Actuating cylinder and centering mechanism applied to aircraft aileron trimming system

Abstract

The invention discloses an actuator cylinder and a centering mechanism applied to an aircraft aileron trimming system, relates to the technical field of aircraft aileron trimming systems, and solves the problems that in the prior art, an actuator cylinder occupies a large amount of external space, and an existing centering mechanism is likely to have a centering fluctuation phenomenon. The actuating cylinder comprises a shell, a piston structure is arranged in an inner cavity of the shell in a sliding mode, the piston structure is in sliding fit with a guide sleeve fixedly arranged in the inner cavity of the shell, and the front end of the piston structure penetrates out of the shell. A positioning assembly is arranged between the shell and the guide sleeve, and a high-strength spring is arranged between the guide sleeve and the piston structure in a matched mode. An oil port is formed in the shell, and an inner cavity, corresponding to the tail end of the piston structure, of the shell is communicated with the oil port. Oil injection and oil return of the actuator cylinder share one oil port, the actuator cylinder is automatically retracted under the action of the high-strength spring, and the structure is compact. And the position of the guide sleeve is fixed by arranging the positioning assembly, external space does not need to be excessively occupied, and the use requirement of narrow space is further met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft aileron trim systems, and particularly to an actuator and a centering mechanism applied to an aircraft aileron trim system. Background Art

[0002] The ailerons of an aircraft are important flight control surfaces used to control the rolling motion of the aircraft. During flight, due to factors such as changes in the aircraft's center of gravity position, fuel consumption, and passenger movement, the balance state of the aircraft will change, thus requiring trimming of the ailerons to maintain stable flight of the aircraft. Traditional aileron trim systems usually adopt manual trimming or mechanical trimming, and these methods have some limitations. For example, manual trimming requires the pilot to manually adjust the position of the ailerons according to the flight state, which is cumbersome to operate and prone to errors; while mechanical trimming usually has a complex structure, low reliability, and it is difficult to achieve precise trimming control.

[0003] The centering mechanism is a key component in mechanical trimming, and its function is to keep the ailerons in the neutral position to ensure the balance of the aircraft in the normal flight state. Most of the existing centering mechanisms adopt spring-type or hydraulic-type structures. The spring-type centering mechanism has a simple structure, but its centering accuracy is low, and the spring is prone to fatigue failure after long-term use; although the hydraulic-type centering mechanism has a high centering accuracy, it has problems such as a complex hydraulic system, high maintenance costs, and easy oil leakage. Moreover, the hydraulic-type centering mechanism has a complex structure and requires a hydraulic actuator for driving. The traditional actuator occupies a large space and is not conducive to being used in the narrow space of the fuselage.

[0004] As a common mechanical transmission device, the actuator has a wide range of applications in the aviation field and can be used to drive the movement of various flight control surfaces, such as the ailerons, elevators, and rudders of an aircraft. Traditional actuators usually adopt a hydraulic drive mode, and its working principle is to push the piston rod to move through the pressure of hydraulic oil, thereby realizing the control of the control surface.

[0005] However, the existing hydraulic actuators have some deficiencies. On the one hand, the hydraulic system has a complex structure and requires the installation of a hydraulic pump station, hydraulic pipelines, and control valves, etc. The installation and maintenance costs are relatively high, and the risk of hydraulic oil leakage may cause environmental pollution and safety hazards. On the other hand, the sealing performance of the hydraulic actuator is limited, and problems such as seal ring wear and oil leakage are likely to occur after long-term use, affecting the normal operation of the actuator, reducing its service life and reliability.

[0006] As disclosed in a Chinese utility model patent with the publication number CN215861081U, a single-oil-pipe hydraulic cylinder has a sealing cover connected to the open end of the cylinder barrel by bolts. Its sealing performance is limited, and the sealing cover is externally placed outside the cylinder body, resulting in limited installation space for the actuating cylinder of the centering mechanism. Moreover, the method of setting the sealing cover outside the cylinder barrel occupies too much external space and is not suitable for use in narrow spaces.

