Emergency unlocking mechanism for stay bar lock of aircraft landing gear

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of design of aircraft landing gears, and particularly relates to an emergency unlocking mechanism for a stay bar lock of an aircraft landing gear, which has the function of opening an uplock of the aircraft landing gear when the normal put-down function of the aircraft landing gear fails, and is simple in structure, few in structural parts, small in occupied space, strong in bearing capacity, good in force transmission effect, high in reliability, high in efficiency, light in weight and reusable. And normal folding and unfolding of the undercarriage are not influenced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of aircraft landing gear design technology, specifically relating to an emergency unlocking mechanism for an aircraft landing gear strut lock. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft landing gear retraction and extension are mostly powered by energy. If the normal power source fails, the aircraft must have the ability to deploy the landing gear in an emergency to support a safe landing.

[0003] The landing gear strut lock combines the upper and lower positions. During normal landing gear retraction and extension, the two chambers of the unlocking actuator are pressurized separately to unlock the mechanism. Emergency unlocking often uses a backup power source to drive the mechanical structure, which is usually complex, occupies a lot of space, and is difficult to maintain.

[0004] This application is made in view of the aforementioned technical deficiencies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut locks to overcome or mitigate at least one of the known technical defects.

[0006] An emergency unlocking mechanism for an aircraft landing gear strut lock includes a rocker arm support, an unlocking rocker arm, an unlocking roller, an actuator support, and an emergency actuator.

[0007] The rocker arm support is connected to the top plate of the landing gear bay;

[0008] The unlocking rocker arm is hinged to the rocker arm support;

[0009] The unlocking roller is connected to one end of the unlocking rocker arm and is located in the arc-shaped unlocking track set at one end of the lower locking rod of the strut lock. This end of the lower locking rod is hinged to the main strut of the landing gear.

[0010] The other end of the lower locking strut is hinged to one end of the upper locking strut of the strut lock, and the other end of the upper locking strut is hinged in the landing gear bay and to the unlocking actuator hinged in the landing gear bay.

[0011] When the strut lock is in the locked state, there is a downward deflection between the axes of the lower and upper locking struts. When unlocking, the unlocking actuator provides the unlocking driving force, which pushes the deflection of the lower and upper locking struts from negative to positive, thereby releasing the locked state. Then, the landing gear can be retracted or lowered by the retraction actuator.

[0012] The actuator support is connected to the top plate of the landing gear bay;

[0013] The emergency actuator is hinged to the actuator support and to the other end of the unlocking rocker arm;

[0014] When the unlocking actuator fails to provide normal unlocking driving force, the emergency actuator can drive the unlocking rocker arm, causing the unlocking roller to contact the arc-shaped unlocking track, and then roll along the arc-shaped unlocking track to provide unlocking driving force. This pushes the deflection of the lower lock support rod and the upper lock support rod from negative to positive, releasing the locked state and performing emergency unlocking, so that the landing gear can be lowered under the drive of the retraction actuator or gravity.

[0015] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut lock, when the strut lock is in the locked state, there is a gap between the unlocking roller and the arc-shaped unlocking track.

[0016] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut lock, when the strut lock is in the locked state, the gap between the unlocking roller and the arc-shaped unlocking track is ≥5mm.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut lock, the lower locking strut is hinged at one end to the main landing gear strut, and the main landing gear strut is hinged between the landing gear and the landing gear bay.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut lock, when the landing gear is lowered or retracted, the lower locking strut and the upper locking strut rotate under the drive of the retraction actuator, forming a downward deflection, so that the strut lock reaches the locked state, and the landing gear is fixed in the lowered or retracted position.

[0019] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut locks, a retaining spring is connected between the lower locking strut and the upper locking strut;

[0020] The spring is kept in the retracted and extended position of the landing gear to provide the tension required for the strut lock to be locked.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut lock, connecting joints are provided at both ends of the retaining spring, and the retaining spring is hinged between the lower locking strut and the upper locking strut through the two connecting joints.

[0022] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut locks, force gauges are installed in two connecting joints, and the two force gauges are connected by a force-measuring spring.

