locking device

Abstract

Locking device (1), comprising: a movable component a pin section (3) to lock or release the movable component in conjunction with a hook (2), and a hook (2) rotatable about an axis of rotation (A) for receiving the pen section (3), wherein the hook (2) has a receiving opening (4) designed to receive the pin section (3) in a locked state when the hook (2) is in a first rotation position and to release the pin section (3) in an unlocked state when the hook (2) is in a second rotation position, and the pin section (3) has a contact area (K) which, in a locked state, is encompassed by the receiving opening (4) of the hook (2), wherein a contact area (K) of the pin section (3) is rotatable about an axis (B), and wherein the pin section (3) has a pin body (10) which is surrounded in its circumferential direction by at least one sleeve element (9) which is rotatably mounted relative to the pin body (10), wherein the at least one sleeve element (9) forms the contact area (K) of the pin section (3) on its outer side, characterized in that the outer contour of the at least one sleeve element (9) is not constant, but is formed such that the outer contour in the longitudinal direction of the pin section (3) is convex outwards away from the pin body (10) by providing a step-like structure.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking device, in particular one for movable components in aircraft components such as an aircraft landing gear or the like.

[0002] Locking elements play a central role in the safety and functionality of a wide variety of applications, as they ensure that a moving component does not unintentionally detach and cause damage. This is of particular importance for aircraft components, especially critical systems such as the landing gear, where moving parts must be securely fixed during flight operations but can be reliably released when required by operating conditions.

[0003] If we take the retractable landing gear of an aircraft as an example of a moving component, it immediately becomes clear that the design, locking mechanism, and safe release of this component are of paramount importance, as they directly affect safety during flight and landing. Conventional locking mechanisms for retractable landing gear, known from the prior art, are based on a "hook and pin" solution and have generally proven effective, but they have significant drawbacks that can impair performance and safety.

[0004] In the conventional design, the landing gear is secured in the retracted position by a rotating hook, which is part of the aircraft structure, and a pin fixed to the landing gear. The upward movement of the pin into the hook, caused by the retraction of the landing gear, closes and partially locks the system. Although this principle works in principle, its correct function requires specific conditions, such as the precise positioning and alignment of the pin within the hook to prevent it from jamming.

[0005] If manufacturing tolerances or component deformation cause the pin and hook to become misaligned, the subsequent release of the locked landing gear may not be possible. For example, if the landing gear with the pin is swung out of its retracted position due to its own weight, this is only possible if the hook allows the pin to move accordingly. Before this can happen, a locking device that fixes the hook in its rotational position must be moved from its locked position, allowing the hook to rotate into its releasing position. If active rotation of the hook fails or is not provided for, the torque exerted by the pin on the hook is usually sufficient to rotate the hook into its releasing position.However, if the mechanism becomes jammed, the friction between the pin and hook can become so great that even the force required to extend the landing gear, which would push the hook into its releasing position, is insufficient to complete the hook movement. In fact, this would result in the undesirable situation where, despite appropriate signals, the aircraft's landing gear cannot be moved into its extended position.

[0006] Achieving precision in the interaction of the different components is challenging and difficult due to manufacturing tolerances and potential deformations, so that even with state-of-the-art implementations, there is always a residual risk of misalignment.

[0007] Previous solutions for preventing jamming, which aim to increase the distance between the pin holder and the hook or to enlarge the hook opening, result in a disadvantageous design. This leads to over-dimensioning, increased loads on the pin, increased weight, and unnecessarily large play between the locking components. This can negatively impact the performance and cost of the locking device, as, for example, excessive play between the hook receptacle and the pin within it leads to unwanted movement, and the pin striking the receptacle results in very high wear.

[0008] US Patent 2023 / 0031765A1 discloses a locking device comprising: a movable component, in particular an aircraft component, such as an aircraft landing gear, a pin section for locking or releasing the movable component in conjunction with a hook, and a hook rotatable about a pivot axis for receiving the pin section, wherein the hook has a receiving opening designed to receive the pin section in a locked state at a first rotation position of the hook and to release the pin section in an unlocked state at a second rotation position of the hook, and wherein the pin section has a contact area encompassed by the receiving opening of the hook in a locked state, wherein a contact area of ​​the pin section is rotatable about an axis.

