from wear, a lock in a latching system comprising: a gland surrounding an actuator translating the lock through: a first fixed lock receptor and a moveable lock receptor. The manufacture and process include: inhibiting a skewing, of a lock central axis of the lock with the lock translating through the first opening and the opening in the moveable lock receptor, away from substantially aligning with: a first central axis of a first opening of the first fixed lock receptor, and an actuator central axis of the actuator, via fitting a first translation guide into the first fixed lock receptor. Also included is inhibiting: wear of a gland around an actuator in the lock while translating, and leaking, past the gland, of an actuator fluid within the lock; and skewing of an actuator central axis of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Eric S. Kamila, Charles E. Jokisch, Renato S. Felicio
  • Patent number: 11613351
    Abstract: A pull cord type turning mechanism for a butterfly-inspired flapping-wing aerial robot includes a motor, a cord reel, a cord reel gear, a potentiometer gear, a potentiometer, a control module, and a power supply. The control module is connected to the motor and the potentiometer. A rotary shaft of the motor is connected to the cord reel, the cord reel is coaxially connected to the cord reel gear, the cord reel gear is meshed with the potentiometer gear, and the potentiometer gear is connected to a rotary shaft of the potentiometer. The cord reel gear is provided with two cord grooves and two pull cords. One ends of the two pull cords are fixed in the two cord grooves, respectively, and the other ends thereof are fixed at the tips of front wings of two sides of the butterfly-inspired flapping-wing aerial robot, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: University of Science and Technology Beijing
    Inventors: Wei He, Haifeng Huang, Jiubin Wang, Xinyue Tang, Xiuyu He, Qiang Fu, Yao Zou, Hui Zhang, Changyin Sun, Yaonan Wang
  • Patent number: 11565794
    Abstract: A fixed wing drone comprises an air channel embedded therein. The air channel has an upstream an air inlet. A microcontroller mounted within the drone is configured to control navigation of the drone. An air scoop having a section positioned adjacent the inlet to the air channel is adjustable between a first position to capture and divert air into the inlet and thereby to air channel and a second position to block air flow into the air inlet. The air scoop is positioned to divert air flow into the air channel and to the gas sensor during forward flight of the drone. In one embodiment, the fixed wing drone comprises an aircraft having a fuselage and at least two wings. In another embodiment, the fixed wing drone has a flying wing construction, that is, is a tailless design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian Parrott, Fadl Abdellatif
  • Patent number: 11536224
    Abstract: A power driver of an unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed and includes a main body, a fluid actuation system and a controller, wherein the fluid actuation system includes a driving zone, a converging chamber, a plurality of valves and a fluid discharging zone. The driving zone includes a plurality of flow guiding units which arranged in series, parallel or series-parallel, each of the flow guiding unit generates an inside pressure gradient after being actuated, so as to inhale fluid and diverge fluid by guiding channels, and flow into the convergence chamber for storage, wherein the amount of the fluid transported is controlled by the plurality of valves disposed in the connection channels through the controller, and fluid is finally converged to the fluid discharging zone for discharging the specific transportation amount of fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: MICROJET TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hao-Jan Mou, Chi-Feng Huang, Yung-Lung Han, Hsuan-Kai Chen, Chun-Yi Kuo, Chih-Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 11530035
    Abstract: An aircraft having multiple wing planforms. The aircraft includes an airframe having first and second half-wings with first and second pylons extending therebetween. A distributed thrust array is attached to the airframe. The thrust array includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first half-wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second half-wing. A flight control system is coupled to the airframe. The fight control system is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies and control conversions between the wing planforms. The aircraft is configured to convert between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a forward flight orientation. In addition, the aircraft is configured to convert between a biplane configuration and a monoplane configuration in the forward flight orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Andrew Knoll, George Matthew Thompson, Matthew Edward Louis
  • Patent number: 11530025
