A folding and locking integrated aeronautical actuator

Abstract

This invention discloses a folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator, comprising a planetary gear mechanism and housings on both sides. A motor within the housing drives a gear ring and a planetary carrier shaft to rotate. The gear ring drives the propeller blades to rotate, achieving folding and unfolding. The planetary carrier shaft drives a locking pin frame to slide via a transmission assembly. A first locking element and a second locking element respectively lock the gear ring and the locking pin frame, thus restricting and locking the folding and unfolding of the propeller blades. Because the actuator can be locked at the end of the folding and unfolding process, it prevents external loads from driving the gear ring in the opposite direction and damaging the transmission system and motor. The actuator uses a single motor, and the folding / unfolding and locking / unlocking actions can be achieved through mechanical timing. The actuator has the advantages of small size, light weight, and simple control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of actuator technology, and in particular to an integrated folding and locking aircraft actuator. Background Technology

[0002] As one of the most distinctive innovations in 20th-century aviation technology, the helicopter has greatly expanded the application range of aircraft. However, due to the size of its rotor, helicopters require a large storage space, especially medium and heavy helicopters, whose rotors become even larger as their takeoff weight increases. Helicopters employing rotor folding mechanisms can significantly reduce their parking space requirements, especially for carrier-based aircraft.

[0003] Helicopter rotor folding can be achieved through manual folding, hydraulic automatic folding, and electric automatic folding. Currently, most helicopters in my country use hydraulic folding, which involves numerous components, complex piping, difficult maintenance, and is prone to oil leaks and high failure rates. Electric folding, on the other hand, is compact, highly reliable, lightweight, and easy to maintain, representing the future trend in helicopter folding technology.

[0004] In the existing technology, electric folding propellers have the following disadvantages: the propellers can only be locked when they are unfolded. There is no special locking mechanism to lock the propellers when they are folded. They rely entirely on the mechanical holding of the drive chain. Since the propellers are mechanically held by the actuator drive chain when they are folded in place, the load on the propellers is transmitted to the actuator drive chain, which poses a risk of damaging or even destroying the actuator.

[0005] Currently, there are two implementation methods. One is to use two separate actuators to complete the two movements, requiring two motors and two transmission systems. The other is to use a single actuator to achieve the two movements, with the input being either a single motor or a dual-motor drive, and each movement being completed by its own motor. Using a single motor drive, since there are two different outputs, a transfer mechanism must be set up. Using a dual-motor drive results in an excessively large and heavy actuator, and also complicates the control system. If a single motor is used, a transfer device must be set up, relying on electromagnet engagement to switch the power, requiring additional transmission components, which also leads to excessive size and weight. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator.

[0007] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] A folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator includes a planetary gear mechanism, comprising a ring gear, a sun gear, a planetary carrier shaft, and a plurality of planetary gears. A first housing and a second housing are respectively disposed on both sides of the ring gear. A plurality of first slide rails are circumferentially disposed within the first housing, and a plurality of second slide rails are correspondingly disposed within the second housing. A motor is also disposed within the second housing and connected to the sun gear. The ring gear is rotatable between the first housing and the second housing. A plurality of locking grooves are circumferentially disposed on the ring gear. A locking pin frame is slidably disposed within the first housing, and a plurality of first locking pins are disposed on the locking pin frame. The first locking pins extend into the first slide rails, and second locking pins are spring-loaded within the second slide rails. A steel ball is disposed within the locking grooves. The planetary carrier shaft and the locking pin frame are connected via a transmission assembly. A first locking member is connected to the ring gear to restrict the axial movement of the locking pin frame, and a second locking member is disposed on the first housing to restrict the circumferential rotation of the ring gear.

[0009] Furthermore, the gear ring has a first boss and a second boss on its side wall, and the second locking member includes a stop pin, which blocks the first boss and the second boss to restrict the circumferential rotation of the gear ring.

[0010] Furthermore, the first locking member includes a locking cylinder, which is sleeved outside the locking pin frame. A first stop and a second stop are provided on the inner wall of the locking cylinder in a radial direction. The first stop and the second stop are axially distributed. A third stop and a fourth stop are provided on the locking pin frame. The third stop and the fourth stop are axially distributed and circumferentially spaced.

[0011] Furthermore, a spring is provided on the second locking pin, with one end of the spring abutting against the second locking pin and the other end abutting against the inner wall of the second housing.

