A tethering device and method for a helicopter

Abstract

The application provides a mooring device of a helicopter, which comprises a slide rail arranged on a floor, a main landing gear mooring device arranged on the slide rail and used for fixing a main landing gear tire of the helicopter, and a tail landing gear mooring device arranged on the slide rail and used for fixing a tail landing gear tire of the helicopter, and the application also provides a mooring method of the helicopter, which can greatly reduce the use of mooring rings and steel wires, can adapt to the position of the helicopter entering the airplane, and has the characteristics of quick mooring and dismounting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of tethering device design technology, and particularly relates to a tethering device and method for a helicopter. Background Technology

[0002] When helicopters are parked on helipads or during relocation, to prevent them from moving due to strong winds and causing them to overturn, tethering devices are generally used to secure them. These devices typically use tethering rings and tethering cables.

[0003] This mooring method uses wheel chocks to prevent the helicopter from moving forward or backward, and uses multiple mooring cables to tie the helicopter to mooring rings pre-embedded on the ground or deck. The tension of the cables restricts the helicopter's left-right and up-down movement, thus achieving the mooring purpose.

[0004] When transporting helicopters, due to space constraints within the aircraft and limitations in the distribution of tethering rings on the cabin floor, helicopters cannot be secured using a large number of tethering cables, and rapid tethering and detachment are not possible. To address this problem, this invention designs a tethering device for securing helicopters within an aircraft. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, in a first aspect, this application provides a helicopter tethering device, the device comprising:

[0006] The slide rails are installed on the floor;

[0007] A main landing gear tethering device is mounted on the slide rail and is used to secure the helicopter's main landing gear tires.

[0008] A tail landing gear tethering device is mounted on the slide rail and is used to secure the helicopter tail landing gear tires.

[0009] Preferably, the main landing gear mooring device includes:

[0010] An adapter plate assembly is mounted on the slide rail;

[0011] The front stop assembly is mounted on the adapter plate assembly;

[0012] A clamp assembly is connected to the front stop assembly, and the clamp assembly is used to hold the helicopter main landing gear tires.

[0013] A bracket, mounted on the adapter plate assembly and located on both sides of the clamp assembly, is used to limit the lateral displacement of the helicopter main landing gear tires.

[0014] Preferably, the adapter plate assembly includes:

[0015] First adapter board;

[0016] The second adapter plate is connected to the first adapter plate, and the first adapter plate is perpendicular to the second adapter plate.

[0017] Preferably, the support includes:

[0018] A first bracket is mounted on the second adapter plate and located on one side of the clamp assembly. The first bracket is used to limit the displacement of the helicopter main landing gear tires along a first direction.

[0019] The second bracket is disposed on the second adapter plate and located on the other side of the clamp assembly. The second bracket is used to limit the displacement of the helicopter main landing gear tires along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction are opposite.

[0020] Preferably, the main landing gear mooring device further includes:

[0021] The first baffle is disposed between the first bracket and the helicopter main landing gear tire;

[0022] The second baffle is disposed between the second bracket and the helicopter main landing gear tire.

[0023] Preferably, the first bracket is provided with a first bolt, which is used to abut against the first baffle; the second bracket is provided with a second bolt, which is used to abut against the second baffle.

[0024] Preferably, the tail landing gear tethering device includes:

[0025] The third adapter plate is mounted on the slide rail;

[0026] The third bracket is located on one side of the third adapter plate;

[0027] The fourth bracket is located on the other side of the third adapter plate; wherein the tail landing gear tires can be restricted between the third bracket and the fourth bracket;

[0028] The rear stop assembly is respectively mounted on the third bracket and the fourth bracket, and the rear stop assembly can be inserted into the tail landing gear wheel axle.

[0029] Preferably, the third bracket and the fourth bracket are movable on the third adapter plate.

[0030] Secondly, this application also provides a method for mooring a helicopter, the method comprising:

[0031] Based on the distance between the main and tail landing gears and the location where the helicopter will be moored, the main and tail landing gear mooring devices are fixedly connected to the aircraft cabin floor rails.

[0032] When the main landing gear tie rod is connected to the rail, the clamp assembly should be opened and the studs and the second bracket should not be installed before the helicopter is loaded. The screw length on the first bracket is adjustable. Before the helicopter is loaded, the screw spacing should be adjusted to the maximum to avoid interference with the main landing gear tires.