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage body, a foldable wing assembly and a gear assembly. The foldable wing assembly, including a pair of opposing wing members, is coupled to the fuselage body and positionable in a stowed position and a deployed position. The gear assembly positions the wing members in a stowed position and a deployed position and include a support bracket assembly and a pair of opposing hinge members. The support bracket assembly is coupled to the fuselage body and including first and second support brackets forming a cavity therebetween and a pair of opposing hinge members. The pair of opposing hinge members are pivotably coupled to the support bracket assembly and positioned within the cavity. Each hinge member is coupled to a corresponding wing member and includes a set of gear teeth extending outwardly from an arcuate radially outer surface and coupled in a meshed arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Inventors: Long Zhang, Zhaozhe Wang, Weiqi Liu, Xiaonan Cheng, Tong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11532969
    Abstract: Examples include an actuator that includes a rotor that includes a permanent magnet; a stator that at least partially surrounds the rotor; a plurality of electromagnets coupled to the stator that are configured to apply magnetic force to the permanent magnet to rotate the rotor; a first lock that (i) has a first mechanical bias to engage the rotor and prevent rotation of the rotor when the rotor is in a home position and (ii) is configured to disengage the rotor against the first mechanical bias while receiving a first control signal; and a second lock that (i) has a second mechanical bias to disengage the rotor and (ii) is configured to engage the rotor against the second mechanical bias to prevent rotation of the rotor while receiving a second control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Gary I. Norton
  • Patent number: 11525651
    Abstract: An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is disclosed. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle includes a body, rotors attached to the body, one or more sensors, and an electromagnetic pulse transmitter. The electromagnetic pulse transmitter is configured to transmit an EMP and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is configured to track a target Unmanned Aerial Vehicle using the one or more sensors and direct the electromagnetic pulse transmitter at the target Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to disrupt the target Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Inventor: Joshua Priest
  • Patent number: 11518489
    Abstract: Various embodiments for a foldable quad-rotor (FQR) inspired by an origami mechanism are disclosed herein. The FQR can fold its arms during flight to enable aggressive turning maneuvers and operations in cluttered environments. A dynamic model of folding is built for this system with the collected data, and a feedback controller is designed to control the position and orientation of the FQR. Lyapunov stability analysis is conducted to show that the system is stable during arm folding and extension, and motion planning of the FQR is achieved based on a modified minimum-snap trajectory generation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Wenlong Zhang, Dangli Yang, Shatadal Mishra, Daniel Aukes
  • Patent number: 11447231
    Abstract: An actuating system for pivoting a wing tip section (13) about a fixed wing base section (11), and including a heating arrangement (33) positioned and adapted to be operable to heat at least one portion of an actuating arrangement (23) that pivots the wing tip section such that at least for ambient temperatures below a predetermined temperature the required work to be effected by the actuator (25) when moving the second coupling part (31) between the first position and the second position is lower than without heating the at least one portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH, Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Saskia Dege, Svenja Jegminat, Yann Nicolas
  • Patent number: 11420723
    Abstract: An aircraft wing (1) including a fixed wing (3) and a wing tip device (4) at the tip of the fixed wing (3), the wing tip device (4) being rotatable relative to the fixed wing (3) between a flight configuration (4a) for use during flight, and a ground configuration (4b) for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the wing tip device (4) is rotated relative to the fixed wing (3) such that the span of the wing (1) is reduced. The aircraft wing (1) has a gear assembly (31) that couples the wing tip device (4) to an actuator (30) such that the actuator (30) drives the rotation of the wing tip device (4) between the flight and ground configurations, the gear assembly (31) comprising a worm drive (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Benjamin Bishop
  • Patent number: 11413918
    Abstract: A fly/drive vehicle has a road riding condition and a flying condition, and is easily convertible between the road riding condition and the flying condition. The vehicle includes a body with a passenger compartment and a drive compartment, at least one steered wheel and at least one driven wheel, and a propulsion propeller. The propulsion propeller has a central propeller base projecting outside a longitudinal end of the vehicle, and two propeller blades hinged to the central base. In the flying condition, the propeller blades are in an operative spread-out position, in which they extend substantially in line with each other substantially perpendicular to the propeller's rotation axis. In the road riding condition, the propeller blades are hinged about substantially vertical hinge axes to be directed more parallel to the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: PAL-V IP B.V.