[0009] The present invention according to claim 1 succeeds in overcoming or at least mitigating the problems listed above. Advantageous embodiments are found in the dependent claims.

[0010] Claim 1 of the invention proposes an improved design of a locking device in which the pin section locked by the receiving opening is rotatable in its contact area with the receiving opening. If tilting occurs between the pin section and the receiving opening, or if there is unexpectedly high friction between these components, the friction generated between these two parts is reduced, so that the relative movement of the receiving opening and the pin section required for release remains possible and the locking device does not jam. By reducing the friction between the hook and the pin section, a significantly lower force is required to rotate the hook into its releasing position, which can, for example, be achieved by the weight of a chassis rigidly connected to the pin.This reduces the probability of a hook jamming in the locked position.

[0011] The invention relates to a locking device comprising a movable component, in particular an aircraft component such as an aircraft landing gear, a pin section for locking or releasing the movable component in conjunction with a hook, and a hook rotatable about a pivot axis for receiving the pin section, wherein the hook has a receiving opening designed to receive the pin section in a locked state in a first rotational position of the hook and to release the pin section in an unlocked state in a second rotational position of the hook, and wherein the pin section has a contact area that is encompassed by the receiving opening of the hook in a locked state. The locking device is characterized in that a contact area of ​​the pin section is rotatable about an axis.

[0012] The rotatable contact area between the pin section and the hook facilitates relative movement between these two components, even if they become misaligned or if there is unexpectedly high friction between them. This movement allows the pin to be released from the hook's receiving opening. The contact area of ​​the pin section can be implemented, for example, as a rotatable pin or a sleeve element surrounded by a pin body.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, it can be provided that the axis about which the contact area of ​​the pin section is rotatable runs parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable hook, preferably wherein the axis about which the contact area of ​​the pin section is rotatable is identical to an axis of symmetry of the pin section.

[0014] The pin section can, for example, have the shape of a cylinder, the contact area of ​​which, for interaction with a receiving opening of the hook, is located on the circumference of the cylindrical body, in particular a vertical circular cylinder. The cylindrically shaped pin section can be mounted such that the axis of rotation is identical to the axis of symmetry of the cylinder.

[0015] Therefore, if the pin section acts in the direction of its release, this leads to a rolling movement relative to the receiving opening, which results in a rotation of the contact area of ​​the pin section on the component interacting with the receiving opening.

[0016] According to an optional modification of the present invention, it can further be provided that, for example, in the defect-free case, the axis of rotation of the hook is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis and / or an axis of symmetry of the pin section, wherein preferably a deviation of the parallelism from the axis of rotation of the hook to the longitudinal axis and / or the axis of symmetry of the pin section represents an undesirable condition. However, this does not only concern the defect-free case. For example, parallelism cannot be guaranteed due to manufacturing tolerances or deformation (if the aircraft or wing deforms).

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, it can be provided that the pin section is attached to a holder at both of its end regions or at one of its two end regions, preferably in such a way that the pin section is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and / or its axis of symmetry, so that the outer circumference of the rotatable pin section itself defines the contact area.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it can be provided that the hook grips the pin section in an area that is formed approximately in the middle, preferably in the middle third of the longitudinal extent of the pin section, preferably in the middle fifth of the pin section.

[0019] The central engagement of the hook's receiving opening on the pin section results in the largest possible area where no contact with a pin section holder occurs, even in the event of deformations or tolerances that may arise during operation. Therefore, central engagement of the receiving opening on the pin section is particularly advantageous.

[0020] According to an advantageous modification of the present invention, it can be provided that either the pin section or the hook is fixedly arranged on the movable component and the other element not fixedly arranged on the movable component is attached to a structural component relative to which the movable component is movable.

[0021] The invention thus encompasses the case in which the pin section is rigidly connected to the movable component, e.g., the retractable aircraft landing gear, whereas the hook is arranged on the structure that is fixed relative to the movable component. It is clear to those skilled in the art that the invention also encompasses an arrangement of the hook on the movable component and an arrangement of the pin section on the structure that is fixed relative to the movable component.

[0022] According to the present invention, the pin section has a pin body which is surrounded in its circumferential direction by at least one sleeve element which is rotatably mounted relative to the pin body, wherein the at least one sleeve element forms the contact area of ​​the pin section on its outer side.

