US 12,296,954 B2
Thin wing drive mechanism
Kevin R. Tsai, Seattle, WA (US); and Mark Steven Good, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/703,025.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/193,425, filed on May 26, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0380021 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 9/02 (2006.01); B64C 13/30 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 9/02 (2013.01) [B64C 13/30 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flap system comprising:
a rotary actuator; and
a flap actuation mechanism having:
a coupler rod supported at an aft end and at a forward end, said coupler rod configured to translate from an aft position to a forward position;
an inboard crank arm rotationally coupled to the rotary actuator and engaged to the aft end of the coupler rod, the inboard crank arm configured to induce eccentric rotation of the aft end of the coupler rod about a first rotation axis, wherein the eccentric rotation induces translation of the coupler rod;
an outboard crank arm engaged to the forward end of the coupler rod, the outboard crank arm configured to rotate about a second rotation axis induced by eccentric rotation of the forward end of the coupler rod about the second rotation axis in response to translation of the coupler rod;
a flap drive arm concentrically engaged with the outboard crank arm and configured to rotate with the outboard crank arm about the second rotation axis from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to translation of the coupler rod from the aft position to the forward position; and
a flap connected to the flap drive arm and rotated from a retracted condition with the flap drive arm in the stowed position to an extended condition with the flap drive arm in the deployed position.