[0023] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-mentioned emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut lock, an emergency actuator cylinder is fitted with a guide cylinder, a connecting sleeve is fitted on the piston rod, and a return spring is provided inside the guide cylinder, with both ends of the return spring connected between the connecting sleeve and the root of the emergency actuator cylinder.

[0024] Once the emergency unlocking is completed, the unlocking roller disengages from the arc-shaped unlocking track. After the emergency actuator cylinder's pressure supply is removed, the emergency actuator cylinder, its unlocking rocker arm, and the unlocking roller can be reset under the action of the return spring, returning to their initial state.

[0025] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described aircraft landing gear strut lock emergency unlocking mechanism, the emergency actuator is pressurized by the landing gear emergency power supply.

[0026] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut locks, the unlocking roller is connected to the double ears provided on the unlocking rocker arm via a pin.

[0027] According to at least one embodiment of this application, in the above-described emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut lock, the rocker arm support is connected to the landing gear bay top plate by welding or bolting.

[0028] The unlocking rocker arm and the rocker arm support are hinged together by a pin shaft through a single and double lug structure.

[0029] The lower locking strut and the main landing gear strut, as well as the main landing gear strut and the landing gear and landing gear bay, are hinged by a pin through a single and double lug structure.

[0030] The actuator support is connected to the landing gear bay top plate by welding or bolting;

[0031] The emergency actuator and the actuator support, as well as the unlocking rocker arm, are hinged by a pin through a single and double lug structure.

[0032] This application has at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0033] An emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut locks is provided, which has the function of unlocking the upper landing gear lock when the normal landing gear lowering function fails. It has a simple structure, few structural parts, small space occupation, strong load-bearing capacity, good force transmission effect, high reliability, high efficiency, light weight, reusability, and does not affect the normal retraction and extension of the landing gear. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of the emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] in:

[0037] 1-Rocker arm support; 2-Unlocking rocker arm; 3-Unlocking roller; 4-Actuator cylinder support; 5-Emergency actuator cylinder; 6-Lower lock strut; 7-Landing gear main strut; 8-Landing gear; 9-Upper lock strut; 10-Retaining spring; 11-Guide cylinder; 12-Connecting sleeve; 13-Reset spring.

[0038] To better illustrate this embodiment, some content in the accompanying drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced. They are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the technical solution and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solution of this application will be described in a clearer and more complete manner below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only some embodiments of this application, and are only used to explain this application, not to limit this application. It should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, and other related parts can be referred to the general design.

[0040] Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application description shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The word "comprising" as used in this application description indicates that the concept preceding the word encompasses the concepts listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other related concepts.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms indicating location used in the description of this application are only used to indicate relative directions or positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, its relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "installation" and "connection" used in the description of this application should be interpreted broadly. For example, a connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand its specific meaning in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] An emergency unlocking mechanism for aircraft landing gear strut locks, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, it includes a rocker arm support 1, an unlocking rocker arm 2, an unlocking roller 3, an actuator support 4, and an emergency actuator 5.

[0043] The rocker arm support 1 is connected to the top plate of the landing gear bay, specifically by welding or bolting.

[0044] The unlocking rocker arm 2 is hinged to the rocker arm support 1, specifically through a single or double ear structure with a pin hinge.

[0045] The unlocking roller 3 is connected to one end of the unlocking rocker arm 2. Specifically, it can be connected to the double ears set at this end of the unlocking rocker arm 2 via a pin. It is located in the arc-shaped unlocking track set at one end of the lower locking rod 6 of the strut lock, and maintains a certain gap with the arc-shaped unlocking track. Specifically, the gap can be designed to be ≥5mm. This end of the lower locking rod 6 is hinged to the landing gear main support rod 7. The landing gear main support rod 7 is hinged between the landing gear 8 and the landing gear bay. Specifically, it can be hinged with a pin via a single or double ear structure.

[0046] The other end of the lower locking strut 6 is hinged to one end of the upper locking strut 9 of the strut lock. The other end of the upper locking strut 9 is hinged in the landing gear bay and to the unlocking actuator hinged in the landing gear bay. Specifically, it can be hinged by a pin through a single or double ear structure.

[0047] A retaining spring 10 is connected between the lower locking strut 6 and the upper locking strut 9.

