A door opening device capable of improving the opening speed of a RAT

Abstract

The application discloses a hatch opening device capable of improving the opening speed of a RAT cabin door, which comprises a cabin door and a plurality of gooseneck hinges; wherein a connecting plate is connected between adjacent gooseneck hinges along the mounting axis direction of the cabin door, and is used for reinforcing the rigidity of the side surface of the gooseneck hinge along the mounting axis direction of the cabin door, so as to improve the opening response speed of the cabin door, and further avoid the interference with a RAT system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of aircraft equipment technology, and more particularly to a door opening device, especially a ram air turbine (RAT) door opening device. Background Technology

[0002] The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) is a turboprop driven by high-altitude airflow. When all aircraft engines fail, the aircraft is too high, and the APU is unable to restart the engines, the RAT will open and descend to drive the hydraulic engine, thereby providing some electrical power (mainly to the cockpit) and hydraulic pressure to the aircraft's control surfaces, helping the aircraft descend to a suitable altitude to restart the engines.

[0003] Ram air turbines are an important component of an aircraft's emergency electrical and hydraulic systems, normally housed inside the fuselage, wings, or RAT (Radar Air Turbine) door. When the main engine fails to operate and the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) fails to start, the RAT system activates in an emergency, and the ram air turbine automatically (or manually in advance) deploys. Driven by the airflow from the front of the aircraft, it powers the engine or a small hydraulic pump, providing the aircraft with basic electrical and hydraulic power.

[0004] However, due to the numerous limitations in the movement design of the RAT hatch structure and the rapid release speed of the RAT system, interference between the RAT system and the RAT hatch is easily caused. Specifically, the RAT hatch is the maintenance hatch of the RAT system, connected to the RAT system via a linkage. When the RAT system retracts or extends under the action of the actuator, it simultaneously drives the RAT hatch to open and close.

[0005] There are many design constraints for this type of coordinated motion, including static and dynamic clearance requirements: 1) the clearance between the hinge that mounts the door to the fuselage and the door frame opening during door movement; 2) the clearance between the door skin and the fuselage skin when the door is opened to its limit; dynamic clearance requirements: 1) the clearance between the RAT system blades and the RAT door body during door movement; 2) the clearance between the RAT system body and the RAT door hinge during door movement; high-speed component clearance requirements: the clearance between the RAT blade rotation envelope and the RAT door body.

[0006] Due to the aforementioned limitations, the initial deployment of the RAT system requires a very high efficiency in opening and rotating the hatch, while the force required to open the hatch is very small, resulting in a slow opening speed. Furthermore, the initial deployment speed of the RAT system is extremely fast, for example, approximately 0.08 seconds, at which point the RAT system blades and the RAT hatch reach their most critical clearance. Considering these factors, interference between the RAT system blades and the RAT hatch may occur under certain hazardous operating conditions.

[0007] In the field of aircraft manufacturing, there are various measures to improve the opening speed of cabin doors. These measures usually involve adding actuators and improving the efficiency of control mechanisms to increase the opening speed and stability of opening and closing. However, the impact of the cabin door structural components themselves on the opening speed is not considered in most cases.

[0008] Existing RAT door opening devices are generally as shown in Figures 1(1)-1(3). The hinge 2 connecting the RAT door 1 to the aircraft fuselage is often a gooseneck hinge. The gooseneck hinge can avoid the fuselage structure when the door is flipped open, but its slender shape determines that the hinge has poor rigidity. Figure 2 As shown, this illustrates the axial deformation of hinge 2 after the RAT door 1 is opened in the prior art. The shaded area represents the lateral deformation of the gooseneck hinge 2 along the door, i.e., deformation along the door's mounting axis. Analysis of the shape of these existing hinges reveals no specific reinforcement measures for the axial stiffness of the gooseneck hinge in terms of the hinge's width, rotation position, or connection structure. However, the bending angle of the gooseneck hinge indicates a relatively small final opening angle of the RAT door. Those skilled in the art will understand that this is achieved by designing the motion relationship between the RAT system and the door mechanism to alter the rotation angle, minimizing lateral force on the RAT door during rapid opening to prevent motion interference. However, this prior art design places certain requirements on the RAT system's placement and whether the door is single or double-leaf, and is not widely applicable to all RAT door opening systems. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, this application aims to provide a hatch opening device that can improve the response speed when the RAT hatch is opened, thereby avoiding interference with the RAT system.

[0010] Therefore, this application proposes a hatch opening device that can improve the opening speed of the RAT hatch, including a hatch, a plurality of gooseneck hinges fixed to the hatch, the gooseneck hinges hinge the hatch to the fuselage along the mounting axis of the hatch; and a connecting plate is connected between adjacent gooseneck hinges along the mounting axis of the hatch.

[0011] Therefore, by reinforcing the gooseneck hinge, this application considers the factors affecting the opening speed of the RAT hatch from the perspective of the RAT hatch structural components themselves, from a non-obvious angle, that is, from the perspective of the axial deformation of the RAT hatch hinge on the mounting shaft, to solve the interference problem between the RAT hatch and the RAT system.