[0007] When the existing centering mechanism is under external disturbances such as airflow disturbance, gust, and temperature change, it is difficult to quickly and accurately restore the aileron to the neutral position, which affects the flight stability and safety of the aircraft. A trim system for an aircraft disclosed in a Chinese invention patent with the publication number CN109436301A uses a guide rod in cooperation with the first spring and the second spring to achieve centering. However, this centering method has poor adaptability, and the change in spring stiffness at different temperatures easily causes fluctuations in the centering force. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the deficiencies in the above background technology, the present invention proposes an actuating cylinder and a centering mechanism applied to the aileron trim system of an aircraft, which solves the problems of excessive external space occupation of the existing actuating cylinder and the problem of easy centering fluctuation of the existing centering mechanism.

[0009] The technical solution of the present invention is realized as follows: An actuating cylinder includes a housing. A piston structure is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the housing. The piston structure is slidably matched with a guide sleeve fixedly arranged in the inner cavity of the housing, and the front end of the piston structure penetrates through the housing. A positioning component is arranged between the housing and the guide sleeve, and a high-strength spring is arranged in cooperation between the guide sleeve and the piston structure. An oil port is arranged on the housing, and the inner cavity of the housing corresponding to the tail end of the piston structure is communicated with the oil port.

[0010] Preferably, the positioning component includes a hole key sleeved on the guide sleeve. A step is arranged on the outer wall of the guide sleeve for cooperating with the inner end face of the hole key. A key groove for accommodating the hole key is arranged in the inner cavity of the housing. The outer end face of the hole key cooperates with one end of a retaining sleeve. A clamping groove is arranged on the guide sleeve, and a shaft retaining ring is arranged in the clamping groove. The shaft retaining ring cooperates with the other end of the retaining sleeve.

[0011] Preferably, the piston structure includes a piston shaft. A piston is arranged at one end of the piston shaft. A piston seal ring and a piston wear-resistant ring are arranged on the outer wall of the piston. A gap is left between the end face of the tail end of the piston and the inner wall of the housing, and the gap corresponds to the oil port.

[0012] Preferably, a dust-proof ring and a wear-resistant ring for cooperating with the piston shaft are fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the guide sleeve. The high-strength spring is made of SUP10 spring steel; the dust-proof ring is a Tecan Elota dust-proof ring; the piston seal ring is a Taconite ring; both the wear-resistant ring and the piston wear-resistant ring are made of Sly ring.

[0013] A centering mechanism applied to an aircraft aileron trimming system includes a torsion shaft rotatably arranged in the aircraft body. An adaptive cam is fixedly arranged on the torsion shaft. A support is rotatably arranged on the torsion shaft. A floating centering component is arranged on the support and is matched with the adaptive cam. The support is in transmission cooperation with the above-mentioned actuator, and the actuator is used for being hinged and arranged in the aircraft body.

[0014] Preferably, the floating centering component includes a first shaft body and a second shaft body fixedly arranged on the support. The axes of the first shaft body and the second shaft body are parallel to the axis of the torsion shaft. One end of the first shaft body is rotatably connected to one end of a roller arm. A roller is rotatably arranged in the middle of the roller arm and is matched with the adaptive cam. A third shaft body is arranged at the other end of the roller arm, and a tension spring is arranged between the third shaft body and the second shaft body.

[0015] Preferably, the adaptive cam is provided with a concave surface, and the roller is always matched with the concave surface under the action of the tension spring. The outer end of the piston structure of the actuator is hinged and matched with the support, and the housing of the actuator is hinged and matched with the aircraft body.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention: The actuator of the present invention shares one oil port for oil injection and oil return, and automatically retracts by relying on the action of its own high-strength spring. The structure is compact and is very suitable for the small space of the aircraft wing. For the positioning and fixing between the guide sleeve for guiding and sealing and the housing, the position of the guide sleeve is fixed by setting a positioning component, without occupying too much external space, further meeting the use requirements of narrow spaces.

