Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for supporting aircraft components, including actuators are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an actuator housing having an actuator receptacle that securely yet releasably receives an actuator. The actuator receptacle can include conformal walls that conform at least in part to the shape of the actuator and can accordingly squeeze the actuator and properly align the actuator. At least one of the actuator walls can further include a projection that is releasably received in a corresponding recess of the actuator. One of both of these features can releasably secure the actuator relative to the aircraft, reducing and/or eliminating the likelihood that the actuator will be misaligned and/or mispositioned relative to the aircraft during installation and/or replacement.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
   This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/440,848 filed Jan. 17, 2003, which is herein incorporated in its entirety. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for supporting actuators and other components in aircraft, including unmanned aircraft. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Unmanned aircraft or air vehicles (UAVs) provide enhanced and economical access to areas where manned flight operations are unacceptably costly and/or dangerous. For example, unmanned aircraft outfitted with remotely controlled cameras can perform a wide variety of surveillance missions, including spotting schools of fish for the fisheries industry, monitoring weather conditions, providing border patrols for national governments, and providing military surveillance before, during, and/or after military operations. 
   Actuators are typically used in aircraft, including unmanned aircraft, to move components of the aircraft before, during, and after flight. During the life of the aircraft, these actuators are typically replaced at periodic intervals and/or after a failure. One drawback with existing arrangements for supporting the actuators in the aircraft is that it may be difficult and/or time consuming for an operator to easily and accurately position the replacement actuator in exactly the same location as the original actuator. If the replacement actuator is not properly positioned, it may not properly drive the component to which it is coupled. For example, if a replacement actuator is improperly aligned and coupled to a flight control surface, such as an aileron, it may not provide the control capability desired and/or required for operation of the aircraft. This can lead to unacceptably poor performance of the aircraft and/or a loss of the aircraft. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a partially schematic, top isometric view of an aircraft configured to include actuators supported in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom isometric view of a portion of the aircraft shown in  FIG. 1  having an actuator housing in accordance with an embodiment to the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a partially cutaway, top isometric view of a portion of an aircraft wing having an actuator housing in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a partially exploded, inverted isometric view of the lower surface of an aircraft wing having an actuator housing supporting an actuator in accordance with an embodiment to the invention. 
       FIG. 5A–5B  are partially schematic, cross-sectional side views of an assembly process for supporting an actuator in accordance with an embodiment to the invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a partially schematic, exploded isometric view of a component housing configured in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for supporting actuators for aircraft, such as unmanned aircraft. Many specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in  FIGS. 1–6  to provide a thorough understanding of these embodiments. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, and that the invention may be practiced without several of the details described below. 
     FIG. 1  is a partially schematic, isometric illustration of an unmanned aircraft  100  configured to support actuators in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, the unmanned aircraft  100  can include a fuselage  101 , a pair of wings  110  extending outwardly from the fuselage  101 , and a propellor  102  positioned at the aft end of the fuselage  101  to propel the aircraft  100  during flight. Each wing  110  can include an upwardly extending winglet  111  for lateral stability and control. Aspects of methods and apparatuses for supporting devices, including actuators that move components of the aircraft  100  are described in greater detail below with reference to  FIGS. 2–6 . 
     FIG. 2  is a partially schematic, bottom isometric illustration of a portion of the aircraft  100  described above with reference to  FIG. 1 . In one aspect of an embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 2 , the wing  110  of the aircraft  101  can include an upper surface  116 , a lower surface  114 , a leading edge  112 , and a trailing edge  113  aft of the leading edge  112 . The trailing edge  113  can include trailing edge devices  115  that are movable relative to the wing  110  to control and stabilize the aircraft  100 . The trailing edge devices  115  can be coupled to actuators  130  with actuator linkages  131 . The actuators  130  can be commanded remotely to move the trailing edge devices  115  during flight. 
   In one aspect of an embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the actuators  130  can be snugly but removably positioned in an actuator housing  120 . The actuator housing  120  can include an actuator support  121  positioned proximate to the lower surface  114  of the wing  110 . The actuator housing  120  can further include a cover  122  removably attached to the actuator support  121  (and/or directly to the wing  110 ) with attachment devices, such as attachment screws  124 . The cover  122  can include fairings  123  positioned to provide an aerodynamically contoured shield for the actuator linkages  131 , while allowing the actuator linkages  131  to move relative to the wing  110 . 
     FIG. 3  is a partially broken, top isometric view of a portion of the wing  110 , illustrating aspects of the actuator housing  120  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, the actuator support  121  can include one or more actuator receptacles  125  (two are shown in  FIG. 3 ) having a downwardly facing opening (not visible in  FIG. 3 ) configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the actuators  130  ( FIG. 2 ). The actuator support  121  can be securely fastened to a lower internal surface  117  of the wing  110 . For example, in one embodiment, the actuator support  121  can be adhesively bonded to the lower internal surface  117 . In another embodiment, the actuator support  121  can be formed integrally with the lower internal surface  117 . In any of these embodiments, the actuator receptacle  125  can include an upwardly extending cavity having walls that closely conform to the shape of the corresponding actuator  130 . Accordingly, the likelihood for misaligning the actuator  130  relative to the components it actuates (e.g., the trailing edge devices  115 ) can be significantly reduced when compared with existing arrangements. 