[0048] When the strut lock is in the locked state, there is a downward deflection between the axes of the lower locking strut 6 and the upper locking strut 9. When unlocking, the unlocking actuator provides the unlocking driving force, which pushes the deflection of the lower locking strut 6 and the upper locking strut 9 from negative to positive, thereby releasing the locked state. Then, the landing gear 8 can be driven to retract or lower by the retraction actuator.

[0049] When the landing gear 8 is lowered or retracted, the lower locking strut 6 and the upper locking strut 9 can rotate under the drive of the retraction actuator, forming a downward deflection, so that the strut lock reaches the locked state, and the landing gear 8 is fixed in the lowered or retracted position.

[0050] The retaining spring 10 provides the tension required for the strut lock to be locked in the retracted and extended positions of the landing gear 8. Connecting joints can be further installed at both ends of the retaining spring 10, which is hinged between the lower locking strut 6 and the upper locking strut 9 via these joints. Force gauges are installed within the two connecting joints, connected by a force-measuring spring. This allows the operating tension of the retaining spring 10 to be determined by the measurements from the two force gauges, providing timely warnings in case of a malfunction. It also effectively determines the normal status of the retaining spring 10 during maintenance, providing real-time monitoring and anti-loosening / anti-breakage protection functions. It can achieve high load output to ensure locking capability.

[0051] The actuator support 4 is connected to the top plate of the landing gear bay, specifically by welding or bolting.

[0052] The emergency actuator 5 is hinged to the actuator support 4 and to the other end of the unlocking rocker arm 2, specifically through a single or double ear structure with a pin hinge.

[0053] The emergency actuator 5 is fitted with a guide cylinder 11, and a connecting sleeve 12 is fitted onto the piston rod. A return spring 13 is installed inside the guide cylinder 11, and the two ends of the return spring 13 are connected between the connecting sleeve 12 and the root of the emergency actuator 5.

[0054] When the unlocking actuator fails to provide normal unlocking driving force, the emergency actuator 5 can drive the unlocking rocker arm 2. The emergency actuator 5 can be pressurized by the landing gear emergency power supply, which drives the unlocking roller 3 to contact the arc-shaped unlocking track, and then rolls along the arc-shaped unlocking track to provide unlocking driving force. This pushes the deflection of the lower locking strut 6 and the upper locking strut 9 from negative to positive, releases the locked state, and performs emergency unlocking. This allows the landing gear 8 to be lowered under the drive of the retraction actuator or gravity, supporting the safe landing of the aircraft.

[0055] Once the emergency unlocking is completed, the unlocking roller 3 disengages from the arc-shaped unlocking track. After the pressure supply to the emergency actuator 5 is removed, the emergency actuator 5, its unlocking rocker arm 2, and the unlocking roller 3 are reset under the action of the return spring 13, returning to their initial state.

[0056] The aircraft landing gear strut lock emergency unlocking mechanism disclosed in the above embodiments uses an actuating cylinder with an automatic reset function to achieve emergency unlocking of the landing gear strut lock using a simple mechanism. During emergency unlocking, only backup energy is needed to supply pressure to one end of the actuating cylinder, which can reduce the control links of the landing gear emergency energy system. It does not require a system of sensors or other signal feedback systems. It has a simple structure, high practicality, cost savings, and high working efficiency. After unlocking, the mechanism can automatically reset and continue to be used. It has the following advantages:

[0057] The entire mechanism is located on the top plate of the front landing gear bay, taking up little space;

[0058] It has a simple overall structure, is lightweight, has reliable functions, and is easy to maintain and inspect.

[0059] Rigid connection, high precision;

[0060] It can be reused without repair, has low cost, and is economical.