[0023] To create a contact area that allows rolling relative to the hook's receiving opening, at least one sleeve element can be provided which circumferentially encloses the pin section and is rotatable relative to the pin section. The axis of rotation of the at least one sleeve element can be identical to the longitudinal axis of the pin section that is circumferentially surrounded by the at least one sleeve element.

[0024] Several sleeve elements can be provided, all of which circumferentially enclose a section of the pin body, each rotatably mounted relative to the pin body and offset from each other along the longitudinal direction of the pin body, preferably wherein each of the several sleeve elements forms a contact area of ​​the pin section on its outer surface.

[0025] The multiple sleeve elements can be arranged at equal intervals, causing the contact area to rotate precisely at the sleeve element that is in contact with the hook's receiving opening. This design is advantageous because the multiple sleeve elements reduce their longitudinal expansion along the pin section, resulting in less friction between the inside of the sleeve element and the outside of the pin body when each sleeve element rotates.

[0026] According to a further optional embodiment of the present invention, it can be provided that the several sleeve elements arranged next to each other in the longitudinal direction of the pin body have different outer diameters, preferably such that the outer diameters of outerly arranged sleeve elements remain the same or increase with respect to the tallest elements arranged in the middle.

[0027] By using several different sleeve elements with varying outer diameters, contours can be formed along the length of the pin body that make it more difficult for the pin section to tilt in the hook's receiving opening. For example, by using a large-diameter sleeve element in the center of the pin body and sleeve elements whose outer diameter decreases as they move towards the ends of the pin body, a contour can be created in which a rotation of the pin body relative to the hook's receiving opening does not necessarily lead to tilting.

[0028] According to the present invention, the outer contour of the at least one sleeve element is not constant, but is such that the outer contour in the longitudinal direction of the pin section is convex outwards away from the pin body by providing a step-like structure.

[0029] For example, if only a single sleeve element is provided, which circumferentially surrounds the pin body along a longitudinal section, it is advantageous if the outer contour of such a sleeve element does not run continuously along the longitudinal direction of the pin body. It is therefore advantageous if such a sleeve element has a convex outer contour, preferably with the maximum outer diameter of the sleeve element positioned centrally to the receiving opening of the hook. If a relative rotation then occurs between the pin section and the receiving opening of the hook, the probability of contact between the pin section and the hook is low, which also leads to a lower probability of tilting.

[0030] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, it can be provided that the pin body, which is enclosed in its circumferential direction by at least one sleeve element, is itself rotatably mounted in order to allow rotation of the pin body about its longitudinal axis and / or its axis of symmetry.

[0031] In addition to at least one sleeve element rotatably arranged relative to the pin body, the pin body itself, enclosed on its outer circumference by the at least one sleeve element, can also be rotatably mounted. This further reduces the probability of tilting, since even if the at least one sleeve element should become rotatable relative to the pin body due to a malfunction, the pin body itself is designed to be rotatable. Advantageously, the axis of rotation of the pin body is parallel to the axis of rotation of the at least one sleeve element and can, for example, be identical to the axis of symmetry of the pin body or the at least one sleeve element.

[0032] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the receiving opening can be a U-shaped opening having two legs, e.g. of different lengths, preferably wherein the two legs are straight and connected to each other via a curved web section.

[0033] According to an optional modification of the present invention, it can be provided that the receiving opening is formed in a view onto a plane whose normal is parallel to the axis of rotation of the hook.

[0034] It is conceivable that the hook is further equipped with a locking section that serves to fix its rotational position.

[0035] The invention further relates to an aircraft with a locking device according to one of the preceding claims, preferably wherein the movable component is a retractable aircraft landing gear, a door, a landing flap or a wingtip which can be locked in a retracted / folded state by the locking device.

[0036] Further features, details, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the figures. These show: Fig. 1: a sectional view of the locking device according to the invention with a pin section to be inserted into the receiving opening, Fig. 2: another sectional view of a pin section located in the receiving opening in a rotational position corresponding to a locked state, Fig. 3: a representation of a conventional implementation in which a tilting of the hook causes it to become misaligned with the pin section, Fig. 4: a representation showing the friction occurring in the contact area of ​​the pin section and the receiving opening interacting with the pin section, Fig. 5: a representation of an embodiment of the locking device not covered by the invention, Fig. 6: a representation of another embodiment of the locking device not covered by the invention, Fig. 7: a representation of another embodiment of the locking device not covered by the invention, Fig. 8: a representation of a further embodiment of the locking device according to the invention, Fig. 9: a representation of another embodiment of the locking device not covered by the invention, Fig. 10: a representation of a further embodiment of the locking device according to the invention, and Fig. 11: a representation of another embodiment of the locking device according to the invention.