    Inventors: Michael Alwin William Stekelenburg, Hans Joore, Christiaan Cornelius Klok, Louis Petrus Valentijn Marie Van Rijn, Kevin Ricardo Van Der Beek, Erik Van De Ruit
  • Patent number: 11397284
    Abstract: In examples, systems and methods for a radiating system of an aircraft are described. The aircraft system includes a conformal antenna array having a flexible substrate configured to conform to a curvature of a portion of an aircraft. Additionally, the conformal array has a plurality of antenna elements coupled to a first surface of the flexible substrate, where the plurality of antennas are formed in an array. The aircraft system further includes radio front-end hardware configured to communicate signals to and from the plurality of antenna elements. Moreover, the aircraft system includes a radar processing system coupled to the radio front-end hardware. Yet further, the aircraft system includes a renewable energy source configured to power the radar processing system and the radio front-end hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Ted R. Dabrowski, John Dalton Williams
  • Patent number: 11352127
    Abstract: An aircraft wing subassembly including: a wing skin defining a first outer surface, and, a structural reinforcement member, the structural reinforcement member defining a second outer surface, wherein the structural reinforcement member is arranged within the wing such that the first outer surface and the second outer surface form part of an outer wing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Julien Chaussee, Camille Paumes, Norman Wijker, Stuart Alexander
  • Patent number: 11345459
    Abstract: A wing for an aircraft is disclosed having a fixed wing and a foldable wing tip portion mounted to the fixed wing via a hinge rotatable about a hinge axis between an extended position and a folded position. The wing may include an actuation unit with reduced complexity, and may include a ground latch device for latching the foldable wing tip portion in the folded position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Lorenz
  • Patent number: 11345487
    Abstract: A method for testing an arresting unit (15) for locking a foldable wing tip portion (11) to a wing (5) that includes a fixed wing (9), a foldable wing tip portion (11), and a folded position, an actuation unit (13) for actuating movement of the foldable wing tip portion (11), and an arresting unit (15) for locking the foldable wing tip portion (11). The method includes: locking the foldable wing tip portion (11) in the extended position by the arresting unit (15), controlling the actuation unit (13) to move the foldable wing tip portion (11) in the direction towards the folded position, such that the foldable wing tip portion (11) urges against the arresting unit (15) with a predefined test load, detecting deformation of the arresting unit (15) during or after application of the test load, and comparing the detected deformation to a predefined threshold deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Saskia Dege, Svenja Jegminat
  • Patent number: 11325693
    Abstract: An actuation unit (15) for actuating a foldable wing tip portion (9) includes a first housing part (19) including a first attachment device (23) configured for attachment to a fixed wing (5), and a second housing part (21) including a second attachment device (25) configured for attachment to a foldable wing tip portion (9). The second housing part (21) is rotatable about a main axis of rotation (35). The second housing part (21) includes a toothed rack (37) having a concave shape and facing the main axis of rotation (35). A drive pinion (39) is supported at the first housing part (19) and engaging the toothed rack (37) for driving the second housing part (21) rotatingly relative to the first housing part (19). The drive pinion (39) is driven by a coupling arrangement (43) that is configured to be coupled to an output (45) of a motor unit (47).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Lorenz
  • Patent number: 11279463
    Abstract: A flying vehicle comprising a wing ship body having a pair of wing spars secured thereto; and a plurality of hinged wing-rib assemblies disposed along each wing spar that allows the wings to be folded against the body of the flying vehicle. A method for folding or collapsing the wings of a wing-in-ground-effect wing ship comprising providing a wing-in-ground-effect wing ship having a pair of wings, and folding the wings toward and against the body of the wing-in-ground-effect wing ship. A fabric covered wing folding assembly including a pair of wings with each wing having a wing spar and covered by a fabric. A plurality of hinged wing-rib assemblies is disposed along each wing spar that allows the wings to be folded against the body of the aircraft. A method is provided for folding or collapsing the wings of an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Inventor: Marc Stefan Witt
  • Patent number: 11267554
    Abstract: A locking pin associated with one of a fixed wing and a wing tip device, and a bush associated with the other of the fixed wing and wing tip device, the bush configured to receive the locking pin. The bush is located within a bush housing arranged to allow relative movement of the bush in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the locking pin when the locking pin is received within the bush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: David Brakes, Eric Wildman
  • Patent number: 11214357
    Abstract: A wing for an aircraft having a fixed wing, a foldable wing tip portion rotatably attached to the fixed wing and an actuation unit for rotating the foldable wing tip portion relative to the fixed wing about a hinge axis is disclosed. The actuation unit includes a traction means for transmitting traction between the fixed wing and the foldable wing tip portion, a main wheel attached to the foldable wing tip portion and in contact with the traction means and a drive means for generating traction to be transmitted by the traction means. The actuation unit generates traction with the drive means in the traction means so that the foldable wing tip portion can be rotated relative to the fixed wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Lorenz
  • Patent number: 11203411
