A cargo deck limiting lock

Abstract

The application discloses a cargo deck limiting lock, which comprises a locking mechanism and a linear driving mechanism; the locking mechanism comprises a driven lock tongue, a linkage lock tongue shaft, a driving lock tongue, a connecting rod, an ear fork, a rocker arm and a shell; one end of the ear fork is connected with an output end of the linear driving mechanism, the other end of the ear fork is rotatably connected with one end of the connecting rod and the rocker arm, and the other end of the rocker arm is rotatably connected on the shell; the other end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected with the driving lock tongue, and the driving lock tongue and the driven lock tongue are rotatably connected on the shell respectively, and the rotatable connection positions are located on both sides of the connecting rod; an arc-shaped hole or a waist-shaped hole is arranged on the driven lock tongue, a linkage lock tongue shaft is arranged on the driving lock tongue, and the linkage lock tongue shaft is located in the arc-shaped hole or the waist-shaped hole. The limiting structure is simple and small in size, can meet the cargo deck limiting requirement, and can improve the cargo compartment space utilization rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of air freight and relates to a cargo platform limit lock. Background Technology

[0002] When transport aircraft are performing cargo transport missions, they mainly rely on side rails installed on both sides of the cargo hold and movement-limiting locks installed in the side rails to reliably limit the movement of the cargo platform and prevent accidental release of the platform. The cargo platform movement-limiting locks are mainly used to limit and release the movement of the cargo platform in the forward / reverse direction.

[0003] Currently, some transport aircraft use mechanical locking devices for their movement control locks. These require manual locking and unlocking during loading and unloading, which is time-consuming. To ensure ease of manual operation, sufficient operating space must be reserved between the cargo hold interior wall and the loading platform, reducing cargo hold space utilization. Other transport aircraft use electrically controlled locking devices, which have complex movement control structures, require greater opening force, and have bulky motors and actuators. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a platform limit lock with a simple movement limiting structure and small size, which satisfies the movement limitation of the platform while improving the utilization rate of cargo hold space.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0006] A platform limit lock includes a locking mechanism and a linear drive mechanism;

[0007] The locking mechanism includes a driven bolt, a linked bolt shaft, a driving bolt, a connecting rod, an ear fork, a rocker arm, and a housing;

[0008] One end of the ear fork is connected to the output end of the linear drive mechanism, and the other end of the ear fork is rotatably connected to one end of the connecting rod and the rocker arm. The other end of the rocker arm is rotatably connected to the housing. The other end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the active locking tongue. The active locking tongue and the driven locking tongue are rotatably connected to the housing respectively. The rotatable connection parts are located on both sides of the connecting rod. The driven locking tongue is provided with an arc-shaped hole or an oblong hole. The active locking tongue is provided with a linkage locking tongue shaft, which is located in the arc-shaped hole or oblong hole.

[0009] Preferably, a limit rod is provided on the side of the housing away from the ear fork.

[0010] Furthermore, when the rocker arm contacts the limit rod, the angle between the rocker arm and the connecting rod on the side facing the limit rod is greater than 180°.

[0011] Furthermore, when the rocker arm contacts the limit rod, the opposite sides of the bottom of the active locking tongue and the driven locking tongue are parallel.

[0012] Preferably, the driven latch has a protrusion on the side facing the driving latch, and the driving latch has a groove on the side facing the driven latch, with the protrusion of the driven latch placed in the groove of the driving latch.

[0013] Preferably, the top of the active locking tongue is provided with a through hole, and the through hole of the active locking tongue and the connecting rod are connected by a main shaft. The main shaft and the active locking tongue are fixedly connected, and the connecting rod rotates around the main shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the connecting rod, rocker arm, and ear fork are connected by a pin.

[0015] Preferably, the linear drive mechanism uses a lead screw motor or an electric cylinder.

