Flap arrangement for thrust deflection in aircraft

Claim 2

Control flap arrangement for aircraft having a wing with an upper surface, there being thrust producing means producing jet flow across the upper wing surface, the flap arrangement provided for selective dispositions, flush with the wing or deflecting the jet flow with a down component of flow, the flap arrangement comprising: a first, lower flap and a second upper flap positioned parallel one above the other in the flush-with-the-wing disposition; said flaps having a pivotal connection to the wing at their respective rear edges for individually pivotally linking the respective rear edges of the flaps to the wing at hinge points within the profile of the wing; drive means coupled to the upper flap for erecting the front end of the upper flap and turning the upper flap on its rear end pivot for placing the upper flap into the said thrust flow for redirecting the thrust flow in down direction; and follower means coupled to the upper and lower flaps for displacing the front end of the lower flap and placing it into alignment with said upper wing surface in dependence upon erection of the front end of the upper flap by operation of the drive means, so that a channel is formed between the lower and the upper flap in the erected position, through which said jet flow is deflected to assume a down component of flow.

Claim 3

A control arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said hinge points are spaced-apart relative to one another, to define the exit of said channel.

Claim 4

Control flap arrangement for aircraft as in claim 1, wherein the follower means includes linkage interconnecting the upper flap and the lower flap and having dead center position when the lower flap has its front end aligned with the upper wing surface, the linkage preventing further erection of the lower flap.

Claim 5

A flap arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower flap has an upper surface and said upper flap has a lower surface, said upper surface defining a convex curvature and said lower surface defining a concave curvature, said surfaces together defining said channel for the intake of air in deflected position of said arrangement.

Claim 6

Flap arrangement as in claim 4, the first means and the follower means iNcluding a first four pivot point linkage and a second four pivot point linkage for linking the first flap to the second flap, the first linkage having a set of four pivot points, one of which being the pivot point for the first flap, the second four pivot point linkage having a second set of four pivot points, one of which being the pivot point for the second flap, the two linkages having a common pivot point, the common pivot established by a two-arm lever, one arm thereof having another pivot point of the first set of four pivots, the other arm of the two-arm lever having another pivot point of the second set of four pivots, respective three of the four points being aligned when the front end of the first flap is aligned with the upper wing surface.

Claim 7

Control flap arrangement for aircraft as in claim 1, wherein the follower means includes a resilient means urging the lower flap against the upper flap, and further includes linkage means inhibiting the lower flap from having its front end lifted above said upper wing surface.

Claim 8

Control flap arrangement for aircraft as in claim 6, the linkage means including a two arm lever pivoted on the wing and having one arm coupled to the resilient means and having its other arm coupled to a coupling element on the lower flap, for preventing the resilient means from pivoting the lower flap beyond a dead center position as between the lever, the coupling element and the lower flap.

Claim 9

Control flap arrangement for aircraft having a wing with an upper surface, there being thrust producing means producing jet flow across the upper wing surface, the flap arrangement provided for selective dispositions flush with the wing or deflecting the jet flow with a down component of flow, the flap arrangement comprising: a first, lower flap and a second upper flap positioned parallel one above the other in the flush-with-the-wing disposition; said flaps having a pivotal connection to the wing at their respective rear edges for individually pivotally linking the respective rear edges of the flaps to the wing; the respective pivot points being spaced-apart; lever means linked between a stationary pivot on the wing and a point on the lower flap for lifting the front end of the lower flap, until this front end is aligned with the upper wing surface; drive means connected to the upper flap for lifting the front end of the upper and into the jet flow; and means connected to the lever means for operating this lever means in dependence upon lifting of the front end of the upper flap by operation of the drive means to obtain lifting of the front end of the lower flap to establish a converging channel as between the lifted upper and lower flaps for deflecting the jet flow to assume a down flow component with exit of flow through said spaced-apart pivots as smallest cross-section.

Claim 10

Control flap arrangement for aircraft having a wing with an upper surface, there being thrust producing means producing jet flow across the upper wing surface, the flap arrangement provided for selective dispositions flush with the wing or deflecting the jet flow with a down component of flow, the flap arrangement comprising: a first, lower flap and a second upper flap positioned parallel one above the other in the flush-with-the-wing disposition; said flaps having a pivotal connection to the wing at their respective rear edges for individually pivotally linking the respective rear edges of the flaps to the wing; the respective pivot points being spaced-apart; lever means linked between a stationary pivot on the wing and a point on the lower flap for lifting the front end of the lower flap, until this front end is aligned with the upper wing surface; drive means connected to the upper flap for lifting the front end of the upper and into the jet flow; and means connected to the lever means for operating this lever means in dependence upon lifting of the front end of the upper flap by operation of the drive means to obtain lifting of the front end of the lower flap to establish a converging channel as between the lifted upper and lower flaps for deflecting the jet flow to assume a down flow component with exit of flow through said spaced-apart pivots as smallest cross-section.

Claim 11

A control flap arrangement as in claim 8, wherein the lever means are two hinged lever arms, which are in an angled position when the lower flap is not erected, the hinged lever arms when operated lifting the front end of the lower flap until the hinged lever arms are on a straight line.

Claim 12

A control flap arrangement as in claim 9, the means for operating including lever linkage coupling the lever means to the upper flap for causing the lever means to be operated upon erection of the upper flap.

Claim 13

A control flap as in claim 10, wherein the lever linkage includes a lever arm integral with the one of the lever arms that is pivoted to the stationary point of the wing and another set of hinged levers connecting the integral lever arms with the upper flap to pivot the lever arms and to assume a less angled disposition when the drive means has erected the front end of the upper flap, than in the folded down position of the upper flap means.