A gas spring and mechanism

Abstract

This invention provides a gas spring and mechanism, belonging to the technical field of aircraft door mechanism design. The gas spring comprises a single lug, a plug, and an outer cylinder forming a closed cavity, within which a piston rod is installed. A groove for installing a first O-ring seal is provided on the piston on the left side of the piston rod. The other end of the piston rod passes sequentially through a first guide sleeve, a first protective ring, a second protective ring, a rectangular sealing ring, a second guide sleeve, and a plug. The piston rod divides the closed cavity into a rod-side cavity and a rodless cavity. A floating piston is installed in the rodless cavity, further dividing the rodless cavity into a liquid cavity and a gas cavity. A sleeve, a support base, a return spring, a guide rod, and a second O-ring seal are all located within the cavity at the left end of the piston rod. The support base is pressed into the sleeve by the return spring, and the sleeve is pressed into the piston rod through the mounting hole at the bottom of the piston rod. Multiple damping holes are provided at the right end of the support base. This structure is simple and reliable, with stable unidirectional damping force output, adaptable to different damping conditions, and does not rebound during retraction. Installation and adjustment are convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aircraft cabin door mechanism design technology, specifically relating to a gas spring and mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] A gas spring is an industrial component that provides support, cushioning, height adjustment, and angle adjustment. It is typically an elastic element that uses high-pressure gas or hydraulic fluid as its working medium. Due to its lightweight, easy installation, smooth operation, and ease of replacement, it is widely used in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, and machinery manufacturing. In the aerospace field, gas springs are commonly used in various adjustable-angle and adjustable-height civil aircraft cabin doors and fuselage hatches.

[0003] In the existing technology, gas springs are composed of a stainless steel outer cylinder, piston rod, piston, sealing guide sleeve, filler (inert gas or oil-gas mixture) and sealing components. Currently, damping gas springs mainly generate damping force through throttling of damping orifices, but most of the damping forces are not adjustable. When the piston rod extends or retracts, the output damping force of the gas spring is the same, and the operating conditions are relatively simple. When the unidirectional damping retraction occurs, a rebound phenomenon is easy to occur.

[0004] In engineering applications, some aircraft cabin doors require a large and adjustable damping force from the gas spring during downward opening, while requiring no damping force and retracting smoothly during lifting. Existing damping gas springs cannot meet these requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the issue that some existing aircraft cabin doors require a large and adjustable damping force from the gas spring during downward opening, while requiring no damping force and retracting smoothly during lifting, and that damping-type gas springs cannot meet these requirements, this invention provides a gas spring and mechanism, primarily for use on medium and small cabin doors or fuselage hatches on civil aircraft. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, a gas spring is provided, comprising: an outer cylinder 1, a single ear 2, a first O-ring seal 4, a sleeve 6, a support base 7, a return spring 8, a guide rod 9, a second O-ring seal 10, a push rod 11, a first guide sleeve 12, a first protective ring 13, a second protective ring 14, a rectangular sealing ring 15, a second guide sleeve 16, and a plug 17.

[0007] The single ear 2, the plug 17 and the outer cylinder 1 form a closed cavity. An integral piston rod 5 is provided in the closed cavity. A piston integral with the piston rod is provided on the left side of the piston rod 5. A groove for installing the first O-ring seal 4 is provided on the piston. The other end of the piston rod 5 extends outward and passes through the first guide sleeve 12, the first protective ring 13, the second protective ring 14, the rectangular sealing ring 15, the second guide sleeve 16 and the plug 17 in sequence.

[0008] The piston rod 5 is a hollow structure with an oil passage hole 51. The piston rod 5 divides the closed cavity into a rod chamber 52 and a rodless chamber 61, with the rodless chamber 61 located on the left side. The rod chamber 52 and the rodless chamber 61 form an oil communication channel between the two chambers through the oil passage hole 51. A floating piston 3 is installed in the rodless chamber 61, which divides the rodless chamber 61 into a liquid chamber and a gas chamber 31, with the gas chamber 31 located on the left side and filled with high-pressure nitrogen.

