Aircraft towing device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an aircraft towing device, which includes a frame body, a driving mechanism and a connecting mechanism. The driving mechanism includes a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel that are respectively rotatably connected to both sides of the frame body. The layout of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel enables the frame body to turn in place on a reference axis. When the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel rotate at the same speed and in opposite directions, the frame body rotates around a reference axis. The connecting mechanism includes a connecting seat and a connecting component. The connecting component is fixedly connected to the connecting seat and is used for detachably connecting to the nose landing gear of the aircraft. The connecting seat is rotatably connected to the frame body, and the rotation axis between the connecting seat and the frame body coincides with the reference axis. This enables the frame body to still turn in place under the drive of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel after the connecting mechanism is combined with the nose landing gear, greatly reducing the turning radius of the towed aircraft and improving the towing accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft, and particularly to an aircraft towing device. Background Art

[0002] After some aircraft land on the runway, they need to be towed to the hangar or other parking positions by an aircraft tractor. The aircraft tractor is connected to the front landing gear of the aircraft through a towing bar with a buffer device. When the aircraft tractor travels, it drags the aircraft to move together through the towing bar. However, the turning radius of the aircraft towed by the aircraft tractor is relatively large, and since both the aircraft tractor and the front landing gear of the aircraft can turn, the driving difficulty of the aircraft tractor is relatively high, and it is difficult to achieve precise towing of the aircraft. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an aircraft towing device to solve the problems of large turning radius and difficulty in achieving precise towing when the current aircraft tractor tows an aircraft.

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0005] An aircraft towing device includes a frame body, a driving mechanism, and a connecting mechanism;

[0006] The driving mechanism includes a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel that are respectively rotatably connected to both sides of the frame body. When the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel have the same rotational speed and opposite rotational directions, the frame body rotates around a reference axis;

[0007] The connecting mechanism includes a connecting seat and a connecting component. The connecting component is fixedly connected to the connecting seat and is used for detachably connecting to the front landing gear of the aircraft. The connecting seat is rotatably connected to the frame body, and the rotation axis between the connecting seat and the frame body coincides with the reference axis.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, a connecting groove is provided on the connecting component, and the extending direction of the connecting groove is inclined with respect to the reference axis, and the front landing gear can be embedded in the connecting groove.

[0009] In some optional embodiments, the connecting component further includes a locking member, the locking member is slidably connected to the connecting groove, and when in the locked state, the locking member and the connecting groove form a closed structure to surround the front landing gear.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, a visual recognition mechanism is provided at one end of the frame, and the visual recognition mechanism includes a support rod and an image acquisition component, one end of the support rod is fixedly connected to the frame, and the other end of the support rod is rotatably connected to the image acquisition component.

[0011] In some optional embodiments, a clearance groove is provided at one end of the frame, and the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel are respectively located on both sides of the clearance groove.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the clearance groove is fan-shaped, and its center is located on the reference axis.

[0013] In some optional embodiments, the number of the first driving wheels is two, the number of the second driving wheels is two, and the two first driving wheels and the two second driving wheels are respectively arranged at four corners of the frame.

[0014] In some optional embodiments, a first elastic buffer is provided on a side of the locking member facing the connecting groove.

[0015] In some optional embodiments, the connecting component further comprises an electric cylinder, and two ends of the electric cylinder are respectively connected to the connecting groove and the locking member; or,

[0016] The connecting component also includes a motor and a transmission assembly, the motor is fixedly connected to the connecting groove, the transmission assembly includes a gear connected to the main shaft of the motor and a rack slidably connected to the connecting groove, the rack is fixedly connected to the locking member, and the gear and the rack are meshed.