[0017] The centering mechanism of the present invention relies on the floating cooperation between the floating centering component and the adaptive cam to realize the centering of the torsion shaft connected to the adaptive cam. By setting the support, on the one hand, it provides a support basis for the floating centering component, and on the other hand, it is connected to the actuator. The actuator drives the position change of the support, thereby changing the position of the floating centering component thereon, and finally achieving the purpose of changing the centering position. Description of the drawings

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the actuator of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic plan view of the centering mechanism of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic three-dimensional view of the centering mechanism of the present invention; In the figure: 1: housing, 2: piston structure, 3: guide sleeve, 4: positioning component, 5: high-strength spring, 6: oil port, 41: hole key, 42: retaining sleeve, 43: card slot, 44: shaft retaining ring, 21: piston shaft, 22: piston, 23: piston seal ring, 24: piston wear ring, 25: clearance, 31: dust seal, 32: wear ring; 7: torque shaft, 8: adapting cam, 9: support, 10: floating centering component, 101: first shaft body, 102: second shaft body, 103: roller arm, 104: roller arm, 105: roller, 106: third shaft body, 107: tension spring, 81: concave surface. Detailed implementation mode

[0020] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0021] As Figure 1 shown in Embodiment 1, an actuator includes a housing 1. A piston structure 2 is slidably arranged in the inner cavity of the housing 1. The piston structure 2 is slidably matched with a guide sleeve 3 fixedly arranged in the inner cavity of the housing 1, and the front end of the piston structure 2 penetrates through the housing 1. A positioning component 4 is arranged between the housing 1 and the guide sleeve 3, and a high-strength spring 5 is arranged between the guide sleeve 3 and the piston structure 2 in a matching manner. An oil port 6 is arranged on the housing 1, and the inner cavity of the housing 1 corresponding to the tail end of the piston structure 2 is communicated with the oil port 6. In this embodiment, the same oil port 6 is used for oil injection and oil return, and it automatically retracts by the action of its own high-strength spring. The structure is compact and is very suitable for the small space of the aircraft wing.

[0022] For the positioning and fixing between the guide sleeve that plays a role in guiding and sealing and the housing, the position of the guide sleeve is fixed by setting a positioning component, without occupying too much external space, further meeting the use requirements of narrow spaces. During actual installation, first, the piston structure is installed into the inner cavity. After the high-strength spring is sleeved on the piston structure, the guide sleeve is installed into the inner cavity and sleeved on the piston structure. Finally, the positioning component is installed to realize the positioning of the guide sleeve.

[0023] As a further specific embodiment, the positioning assembly 4 includes a hole key 41 sleeved on the guide sleeve 3. A step is provided on the outer wall of the guide sleeve 3 and is adapted to the inner end face of the hole key 41. A key groove for accommodating the hole key is formed in the inner cavity of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the key groove is an annular groove. The outer end face of the hole key 41 cooperates with one end of a retaining sleeve 42. A clamping groove 43 is provided on the guide sleeve 3, and a shaft retaining ring 44 is arranged in the clamping groove 43. The shaft retaining ring 44 cooperates with the other end of the retaining sleeve 42.

[0024] When installing the positioning assembly, first pre-compress the high-strength spring so that the step is aligned with the inner wall of the key groove. Then insert the key into the key groove. The key contacts and cooperates with the step from the outside to form an axial limit for the guide sleeve in the outward direction. Subsequently, insert the retaining sleeve between the housing and the piston assembly. Finally, install the shaft retaining ring on the clamping groove of the guide sleeve. The shaft retaining ring presses against the retaining sleeve to jointly form an axial limit with the key. In this embodiment, the positioning assembly is basically located inside the housing, and the exposed part on the outside is very small, so the occupation of external space is reduced, meeting the usage requirements in a narrow space.

[0025] Embodiment 2, on the basis of Embodiment 1, the piston structure 2 includes a piston shaft 21. One end of the piston shaft 21 is provided with a piston 22. A piston sealing ring 23 and a piston wear-resistant ring 24 are arranged on the outer wall of the piston 22. The piston sealing ring 23 and the piston wear-resistant ring 24 are used for sliding cooperation with the inner cavity of the housing to achieve the sealing of the hydraulic oil. In this embodiment, the piston is fixed to one end of the piston shaft. A gap 25 is left between the end face of the tail end of the piston 22 and the inner wall of the housing 1. The gap 25 corresponds to the oil port 6. Thus, when the oil supply device supplies oil to the oil port, the hydraulic oil can enter the gap through the oil port, thereby pushing the piston to move axially. After the oil supply ends, the hydraulic oil on the side where the oil port enters loses pressure. Under the action of the high-strength spring, the piston is axially pushed back, and at the same time, the hydraulic oil is squeezed back into the oil supply device.

