Automatic stowable boarding device for light aircraft

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of small aircraft automatic stowing boarding device, including fuselage structure and foot pedal, fuselage structure has opening with foot pedal shape matching and for accommodating the accommodating slot of the foot pedal, the foot pedal is installed in accommodating slot by hinged seat towards opening direction with a certain downward inclination angle, energy storage device and telescopic locking mechanism are installed in the accommodating slot by auxiliary mounting structure, the energy storage device can store energy when foot pedal is opened, the telescopic locking mechanism can be locked by elongation when foot pedal is opened, and unlocked by the way of stepping to release energy of energy storage device to realize automatic stowing of foot pedal.The application is manually opened by operating personnel before boarding the aircraft, the opening process is completed by gas spring energy storage, and it is automatically stowed after stepping, so as to achieve the purpose that pilot does not need to operate stowing boarding device after boarding the aircraft, and the energy stored by gas spring is used to drive during stowing, without the need of electric motor or hydraulic actuator for driving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aircraft structural design, specifically relating to an automatic stowage boarding device for small aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] Many general aviation and military aircraft are equipped with onboard boarding stairs for operators to board and disembark. Onboard boarding stairs allow pilots to quickly board and disembark the aircraft independently without relying on dedicated boarding stairs or ground crew. Boarding and disembarking are not affected by the parking environment, and at the same time, they provide convenience for maintenance operators. Their high degree of autonomy and adaptability have led to their gradual application in military aircraft both domestically and internationally.

[0003] Small aircraft have a low ground clearance, requiring only a step under the fuselage for boarding. Some aircraft use external boarding stairs, which are simple and easy to use but affect the aircraft's aerodynamic shape. Others have foldable boarding stairs, but these need to be manually retracted on the ground, increasing the pilot's boarding steps. Still others have automatically retractable boarding stairs, but these require an electric motor or hydraulic actuator. Patent CN207257962U relates to a boarding device for small aircraft that meets the needs of operators, but its retraction and locking require manual operation on the ground. Patent CN108945389 relates to a boarding device for medium-sized aircraft that can automatically open and retract based on the opening and closing of the boarding door, meeting the needs of operators, but it is only applicable to larger aircraft with boarding doors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an automatic retraction device for boarding foot pedals.

[0005] Technical solution of the present invention:

[0006] An automatic retractable boarding device for a small aircraft includes a fuselage structure and a foot pedal. The fuselage structure has an opening that matches the shape of the foot pedal and is used to accommodate the foot pedal. One end of the foot pedal is hinged to a hinge seat. The foot pedal is installed in the receiving slot at a certain downward tilt angle towards the opening direction via the hinge seat. An energy storage device and a telescopic locking mechanism are installed in the receiving slot through an auxiliary installation structure. The energy storage device can store energy when the foot pedal is rotated open. The telescopic locking mechanism can extend to lock when the foot pedal is rotated open and unlock by stepping on it, so that the energy storage device can release energy to realize the automatic retraction of the foot pedal.

[0007] Furthermore, the energy storage device is a tension gas spring.

[0008] Furthermore, the telescopic locking mechanism includes a fisheye connector, a movable rod, a guide gear plate, a first spring, a first outer cylinder, and a second outer cylinder.

[0009] The first outer cylinder has a guide gear plate fixed inside one end and an internal threaded sleeve at the other end.

[0010] The second outer cylinder has symmetrical track blocks and external threads that match the internal threaded sleeve at one end, and a limit groove is formed between the track blocks.