[0016] Preferably, the tail end of the linear drive mechanism is rotatably connected to the housing.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The cargo platform limiting lock described in this invention can electrically limit or release the movement of the cargo platform. When the transport aircraft is performing cargo transport missions, the limiting lock withstands the directional / reverse directional loads from the cargo platform and can reliably lock. During unloading in transit, the limiting lock withstands a larger limiting load, and the linear drive mechanism drives the locking mechanism to unlock synchronously, releasing the cargo platform's movement restriction. During ground unloading, the linear drive mechanism drives the locking mechanism to unlock synchronously, releasing the cargo platform's movement restriction. The locking mechanism of this device consists of an active locking tongue, a connecting rod, a rocker arm, and a limiting rod. Relying on the connecting rod and rocker arm to form a self-locking angle greater than 180°, under the action of the limiting load, the locking mechanism always tends to move towards the locking area, ensuring reliable locking. During mission execution, the directional / reverse directional limiting loads borne by this device are transmitted to the aircraft floor through side guide rails, ensuring reliable movement restriction. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a platform movement limiting lock according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main cross section of a platform movement limiting lock according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a locking mechanism according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how the loading platform's movement is restricted by the loading platform's motion limiting lock installed on the aircraft's side guide rail, limiting the loading platform's movement in the heading / reverse heading.

[0023] Figure 5 This is an isometric view of the cargo platform movement limiting lock installed on the side guide rail of an aircraft according to the present invention.

[0024] Among them: 1-platform, 2-side guide rail, 3-limiting lock, 4-floor, 5-locking mechanism, 6-linear drive mechanism, 7-driven lock tongue, 8-linkage lock tongue shaft, 9-active lock tongue, 10-main shaft, 11-bearing shaft, 12-connecting rod, 13-ear fork, 14-rocker arm, 15-pin, 16-limiting rod, 17-housing, 18-side guide rail side plate, 19-driven lock tongue bearing surface, 20-sliding groove, 21-active lock tongue bearing surface, 22-groove, 23-through hole. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “up,” and “down” used in the following description refer to the directions shown in the attached diagram, while the terms “inside” and “outside” refer to the directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the platform limit lock of the present invention includes a locking mechanism 5 and a linear drive mechanism 6, which are connected together by an ear fork 13.

[0029] The linear drive mechanism 6 described in this embodiment adopts a lead screw motor or an electric cylinder. The tail of the linear drive mechanism 6 is connected to a universal joint, which is rotatably connected to the housing through the universal joint.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the locking mechanism 5 includes a driven locking tongue 7, a linkage locking tongue shaft 8, a driving locking tongue 9, a main shaft 10, a bearing shaft 11, a connecting rod 12, an ear fork 13, a rocker arm 14, a pin shaft 15, a limit rod 16, and a housing 17.

[0031] The driven latch 7 and the driving latch 9 are respectively installed in the housing 17 via the bearing shaft 11 and rotate around the bearing shaft 11.

[0032] The driven latch 7 is provided with a sliding groove 20, which is an arc-shaped hole or an oblong hole. The driving latch 9 and the driven latch 7 are connected together by the linkage latch shaft 8 passing through the sliding groove 20 of the driven latch 7. The driving latch 9 and the linkage latch shaft 8 are fixedly connected.

[0033] The active locking tongue 9 is provided with a groove 22 and a through hole 23, and the connecting rod 12 is placed in the groove 22 of the active locking tongue 9.

[0034] The through hole 23 of the active locking tongue 9 and the connecting rod 12 are connected by the main shaft 10. The main shaft 10 and the active locking tongue 9 are fixedly connected, and the connecting rod 12 rotates around the main shaft 10.

[0035] The other end of the connecting rod 12 is connected to the rocker arm 14 and the ear fork 13 via the pin 15.

[0036] The rocker arm 14 is connected to the housing 17 via the bearing shaft 11 and rotates around the bearing shaft 11.