     FIG. 4  is a partially schematic, partially exploded isometric view of a portion of the lower surface  114  of the wing  110 , which is inverted for purposes of illustration. Also for purposes of illustration, one of the actuator receptacles  125  is shown being occupied by an actuator  130 , and the other actuator receptacle  125  is shown empty. In one aspect of an embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the actuator support  121  of the actuator housing  120  can be securely positioned relative to the lower surface  114  of the wing  110 , as described above. The actuator receptacles  125  of the actuator support  121  can include receptacle walls  129  that conform closely to the surfaces of the actuator  130 . For example, in one aspect of this embodiment, the actuator support  121  can include a flexible, conformal material, such as a thermoplastic or thermoset material, and the actuator receptacles  125  can be slightly undersized in comparison to the actuators  130 . Accordingly, when the actuators  130  are positioned within the actuator receptacles  125 , the receptacle walls  129  can exert a squeezing force on the actuators  130 , further reducing the likelihood that the actuators  130  will be mispositioned or misaligned when installed in the actuator receptacles  125 . Additional aspects of the actuator receptacles  125  that can further secure the actuators  130  relative to the wing  120  are descried below with reference to  FIGS. 5A–5B . 
   In one aspect of an embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , at least one of the receptacle walls  129  can include a cable opening  126  positioned to receive a cable  133  and a connector  134  of the actuator  130 . Accordingly, the cable  133  can be threaded through the receptacle wall  129  for connecting to other aircraft components, such as power sources and/or command signal sources. The cable  133  and the connector  134  can accordingly provide control signals and power to the actuator  130 . The actuator  130  can include an actuator arm  132  coupled to an actuator linkage  131  that is in turn coupled to a component of the aircraft, such as the trailing edge devices  115  described above with reference to  FIGS. 1–3 . 
     FIG. 5A  is a partially schematic, partially exploded cross-sectional illustration of a method for releasably installing an actuator  130  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, the actuator  130  can include one or more recesses  134  or other registration features that extend inwardly from an outer surface  135  of the actuator  130 . The receptacle walls  129  of the actuator receptacle  125  into which the actuator  130  is placed can include corresponding projections  127  or other registration features positioned to be received in the recesses  134  when the actuator  130  is moved into the actuator receptacle  125 , as indicated by arrow “A”. In one aspect of this embodiment, the projections  127  can be formed integrally with the receptacle walls  129  and can “snap” into the recesses  134  as the actuator  130  is moved into the actuator receptacle  125 . As described above, the receptacle walls  129  can also have a resilient, conformal configuration that can squeeze the actuator  130 . These two features alone and/or in combination can reduce the likelihood that the actuator  130  will be misaligned or mispositioned within the actuator receptacle  125 . 
   Once the actuator  130  has been positioned in the actuator receptacle  125 , the cover  122  can be installed on the actuator support  121 , for example, with the attachment screws  124 . The cover  122  can be sized such that the fairing  123  is positioned over the actuator arm  132  when the cover is secured in position. The cover  122  can also bear against the actuator  130 , which can increase the security with which the actuator  130  is contained in the receptacle  125 .  FIG. 5B  is a partially schematic, cross-sectional side view of the completed installation. 
   In other embodiments, the conformal fit and/or the snap fit arrangements described above can be used to securely house other aircraft components. For example, referring now to  FIG. 6 , a component housing  620  configured in accordance with another embodiment of the invention can include a receptacle portion  621  hingedly connected to a cover portion  622 . The receptacle portion  621  can include a plurality of receptacles  625 , including an antenna receptacle  625   a , a receiver receptacle  625   b , and a transmitter receptacle  625   c . In one aspect of this embodiment, the antenna receptacle  625   a  can be configured to releasably carry an antenna assembly  642 . The receiver receptacle  625   b  can be configured to releasably carry a receiver module  640 , and the transmitter receptacle  625   c  can be configured to releasably carry a transmitter module  641 . The receiver module  640  and the transmitter module  641  can be electrically coupled to the antenna assembly  642  with leads  643 . In one aspect of this embodiment, any of the receptacles  625  can be formed from a resilient material having a shape that conforms at least in part to the shape of the component it receives. The receptacles  625  can also include projections or other features that can releasably interlock with corresponding features of the components they carry. Accordingly, the receptacles  625  can include a snap fit arrangement, generally similar to that described above with reference to  FIGS. 5A–5B . As was also described above, an advantage of this arrangement is that the components can be placed in the component housing  620  in a consistent, repeatable manner. 
   In a further aspect of an embodiment of the component housing  620  shown in  FIG. 6 , the cover portion  622  can include locking tabs  624  that are releasably received in corresponding lock receptacles  628  positioned in the receptacle portion  621 . After the components (e.g., the antenna assembly  642 , the receiver module  640 , and the transmitter module  641 ) are placed in the corresponding receptacles  625   a - c , the cover portion  622  can be locked down over the receptacle portion  621  by engaging the locking tabs  624  in the lock receptacles  628 , further securing the components contained in the component housing  620 . In still a further aspect of this embodiment, the entire component housing  620  can then be removably positioned in the aircraft  100 . For example, in one aspect of this embodiment, the component housing  620  can be removably positioned in the winglet  111 . Further aspects of antenna assemblies and corresponding receiver modules and transmitter modules are included in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/758293, entitled “Conductive Structures Including Aircraft Antennae and Associated Methods of Formation,” filed concurrently herewith and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
   From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, in other embodiments, the arrangements described above can be used with aircraft having configurations different than those described above, and/or can support components different than those described above. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.