[0011] The movable rod is slidably installed in the outer cylinder of the combination of the first and second outer cylinders. The movable rod includes a round rod and a square rod. A first spring is provided in the guide gear plate. One end of the round rod passes through the first spring and is rotatably installed in the fisheye joint. The fisheye of the fisheye joint is rotated and installed on the foot pedal. A first guide part that cooperates with the first outer cylinder is provided between the round rod and the square rod. A second guide part that cooperates with the second outer cylinder is provided at the end of the square rod. A first wedge block corresponding to the guide gear plate is provided at the end of the round rod near the first guide part. A second wedge block corresponding to the track groove of the track block is provided at the end of the square rod near the second guide part.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper part of the pedal away from the hinge point is provided with a stepping area, and the outer side of the pedal away from the hinge point is provided with a pull ring and a small skin.

[0013] Furthermore, the stepping area is provided with anti-slip texture.

[0014] Furthermore, the foot pedal is provided with an shape-maintaining mechanism on the outer side near the hinge point, which is used to maintain the shape of the aircraft after the foot pedal is retracted.

[0015] Furthermore, the shape-maintaining mechanism includes a hinge, a guard plate, and a second spring. One end of the guard plate is hinged to a receiving groove via a hinge, and the middle of the guard plate is connected to the foot pedal via the second spring.

[0016] Furthermore, the hinge seat is provided with a limiting block inside for limiting the opening of the pedal.

[0017] Furthermore, the tilt angle is 5°–15°.

[0018] Furthermore, the tilt angle is 10°.

[0019] This invention is simple to operate and can be opened and used. Before boarding the aircraft, the operator manually opens the boarding foot pedal device. During the opening process, the gas spring stores energy, and the pedal automatically retracts after being stepped on. This achieves the goal of eliminating the need for the pilot to manually retract the boarding device after boarding. Moreover, the retraction is driven by the energy stored in the gas spring, eliminating the need for an electric motor or hydraulic actuator. This simplifies the complexity of the boarding device and provides a stable support structure without affecting the aircraft's overall aerodynamic requirements. It also facilitates ground staff maintenance of the aircraft and the pilot's boarding and disembarking. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention installed on an aircraft;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting structure of the hinge seat of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic locking mechanism of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the foot pedal structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the shape-maintaining mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foot pedal of the present invention when it is retracted;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foot pedal of the present invention when it is opened;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first wedge block in contact with the guide tooth disk of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the second wedge block of the present invention comes into contact with the trajectory block;

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Fuselage structure; 2. Auxiliary installation structure; 3. Telescopic locking mechanism; 4. Energy storage device; 5. Foot pedal; 6. Shape maintenance mechanism; 11. Mounting web; 12. Hinge seat; 13. Bolt I; 14. Nut I; 15. Washer; 16. Fuselage skin; 17. Limiting block; 31. Cotter pin; 32. Hexagonal groove nut; 33. Fish eye joint; 34. Bolt II; 35. Movable rod; 36. Guide gear plate; 37. First spring; 38. First outer cylinder; 39. Second outer cylinder; 51. Rotating shaft; 52. Support rod clevis bolt; 53. Reverse tension. 53. Rod ear bolt, 54. Foot pedal, 55. Cotter pin, 56. Washer, 57. Nut II, 58. Small skin, 59. Pull ring, 61. Hinge, 62. Guard plate, 63. Support plate nut, 64. Screw with hole, 65. Second spring, 100. Receiving groove, 351. Round rod, 352. Square rod, 353. First guide, 354. Second guide, 355. First wedge, 356. Second wedge, 381. Internal thread sleeve, 391. Track block, 392. External thread, 393. Limiting groove, 541. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention can be further described through the following embodiments; however, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0032] Example: See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The illustrated automatic retractable boarding device for a small aircraft includes a fuselage structure 1 and foot pedals 5. The fuselage structure 1 has an opening that matches the shape of the foot pedals 5 and is used to accommodate the foot pedals 5. The foot pedals 5 are installed in the accommodating slot 100 at a certain downward tilt angle towards the opening direction via a hinge seat 12. An energy storage device 4 and a telescopic locking mechanism 3 are installed in the accommodating slot 100 via an auxiliary mounting structure 2. The energy storage device 4 can store energy when the foot pedals 5 are rotated open. The telescopic locking mechanism 3 can extend to lock when the foot pedals 5 are rotated open and unlock by stepping on them, allowing the energy storage device 4 to release energy to achieve automatic retraction of the foot pedals 5. In this embodiment, the tilt setting of the foot pedals 5 is mainly used to provide an unlocking component force in the opening direction when stepped on. The preferred tilt angle is 5°-15°, and more preferably 10°. If the tilt angle is too small, the component force of the stepping weight will also be small, which may lead to unlocking failure. If the tilt angle is too large, it may cause the person to be unstable when stepping on it, affecting the comfort of the body.