[0012] Furthermore, the locking pin frame is also provided with a through hole, and a nut is provided in the through hole. The transmission assembly includes a lead screw mounted on the planetary carrier shaft. The locking pin frame is moved by the transmission connection between the lead screw and the nut.

[0013] Furthermore, the motor is connected to the sun gear via a reduction gear.

[0014] The beneficial effects achieved by this invention are as follows: when the actuator finishes folding and unfolding, it can be locked to prevent external loads from driving the gear ring in the opposite direction and damaging the transmission system and motor. The actuator uses a single motor and can realize two sets of actions, folding and unfolding as well as locking and unlocking, through mechanical timing. The actuator has the advantages of small size, light weight and simple control. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a planetary gear mechanism;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gear ring structure;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planetary carrier shaft.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the first shell structure;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second shell structure;

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the locking pin frame;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first locking element;

[0023] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the lock is engaged;

[0024] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when folded and locked.

[0025] Reference numerals: 1. Planetary gear mechanism; 2. Gear ring; 3. Sun gear; 4. Planetary carrier shaft; 5. Planetary gear; 6. First housing; 7. Second housing; 8. First slide rail; 9. Second slide rail; 10. Motor; 11. Locking groove; 12. Locking pin bracket; 13. First locking pin; 14. Second locking pin; 15. Steel ball; 16. Transmission assembly; 17. First locking element; 18. Second locking element; 19. First boss; 20. Second boss; 21. Stop pin; 22. Locking cylinder; 23. First stop block; 24. Second stop block; 25. Third stop block; 26. Fourth stop block; 27. Spring; 28. Through hole; 29. ​​Nut; 30. Lead screw; 31. Reduction device; 32. Mounting hole; 33. First mounting boss; 34. Second mounting boss; 35. Locking strip; 36. Locking groove. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] like Figures 1-10As shown, a folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator is located at the folding joint between the rotor hub arm and the rotor blade, used for folding and unfolding the rotor blade. For example, the actuator includes a housing and a planetary gear mechanism 1 disposed within the housing. The planetary gear mechanism 1 is prior art, and its specific principle and connection relationship will not be described in detail in this embodiment. Simply put, the planetary gear mechanism 1 includes a ring gear 2, a sun gear 3, and several planet gears 5. The several planet gears 5 are connected to the same planetary carrier shaft 4. The sun gear 3 is powered by a motor 10 within the housing and a connected reduction gear 31. Therefore, the sun gear 3 can drive the ring gear 2 to rotate, thereby driving the rotor blade connected to the ring gear 2 to rotate.

[0028] In detail, the housing includes a first housing 6 and a second housing 7, which are respectively disposed on both sides of the gear ring 2, so the gear ring 2 can rotate between the first housing 6 and the second housing 7. More specifically, the first housing 6 and the second housing 7 are respectively provided with a first slide rail 8 and a second slide rail 9, which are evenly distributed in a plurality of circumferential directions. The gear ring 2 is evenly provided with a plurality of locking grooves 11 in a plurality of circumferential directions, and the plurality of first slide rails 8, the plurality of second slide rails 9 and the plurality of locking grooves 11 correspond one-to-one. The first housing 6 is provided with a locking pin frame 12, which is provided with a through hole 28. A nut 29 is provided in the through hole 28. The nut 29 is connected to the transmission assembly 16 on the planetary carrier shaft 4. The transmission assembly 16 includes a lead screw 30, which converts the rotational motion of the planetary carrier shaft 4 into linear motion, thereby causing the nut 29 to drive the locking pin frame 12 to slide in a straight line. In addition, the locking pin frame 12 is provided with a plurality of first locking pins 13, which are inserted into the first slide rail 8. When the locking pin frame 12 moves, it drives the first locking pins 13 to slide in the first slide rail 8. The second slide rail 9 is provided with a second locking pin 14, and a spring 27 is provided on the second locking pin 14. One end of the spring 27 abuts against the second locking pin 14, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the second housing 7. The locking groove 11 is provided with a steel ball 15, and the two sides of the steel ball 15 abut against the first locking pin 13 and the second locking pin 14 respectively.