[0012] Furthermore, the connecting plate is connected to the gooseneck hinge by one or more connection methods, such as fasteners, adhesive bonding, or welding. In this way, the measures of this application can be widely applied to various types of hatches, whether single-leaf, double-leaf, or multi-leaf hatches.

[0013] Furthermore, the connecting plate is integrally manufactured with the gooseneck hinge via additive manufacturing or casting. In this way, gooseneck hinges incorporating the features of this application can be pre-manufactured, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0014] Furthermore, the gooseneck hinge includes a gooseneck segment, the side of which is provided with a protrusion and a connecting hole. The end of the connecting plate is also provided with a connecting piece and a corresponding connecting hole. As one embodiment of this application, a specific structure for reinforcing a gooseneck hinge is provided.

[0015] Furthermore, the connecting hole of the protrusion in the gooseneck segment is circular, and the connecting hole of the connecting piece in the connecting plate is oblong; and vice versa. By using circular and oblong holes, the connection spacing can be adjusted, thereby reducing the requirements for manufacturing precision.

[0016] Furthermore, the goose-shaped section of the gooseneck hinge is provided with another protrusion on its side for connection with the connecting piece of another connecting plate to provide double reinforcement. As an alternative embodiment, a reinforcing structure connecting the two connecting plates can be provided as needed, thereby facilitating reinforcement of various gooseneck hinges.

[0017] Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the protrusions of the goose-shaped segment and the connecting pieces of the connecting plate are respectively formed into toothed surfaces. By making the opposing surfaces of the protrusions and connecting pieces toothed, it is possible to strengthen the resistance to shear loads.

[0018] Furthermore, the connecting plate is made into a continuous rectangular frame structure. According to this embodiment, the weight of the connecting plate can be reduced, minimizing the load on the fuselage.

[0019] Furthermore, the side edges of the frame structure of the connecting plate have an I-shaped cross-section. This measure allows for a reduction in the weight of the connecting plate without compromising its strength.

[0020] Through the above solutions, this application has the following advantages:

[0021] The problem of increasing the hatch opening speed is not obviously solved by using stiffness-reinforced gooseneck hinges, which eliminates the reduction in opening speed caused by hinge deformation during rapid opening, thereby avoiding interference between the RAT system and the RAT hatch.

[0022] It adopts a reinforcing connecting plate with adjustable axial length and a gooseneck hinge design;

[0023] By reinforcing with gooseneck hinges, the motion process can be made closer to rigid motion, which facilitates motion design and eliminates other dangers caused by deformation. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figures 1(1)-1(3) schematically illustrate three types of RAT hatch opening devices with gooseneck hinges in the prior art, where the arrows indicate the direction of the hatch mounting axis;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the existing RAT hatch gooseneck hinge in the hatch mounting axis direction;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a detailed schematic diagram of the existing hatch opening mechanism;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a hatch opening device that can improve the hatch opening speed according to this application;

[0028] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of part A in the middle;

[0029] Figure 6 It is similar to Figure 4 Enlarged schematic diagram of another embodiment of part A in the middle

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting plate of the hatch opening device that can improve the hatch opening speed according to this application;

[0031] Figure 8 It is along Figure 7 Cross-sectional view of the connecting plate in the middle direction of aa. Detailed Implementation

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the hatch opening device, particularly the RAT hatch opening device, includes a hatch 1. Multiple gooseneck hinges 2 are fixed along the longitudinal direction of the hatch 1, i.e., in the direction aligned with the mounting axis of the hatch indicated by the dashed line X. In this embodiment, there are three. Each gooseneck hinge 2 includes a gooseneck section 21 with a shaft hole 211; a support section 22 fixedly connected to the hatch 1; and a fuselage connecting seat 23 fixed to the fuselage (not shown in the figure) at each gooseneck section 21. This fuselage connecting seat includes a shaft hole 231. The mounting axis X of the hatch passes through the shaft holes 211 of each gooseneck section 21 and the shaft holes 231 of each fuselage connecting seat 23, allowing the gooseneck section 21 to pivot relative to the corresponding fuselage connecting seat 23 around the hatch mounting axis X at a certain angle, which is related to the hatch opening angle.

[0033] For example Figure 4As shown, the hatch opening device according to this application, which improves opening speed, includes a connecting plate 3 between adjacent gooseneck hinges 2. This connecting plate 3 connects to the adjacent gooseneck hinges 2 along the X-axis of the hatch mounting axis. By providing the connecting plate 3, the lateral strength of the gooseneck hinges 2 along the hatch 1 can be increased to resist the lateral force on the gooseneck hinges 2 during rapid hatch opening, thus eliminating lateral deformation of the gooseneck hinges 2 and improving the response speed of the RAT hatch opening. The connecting plate 3 can be connected to the gooseneck hinges 2 through different connection methods such as fasteners, bonding, or welding. It can also be integrally manufactured with the gooseneck hinges through additive manufacturing or casting. Integral manufacturing can employ topology-optimized manufacturing methods. The connecting plate of this application can be provided in single-leaf, double-leaf, or multi-leaf hatch configurations.

