Structural mechanism for unlocking and engaging a controllable surface on a hinged platform (wing)

1. A structural mechanism comprising:

a support;

a hinged surface;

a hinge assembly joining the hinged surface to the support so that the hinged surface may pivot relative to the support, wherein the hinge assembly comprises at least one hinge, and wherein the at least one hinge has a center passageway; therethrough linearly aligned along a hinged-surface hinge axis;

an actuation system comprising

an actuator shaft lying coincident with the hinged-surface hinge axis and extending through the aligned center passageways of the at least one hinge of the hinge assembly, wherein the actuator shaft is engaged to the at least one hinge,

a lock selectively operable to lock the hinged surface to the support when the actuator shaft engages the lock, wherein the lock comprises

an exterior locking spline on the actuator shaft at a location remote from the actuator structure, and

a compatible interior locking spline in the support, wherein the exterior locking spline is engaged to the interior locking spline when the actuator shaft is in a first shaft axial position and is not engaged to the interior locking spline when the actuator shaft is in a second shaft axial position,

an actuator structure

controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the hinge-surface hinge axis between the first shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft engages the lock and the at least one hinge, and the second shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft does not engage the lock but does engage the at least one hinge, and

controllably operable to rotate the actuator shaft about the hinged-surface hinge axis; and

an actuator controller for the actuator structure.

2. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises

a body, and

a support surface joined to the body, wherein the hinge assembly joins the hinged surface to the support surface.

3. The structural mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the support surface has a thickness of 3 inches or less.

4. The structural mechanism of claim 2 , further including

a retention pin-receiver recess in the actuator shaft,

a retention pin in the body, wherein the retention pin is disposed to engage the pin-receiver recess when the actuator shaft is in the second shaft axial position, and

a retention pin driver that drives the retention pin into the pin-receiver recess when the retention pin is aligned with the pin-receiver recess.

5. The structural mechanism of claim 2 , further including

a retention pin-receiver recess in the actuator shaft,

a retention pin in the body, wherein the retention pin is disposed to engage the pin-receiver recess when the actuator shaft is in the second shaft axial position, and

a retention pin driver that

drives the retention pin into the pin-receiver recess when the retention pin is aligned with the pin-receiver recess, and

controllably withdraws the retention pin from the pin-receiver recess.

6. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises

a body, and

a folding support surface joined to the body, wherein the hinge assembly joins the hinged surface to the folding support surface.

7. The structural mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the body comprises

a fuselage of an air vehicle, and wherein the folding support surface comprises

a folding wing joined to the fuselage.

8. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the hinge assembly comprises at least two spaced-apart hinges.

9. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one hinge comprises an interior hinge spline, and

the actuator shaft comprises an exterior shaft spline for each of the interior hinge splines, wherein the exterior shaft splines are positioned to engage the respective interior hinge splines to permit movement of the actuator shaft longitudinally along the hinged-surface hinge axis between the first shaft axial position and the second shaft axial position, while continuing to maintain the engagement between the interior hinge splines and the exterior shaft splines.

10. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the actuator structure comprises

an engagement linear device controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the hinged-surface hinge axis between the first shaft axial position and the second shaft axial position, and

a rotational actuator engaged to the actuator shaft, whereby the actuator shaft may be controllably rotated.

11. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the actuator controller defines a zeroed pivotable position of the hinged surface when the actuator shaft is in the first shaft axial position.

12. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , further including

a retention mechanism that retains the actuator shaft in the second shaft axial position.

13. The structural mechanism of claim 1 , further including

a controllable retention mechanism that controllably retains the actuator shaft in the second shaft axial position, and controllably allows the actuator shaft to return to the first shaft axial position.

14. A structural mechanism comprising:

a support comprising a body, and a support surface joined to the body, wherein a hinge assembly joins the hinged surface to the support surface;

a hinged surface;

the hinge assembly joining the hinged surface to the support surface so that the hinged surface may pivot relative to the support surface, wherein the hinge assembly comprises at least one hinge, and wherein the at least one hinge has a center passageway therethrough linearly aligned along a hinged-surface hinge axis;

an actuation system comprising

an actuator shaft lying coincident with the hinged-surface hinge axis and extending through the aligned center passageways of the at least one hinge of the hinge assembly, wherein the actuator shaft is engaged to the at least one hinge,

a lock selectively operable to lock the hinged surface to the support when the actuator shaft engages the lock,

an actuator structure

controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the hinge-surface hinge axis between a first shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft engages the lock and the at least one hinge, and a second shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft does not engage the lock but does engage the at least one hinge, and

controllably operable to rotate the actuator shaft about the hinged-surface hinge axis, wherein the actuator structure comprises

an engagement linear device controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the hinged-surface hinge axis between the first shaft axial position and the second shaft axial position, and

a rotational actuator engaged to the actuator shaft, whereby the actuator shaft may be controllably rotated, wherein the engagement linear device and the rotational actuator are located in the body; and

an actuator controller for the actuator structure.