[0029] For example, a first locking element 17 is provided inside the first housing 6. The first locking element 17 includes a locking cylinder 22, which is sleeved on the outside of the locking pin frame 12. A first stop 23 and a second stop 24 are provided radially on the inner wall of the locking cylinder, and the first stop 23 and the second stop 24 are distributed axially. A third stop 25 and a fourth stop 26 are provided on the locking pin frame 12, which are distributed axially and circumferentially spaced. In addition, a retaining strip 35 is provided on the locking cylinder 22, which can be inserted into the retaining groove 36 provided on the gear ring 2, so that the locking cylinder 22 and the gear ring 2 rotate and stop simultaneously.

[0030] In detail, the outer wall of the first housing 6 is provided with a mounting hole 32, and a second locking member 18 is provided in the mounting hole 32. The second locking member 18 includes a stop pin 21, which abuts against the outer wall of the gear ring 2. The outer wall of the gear ring 2 is provided with a first boss 19 and a second boss 20. When the gear ring 2 rotates, due to the presence of the stop pin 21, the rotation angle of the gear ring 2 can be limited to the interval angle between the first boss 19 and the second boss 20. The rotation of the gear ring 2 drives the blade to fold and unfold. The stop pin 21 can thus limit the folding and unfolding range of the blade.

[0031] The aircraft actuator has two states: an unfolded locked state and a folded locked state. In the unfolded locked state, the locking pin holder 12 is located between the first locking member 17 and the gear ring 2. The first locking pin 13 is fully inserted into the locking groove 11, locking the gear ring 2. Simultaneously, it compresses the steel ball 15 into the second slide rail 9 and compresses the second locking pin 14, causing the spring 27 to be in a charged state. The second boss 20 on the gear ring 2 abuts against the stop pin 21. The third stop block 25 on the locking pin holder 12 is axially opposite to the first stop block 23 on the locking cylinder 22. In the folded locked state, the locking pin holder 12 is located between the locking cylinder 22 and the inner wall of the first housing 6. The second locking pin 14 is fully inserted into the locking groove 11, locking the gear ring 2. Simultaneously, it compresses the steel ball 15 into the first slide rail 8. The first boss 19 on the gear ring 2 abuts against the stop pin 21. The fourth stop block 26 on the locking pin holder 12 is axially opposite to the second stop block 24 on the locking cylinder 22.

[0032] In some embodiments, the gear ring 2 is provided with a first mounting boss 33, and the outer walls of the first housing 6 and the second housing 7 are each provided with two second mounting bosses 34. Through the first mounting boss 33 and the second mounting bosses 34, the aircraft actuator can be installed at the folding joint of the rotor hub arm and the rotor blade.

[0033] Working principle of the folding lock: In the initial state of the aircraft actuator, in the unfolded and locked position, the motor 10 drives the sun gear 3 to rotate counterclockwise, and the gear ring 2 to rotate clockwise. Since the first locking pin 13 is inserted into the locking groove 11, the gear ring 2 is in the locked state. At this time, the planetary carrier shaft 4 rotates counterclockwise through the planetary gear 5, thereby driving the lead screw 30 to rotate. The rotation of the lead screw 30 drives the nut 29 to slide along the side away from the gear ring 2, thereby driving the locking pin frame 12 to move. When the locking pin frame 12 moves along the side away from the gear ring 2, the first locking pin 13 on the locking pin frame 12 will exit the locking groove 11. Since the squeezing force disappears, the spring 27 on the second locking pin 14 pushes the second locking pin 14 to push the steel ball 15 closer to the locking groove 11 through the rebound force. When the steel ball 15 is fully inserted into the locking groove 11, The third stop 25 on the locking pin frame 12 abuts against the first stop 23 on the locking cylinder 22, restricting the locking pin frame 12 from continuing to slide. At this time, the gear ring 2 is in the unlocked state. The gear ring 2 rotates, driving the blade to rotate and folding the blade. When the folding is completed, the first boss 19 on the gear ring 2 abuts against the stop pin 21, restricting the gear ring 2 from continuing to rotate. When the gear ring 2 rotates, it drives the locking cylinder 22 to rotate, causing the first stop 23 and the third stop 25 to be misaligned. The locking cylinder 22 restricts the locking pin frame 12. At this time, the second stop 24 is located below the fourth stop 26. The locking pin frame 12 continues to slide away from the gear ring 2. At this time, the second locking pin 14 slides in the second sliding area under the rebound force of the spring 27 and extends into the locking groove 11 to lock the gear ring 2.

