Patent ID: 7226020

Claim:
An apparatus for driving and positioning flaps operatively secured to a left wing and to a right wing of an aircraft, said apparatus comprising a pair of left wing flaps ( 1 , 2 ) and a pair of right wing flaps ( 1 ′, 2 ′), each pair of flaps including an inner flap closer to a body of said aircraft and an outer flap further away from said body, at least one actuator ( 3 ) operatively connected to each inner and outer wing flap of each pair, a primary drive ( 9 ) provided in common for the flaps of both wings, inner drive shafts ( 4 ) connecting said primary drive ( 9 ) to said at least one actuator ( 3 ) of said inner flap of each pair of flaps, a first differential gear ( 6 ) operatively interposed between said at least one actuator ( 3 ) of said inner flap ( 1 ) and said at least one actuator ( 3 ) of said outer flap ( 2 ) of said pair of left wing flaps, a second differential gear ( 6 ) operatively interposed between said at least one actuator of said inner flap ( 1 ′) and said at least one actuator of said outer flap ( 2 ′) of said pair of right wing flaps, outer drive shafts ( 5 ) connecting said first and second differential gears ( 6 ) to said at least one actuator of said inner flap and to said at least one actuator of said outer flap of each pair of flaps ( 1 , 2 ; 1 ′, 2 ′), wherein said inner drive shafts ( 4 ) couple said primary drive ( 9 ) and said first and second differential gears ( 6 ) to each other, wherein each of said outer flaps ( 2 , 2 ′) of each pair of flaps is drivable through its respective differential gear ( 6 ) of said first and second differential gears, at least one secondary drive ( 8 ′), and secondary drive trains operatively connecting said at least one secondary drive ( 8 ′) to each of said first and second differential gears ( 6 ) for superimposing a rotation of said at least one secondary drive ( 8 ′) through said first and second differential gears ( 6 ) on a rotation of said primary drive ( 9 ).