[0034] Figure 5 What is shown is Figure 4 The enlarged schematic diagram of part A in the figure illustrates a preferred embodiment of this application. A protrusion 212 is provided on the side of the gooseneck segment 21 of the gooseneck hinge 2, with a circular connecting hole 2121. A connecting piece 31 is also provided at the end of the connecting plate 3, with a corresponding connecting hole 311. As can be seen in the figure, the connecting hole 311 of the connecting piece 31 of the connecting plate 3 is an oblong hole. When it mates with the connecting hole 2121 of the protrusion 212 of the gooseneck segment 21, the connection position of the connecting plate 3 can be adjusted as needed, so that the connecting plate 3 can be used for adjacent gooseneck hinges with various spacings within a certain range. Alternatively, the connecting hole 2121 of the gooseneck protrusion 212 can be made into an oblong hole, and the connecting hole 311 of the connecting piece 31 can be made into a circular hole.

[0035] For example Figure 5 As shown, the goose-shaped section 21 of the gooseneck hinge 2 may be provided with another protrusion 212 on its side for connection with another connecting plate 3, which can provide double reinforcement.

[0036] Furthermore, to improve the load-bearing capacity of the tab 212 and the connecting tab 31, their opposing surfaces can be made into toothed surfaces, such as... Figure 6 It is shown schematically.

[0037] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown in the figure, a schematic perspective view and cross-sectional view of the connecting plate 3 of this application are shown. It can be seen that in order to reduce the weight of the connecting plate, it is made into a continuous square frame structure to reduce the load on the fuselage, and its sides have a reinforced shape like an I-shaped cross section.

[0038] By utilizing the hatch opening device of this application, the factors affecting the hatch opening speed are considered from a non-obvious perspective, focusing on the RAT hatch structure itself. Specifically, the interference problem between the RAT hatch and the RAT system is addressed by considering the axial deformation angle of the RAT hatch hinge on the mounting shaft. This is achieved by reinforcing the stiffness of adjacent gooseneck hinges 2 along the hatch side via connecting plates 3. This ensures that the motion relationship between the RAT system and the hatch remains unchanged. By reinforcing the lateral stiffness of the gooseneck hinges, the hatch opening process approaches rigid motion, eliminating the lateral deformation of the gooseneck hinges. This, in turn, increases the hatch opening speed and avoids interference between the RAT system and the RAT hatch.

[0039] In addition to the various teachings relating to the foregoing description and the following requirements, apparatuses and / or methods having different combinations of the features described foregoing and the following requirements are contemplated. Similarly, this description also relates to other apparatuses and / or methods having any other possible combinations of the dependent features of the following requirements.

[0040] The foregoing description has already set forth numerous features and advantages, including various alternatives and details of the structure and function of the apparatus and / or method. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary only and is not intended to be exhaustive. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the principles of the invention, and within the widest possible range indicated by the broad superordinate meaning of the terms expressing the appended claims, particularly in terms of structure, materials, elements, components, shapes, dimensions, and arrangement of parts. These various modifications are intended to be included herein to the extent that they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hatch opening device capable of improving the opening speed of a RAT hatch, comprising a hatch, a plurality of gooseneck hinges fixed to the hatch, the gooseneck hinges hinged to the fuselage along the mounting axis of the hatch; characterized in that, A connecting plate is connected between adjacent gooseneck hinges along the mounting axis of the hatch, which is used to reinforce the side of the gooseneck hinge along the mounting axis of the hatch to improve the opening response speed of the hatch.

2. The hatch opening device capable of improving the opening speed of the RAT hatch as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting plate is connected to the gooseneck hinge by one or more of the following connection methods: fasteners, adhesives, welding.

3. The hatch opening device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting plate is integrally manufactured with the gooseneck hinge by additive manufacturing or casting.

4. The hatch opening device capable of improving the opening speed of the RAT hatch as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gooseneck hinge includes a gooseneck section, the side of which is provided with a protrusion and a connecting hole. The end of the connecting plate is also provided with a connecting piece and a corresponding connecting hole.

5. The hatch opening device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The connecting hole of the protrusion of the gooseneck segment is circular, and the connecting hole of the connecting piece of the connecting plate is waist-shaped; or, the connecting hole of the protrusion of the gooseneck segment is waist-shaped, and the connecting hole of the connecting piece of the connecting plate is circular.

6. The hatch opening device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The gooseneck section of the gooseneck hinge is also provided with another protrusion on its side for connection with the connecting piece of another connecting plate to provide double reinforcement.

7. The hatch opening device for improving the opening speed of the RAT hatch as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The opposing surfaces of the protrusions of the gooseneck segment and the connecting pieces of the connecting plate are respectively made into toothed surfaces.

8. The hatch opening device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting plate is made into a continuous rectangular frame structure.

9. The hatch opening device for improving the opening speed of the RAT hatch as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The side of the frame structure of the connecting plate has an I-shaped cross-section.

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