Patent ID: 7556222

Claim:
An apparatus for deicing a surface of an aircraft, the apparatus being part of the aircraft and comprising: at least one pair of concentric coplanar circular surface elements covering an exterior portion of an aircraft and a reciprocating actuator for moving one of said concentric coplanar circular surface elements; a fixed base and said reciprocating actuator pivotally connected to said base and to one of said elements of at least one pair of concentric coplanar circular surface elements; and displacement means pivotally connected to each element of said at least one pair of concentric coplanar circular surface elements and for displacing one element of said at least one pair of concentric coplanar circular surface elements with respect to the other element of said at least one pair of concentric coplanar circular surface elements; whereby the relative movement of said concentric coplanar circular surface elements fractures any ice accumulated thereon.