[0017] In some optional embodiments, a second elastic buffer is provided in the connecting groove.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] The layout of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel enables the frame to turn in situ on the reference axis, the connecting component can be detachably connected to the front landing gear of the aircraft, the connecting component and the connecting seat can both rotate relative to the frame, and the rotation axis between the connecting seat and the frame coincides with the reference axis. This enables the frame to still turn in situ under the drive of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel after the connecting mechanism is combined with the front landing gear, thereby greatly reducing the turning radius of the towed aircraft and improving the towing accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 One of the overall structural schematic diagrams of the invented aircraft traction device;

[0021] Figure 2It is the second overall structural schematic diagram of the aircraft towing device of the invention;

[0022] In the figure: 10, frame body; 11, relief groove; 20, first driving wheel; 30, second driving wheel; 40, connecting seat; 50, connecting component; 51, connecting groove; 52, locking part; 60, visual recognition mechanism; 61, support rod; 62, image acquisition component. Detailed implementation mode

[0023] For the convenience of understanding the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure content of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive.

[0024] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can also be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are only for the purpose of illustration.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. The terms used in the description of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0026] Embodiment 1

[0027] Combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 as shown, the aircraft towing device of the present invention is schematically shown, including a frame body 10, a driving mechanism and a connecting mechanism.

[0028] The frame body 10 is used to carry the driving mechanism and the connecting mechanism. The driving mechanism includes a first driving wheel 20 and a second driving wheel 30 respectively rotatably connected to both sides of the frame body 10. The first driving wheel 20 and the second driving wheel 30 are used to drive the frame body 10 to move forward or backward in an airport or other working areas. When the first driving wheel 20 and the second driving wheel 30 have the same rotational speed and the same rotational direction, the frame body 10 moves forward or backward; when the first driving wheel 20 and the second driving wheel 30 have different rotational speeds and the same rotational direction, the frame body 10 turns while moving forward or backward; when the first driving wheel 20 and the second driving wheel 30 have the same rotational speed and opposite rotational directions, the frame body 10 rotates around a reference axis.

[0029] The connecting mechanism includes a connecting seat 40 and a connecting component 50. The connecting component 50 is fixedly connected to the connecting seat 40 and is used for detachably connecting to the nose landing gear of the aircraft. The connecting seat 40 is rotatably connected to the frame 10. The connecting structure connects the nose landing gear of the aircraft to the frame 10 through the connecting seat 40 and the connecting component 50 to realize the towing of the aircraft. The rotation axis between the connecting seat 40 and the frame 10 coincides with the reference axis. Therefore, after the connecting mechanism is combined with the nose landing gear, the frame 10 can still turn in place under the drive of the first driving wheel 20 and the second driving wheel 30 (the connecting seat 40 rotates relative to the frame 10, so that the nose landing gear does not rotate in space), realizing a minimum radius turn when the aircraft is being towed, and thus enabling precise control of the towing trajectory and parking position of the aircraft.

[0030] Most of the existing aircraft tractors are steered by the front wheels or the rear wheels. When it is necessary to tow the aircraft to a pre-set position, the driver or the automatic driving device needs to drive the tractor to move forward and backward repeatedly and turn to finely adjust the parking position of the aircraft. This is highly dependent on the driving experience of the driver and extremely time-consuming. If the automatic driving device drives the tractor, this process of finely adjusting the parking position requires complex algorithms.

[0031] Furthermore, a connecting groove 51 is provided on the connecting component 50. The extending direction of the connecting groove 51 is inclined with respect to the reference axis, and the nose landing gear can be embedded in the connecting groove 51. The inclined connecting groove 51 can match the nose landing gear of the aircraft which is also inclined, so that the contact area between the connecting groove 51 and the nose landing gear is larger, preventing local deformation of the nose landing gear due to too small contact area. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the connecting groove 51 is C-shaped to adapt to the cylindrical nose landing gear support rod 61. Of course, in some alternative embodiments, one end of the connecting component 50 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 40 so that the connecting component 50 can perform pitching adjustment relative to the connecting seat 40. The connecting component 50 of this structure can adapt to nose landing gears of various aircraft with different inclination angles; the pitching adjustment between the connecting component 50 and the connecting seat 40 is adjusted by a hydraulic cylinder. The two ends of the hydraulic cylinder are respectively connected to the connecting seat 40 and the connecting component 50, and the hydraulic cylinder, the connecting seat 40 and the connecting component 50 are arranged in a triangle.