[0026] As a further specific embodiment, a dust-proof ring 31 and a wear-resistant ring 32 adapted to the piston shaft 21 are fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the guide sleeve 3. The dust-proof ring 31 and the wear-resistant ring 32 are used for sliding cooperation with the piston shaft to achieve sealing. In this embodiment, the dust-proof ring is arranged outside the wear-resistant ring. The dust-proof ring can prevent external dust from entering the inside and causing pollution, affecting the service life of the high-strength spring and the piston.

[0027] In this embodiment, the high-strength spring 5 is made of SUP10 spring steel; the dust-proof ring 31 is a Tecan Elotex dust-proof ring; the piston sealing ring 23 is a Tacon Seal ring; both the wear-resistant ring 32 and the piston wear-resistant ring 24 are made of Seal ring.

[0028] Embodiment 3, a centering mechanism applied to an aircraft aileron trimming system, as Figure 2 、 3As shown, it includes a torsion shaft 7 rotatably arranged inside the machine body. An adaptation cam 8 is fixedly arranged on the torsion shaft 7. A support 9 is rotatably arranged on the torsion shaft 7. A floating centering assembly 10 is arranged on the support 9. The floating centering assembly 10 cooperates with the adaptation cam 8. The support 9 is in transmission cooperation with the actuating cylinder described in any of the above embodiments, and the actuating cylinder is used for being hinged and arranged inside the machine body.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer end of the piston rod of the piston structure 2 of the actuating cylinder is hinged and cooperated with the support 9, and the housing 1 of the actuating cylinder is hinged and cooperated with the machine body. When the piston rod extends or retracts, the housing can adaptively rotate relative to the machine body.

[0030] As a further specifically optional implementation manner, in actual use, the torsion shaft is used to drive the aileron to rotate. The aileron is rotatably arranged on the machine body. A hinge seat is fixedly arranged on the torsion shaft. The hinge seat is connected to a hydraulic booster. The hydraulic booster is connected to a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is connected to the aileron. In the normal state, the piston rod is in the retracted state, and the floating centering assembly cooperates with the adaptation cam and is in the initial centering position.

[0031] When operating the aileron trim switch of the conventional aileron trim system, the oil supply device supplies liquid through the oil port. The piston drives the piston rod to move outwards under the push of the oil, and at the same time compresses the high-strength spring. The piston rod pushes the support, the adaptation cam and the floating centering assembly to rotate together. The support is stationary relative to the adaptation cam and the floating centering assembly, changing the angle of the torsion shaft, adjusting the centering position. The rotation of the torsion shaft is transmitted to the hydraulic booster of the aileron trim system, outputting transmission power, and then driving the aileron to deflect through the transmission mechanism of the aileron trim system to achieve the deflection purpose.

[0032] When the aileron is slightly deflected due to air flow disturbance, the aileron drives the hydraulic booster to act in the reverse direction through the transmission mechanism. The hydraulic booster transmits the power in the reverse direction to the torsion shaft. The torsion shaft drives the adaptation cam to rotate. The position of the adaptation cam on the torsion shaft relative to the floating centering assembly changes. At this time, the positions of the floating centering assembly and the support remain unchanged. Under the extrusion of the floating centering assembly, the adaptation cam rotates accordingly. The roller slowly returns to the concave surface under the action of the spring force, and then synchronously drives the torsion shaft to rotate back to the original position, making the aileron control system return to the centering position and achieving the purpose of floating connection.

[0033] Embodiment 4. On the basis of Embodiment 3, the floating centering assembly 10 includes a first shaft body 101 and a second shaft body 102 fixedly arranged on the support 9. The axes of the first shaft body 101 and the second shaft body 102 are arranged parallel to the axis of the torsion shaft 7. One end of the first shaft body 101 is rotatably connected to one end of the roller arm 103. A roller 105 is rotatably arranged in the middle of the roller arm 103. The roller 105 is matched with the adaptation cam 8. A third shaft body 106 is arranged at the other end of the roller arm 103. A tension spring 107 is arranged between the third shaft body 106 and the second shaft body 102.

[0034] As a further specific implementation manner, the adaptation cam 8 is provided with a concave surface 81. Under the action of the tension spring 107, the roller 105 is always matched with the concave surface 81. In this embodiment, the concave surface 81 is an arc surface. Under the action of the tension spring, when the hinge shaft rotates, it drives the adaptation cam to rotate, and the matching position between the roller and the concave surface changes. At this time, the attitude of the support and the actuating cylinder remains unchanged. Under the action of the tension spring, the adaptation cam is extruded by the roller, so that the adaptation cam tends to rotate until the point on the concave surface closest to the torsion shaft corresponding to the roller is re-corresponded, and the centering attitude is restored.