[0009] Sleeve 6, support seat 7, return spring 8, guide rod 9, and second O-ring 10 are all located in the cavity at the left end of piston rod 5. Support seat 7 is pressed into sleeve 6 by return spring 8, and sleeve 6 is pressed into piston rod 5 through mounting hole at the bottom end of piston rod 5. Multiple damping holes 71 are provided at the right end of support seat 7. Guide rod 9 and top rod 11 are threadedly connected. Guide rod 9 can completely close and fully expose damping holes 71. When exposed, oil flowing in from oil passage hole 51 in rod chamber 52 flows into the cavity of piston rod 5 through damping hole 71 and then into rodless chamber 61.

[0010] Furthermore, the gas spring also includes a spherical bearing 19, with a mounting hole on the single ear 2, and the outer ring of the spherical bearing 19 is mounted on the mounting hole of the single ear 2. The inner ring of the spherical bearing 19 is movable relative to the outer ring and allows a certain angle of tilt, which is convenient for adjusting the mounting height and angle.

[0011] The inner ring of the first guide sleeve 12 is nested on the piston rod 5, and the outer ring is embedded inside the outer cylinder 1, providing guidance and support for the piston rod 5.

[0012] The first guide sleeve 12 has a groove on its right side for placing the first protective ring 13, and the first protective ring 13 has a second protective ring 14. The function of the first protective ring 13 and the second protective ring 14 is to prevent the oil in the outer cylinder 1 cavity from leaking to the right side, and at the same time to fix the rectangular sealing ring 15, ensuring that the rectangular sealing ring 15 is fixed in the appropriate position to perform the sealing function.

[0013] The plug 17 is located on the right side of the outer cylinder 1. A groove for installing the first O-ring seal 4 is provided on the left side of the plug 17, and a groove for sealing is provided on the right side. The plug 17 also has an inner hole. The first protective ring 13, the second protective ring 14, the rectangular sealing ring 15, and the second guide sleeve 16 are sequentially installed in the inner hole of the plug 17. The second guide sleeve 16 has a boss that abuts against the plug 17. The plug 17 restricts the axial movement of the first protective ring 13, the second protective ring 14, the rectangular sealing ring 15, and the second guide sleeve 16. The rectangular sealing ring 15 prevents oil in the outer cylinder 1 cavity from leaking to the right.

[0014] Furthermore, the gas spring also includes a protective ring 18 disposed between the piston rod 5 and the push rod 11. The protective ring 18 serves to guide and support the push rod 11 while preventing dust and other contaminants from entering the inner hole of the piston rod 5.

[0015] Furthermore, the upper right end of the piston rod 5 is also provided with a thread for connection with other fixed ends, which may be support seats, mounting seats, etc. on the aircraft fuselage structure.

[0016] In this invention, the oil is sealed on both sides of the piston rod 5, and the high-pressure gas is sealed in the gas chamber 31 on the left side of the floating piston 3. When the mechanism is closed, the gas spring is in the initial fully retracted state. When the hatch mechanism opens inward, the gas spring is stretched due to the gravity of the mechanism, and one end of the piston rod 5 extends out. Because the sleeve 6 is embedded inside the piston rod 5 through the interference fit, it cannot move. Under the action of spring force and oil pressure, the support seat 7 moves to the left and presses the boss on the sleeve 6. The oil passage is completely closed. The oil in the rod chamber 52 flows into the cavity of the piston rod 5 through the oil passage hole 51 on the piston rod 5, and flows to the rodless chamber 61 through the damping hole 71 on the support seat 7. The high-pressure gas expands and pushes the floating piston 3 to move to the right to compensate for the volume occupied by the vacuum part of the rodless chamber 61 when the piston rod 5 extends.

[0017] When the hatch mechanism closes outward, the mechanism is lifted, the gas spring is compressed, the piston rod 5 retracts, and the support seat 7 moves to the right under the oil pressure of the rodless chamber 61, overcoming the preload of the return spring 8, compressing the return spring 8 and disengaging it from the boss on the sleeve 6. The oil passage is fully opened, and the oil flows into the rod chamber 52 through the oil passage 51 on the piston rod 5. The movement of the support seat 7 causes part of the damping orifice 71 to be closed, and the floating piston 3 moves to the left. The high-pressure gas is compressed and acts as a buffer. When the damping force is adjustable, the number of damping orifices 71 that are open can be controlled by pushing the guide rod 9 to the left through the push rod 11, thereby changing the magnitude of the damping force when extended. Therefore, under different damping conditions, there is no need to replace the gas spring. The magnitude of the damping force can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the push rod to meet different operating conditions.