[0032] In order to prevent the front landing gear from accidentally disengaging from the connecting groove 51, the connecting component 50 is further provided with a locking member 52, which is slidably connected to the connecting groove 51. When the locking member 52 is in a locked state, it forms a closed structure with the connecting groove 51 to surround the front landing gear. When the locking member 52 is in an unlocked state, it avoids the opening of the connecting groove 51 to allow the front landing gear to be inserted into or removed from the connecting groove 51. In this embodiment, a first buffer member with elasticity is provided on the side of the locking member 52 facing the connecting groove 51, and the first buffer member is preferably a rubber pad, which serves as a buffer structure between the locking member 52 and the front landing gear to prevent the front landing gear from colliding with the locking member 52; similarly, a second buffer member with elasticity is provided in the connecting groove 51, and the second buffer member is preferably a rubber pad, which serves as a buffer structure between the connecting groove 51 and the front landing gear to prevent the front landing gear from colliding with the connecting groove 51. The connecting component 50 also includes an electric cylinder, two ends of which are respectively connected to the connecting groove 51 and the locking member 52. The extension direction of the electric cylinder is perpendicular to the extension direction of the connecting groove 51. The electric cylinder extends to drive the locking member 52 to move to the opening of the connecting groove 51, and the electric cylinder contracts to drive the locking member 52 to give way to the opening of the connecting groove 51.

[0033] A slide rail is arranged perpendicularly to the connecting component 50 on one side, and the locking member 52 is slidably connected to the slide rail. The electric cylinder is fixedly connected to one end of the slide rail and the two are arranged in parallel. The setting of the slide rail enables the locking member 52 to be stably connected to the connecting component 50.

[0034] A visual recognition mechanism 60 is provided at one end of the frame 10. The visual recognition mechanism 60 includes a support rod 61 and an image acquisition component 62. One end of the support rod 61 is fixedly connected to the frame 10, and the other end of the support rod 61 is rotatably connected to the image acquisition component 62. The image acquisition component 62 is used to collect environmental images around the frame 10 to provide the possibility for automatic driving. At the same time, the image acquisition component 62 can rotate relative to the support rod 61, so that the image acquisition component 62 can be adjusted in pitch to identify the identification code at the bottom of the aircraft fuselage, thereby towing the target aircraft. A clearance groove 11 is provided at the other end of the frame 10, that is, the clearance groove 11 and the visual recognition mechanism 60 are respectively located at the two ends of the frame 10, and the first drive wheel 20 and the second drive wheel 30 are respectively located on both sides of the clearance groove 11. When the connecting component 50 is combined with the front landing gear of the aircraft, the front landing gear is located in the clearance groove 11. The clearance groove 11 is fan-shaped, and its center is located on the reference axis. The clearance groove 11 of this structure can reduce the visual recognition error requirement of the image acquisition component 62 and reduce the collision probability between the frame 10 and the front landing gear.

[0035] In this embodiment, there are two first driving wheels 20 and two second driving wheels 30. The two first driving wheels 20 and the two second driving wheels 30 are respectively arranged at the four corners of the frame 10. The driving mechanism further includes a first driving assembly and a second driving assembly. The first driving assembly includes a first driving motor and two first transmission shafts. The first driving motor is fixedly connected to the frame 10. The first driving motor is respectively connected to the two first driving wheels 20 through the two first transmission shafts. The first driving motor drives the first transmission shafts to rotate so as to drive the first driving wheels 20 to rotate relative to the frame 10. The connection between the main shaft of the first driving motor and the first transmission shaft can be connected through an existing bevel gear set. The connection between the first transmission shaft and the first driving wheel 20 can also be connected through an existing bevel gear set. The second driving assembly includes a second driving motor and two second transmission shafts. The second driving motor is fixedly connected to the frame 10. The first driving motor and the second driving motor are respectively located on both sides of the frame 10. The second driving motor is respectively connected to the two second driving wheels 30 through the two second transmission shafts. The second driving motor drives the second transmission shafts to rotate so as to drive the second driving wheels 30 to rotate relative to the frame 10. The connection between the main shaft of the second driving motor and the second transmission shaft can be connected through an existing bevel gear set. The connection between the second transmission shaft and the second driving wheel 30 can also be connected through an existing bevel gear set.