[0033] When the rear wheel fixing device is connected to the slide rail, the distance between the third and fourth brackets should be adjusted to the maximum before the helicopter is loaded.

[0034] Push the helicopter tail wheel forward into the aircraft until the main landing gear tire is flush with the front stop assembly; install the second bracket on the front landing gear tie-down adapter plate, install and tighten the studs, close the clamp assembly to hold the tire, and tighten the nuts.

[0035] Insert the first and second baffles into the landing gear hubs and adjust the length of the screws on the left and right supports to make them press tightly against the baffles.

[0036] To protect the tail wheel axle, first insert the rear stop assembly into the tail wheel axle, then adjust the position of the left and right brackets to fit against the stop, and tighten the bolts connecting the brackets and the adapter plate.

[0037] Beneficial technical effects of the present invention:

[0038] This invention employs a method of clamping the main and tail landing gear to restrict the movement of the helicopter, enabling reliable mooring during transport within the aircraft and exhibiting high reliability. Furthermore, this invention is adapted to the limitations of aircraft cargo hold space, requiring minimal additional cargo hold space during mooring.

[0039] The device of this invention is lightweight and compact, requiring only one person to operate and no special equipment to quickly complete the installation and use of the tethering device. During use, the helicopter is raised only slightly, and tethering can be completed without disassembling the helicopter landing gear, facilitating helicopter entry and exit from the aircraft cargo hold. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This application provides an embodiment of the main landing gear tethering device in the form of an assembly drawing showing its tethering when it is not tethered.

[0041] Figure 2 This is an assembly drawing of the tail landing gear mooring device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 Assembly drawing of the main landing gear mooring device during mooring, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4A drawing of the ferrule component for the main landing gear mooring device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Among them, 1-adapter plate assembly; 2-front stop block assembly; 3-clamp assembly; 4-first bracket; 5-second bracket; 6-third bracket; 7-fourth bracket; 8-first baffle; 9-second baffle; 10-third adapter plate; 11-rear stop block assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Please see Figure 1-4 The present invention relates to a tethering device for transporting helicopters, which is applicable to aircraft with wheeled landing gear and mainly includes a main landing gear tethering device, a tail landing gear tethering device, and an auxiliary tethering cable.

[0046] The tethering requirements are as follows: This invention requires that the transport helicopter have mounting rails on its floor. The rails should have a rectangular groove in the center with regularly arranged circular holes, the diameter of which is larger than the width of the groove. The rails are used to mount this device and, in conjunction with the tethering device, provide the ability to quickly install and remove it.

[0047] In this embodiment, a main landing gear tethering device is used to secure the aircraft's main landing gear tires. There are one on each side, located below the two main landing gears of the helicopter. It consists of an adapter plate assembly 1, a front quick-release assembly 2, a clamp assembly 3, a baffle assembly, and a bracket.

[0048] The adapter plate assembly is mounted on the floor rail and its function is to secure the mooring lock to the aircraft floor, providing quick installation and removal of the mooring lock, as well as some adaptability to the position of the helicopter wheels. The adapter plate assembly includes an adapter plate, a clamping sleeve, and a screw.

[0049] The adapter plate is a cross-shaped plate with elongated holes on the cross arms for installing ferrules and screws. It also allows the ferrules and screws to move within the elongated slots, providing the mooring device with the ability to adapt to the position of the main landing gear tires.

[0050] The ferrule is mounted on the oblong hole of the adapter plate. Its structure consists of a square boss at the top and a cylindrical body with its sides cut off at the bottom, facilitating its engagement with the oblong hole on the adapter plate. This allows the ferrule to move along the oblong hole while restricting its rotation. Two toothed bosses extend from the bottom of the cylinder, inserting into two adjacent circular holes on the slide rail to limit the displacement of the mooring device on the slide rail. A flattened oval hole is located in the center of the ferrule, allowing the screw to pass through and restricting its rotation.

[0051] In one feasible implementation, the screw has a structure similar to a regular bolt, but the cylindrical section in the middle of the bolt is modified into a flattened cylindrical shape to facilitate mating with the ferrule. The screw head passes through the slide rail through the circular hole and is positioned in the middle of the slide groove, where the mooring device is installed.

[0052] The front deflector assembly is bolted to the top of the adapter plate assembly. Before being secured, the front deflector assembly should be in contact with the main landing gear tires. During securing, it works in conjunction with the clamp assembly to grip the main landing gear tires tightly. The front deflector assembly includes a front deflector block and a baffle plate.