[0037] The limiting rod 16 is fixed to the housing 17 by bolts, so as to limit the extreme position when the rocker arm 14 rotates counterclockwise.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, when the active locking tongue bearing surface 21 and the driven locking tongue bearing surface 19 are locked, they are parallel to each other and inserted into the limiting groove of the platform 1, so that when the platform 1 contacts the driven locking tongue bearing surface 19 and the active locking tongue bearing surface 21, it is a surface contact, avoiding the phenomenon of load concentration.

[0039] The driven latch 7 has a protrusion, and the driving latch 9 has a groove. During the linkage of the two latches, the protrusion of the driven latch 7 is placed in the groove of the driving latch 9 and moves in parallel.

[0040] The cargo platform 1 inside the transport aircraft has grooves on both sides, and at least one limiting lock 3 is provided on each side. The housing of the limiting lock 3 is connected to the floor 4 of the aircraft inside the transport aircraft, and the bottom of the active locking tongue 9 and the passive locking tongue 7 are located in the groove.

[0041] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, side guide rails 2 are provided on both sides of the cargo platform 1. One side of the side guide rail 2 is connected to the floor 4 of the aircraft inside the transport aircraft, and the other side is connected to the cargo platform 1. The motion-limiting lock 3 can also be located inside the side guide rail 2.

[0042] Through holes are designed at corresponding positions on the housing 17 and the side rail plate 18. The housing 17 is installed on the side rail plate 18 by bolts, and the side rail 2 is installed on the floor 4 of the aircraft cargo hold by hinges.

[0043] After cargo platform 1 reaches the designated position in the aircraft cargo hold, upon receiving the locking command from the aircraft, the lead screw motor of the movement restriction lock 3 moves, pushing the active locking tongue 9 and the driven locking tongue 7 to rotate and extend via the linkage mechanism, locking the locking mechanism 5 and restricting the forward / reverse movement of cargo platform 1. During unloading during transport, upon receiving the unlocking command from the aircraft, the lead screw motor of the movement restriction lock 3 moves, pulling the active locking tongue 9 and the driven locking tongue 7 to rotate and retract via the linkage mechanism, unlocking the locking mechanism 5, releasing the forward / reverse movement restriction of cargo platform 1, and allowing cargo platform 1 to be deployed using its own weight and the aircraft's tilt angle. In an emergency, if electronic unlocking fails, the movement restriction can be released manually.

[0044] Cargo platform movement limit lock 3 locking / unlocking principle: After the aircraft cargo hold side guide rail 2 is flipped into place, the cargo platform 1 is moved to the designated position. Upon receiving the aircraft's movement limit command, the cargo platform movement limit lock 3 moves, the lead screw motor moves, and through the linkage mechanism, pushes the pin shaft 15 to move. The pin shaft 15 drives the rocker arm 14 to rotate around the bearing shaft 11. The pin shaft 15 drives the connecting rod 12 to move, and the connecting rod 12 drives the active locking tongue 9 to rotate around the bearing shaft 11. The active locking tongue 9 drives the linkage locking tongue shaft 8 to move, and the linkage locking tongue shaft 8 drives the driven locking tongue 7 to rotate around the bearing shaft 11 through the sliding groove 20, until the rocker arm 14 rotates to the mechanical limit position of the limit rod 16. When the connecting rod 12 and the rocker arm 14 form a self-locking angle greater than 180°, the cargo platform movement limit lock 3 is locked. The lead screw motor moves in the opposite direction to unlock.

[0045] Cargo platform movement limiting lock reliable locking principle: During the aircraft's cargo mission, the locking mechanism 5 bears the load of the cargo platform along the flight direction. The load acts on the active locking tongue bearing surface 21, pushing the active locking tongue 9 to rotate counterclockwise along the bearing axis 11. The rotation of the active locking tongue 9 will push the connecting rod 12 to rotate clockwise along the main axis 10, so that the connecting rod 12 drives the pin 15 to act on the rocker arm 14. The rocker arm 14 has a tendency to move counterclockwise, but in the locked state, the rocker arm 14 is pressed against the position of the limit rod 16. The mechanical limit restricts the rocker arm 14 from rotating counterclockwise. The rocker arm 14 is in the equilibrium position. Therefore, the locking mechanism 5 is reliably locked when bearing the flight direction load.