[0033] In this embodiment, the energy storage device 4 is a tension gas spring.

[0034] like Figure 4 As shown, the telescopic locking mechanism 3 includes a fisheye connector 33, a movable rod 35, a guide toothed disc 36, a first spring 37, a first outer cylinder 38, and a second outer cylinder 39. The first outer cylinder 38 and the second outer cylinder 39 are threaded together. The guide toothed disc 36 is fixed inside one end of the first outer cylinder 38, and an internal threaded sleeve 381 is provided at the other end. The second outer cylinder 39 is symmetrically provided with track blocks 391 and external threads 392 that match the internal threaded sleeve 381 at one end. A limit groove 393 is formed between the track blocks 391.

[0035] The movable rod 35 is slidably installed in the outer cylinder of the combination of the first outer cylinder 38 and the second outer cylinder 39. The movable rod 35 includes a circular rod 351 and a square rod 352. A first spring 37 is provided in the guide gear plate 36. One end of the circular rod 351 passes through the first spring 37 and is rotatably installed in the fisheye joint 33. The fisheye of the fisheye joint 33 is rotated and installed on the foot pedal 5. A first guide part 353 that cooperates with the first outer cylinder 38 is provided between the circular rod 351 and the square rod 352. A second guide part 354 that cooperates with the second outer cylinder 39 is provided at the end of the square rod 352. The first guide part 353 and the second guide part 354 are used for sliding guidance of the movable rod 35. A first wedge 355 corresponding to the guide gear plate 36 is provided at the end of the circular rod 351 near the first guide part 353. A second wedge 356 corresponding to the track groove of the track block 391 is provided at the end of the square rod 352 near the second guide part 354.

[0036] In this embodiment, the upper part of the foot pedal 5 away from the hinge point is provided with a stepping area 541, and the outer side of the foot pedal 5 away from the hinge point is provided with a pull ring 59 and a small skin 58. Furthermore, the stepping area 541 is provided with anti-slip texture.

[0037] Furthermore, the foot pedal 5 is provided with an shape-maintaining mechanism 6 on the outer side near the hinge point. The shape-maintaining mechanism 6 is used to maintain the shape of the aircraft after the foot pedal is retracted.

[0038] Furthermore, the shape-maintaining mechanism 6 includes a hinge 61, a guard plate 62, and a second spring 65. One end of the guard plate 62 is hinged to the receiving groove 100 via the hinge 61, and the middle of the guard plate 62 is connected to the foot pedal 5 via the second spring 65.

[0039] Furthermore, the hinge seat 12 is provided with a limiting block 17 for limiting the opening of the foot pedal 5.

[0040] This invention adjusts the rotation angle of the movable rod 35 each time by changing the number of track blocks 391, the trajectory of the track groove, and the number of teeth of the guide toothed disc 36. By changing the rotation angle and the number of steps, the square rod 352 passes through the limiting groove 393, which can realize automatic retraction for single-person boarding or double-person boarding. The working principle below is described according to the automatic retraction for double-person boarding.