[0035] In this embodiment, as an optional solution, the second shaft body 102 penetrates the support. An articulated block is arranged at the end of the piston rod. The articulated block is hinged and matched with one end of the second shaft body, and the other end of the second shaft body is hung and matched with the tension spring. Thus, when the piston rod extends and contracts, it can drive the support to rotate relative to the torsion shaft. In this embodiment, a bearing is arranged between the support and the torsion shaft to reduce the rotational friction.

[0036] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An actuator, comprising a housing (1), characterized in that: The inner cavity of the shell (1) is slidably provided with a piston structure (2), the piston structure (2) slidably cooperates with a guide sleeve (3) fixedly provided in the inner cavity of the shell (1), and the front end of the piston structure (2) passes through the shell (1); A positioning assembly (4) is provided between the housing (1) and the guide sleeve (3), and a high-strength spring (5) is provided between the guide sleeve (3) and the piston structure (2); The housing (1) is provided with an oil port (6), and the inner cavity of the housing (1) corresponding to the rear end of the piston structure (2) is in communication with the oil port (6).

2. The actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning assembly (4) comprises a hole clamping key (41) sleeved on the guide sleeve (3); a step is provided on the outer wall of the guide sleeve (3) to match the inner end surface of the hole clamping key (41); a key slot for accommodating the hole clamping key is provided in the inner cavity of the housing (1); the outer end surface of the hole clamping key (41) matches one end of the stopper sleeve (42); a clamping groove (43) is provided on the guide sleeve (3); a shaft retaining ring (44) is provided in the clamping groove (43); and the shaft retaining ring (44) matches the other end of the stopper sleeve (42).

3. The actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The piston structure (2) comprises a piston shaft (21), one end of the piston shaft (21) is provided with a piston (22), and the outer wall of the piston (22) is provided with a piston sealing ring (23) and a piston wear-resistant ring (24).

4. The actuator according to claim 3, characterized in that: A gap (25) is left between the end surface of the rear end of the piston (22) and the inner wall of the housing (1), and the gap (25) corresponds to the oil port (6).

5. The actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that: A dust ring (31) and a wear-resistant ring (32) which cooperate with the piston shaft (21) are fixedly provided on the inner wall of the guide sleeve (3).

6. The actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The high-strength spring (5) is made of SUP10 spring steel; the dust ring (31) is a Tecon Elote dust ring; the piston sealing ring (23) is a Tecon Gly ring; and the wear-resistant ring (32) and the piston wear-resistant ring (24) are both Sildenafil rings.

7. A centering mechanism for an aircraft aileron trim system, comprising a torsion shaft (7) for rotating in a fuselage, characterized in that: An adaptable cam (8) is fixedly provided on the torsion shaft (7), a support (9) is rotatably provided on the torsion shaft (7), a floating centering component (10) is provided on the support (9), and the floating centering component (10) cooperates with the adaptable cam (8); the support (9) is transmission-coordinated with the actuator cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the actuator cylinder is used to be hingedly arranged in the machine body.

8. The centering mechanism for an aircraft aileron trim system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The floating centering assembly (10) comprises a first shaft (101) and a second shaft (102) fixedly arranged on a support (9); the axes of the first shaft (101) and the second shaft (102) are arranged parallel to the axis of the torque shaft (7); the first shaft (101) is rotatably connected to one end of a roller arm (103); a roller (105) is rotatably arranged in the middle of the roller arm (103); the roller (105) cooperates with an adaptable cam (8); a third shaft (106) is arranged at the other end of the roller arm (103); a tension spring (107) is arranged between the third shaft (106) and the second shaft (102).

9. The centering mechanism for an aircraft aileron trim system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The adaptable cam (8) is provided with an inner concave surface (81), and under the action of the tension spring (107), the roller (105) always cooperates with the inner concave surface (81).

10. The centering mechanism for an aircraft aileron trim system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The outer end of the piston structure (2) of the actuator is hingedly matched with the support (9), and the housing (1) of the actuator is hingedly matched with the machine body.

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