[0046] During cargo transport operations, the locking mechanism 5 bears the load of the cargo platform along the reverse direction. The load acts on the driven latch bearing surface 19, pushing the driven latch 7 to rotate clockwise along the bearing shaft 11. The driven latch 7 pushes the linkage latch shaft 8 through the sliding groove 20. The linkage latch 8 drives the active latch 9 to rotate counterclockwise around the bearing shaft 11. The rotation of the active latch 9 will push the connecting rod 12 to rotate clockwise along the main shaft 10, causing the connecting rod 12 to drive the pin 15 to act on the rocker arm 14. The rocker arm 14 has a counterclockwise movement tendency. However, in the locked state, the rocker arm 14 is pressed against the limit rod 16. The mechanical limit restricts the rocker arm 14 from rotating counterclockwise. The rocker arm 14 is in a balanced position. Therefore, the locking mechanism 5 is reliably locked when bearing the directional load.

[0047] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0048] It should be understood that the above description is for illustrative purposes and not for limitation. Many embodiments and applications beyond the provided examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of this patent should not be determined by reference to the above description, but rather by reference to the foregoing claims and the full scope of their equivalents. For purposes of completeness, all articles and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated herein by reference. The omission of any aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein in the foregoing claims is not intended as a waiver of that subject matter, nor should it be construed as an indication that the applicant has not considered that subject matter as part of the disclosed inventive subject matter.

Claims

1. A dock leveler restraint lock, comprising: The locking mechanism (5) and the linear driving mechanism (6) are included. The locking mechanism (5) includes a driven lock tongue (7), a linkage lock tongue shaft (8), a driving lock tongue (9), a connecting rod (12), an ear fork (13), a rocker arm (14) and a shell (17). One end of the ear fork (13) is connected to the output end of the linear driving mechanism (6), the other end of the ear fork (13) is rotatably connected to one end of the connecting rod (12) and the rocker arm (14), the other end of the rocker arm (14) is rotatably connected to the shell (17); the other end of the connecting rod (12) is rotatably connected to the driving lock tongue (9), the driving lock tongue (9) and the driven lock tongue (7) are rotatably connected to the shell (17) respectively, and the rotatable connection parts are located on both sides of the connecting rod (12); an arc-shaped hole or a waist-shaped hole is arranged on the driven lock tongue (7), and the linkage lock tongue shaft (8) is arranged on the driving lock tongue (9) and located in the arc-shaped hole or the waist-shaped hole; A protrusion is arranged on the side of the driven lock tongue (7) facing the driving lock tongue (9), and a recess is arranged on the side of the driving lock tongue (9) facing the driven lock tongue (7), the protrusion of the driven lock tongue (7) is arranged in the recess of the driving lock tongue (9); A through hole (23) is arranged at the top of the driving lock tongue (9), the through hole (23) of the driving lock tongue (9) and the connecting rod (12) are connected by a main shaft (10), the main shaft (10) is fixedly connected to the driving lock tongue (9), and the connecting rod (12) rotates around the main shaft (10); A limiting rod (16) is arranged on the side of the shell (17) away from the ear fork (13). When the rocker arm (14) contacts the limiting rod (16), the included angle between the rocker arm (14) and the connecting rod (12) on the side of the limiting rod (16) is greater than 180°. When the rocker arm (14) contacts the limiting rod (16), the two sides of the bottom of the driving lock tongue (9) and the driven lock tongue (7) are parallel.

2. The dock leveler of claim 1, wherein, The connecting rod (12), the rocker arm (14) and the ear fork (13) are connected by a pin shaft (15).

3. The dock leveler of claim 1, wherein, The linear driving mechanism (6) is a lead screw motor or an electric cylinder.

4. The dock leveler of claim 1, wherein, The tail of the linear driving mechanism (6) is rotatably connected to the shell (17).

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