US 12,221,209 B2
Leading edge assembly, wing, and aircraft
Dennis Krey, Bremen (DE); Bernhard Schlipf, Bremen (DE); Peter Lücken, Bremen (DE); and Florian Lorenz, Bremen (DE)
Assigned to AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH, Hamburg (DE)
Appl. No. 17/615,358
Filed by Airbus Operations GmbH, Hamburg (DE)
PCT Filed Aug. 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/073976
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 30, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/037981, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 102019123379.8 (DE), filed on Aug. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0227476 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 3/28 (2006.01); B64C 9/24 (2006.01); B64C 13/34 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 3/28 (2013.01) [B64C 9/24 (2013.01); B64C 13/34 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A leading edge assembly for a wing, comprising:
a preassembled module connectable to a fixed wing section of the wing as a single unit, the preassembled module comprising:
a housing configured to be connectable to a fixed wing section of the wing with a first opening formed in the housing connecting an exterior of the housing with an interior of the housing and a second opening through a sidewall of the housing connecting the exterior of the housing with the interior of the housing,
an actuating element within the housing and movably connected to the housing such that the actuating element is movable between a first position and at least one second position,
wherein the actuating element extends through the first opening and comprises a first section arranged in the interior of the housing and a second section arranged at the exterior of the housing, the actuating element being configured to be connectable to a high lift device,
wherein the second opening is configured for accepting a drive mechanism therethrough for connection to the actuating element configured to drive movement of the actuating element,
wherein an annular seal is connected to the housing for abutting the drive mechanism,
wherein the leading edge assembly comprises a seal having a first seal section connected to the housing and a second seal section abutting the actuating element when the actuating element is moved between the first position and the at least one second position, such that the exterior of the housing and the interior of the housing are separated from each other by the seal,
wherein the leading edge assembly is arranged entirely in front of a front spar of the fixed wing section and does not penetrate the front spar of the fixed wing section,
wherein the leading edge assembly comprises a roller bearing, and
wherein the first section of the actuating element is mounted to the housing via the roller bearing,
wherein the roller bearing comprises a second roller rotatably mounted to the housing,
wherein the second roller engages a second engagement surface formed by the second section of the actuating element and by a middle section of the actuating element, such that the second roller rolls on the second engagement surface when the actuating element is moved between the first position and the at least one second position,
wherein the actuating element comprises a lower flange section, an upper flange section, and a web section connecting the upper flange section and the lower flange section,
wherein the second roller is arranged in a recess between the lower flange section and the upper flange section,
wherein the lower flange section, the upper flange section, the web section, and the recess each extend along a longitudinal axis of the actuating element,
wherein the second engagement surface is formed by at least one of the upper flange section or the lower flange section.