Wing slat anti-ice air duct system with improved slide bearings and air seal

Claim 1

In an anti-icing duct means for aircraft retractable/deployable wing slats wherein the leading edge of the aircraft wing houses a longitudinal main supply duct carrying pressurized anti-icing air and the leading edge of the slat houses a longitudinal spray duct for distributing anti-icing air against the slat, and wherein the duct means comprises telescoping transfer ducts interconnected between the supply duct and the spray duct, and wherein the transfer ducts comprise an inner duct having one end telescopically received within one end of an axially aligned outer duct, and wherein slide bearing means are fixedly mounted on the exterior of the inner duct along the portion thereof that remains within the outer duct throughout retraction and deployment of the wing slat, and wherein the slide bearing means slidably engages and supports the interior wall of the outer duct, and wherein air seal means are fixedly mounted to the exterior of the inner duct and slidably engage the interior wall of the outer duct throughout deployment and retraction of the wing slats, an improved bearing means including: two annular slide bearings fixedly mounted on the inner duct for sliding engagement with the interior of the outer duct at positions spaced-apart lengthwise on the inner duct, one slide bearing being located at the end of the inner duct positioned within the outer duct, the other slide bearing being located so as to lie inside the end of the outer duct when the inner and outer ducts are in slat deployed position, each of said annular slide bearings comprising: (i) a pair of flanged retainer elements affixed to the inner duct; (ii) split-ring slider elements of low-friction synthetic material enclosed between each pair of retainer elements.