[0018] In a second aspect, a mechanism is provided, which is provided with any of the gas springs described in the first aspect, wherein the mechanism is a hatch or a fuselage opening cover.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are at least as follows:

[0020] The unidirectional adjustable damping gas spring provided by this invention has the characteristics of simple and reliable structure, stable unidirectional damping force output, adaptability to different damping conditions, no rebound during retraction, and convenient installation and adjustment, and has great economic application value. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a gas spring structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a gas spring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a gas spring support base, return spring, and guide rod structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Among them, 1-outer cylinder, 2-single ear, 3-floating piston, 4-O-ring seal, 5-piston rod, 6-sleeve, 7-support seat, 8-reset spring, 9-guide rod, 10-O-ring seal, 11-top rod, 12-first guide sleeve, 13-first protective ring, 14-second protective ring, 15-rectangular seal, 16-second guide sleeve, 17-plug, 18-protective ring, 19-spherical bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present application is further described in detail below through specific implementation methods and drawings.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 An embodiment of the present invention provides a unidirectional adjustable damping gas spring, comprising: an outer cylinder 1, a single ear 2, a first O-ring seal 4, a sleeve 6, a support base 7, a return spring 8, a guide rod 9, a second O-ring seal 10, a push rod 11, a first guide sleeve 12, a first protective ring 13, a second protective ring 14, a rectangular sealing ring 15, a second guide sleeve 16, and a plug 17.

[0027] The single ear 2, the plug 17 and the outer cylinder 1 form a closed cavity. An integral piston rod 5 is provided in the closed cavity. A piston integral with the piston rod is provided on the left side of the piston rod 5. A groove is provided on the piston for installing the first O-ring seal 4. The function of the groove is to fix the first O-ring seal 4, restrict its axial movement, and prevent the first O-ring seal 4 from being over-compressed.

[0028] The other end of the piston rod 5 extends outward and passes through the first guide sleeve 12, the first protective ring 13, the second protective ring 14, the rectangular sealing ring 15, the second guide sleeve 16, and the plug 17 in sequence.

[0029] The piston rod 5 is a hollow structure with an oil passage hole 51. The piston rod 5 divides the closed cavity into a rod chamber 52 and a rodless chamber 61, with the rodless chamber 61 located on the left side. The rod chamber 52 and the rodless chamber 61 form an oil communication channel between the two chambers through the oil passage hole 51. A floating piston 3 is installed in the rodless chamber 61, which divides the rodless chamber 61 into a liquid chamber and a gas chamber 31, with the gas chamber 31 located on the left side and filled with high-pressure nitrogen.

[0030] Sleeve 6, support seat 7, return spring 8, guide rod 9, and second O-ring 10 are all located in the cavity at the left end of piston rod 5. Support seat 7 is pressed into sleeve 6 by return spring 8, and sleeve 6 is pressed into piston rod 5 through mounting hole at the bottom end of piston rod 5. Multiple damping holes 71 are provided at the right end of support seat 7, which are flow channels for generating damping force. Guide rod 9 and push rod 11 are threaded together. Guide rod 9 can completely close and fully expose damping holes 71. When exposed, oil flowing in from oil passage 51 in rod chamber 52 flows into the cavity of piston rod 5 through damping hole 71, and then flows into rodless chamber 61.

[0031] The function of the second O-ring 10 is to prevent the oil in the left cavity of the piston rod 5 from leaking to the right.

[0032] Furthermore, the gas spring also includes a spherical bearing 19, with a mounting hole on the single ear 2, and the outer ring of the spherical bearing 19 is mounted on the mounting hole of the single ear 2. The inner ring of the spherical bearing 19 is movable relative to the outer ring and allows for a certain angle of tilt, which is convenient for adjusting the mounting height and angle.

[0033] The inner ring of the first guide sleeve 12 is nested on the piston rod 5, and the outer ring is embedded inside the outer cylinder 1, providing guidance and support for the piston rod 5.

[0034] The first guide sleeve 12 has a groove on its right side for placing the first protective ring 13, and the first protective ring 13 has a second protective ring 14. The function of the first protective ring 13 and the second protective ring 14 is to prevent the oil in the outer cylinder 1 cavity from leaking to the right side, and at the same time to fix the rectangular sealing ring 15, ensuring that the rectangular sealing ring 15 is fixed in the appropriate position to perform the sealing function.