15. A structural mechanism comprising:

a body of an air vehicle;

a folding surface joined to the body of the air vehicle, wherein the folding surface is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position;

a control surface;

a hinge assembly joining the control surface to the folding surface so that the control surface may pivot relative to the folding surface, wherein the hinge assembly comprises at least two spaced-apart hinges and wherein the hinges have passageways therethrough linearly aligned along a control-surface hinge axis;

an actuation system comprising

an actuator shaft lying coincident with the control-surface hinge axis and extending through the passageways of the hinges of the hinge assembly, wherein the actuator shaft is engaged to the hinges,

a lock selectively operable to lock the control surface to the folding surface when the actuator shaft engages the lock,

an actuator structure

controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the control-surface hinge axis between a first shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft engages the lock and the hinges, and a second shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft does not engage the lock but does engage the hinges, and

controllably operable to rotate the actuator shaft about the control-surface hinge axis, wherein the actuator structure comprises

an engagement linear device controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the control-surface hinge axis between the first shaft axial position and the second shaft axial position, and

a rotational actuator engaged to the actuator shaft, whereby the actuator shaft may be controllably rotated, wherein the engagement linear device and the rotational actuator are located in the body; and

an actuator controller for the actuator structure.

16. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , wherein

each of the hinges comprises an interior hinge spline, and

the actuator shaft comprises an exterior shaft spline for each of the interior hinge splines, wherein the exterior shaft splines are positioned to engage the respective interior hinge splines to permit movement of the actuator shaft longitudinally along the control-surface hinge axis between the first shaft axial position and the second shaft axial position, while continuing to maintain the engagement between the interior hinge splines and the exterior shaft splines.

17. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , wherein the actuator structure comprises

an engagement linear device controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the control-surface hinge axis between the first shaft axial position and the second shaft axial position, and

a rotational actuator engaged to the actuator shaft, whereby the actuator shaft may be controllably rotated.

18. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , wherein the actuator controller defines a zeroed pivotable position of the control surface when the actuator shaft is in the first shaft axial position.

19. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , further including

a retention mechanism that retains the actuator shaft in the second shaft axial position.

20. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , further including

a controllable retention mechanism that controllably retains the actuator shaft in the second shaft axial position, and controllably allows the actuator shaft to return to the first shaft axial position.

21. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , further including

a retention pin-receiver recess in the actuator shaft,

a retention pin in the body, wherein the retention pin is disposed to engage the pin-receiver recess when the actuator shaft is in the second shaft axial position, and

a retention pin driver that drives the retention pin into the pin-receiver recess when the retention pin is aligned with the pin-receiver recess.

22. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , further including

a retention pin-receiver recess in the actuator shaft,

a retention pin in the body, wherein the retention pin is disposed to engage the pin-receiver recess when the actuator shaft is in the second shaft axial position, and

a retention pin driver that

drives the retention pin into the pin-receiver recess when the retention pin is aligned with the pin-receiver recess, and

controllably withdraws the retention pin from the pin-receiver recess.

23. The structural mechanism of claim 15 , wherein the folding surface has a thickness of 3 inches or less.

24. A structural mechanism comprising:

a body of an air vehicle;

a folding surface joined to the body of the air vehicle, wherein the folding surface is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position;

a control surface;

a hinge assembly joining the control surface to the folding surface so that the control surface may pivot relative to the folding surface, wherein the hinge assembly comprises at least two spaced-apart hinges and wherein the hinges have passageways therethrough linearly aligned along a control-surface hinge axis;

an actuation system comprising

an actuator shaft lying coincident with the control-surface hinge axis and extending through the passageways of the hinges of the hinge assembly, wherein the actuator shaft is engaged to the hinges,

a lock selectively operable to lock the control surface to the folding surface when the actuator shaft engages the lock, wherein the lock comprises

an exterior locking spline on the actuator shaft at a location remote from the actuator structure, and

a compatible interior locking spline in the folding surface, wherein the exterior locking spline is engaged to the interior locking spline when the actuator shaft is in the first shaft axial position and does not engage the interior locking spline when the actuator shaft is in the second shaft axial position,

an actuator structure

controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the control-surface hinge axis between a first shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft engages the lock and the hinges, and a second shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft does not engage the lock but does engage the hinges, and

controllably operable to rotate the actuator shaft about the control-surface hinge axis; and

an actuator controller for the actuator structure.