[0041] The working process of this invention is as follows: When the pilot or ground crew gets on or off the aircraft, they hook their hand onto the pull ring 59 to open the foot pedal 5, causing the movable lever 35 and the tension gas spring to extend. When the foot pedal 5 is opened to its final position, the movable lever 35 extends to its limit, and the first wedge 355 on the movable lever 35 will contact the helical tooth surface of the guide gear 36. Since the guide gear 36 is fixed, the first wedge 355 will drive the movable lever 35 to rotate a certain angle under the guidance of the helical tooth surface (e.g., Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the tension air spring extends to its maximum size at this time, completing the energy storage.

[0042] When the operator releases the pull ring 59, the movable rod 35 retracts under the action of the tension gas spring. Because the movable rod 35 rotates a certain angle, the square rod 352 cannot align with the limiting groove 393 in the second outer cylinder 39, meaning it cannot pass through the limiting groove 393. The second wedge 356 will then contact the track groove of the track block 391. Since the second outer cylinder 39 is relatively fixed, the second wedge 356, guided by the track groove of the track block 391, will cause the movable rod 35 to continue rotating a certain angle (e.g., ...). Figure 10 As shown), the movable lever 35 can no longer retract and is in the telescopic locking state. At this point, the foot pedal 5 ends its rebound and is in the unlocked locking state.

[0043] When the first operator steps on the pedal area 541 in the direction the pedal 5 opens, the pedal 5, under the force of the stepping component, will cause the movable rod 35 to extend again, and the pedal 54 will contact the limit block 17. During this process, the first wedge 355 will drive the movable rod 35 to rotate again by a certain angle under the guidance of the helical tooth surface. When the operator leaves the pedal area 541, the pedal 5 will rebound under the action of the tension gas spring, and the second wedge 356 will drive the movable rod 35 to rotate again by a certain angle under the guidance of the track groove of the track block 391.

[0044] When the second operator steps on and leaves the stepping area 541, the movable rod 35 will rotate twice more. Under the action of the first wedge 355, the movable rod 35 rotates by 20° each time, and under the action of the second wedge 356, the movable rod 35 rotates by 40° each time. After the above six rotations, the movable rod 35 has rotated 180°. At this time, the square rod 352 is aligned with the limiting groove 393 in the second outer cylinder 39 again.

[0045] When the second operator leaves the foot pedal area 541, the foot pedal 5 retracts under the action of the tension gas spring, and the movable rod 35 retracts back to its initial position along the limiting groove 393 of the second outer cylinder 39. At this point, the foot pedal 5 completes the retraction action. During the opening of the foot pedal 5, the protective plate 62 rotates with the foot pedal 5 through the hinge 61. During the retraction process, the second spring 65 drives the protective plate 62 to retract with the foot pedal 5, maintaining the shape of the aircraft.

[0046] The installation process of this invention is as follows:

[0047] The hinge seat 12 and the auxiliary mounting structure 2 are installed on the mounting web plate 11 in the receiving groove 100 by bolts I13, nuts I14, washers 15, etc., and the limiting block 17 is installed.

[0048] Assemble the telescopic locking mechanism 3. Weld the guide toothed disc 36 to one end of the first outer cylinder 38. Place the first spring 37 inside the guide toothed disc 36. Pass one end of the circular rod 351 of the movable rod 35 through the first spring 37 and the guide toothed disc 36. Then tighten the second outer cylinder 39 to the first outer cylinder 38 through threaded connection. Test whether the movable rod 35 can complete the extension-rotation-retraction-rotation action after assembly. Pass one end of the circular rod 351 through the first spring 37 and the guide toothed disc 36 through the bearing and install it in the fish eye joint 33. Fix the support rod ear bolt 52 and the pull rod ear bolt 53 to the foot pedal 54 with nut II 57. Fix the small skin 58 to the foot pedal 54 with rivets and angle brackets. Rivet the pull ring 59 to the foot pedal 54 with rivets.