[0035] The plug 17 is located on the right side of the outer cylinder 1. A groove for installing the first O-ring seal 4 is provided on the left side of the plug 17, and a groove for sealing is provided on the right side. The plug 17 also has an inner hole. The first protective ring 13, the second protective ring 14, the rectangular sealing ring 15, and the second guide sleeve 16 are sequentially installed in the inner hole of the plug 17. The second guide sleeve 16 has a boss that abuts against the plug 17. The plug 17 restricts the axial movement of the first protective ring 13, the second protective ring 14, the rectangular sealing ring 15, and the second guide sleeve 16. The rectangular sealing ring 15 prevents oil in the outer cylinder 1 cavity from leaking to the right.

[0036] In this invention, the oil is sealed on both sides of the piston rod 5, and the high-pressure gas is sealed in the gas chamber 31 on the left side of the floating piston 3. When the mechanism is closed, the gas spring is in the initial fully retracted state. When the hatch mechanism opens inward, the gas spring is stretched due to the gravity of the mechanism, and one end of the piston rod 5 extends out. Because the sleeve 6 is embedded inside the piston rod 5 through the interference fit, it cannot move. Under the action of spring force and oil pressure, the support seat 7 moves to the left and presses the boss on the sleeve 6. The oil passage is completely closed. The oil in the rod chamber 52 flows into the cavity of the piston rod 5 through the oil passage hole 51 on the piston rod 5, and flows to the rodless chamber 61 through the damping hole 71 on the support seat 7. The high-pressure gas expands and pushes the floating piston 3 to move to the right to compensate for the volume occupied by the vacuum part of the rodless chamber 61 when the piston rod 5 extends.

[0037] When the mechanism closes outward, it is lifted, the gas spring is compressed, the piston rod 5 retracts, and the support seat 7 moves to the right under the oil pressure of the rodless chamber 61, overcoming the preload of the return spring 8, compressing the return spring 8 and disengaging it from the boss on the sleeve 6. The oil passage is fully opened, and the oil flows into the rod chamber 52 through the oil passage 51 on the piston rod 5. The movement of the support seat 7 causes part of the damping orifice 71 to close, and the floating piston 3 moves to the left. The high-pressure gas is compressed and acts as a buffer. When the damping force is adjustable, the number of damping orifices 71 that are open can be controlled by pushing the guide rod 9 to the left through the push rod 11, thereby changing the magnitude of the damping force when extended. Therefore, under different damping conditions, there is no need to replace the gas spring; the magnitude of the damping force can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the push rod to meet different operating conditions.

[0038] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 Another embodiment of the present invention provides a unidirectional adjustable damping gas spring, which may further include a protective ring 18 disposed between the piston rod 5 and the push rod 11. The protective ring 18 serves to guide and support the push rod 11 while preventing dust and other contaminants from entering the inner hole of the piston rod 5.

[0039] Furthermore, the upper right end of the piston rod 5 is also provided with a thread for connection with other fixed ends, which may be support seats, mounting seats, etc. on the aircraft fuselage structure.

[0040] This invention can be used for aircraft cabin doors, and is especially suitable for inward-folding cabin doors and fuselage top covers.

[0041] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a mechanism equipped with a gas spring provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the mechanism being a hatch or a fuselage opening cover.

[0042] The above merely describes the embodiments of the present application. While the description is relatively specific and detailed, it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the scope of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Furthermore, any portions not described in detail herein are conventional techniques.