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to control and monitor a folding wingtip actuation system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a sequence and control module to determine whether to control a movement of a folding wingtip assembly coupled to a wing of an aircraft, the sequence and control module is to determine actions during a first stage and a second stage to complete in sequence to move the folding wingtip assembly, determine a status of a first component of the folding wingtip assembly based on a sensor measurement, in response to the status being a non-responsive status, replace a first input from the first component with a second input from a second component, and control the movement of the folding wingtip assembly based on the actions and the second input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Aaron Niemiec, Adam Michael Honse, Gregory James Garmire, Mike Andrew Hritzo
  • Patent number: 11203410
    Abstract: An aircraft is disclosed having a wing, the wing having a fixed wing with a wing tip device moveably mounted about a hinge at the tip thereof. The wing tip device is operable between a flight configuration, and a load alleviating configuration for load alleviation during flight. The aircraft includes a restraining assembly operable between a restraining mode in which the wing tip device is held in the flight configuration using a restraining force such as by a brake, and a releasing mode in which the restraining force on the wing tip device is released, such that the wing tip device may adopt the load alleviating configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Thomas Wilson, Martin Herring, John Pattinson, Jonathan Cooper, Andrea Castrichini, Rafic Ajaj, Hitul Dhoru
  • Patent number: 11192629
    Abstract: An aircraft (2) including a wing (1), the wing (1) having a fixed wing (3) and a wing tip device (4) at the tip of the fixed wing (3), the wing tip device (4) being rotatable relative to the fixed wing (3) between flight and ground configurations, the aircraft including a rotational joint (10) with a rotation mechanism (11) that rotatably couples the wing tip device (4) to the fixed wing (3) and a locking mechanism including a locking bore (53, 54) and a locking pin (51) that is receivable in the locking bore to lock the wing tip device (4) in one of the flight or ground configurations, wherein the rotational joint includes an alignment mechanism including an alignment pin (61) and an alignment bore (62, 63) and at least one of the alignment pin and alignment bore is tapered such that engagement of the alignment pin (61) in the alignment bore acts to guide the locking bore and locking pin into alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: David Brakes
  • Patent number: 11192630
    Abstract: An aircraft having a wing, including a fixed wing with a wing tip device movably mounted at the outer end thereof is disclosed. The wing tip device is movable between: a flight configuration; and a ground configuration. The wing tip device and the fixed wing are separated along an oblique primary cut plane. The wing tip device and the fixed wing meet along an interfacing cut line. The wing tip device and fixed wing comprise a wing skin with a thickness, and end faces extending across the thickness of the wing skin provide interfacing surfaces corresponding to the interfacing cut line, wherein the interfacing surfaces are angled at a first orientation towards the front of the wing and a second, opposite, orientation towards the rear of the wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventor: Benjamin Bishop
  • Patent number: 11155330
    Abstract: A propulsion and lift system for an aircraft includes a wing having an outboard end and a pylon assembly coupled to the outboard end of the wing. The propulsion and lift system also includes a wing extension rotatably coupled to the outboard end of the pylon assembly. The wing extension is rotatable between a flight position in a flight mode and a stow position in a storage mode. The wing extension folds inboard in the stow position, thereby reducing a wingspan of the aircraft in the storage mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: James Elbert King, Michael Edwin Rinehart, William S. Atkins
  • Patent number: 11148781
    Abstract: Disclosed here are airframe component assemblies including example embodiments with a root connected to an aircraft fuselage, a free section with a connection portion with holes, a slidable attachment section formed to fit between the root and the free section, and an elastomeric retention device coupled to the root and the slidable attachment section, the elastomeric retention device configured to exert a force to pull the slidable attachment toward the root.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Skyler Sartorius, Calder Richmond Hughes, Julian Rene Alvarez, Sean David-Andrew Belardo
  • Patent number: 11084568
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to control and monitor a folding wingtip actuation system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a sequence and control module to determine whether to control a movement of a folding wingtip assembly coupled to a wing of an aircraft, the sequence and control module is to determine actions during a first stage and a second stage to complete in sequence to move the folding wingtip assembly, determine a status of a first component of the folding wingtip assembly based on a sensor measurement, in response to the status being a non-responsive status, replace a first input from the first component with a second input from a second component, and control the movement of the folding wingtip assembly based on the actions and the second input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Aaron Niemiec, Adam Michael Honse, Gregory James Garmire, Mike Andrew Hritzo
  • Patent number: 11084567
    Abstract: An airplane comprising a fuselage, two wings, a rear tail unit comprising a horizontal tail provided with two tail ends, and at least two engines arranged on the fuselage on either side of a vertical plane of symmetry of the airplane, the airplane having a longitudinal axis, the engines being mounted so as to be able to be displaced, at least in flight, on the fuselage, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the tail ends being mounted so as to be able to be pivoted, at least in flight, relative to the horizontal tail, the airplane thus having a configuration that changes in flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventor: Mathias Farouz-Fouquet