[0053] The front stop has a "T"-shaped structure, with a curved surface near the main landing gear tire to grip it. A pin seat for mounting the clamp assembly is provided above.

[0054] The baffle is an arc-shaped sheet structure with raised ends, directly contacting the main landing gear tires. It is bonded to the arc surface of the baffle using structural adhesive. The raised ends increase the clamping force on the main landing gear tires.

[0055] The clamp assembly has one end connected to the front stop assembly via a pin, and the other end connected to the adapter plate assembly via bolts. The clamp assembly can rotate around the pin. With the front clamp assembly held open, the helicopter tail wheel is pushed forward into the aircraft until the main landing gear tire is flush with the front stop assembly. Once the main landing gear tire is flush with the front stop assembly, the clamp assembly is closed and connected to the adapter plate assembly via bolts, locking the clamp assembly in place. The clamp assembly includes a clamp and a baffle.

[0056] The clamp has a curved surface on the side closest to the main landing gear tire, a "T"-shaped structure at the connection point with the adapter plate assembly, and a curved plate on top.

[0057] The baffle has the same structure as the front baffle and is bonded to the arc surface of the clamp with structural adhesive, making direct contact with the main landing gear tires.

[0058] The support system consists of a first support 4 and a second support 5, each with an L-shaped plate and triangular ribs. A varying number of screws and protective caps are fixed to the top of each support. Tightening the screws presses the protective caps against the first baffle 8 and the second baffle 9. Adjusting the screw length allows the first and second baffles to press against the landing gear tire hubs, thus limiting the lateral displacement of the main landing gear tires.

[0059] The tail landing gear tethering device is used to secure the aircraft's tail landing gear. It is located below the helicopter's tail landing gear and consists of a third adapter plate 10, a rear stop assembly 11, and a bracket. Specifically:

[0060] The third adapter plate is mounted on the floor rail and its function is to secure the tail landing gear tie-down device to the aircraft floor and provide quick installation and removal of the tie-down lock. The third adapter plate includes a rear adapter plate, a clamping sleeve, and a screw.

[0061] The rear adapter plate is a rectangular thick plate structure with round holes for installing a ferrule and a screw. The ferrule and the screw work together to fix the rear adapter plate to the floor slide rail.

[0062] The ferrule is installed on the circular hole of the rear adapter plate. Its structure consists of a square boss at the top and a cylinder at the bottom, which mates with the circular hole on the rear adapter plate. Two toothed bosses extend from the bottom of the cylinder and insert into two adjacent circular holes on the slide rail to limit the displacement of the mooring device on the slide rail. A flat, round hole is located in the center of the ferrule, allowing the screw to pass through and restricting its rotation.

[0063] The screw has the same structure as the screw in the front adapter plate assembly. The head of the screw passes through the circular hole in the slide rail and is positioned in the middle of the slide groove, where the third adapter plate is installed.

[0064] It should be noted that the rear deflector assembly can be inserted into the tail wheel axle (one on each side) to protect the tail landing gear axle.

[0065] The support system consists of a third support (6) and a fourth support (7), both with an L-shaped corner box structure. Each support has an elongated hole at its bottom, which connects to the rear adapter plate via bolts and nuts. Unlike the front adapter plate assembly, its adaptability to the landing gear tire position comes from the elongated hole on the support. Adjust the positions of the third and fourth supports to align them with the rear deflector assembly, then tighten the bolts connecting the supports to the adapter plate.

[0066] The auxiliary mooring device, consisting of a mooring ring and a mooring cable, is not unique to the device described in this invention. It serves to supplement the mooring function of the device described in this invention and is also listed as part of the device described in this invention.

[0067] In one feasible implementation, the complete tethering process is as follows:

[0068] 1. Based on the distance between the main landing gear and tail landing gear and the location where the helicopter will be moored, fix the main and tail landing gear mooring devices to the aircraft cabin floor rails.

[0069] 2. When connecting the main landing gear tie rod to the rail, the clamp assembly should be opened and the studs and second brackets should not be installed before the helicopter is loaded. The screw length on the first bracket is adjustable. Before the helicopter is loaded, the screw spacing should be adjusted to the maximum to avoid interference with the main landing gear tires.