Claims

1. A gas spring, characterized in that, include: Outer cylinder (1), single ear (2), first O-ring seal (4), sleeve (6), support seat (7), return spring (8), guide rod (9), second O-ring seal (10), top rod (11), first guide sleeve (12), first protective ring (13), second protective ring (14), rectangular seal (15), second guide sleeve (16), plug (17). The single ear (2), the plug (17) and the outer cylinder (1) form a closed cavity. An integral piston rod (5) is provided in the closed cavity. A piston integral with the piston rod is provided on the left side of the piston rod (5). A groove for installing the first O-ring seal (4) is provided on the piston. The other end of the piston rod (5) extends outward and passes through the first guide sleeve (12), the first protective ring (13), the second protective ring (14), the rectangular sealing ring (15), the second guide sleeve (16) and the plug (17) in sequence. The piston rod (5) is a hollow structure with an oil passage hole (51) on it. The piston rod (5) divides the closed cavity into a rod chamber (52) and a rodless chamber (61). The rodless chamber (61) is located on the left side. The rod chamber (52) and the rodless chamber (61) form an oil communication channel between the two chambers through the oil passage hole (51). A floating piston (3) is provided in the rodless chamber (61). The floating piston (3) divides the rodless chamber (61) into a liquid chamber and a gas chamber (31). The gas chamber (31) is located on the left side and is filled with high-pressure nitrogen. The sleeve (6), support seat (7), return spring (8), guide rod (9), and second O-ring seal (10) are all located in the cavity at the left end of the piston rod (5). The support seat (7) is pressed into the sleeve (6) by the return spring (8), and the sleeve (6) is pressed into the piston rod (5) through the mounting hole at the bottom end of the piston rod (5). The right end of the support seat (7) is provided with multiple damping holes (71). The guide rod (9) and the top rod (11) are connected. The guide rod (9) can completely close and fully expose the damping holes (71). When exposed, the oil flowing in from the oil passage hole (51) of the rod chamber (52) flows into the cavity of the piston rod (5) through the damping hole (71) and then flows into the rodless chamber (61).

2. The gas spring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas spring also includes a spherical bearing (19), and a mounting hole is provided on the single ear (2). The outer ring of the spherical bearing (19) is mounted on the mounting hole of the single ear (2).

3. The gas spring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner ring of the first guide sleeve (12) is nested on the piston rod (5), and the outer ring is embedded inside the outer cylinder (1) to guide and support the piston rod (5).

4. The gas spring according to claim 3, characterized in that, A groove for placing the first protective ring (13) is provided on the right side of the first guide sleeve (12) at a distance, and a second protective ring (14) is provided on the first protective ring (13).

5. The gas spring according to claim 4, characterized in that, The plug (17) is located on the right side of the outer cylinder (1). The left side of the plug (17) is provided with a groove for installing the first O-ring seal (4), and the right side of the plug (17) is provided with a groove for sealing. The plug (17) is also provided with an inner hole. The first protective ring (13), the second protective ring (14), the rectangular sealing ring (15), and the second guide sleeve (16) are installed in the inner hole of the plug (17) in sequence. The second guide sleeve (16) is provided with a boss, and the boss abuts against the plug (17).

6. The gas spring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas spring also includes a protective ring (18) disposed between the piston rod (5) and the push rod (11).

7. The gas spring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper right end of the piston rod (5) is also provided with threads for connection with other fixed ends, which are support seats or mounting seats on the aircraft fuselage structure.

8. The gas spring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oil is sealed on both sides of the piston rod (5), and the high-pressure gas is sealed in the gas chamber (31) on the left side of the floating piston (3). When the mechanism is closed, the gas spring is in the initial fully retracted state. When the mechanism is opened inward, the gas spring is stretched due to the gravity of the mechanism, and one end of the piston rod (5) extends out. Because the sleeve (6) is embedded in the inside through the interference fit with the piston rod (5) and cannot move, the support seat (7) moves to the left under the action of the spring force and oil pressure and presses the boss on the sleeve (6). The oil passage is completely closed, and the oil in the rod chamber (52) flows into the cavity of the piston rod (5) through the oil passage hole (51) on the piston rod (5) and flows to the rodless chamber (61) through the damping hole (71) on the support seat (7). The high-pressure gas expands and pushes the floating piston (3) to move to the right to compensate for the volume occupied by the vacuum part of the rodless chamber (61) when the piston rod (5) extends. When the mechanism closes outward, the mechanism is lifted, the gas spring is compressed, the piston rod (5) retracts, and the support seat (7) moves to the right under the oil pressure of the rodless chamber (61) to overcome the preload of the return spring (8), compressing the return spring (8) and disengaging from the boss on the sleeve (6). The oil passage is fully opened, and the oil flows into the rod chamber (52) through the oil passage (51) on the piston rod (5). The movement of the support seat (7) causes part of the damping hole (71) to be closed, and the floating piston (3) moves to the left. The high-pressure gas is compressed and acts as a buffer.

9. A mechanism, characterized in that, The device is equipped with a gas spring as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the mechanism is a hatch or a fuselage opening.

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