[0036] Embodiment 2

[0037] The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the connecting component 50 includes a motor and a transmission component. The motor is fixedly connected to the connecting groove 51. The transmission component includes a gear connected to the main shaft of the motor and a rack slidably connected to the connecting groove 51. The rack is fixedly connected to the locking member 52. The gear and the rack are meshed with each other. Through this transmission component, it is possible to realize driving the locking member 52 to move relative to the connecting groove 51 by using the motor.

[0038] In summary, the layout of the first driving wheels 20 and the second driving wheels 30 enables the frame 10 to turn in place on the reference axis. The connecting component 50 can be detachably connected to the front landing gear of the aircraft. Both the connecting component 50 and the connecting seat 40 can rotate relative to the frame 10, and the rotation axis between the connecting seat 40 and the frame 10 coincides with the reference axis. This enables the frame 10 to still turn in place under the drive of the first driving wheels 20 and the second driving wheels 30 after the connecting mechanism is combined with the front landing gear, greatly reducing the turning radius of the towed aircraft and improving the towing accuracy.

[0039] The above are only the embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention accordingly. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, shall be equally included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aircraft towing device, It is characterized in that It includes a frame, a driving mechanism and a connecting mechanism; The driving mechanism comprises a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel which are rotatably connected to two sides of the frame, respectively. When the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel rotate at the same speed and in opposite directions, the frame rotates around a reference axis. The connection mechanism comprises a connection seat and a connection component, wherein the connection component is used to be detachably connected to the front landing gear of the aircraft, the connection seat is rotatably connected to the frame body, and the rotation axis between the connection seat and the frame body coincides with the reference axis; The connecting component is provided with a connecting groove, the extending direction of the connecting groove is arranged obliquely with the reference axis, and the front landing gear can be embedded in the connecting groove; One end of the connecting component is rotatably connected to the connecting seat so that the connecting component can be adjusted in pitch relative to the connecting seat; the pitch adjustment of the connecting component and the connecting seat is adjusted by a hydraulic cylinder, and the two ends of the hydraulic cylinder are respectively connected to the connecting seat and the connecting component, and the hydraulic cylinder, the connecting seat and the connecting component are arranged in a triangle; A visual recognition mechanism is provided at one end of the frame, and the visual recognition mechanism includes a support rod and an image acquisition component. One end of the support rod is fixedly connected to the frame, and the other end of the support rod is rotatably connected to the image acquisition component, so that the image acquisition component can be pitched and adjusted to identify the identification code at the bottom of the aircraft fuselage, thereby towing the target aircraft.

2. The aircraft towing device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The connecting component is further provided with a locking member, which is slidably connected to the connecting groove. When the locking member is in a locked state, it forms a closed structure with the connecting groove to surround the front landing gear.

3. The aircraft towing device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A clearance groove is provided at one end of the frame, and the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel are respectively located at two sides of the clearance groove.

4. The aircraft towing device according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The clearance groove is fan-shaped, and the center of the circle is located at the reference axis.

5. The aircraft towing device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that There are two first driving wheels, and there are two second driving wheels. The two first driving wheels and the two second driving wheels are respectively arranged at four corners of the frame.

6. The aircraft towing device according to claim 2, It is characterized in that A first buffer member with elasticity is provided on one side of the locking member facing the connecting groove.

7. The aircraft towing device according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The connecting component further comprises an electric cylinder, and two ends of the electric cylinder are respectively connected to the connecting groove and the locking member; or, The connecting component also includes a motor and a transmission assembly, the motor is fixedly connected to the connecting groove, the transmission assembly includes a gear connected to the main shaft of the motor and a rack slidably connected to the connecting groove, the rack is fixedly connected to the locking member, and the gear and the rack are meshed.

8. The aircraft towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, a second buffer member with elasticity is provided in the connection groove.

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