[0034] Working principle of the locking mechanism: In the initial state of the aircraft actuator, in the folded and locked position, the motor 10 drives the sun gear 3 to rotate clockwise, and the gear ring 2 to rotate counterclockwise. Since the second locking pin 14 is inserted into the locking groove 11, the gear ring 2 is in a locked state. At this time, the planetary carrier wheel rotates clockwise via the planetary gear 5, thereby driving the lead screw 30 to rotate. The rotation of the lead screw 30 drives the nut 29 to move along the side closer to the gear ring 2, thus moving the locking pin holder 12. When the locking pin holder 12 moves closer to the gear ring 2, the first locking pin 13 on the locking pin holder 12 pushes the compression steel ball 15 into the locking groove 11. When the steel ball 15 is fully inserted into the locking groove 11, the fourth stop 26 on the locking pin holder 12 and the locking cylinder... The second stop 24 on 22 abuts against the locking pin frame 12, restricting the locking pin frame 12 from continuing to slide. At this time, the gear ring 2 is in the unlocked state. The gear ring 2 rotates, driving the blade to rotate and unfolding the blade. When the unfolding is complete, the second boss 20 on the gear ring 2 abuts against the stop pin 21, restricting the gear ring 2 from continuing to rotate. When the gear ring 2 rotates, it drives the locking cylinder 22 to rotate, causing the second stop 24 and the fourth stop to be misaligned. The locking cylinder 22 locks the locking pin frame 12. At this time, the first stop is located above the third stop 25. The locking pin frame 12 continues to slide closer to the gear ring 2. At this time, the first locking pin 13 slides with the locking pin frame 12 in the first slide rail 8 and extends into the locking groove 11, thereby locking the gear ring 2.

[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be altered within the scope of the concept described herein through the above teachings or related technologies or knowledge. Modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator, characterized in that: The device includes a planetary gear mechanism (1), which comprises a gear ring (2), a sun gear (3), a planet carrier shaft (4), and several planet gears (5). A first housing (6) and a second housing (7) are respectively provided on both sides of the gear ring (2). Several first slides (8) are provided circumferentially inside the first housing (6), and several second slides (9) are provided correspondingly inside the second housing (7). A motor (10) is also provided inside the second housing (7), and the motor (10) is connected to the sun gear (3). The gear ring (2) can rotate between the first housing (6) and the second housing (7), and several locking grooves are provided circumferentially on the gear ring (2). (11) A locking pin frame (12) is slidably arranged inside the first housing (6). A plurality of first locking pins (13) are arranged on the locking pin frame (12). The first locking pins (13) extend into the first slide rail (8). A second locking pin (14) is spring-loaded in the second slide rail (9). A steel ball (15) is arranged in the locking groove (11). The planetary carrier shaft (4) and the locking pin frame (12) are connected by a transmission assembly (16). A first locking member (17) for limiting the axial movement of the locking pin frame (12) is connected on the gear ring (2). A second locking member (18) for limiting the circumferential rotation of the gear ring (2) is arranged on the first housing (6). The locking pin frame (12) is also provided with a through hole (28), and a nut (29) is provided in the through hole (28). The transmission assembly (16) includes a lead screw (30) provided on the planetary carrier shaft (4). Through the transmission connection between the lead screw (30) and the nut (29), the locking pin frame (12) is driven to move. The first locking member (17) includes a locking cylinder (22), which is sleeved on the outside of the locking pin frame (12). A first stop (23) and a second stop (24) are provided on the inner wall of the locking cylinder (22) extending radially. The first stop (23) and the second stop (24) are axially distributed. A third stop (25) and a fourth stop (26) are provided on the locking pin frame (12). The third stop (25) and the fourth stop (26) are axially distributed and circumferentially spaced.

2. The folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gear ring (2) has a first boss (19) and a second boss (20) on its side wall. The second locking member (18) includes a stop pin (21), which blocks the first boss (19) and the second boss (20) to restrict the circumferential rotation of the gear ring (2).

3. The folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A spring (27) is provided on the second locking pin (14), one end of the spring (27) abuts against the second locking pin (14), and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the second housing (7).

4. The folding and locking integrated aircraft actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor (10) is connected to the sun gear (3) via a reduction gear (31).

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