1. An aircraft wing comprising:
a fixed wing;
a slat movable relative to the fixed wing between a retracted position and an extended position;
electrical lines extending between the fixed wing and an electrical system on the slat; and
a linkage housing the electrical lines and convertible between a retracted condition when the slat is in the retracted position and an extended condition when the slat is in the extended position.
2. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrical system is an electric ice protection system.
3. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 1, wherein the linkage comprises a joint designed to break at a force sufficient to insure that the linkage will breakaway from the slat andor the fixed wing should the slat be separated from the fixed wing during flight.
4. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 1, wherein the linkage comprises chambers each having a plurality of channels, and wherein one set of the electrical lines extend through one set of channels and another set of the electrical lines extend through another set of channels.
5. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 4, wherein the one set of electrical lines are electrical power lines and the other set of electrical lines are electrical sensor lines.
6. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 1, wherein the linkage comprises a plurality of links and joints connecting the plurality of links to the fixed wing, the slat, and each other, and wherein the joints accommodate the passage of the electrical lines therethrough.
7. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 6, wherein the plurality of links include a first link connected to the fixed wing, a second link connected to the slat, and an intermediate link therebetween.
8. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 7, wherein the one end of the intermediate link is connected to the first link by a pivot joint and the other end of the intermediate link is connected to the second link by a pivot joint, and wherein the electrical lines pass through each pivot joint.
9. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first link is connected to the fixed wing by a rotational joint whereby the first link is rotatable about its axis.
10. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 9, wherein the rotational joint has a central opening and the electrical lines pass therethrough.
11. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 9, wherein the second link is connected to the slat by a gimbal joint whereby the second link is pivotal relative to the slat about two axes.
12. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 7, wherein the second link is connected to the slat by a gimbal joint whereby the second link is pivotal relative to the slat about two axes.
13. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 10, wherein the gimbal joint includes a first pivot pin and a second pivot pin, and wherein at least one of these pivot pins is designed to break at a force sufficient to insure that the linkage will breakaway from the slat andor the fixed wing should the slat be separated from the fixed wing during flight.
14. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrical lines extending through the linkage are connected to electrical lines in the fixed wing via one or more electrical connectors andor wherein the electrical lines extending through the linkage are connected to electrical lines in the slat via one or more electrical connectors.
15. An aircraft wing as set forth in claim 14, wherein the electrical lines in the fixed wing are connected to an onboard power source andor controller.
16. An aircraft comprising a pair of wings as set forth in claim 1.
17. A linkage for housing lines that extend between a first structure and a second structure that are movable relative to each other; said linkage comprising:
a plurality of links; and
joints joining the links to the structures and to each other, and allowing pivoting in three dimensions as the first structure and the second structure move relative to each other.
18. A linkage as set forth in claim 17, wherein the lines extending between the first structure and the second structure are electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic lines.
19. In combination, a fixed wing, a slat movable relative to the fixed wing between a retracted position and an extended position, lines extending between the fixed wing and a system on the slat, and the linkage set forth in claim 17; wherein the first structure is the fixed wing and the second structure is the leading edge slat; and wherein the linkage houses the lines extending between the fixed wing and the system on the slat.
20. The combination set forth in claim 19, wherein the lines extending between the fixed wing and the system on the slat are electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic lines.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A component mounting method for use by a mounter having a mounting head that holds and moves a component so as to mount the component onto a board, said method comprising:
giving an instruction for a camera to start taking an image of the component held on the mounting head, based on a position of the mounting head;
starting camera exposure by the camera in response to the instruction;
obtaining a movement amount by which the mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given to when the camera exposure is performed;
obtaining a position of the component based on the movement amount and the image taken by the camera;
correcting a mounting position at which the mounting head is to mount the component, based on the obtained position of the component; and
mounting the component, whose image has been taken by the camera, at the corrected mounting position.
2. The component mounting method according to claim 1,
wherein in said obtaining of the position of the component, the position of the component shown in the image is corrected based on the movement amount.
3. The component mounting method according to claim 1,
wherein in said obtaining of the movement amount, a first distance is obtained over which the mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given to when the camera exposure is started, and
in said obtaining of the position of the component, the position of the component is obtained based on the first distance and the image taken by the camera.
4. The component mounting method according to claim 1, further comprising
ending the camera exposure after a predetermined lapse of time from when the camera exposure is started,
wherein in said obtaining of the movement amount, a second distance is obtained over which the mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given to when the camera exposure is ended, and
in said obtaining of the position of the component, the position of the component shown in the image taken by the camera is corrected based on the second distance.
5. The component mounting method according to claim 1, further comprising
ending the camera exposure after a predetermined lapse of time from when the camera exposure is started,
wherein in said obtaining of the movement amount, a first distance and a second distance are obtained, the first distance being a distance over which the mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given to when the camera exposure is started, and the second distance being a distance over which the mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given to when the camera exposure is ended, and
in said obtaining of the position of the component, the position of the component shown in the image taken by the camera is corrected based on the first distance and the second distance.
6. The component mounting method according to claim 1, further comprising
ending the camera exposure after a predetermined lapse of time from when the camera exposure is started,
wherein said obtaining of the movement amount includes:
obtaining brightness distribution in images of the component taken by the camera, the images ranging from the start to the end of the camera exposure; and
obtaining a contour of the component from the brightness distribution, and obtaining a third distance over which the mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given to when the component arrives at a position of the contour, and
in said obtaining of the position of the component, the position of the component shown in the image taken by the camera is corrected based on the third distance.
7. A program for use by a mounter having a mounting head that holds and moves a component so as to mount the component onto a board, said program causing a computer in the mounter to execute:
giving an instruction for a camera to start taking an image of the component held on the mounting head, based on a position of the mounting head;
starting camera exposure by the camera in response to the instruction;
obtaining a movement amount by which the mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given to when the camera exposure is performed;
obtaining a position of the component based on the movement amount and the image taken by the camera;
correcting a mounting position at which the mounting head is to mount the component, based on the obtained position of the component; and
mounting the component, whose image has been taken by the camera, at the corrected mounting position.
8. A mounter, comprising:
a mounting head that holds and moves a component so as to mount the component onto a board;
a camera that takes an image of the component held on said mounting head;
an instruction unit operable to give an instruction for said camera to start taking an image of the component held on said mounting head, based on a position of said mounting head;
a movement obtainment unit operable to obtain a movement amount by which said mounting head moves during a time period from when the instruction is given by said instruction unit to when said camera performs the camera exposure;
a component position obtainment unit operable to obtain a position of the component based on the movement amount and the image taken by said camera;
a position correction unit operable to correct a mounting position at which said mounting head is to mount the component, based on the obtained position of the component; and
a mounting control unit operable to control said mounting head so that the component, whose image has been taken by said camera, is mounted at the corrected mounting position.