[0070] 3. When the rear wheel fixing device is connected to the slide rail, the distance between the third and fourth brackets should be adjusted to the maximum before the helicopter is loaded.

[0071] 4. Push the helicopter tail wheel forward into the aircraft until the main landing gear tire is flush with the front stop assembly; install the second bracket on the front landing gear tie-down adapter plate, install and tighten the studs, close the clamp assembly to hold the tire, and tighten the nuts.

[0072] 5. Insert the first and second baffles into the landing gear hub, and adjust the length of the screws on the left and right supports to make them tighten against the baffles;

[0073] 6. To protect the tail wheel axle, first insert the rear stop block assembly into the tail wheel axle (one on each side), then adjust the position of the left and right brackets to fit against the stop blocks, and tighten the bolts connecting the brackets and the adapter plate.

[0074] This application provides a tethering device for tethering helicopters, suitable for helicopters with wheeled landing gear. This invention significantly reduces the use of tethering rings and cables, adapts to different helicopter entry points, and features rapid tethering and detachment.

Claims

1. A tethering device for a helicopter, characterized in that, The device is a tethering device for aircraft during helicopter transport, and the device includes: A sliding rail is installed on the floor of the aircraft used to transport helicopters; A main landing gear tethering device is mounted on the slide rail and is used to secure the helicopter's main landing gear tires. A tail landing gear tethering device is mounted on the slide rail and is used to secure the helicopter tail landing gear tires. The main landing gear mooring device includes: An adapter plate assembly is mounted on the slide rail; The front stop assembly is mounted on the adapter plate assembly; A clamp assembly is connected to the front stop assembly, and the clamp assembly is used to hold the helicopter main landing gear tires. A bracket is mounted on the adapter plate assembly and located on both sides of the clamp assembly. The bracket is used to limit the lateral displacement of the helicopter main landing gear tires. The tail landing gear tethering device includes: The third adapter plate is mounted on the slide rail; The third bracket is located on one side of the third adapter plate; The fourth bracket is located on the other side of the third adapter plate; wherein the tail landing gear tires can be restricted between the third bracket and the fourth bracket; The rear stop assembly is respectively mounted on the third bracket and the fourth bracket, and the rear stop assembly can be inserted into the tail landing gear wheel axle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adapter plate assembly includes: First adapter board; The second adapter plate is connected to the first adapter plate, and the first adapter plate is perpendicular to the second adapter plate.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support includes: A first bracket is mounted on the second adapter plate and located on one side of the clamp assembly. The first bracket is used to limit the displacement of the helicopter main landing gear tires along a first direction. The second bracket is disposed on the second adapter plate and located on the other side of the clamp assembly. The second bracket is used to limit the displacement of the helicopter main landing gear tires along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction are opposite.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The main landing gear tethering device also includes: The first baffle is disposed between the first bracket and the helicopter main landing gear tire; The second baffle is disposed between the second bracket and the helicopter main landing gear tire.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first bracket is provided with a first bolt, which is used to abut against the first baffle; the second bracket is provided with a second bolt, which is used to abut against the second baffle.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third bracket and the fourth bracket are movable on the third adapter plate.

7. A method for mooring a helicopter, characterized in that, The method is applied to the apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-6, and the method comprises: Based on the distance between the main and tail landing gears and the location where the helicopter will be moored, the main and tail landing gear mooring devices are fixedly connected to the aircraft cabin floor rails. When the main landing gear tie rod is connected to the rail, the clamp assembly should be opened and the studs and the second bracket should not be installed before the helicopter is loaded. The screw length on the first bracket is adjustable. Before the helicopter is loaded, the screw spacing should be adjusted to the maximum to avoid interference with the main landing gear tires. When the rear wheel fixing device is connected to the slide rail, the distance between the third and fourth brackets should be adjusted to the maximum before the helicopter is loaded. Push the helicopter tail wheel forward into the aircraft until the main landing gear tire is flush with the front stop assembly; install the second bracket on the front landing gear tie-down adapter plate, install and tighten the studs, close the clamp assembly to hold the tire, and tighten the nuts. Insert the first and second baffles into the landing gear hubs and adjust the length of the screws on the left and right supports to make them press tightly against the baffles. To protect the tail wheel axle, first insert the rear stop assembly into the tail wheel axle, then adjust the position of the left and right brackets to fit against the stop, and tighten the bolts connecting the brackets and the adapter plate.

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