[0061] The technical solution of this application has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of this application, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An emergency unlocking mechanism for an aircraft landing gear strut lock, characterized in that, Includes rocker arm support (1), unlocking rocker arm (2), unlocking roller (3), actuator support (4), and emergency actuator (5); The rocker arm support (1) is connected to the top plate of the landing gear bay; The unlocking rocker arm (2) is hinged to the rocker arm support (1); The unlocking roller (3) is connected to one end of the unlocking rocker arm (2) and is located in the arc-shaped unlocking track at one end of the lower locking rod (6) of the strut lock. The lower locking rod (6) is hinged to the main support rod (7) of the landing gear. The other end of the lower locking strut (6) is hinged to one end of the upper locking strut (9) of the strut lock, and the other end of the upper locking strut (9) is hinged in the landing gear bay and hinged to the unlocking actuator cylinder hinged in the landing gear bay. When the strut lock is in the locked state, there is a downward deflection between the axes of the lower locking strut (6) and the upper locking strut (9). When unlocking, the unlocking driving force is provided by the unlocking actuator, which pushes the deflection of the lower locking strut (6) and the upper locking strut (9) from negative to positive, thereby releasing the locked state and enabling the landing gear (8) to be retracted or lowered by the retraction actuator. The actuator support (4) is connected to the top plate of the landing gear bay; The emergency actuator (5) is hinged to the actuator support (4) and to the other end of the unlocking rocker arm (2); When the unlocking actuator fails to provide unlocking driving force normally, the emergency actuator (5) can drive the unlocking rocker arm (2), causing the unlocking roller (3) to contact the arc-shaped unlocking track, and then roll along the arc-shaped unlocking track to provide unlocking driving force, pushing the deflection of the lower lock support rod (6) and the upper lock support rod (9) from negative to positive, releasing the locked state, and performing emergency unlocking, so that the landing gear (8) can be lowered under the drive of the retraction actuator or gravity.

2. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the strut lock is in the locked state, there is a gap between the unlocking roller (3) and the arc-shaped unlocking track.

3. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the strut lock is in the locked state, the gap between the unlocking roller (3) and the arc-shaped unlocking track is ≥5mm.

4. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lower locking strut (6) is hinged at one end to the main landing gear strut (7), which is hinged between the landing gear (8) and the landing gear bay.

5. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the landing gear (8) is lowered or retracted, the lower locking strut (6) and upper locking strut (9) rotate under the drive of the retraction actuator, forming a downward deflection, so that the strut lock reaches the locked state, and the landing gear (8) is fixed in the lowered or retracted position.

6. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 5, characterized in that, A retaining spring (10) is connected between the lower locking strut (6) and the upper locking strut (9). Keep the spring (10) in the retracted and extended position of the landing gear (8) to provide the tension required for the strut lock to be locked.

7. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 6, characterized in that, Connecting joints are provided at both ends of the retaining spring (10), and the retaining spring (10) is hinged between the lower locking support rod (6) and the upper locking support rod (9) through the two connecting joints.

8. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 7, characterized in that, Force gauges are installed in the two connecting joints, and the two force gauges are connected by a force-measuring spring.

9. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 8, characterized in that, An emergency actuator (5) is fitted with a guide cylinder (11), and a connecting sleeve (12) is fitted onto the piston rod. A return spring (13) is installed inside the guide cylinder (11), and the two ends of the return spring (13) are connected between the connecting sleeve (12) and the root of the emergency actuator (5). Once the emergency unlocking is completed, the unlocking roller (3) disengages from the arc-shaped unlocking track. After the emergency actuator (5) releases its pressure, the emergency actuator (5), its unlocking rocker arm (2), and the unlocking roller (3) can be reset and restored to their initial state under the action of the reset spring (13).

10. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 9, characterized in that, The emergency actuator (5) is pressurized by the landing gear emergency power supply.

11. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 10, characterized in that, The unlocking roller (3) is connected to the double ears set on the unlocking rocker arm (2) by a pin.

12. The emergency unlocking mechanism for the aircraft landing gear strut lock according to claim 11, characterized in that, The rocker arm support (1) is connected to the landing gear bay top plate by welding or bolting; The unlocking rocker arm (2) and the rocker arm support (1) are hinged by a pin through a single and double ear structure; The lower locking strut (6) and the main landing gear strut (7), and the main landing gear strut (7) and the landing gear (8) and landing gear bay are connected by a pin hinge through a single and double ear structure; The actuator support (4) is connected to the landing gear bay top plate by welding or bolting; The emergency actuator (5) is hinged to the actuator support (4) and the unlocking rocker arm (2) by a single and double ear structure with a pin.

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