[0049] Assemble the guard plate by riveting the hinge 61 to the guard plate 62 with rivets. The support plate nut 63 is also riveted to the guard plate and screwed on with a screw with holes 64. Fix one end of the second spring 65 in the hole of the screw with holes 64. Fix the foot pedal 5 to the hinge seat 12 with a pivot 51, a cotter pin 55 and a washer 56. Connect the two ends of the movable rod 35 and the tension gas spring to the ear bolts on the auxiliary mounting structure 2 and the foot pedal 5 respectively with a cotter pin 31, a hexagonal groove nut 32 and a bolt II 34. Rivet the hinge 61 of the guard plate to the limiting block 17. Fix one end of the second spring 65 in the hole of the support rod ear bolt 53. At this point, the boarding foot pedal device of the present invention is installed.

[0050] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0051] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An automatic stowable boarding device for a small aircraft, comprising a fuselage structure (1) and a footrest (5), characterized in that, The body structure (1) has an opening and a receiving groove (100) matched with the shape of the footrest (5) and used for accommodating the footrest (5). The footrest (5) is installed in the receiving groove (100) by a hinge seat (12) and has a downward inclination angle in the opening direction. An energy storage device (4) and a telescopic locking mechanism (3) are installed in the receiving groove (100) by an auxiliary mounting structure (2). The energy storage device (4) can store energy when the footrest (5) is opened. The telescopic locking mechanism (3) can be elongated to be locked when the footrest (5) is opened, and can be unlocked by stepping to release the energy of the energy storage device (4) to automatically fold the footrest (5). The telescopic locking mechanism (3) comprises a fisheye joint (33), a movable rod (35), a guide tooth disc (36), a first spring (37), a first outer cylinder (38) and a second outer cylinder (39). The guide tooth disc (36) is fixedly arranged in the inner part of one end of the first outer cylinder (38), and the other end is provided with an inner threaded sleeve (381). The second outer cylinder (39) is symmetrically provided with a track block (391) and an outer thread (392) matched with the inner threaded sleeve (381) at one end, and a limiting groove (393) is formed between the track blocks (391). The movable rod (35) is slidingly installed in the outer cylinder combined by the first outer cylinder (38) and the second outer cylinder (39). The movable rod (35) comprises a circular rod (351) and a square rod (352). The first spring (37) is arranged in the guide tooth disc (36). One end of the circular rod (351) penetrates the first spring (37) and the guide tooth disc (36) and is rotatably installed in the fisheye joint (33). The fisheye of the fisheye joint (33) is installed on the footrest (5). A first guide part (353) matched with the first outer cylinder (38) is arranged between the circular rod (351) and the square rod (352). The end of the square rod (352) is provided with a second guide part (354) matched with the second outer cylinder (39). One end of the circular rod (351) close to the first guide part (353) is provided with a first contract block (355) corresponding to the guide tooth disc (36). One end of the square rod (352) close to the second guide part (354) is provided with a second contract block (356) corresponding to the track groove of the track block (391).

2. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein: The energy storage device (4) is a tension gas spring.

3. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein: The upper part of the footrest (5) away from the hinge point is provided with a stepping area (541). The outer side of the footrest (5) away from the hinge point is provided with a pull ring (59) and a small skin (58).

4. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 3 wherein: The stepping area (541) is provided with anti-skid lines.

5. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein: The outer side of the footrest (5) close to the hinge point is provided with a shape maintaining mechanism (6) for maintaining the shape of the aircraft after the footrest is folded.

6. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 5 wherein: The shape maintaining mechanism (6) comprises a hinge (61), a guard plate (62) and a second spring (65). One end of the guard plate (62) is hingedly connected in the receiving groove (100) through the hinge (61). The middle of the guard plate (62) is connected with the footrest (5) through the second spring (65).

7. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein: The inside of the articulated seat (12) is provided with a limiting block (17) for limiting the opening of the footrest (5).

8. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein: The inclination angle is 5°-15°.

9. An automatic stowable boarding device for a light aircraft as claimed in claim 8 wherein: The inclination angle is 10°.

Images