[0037] Fig. Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the locking device 1 according to the invention with a pin section 3 to be inserted into the receiving opening 4.

[0038] The locking device 1 comprises a hook 2 which can be rotated about a pivot axis A. The rotation is in Fig. 1 is represented by a curved arrow and stands for the different rotational positions that the hook 2 can assume.

[0039] Furthermore, a pin section 3 with a circular cross-section is visible, the direction of movement of which is characterized by a straight arrow. Executing this straight movement causes the hook 2 to rotate about its axis of rotation A, so that after the pin section's movement is complete, the hook 2 can lock the pin section 3. For example, the hook 2 is rotatably attached to an aircraft structure, and the pin section 3 is fixed to a retractable landing gear of an aircraft, or vice versa. The upward movement of the pin section 3, fixed to the landing gear, into the hook 2, as represented by the straight arrow, causes the hook to close and the pin section to assume the lockable position, which is then secured.

[0040] Fig. Figure 2 shows a less abstract representation of hook 2, which also includes the one in Fig. The locking section 6 (not shown) is included. Therefore, when the hook 2 is in its rotational position locking the pin section 3, the hook 2 is locked by means of the locking section 6. Consequently, the hook cannot rotate into a releasing position in which the pin section could slide out of the receiving opening 4.

[0041] The pin section can only be released when the locking section 6 allows the hook 2 to rotate. If the hook does not open automatically, a contact point remains between hook 2 and pin section 3. The downward movement of the pin section, which may be part of a landing gear or similar device, as indicated by the arrow, then forces hook 2 into its releasing position, allowing, for example, a landing gear connected to pin section 3 to be extended.

[0042] The friction between the components in the contact area between pin section 3 and hook 2 should be kept to a minimum, as otherwise the hook 2 may prevent unlocking. If the friction is too high, both the locking and unlocking processes can be blocked, preventing the desired locking or unlocking state from being achieved.

[0043] The typical cause of excessive friction is tilting due to tolerance or deformation, which prevents relative movement between hook 2 and pin section 3.

[0044] Fig. Figure 3 shows a conventional locking device in a jammed state. The pin section 3 is rigidly mounted to the movable element via a bracket 7. The hook 2 is rotated relative to the axis of the pin section 3 and contacts it in such a way that significant friction is generated. This friction can be so great that relative movement between the hook 2 and the pin section 3 is hindered or even completely prevented, thus making it impossible to move the locking device from a locked to a unlocked position and vice versa.

[0045] Fig. Figure 4 shows the friction that arises between the pin section 3 and the hook 2 in the area of ​​the receiving opening 4. This friction is generated, for example, by applying a downward force to the pin section 3, which normally causes the hook 2 to rotate into its releasing position. It can be seen that the friction occurs in the contact area K between the pin section 3 and the hook 2.

[0046] Fig. Figure 5 shows a representation which provides the contact area K of the pin section 3 to rotate freely in order to reduce friction.

[0047] The axis of rotation B of the pin section 3 or of the pin section 3 consisting only of the pin body 10 is in Fig. 5 is represented by a dashed line.

[0048] To accommodate the rotation of the pin section 3 or pin section 10, the holder 7 is designed accordingly. Furthermore, a fastening is provided on each of the two side areas of the pin section 3 that extend beyond the holder 7 to the left and right, preventing the pin section 3 from being pushed out of the holder 7.

[0049] After implementation in Fig. 5. The pin section 3 can rotate along its axis of rotation B, so that even in the event of excessive friction between pin section 3 and hook 2, for example due to tilting, the opening of the hook 2 is ensured. In particular, it is advantageous if only one of the two legs of the hook 2 defining the receiving opening 4 exerts very high friction on the contact area K of the pin section 3.

[0050] Fig. 6 shows further training, in addition to the one in Fig. In addition to the functionality shown in Figure 5 of a rotatable pin section 3 or a rotatable pin body 10, a sleeve element 9 is now provided which surrounds the pin body 10 circumferentially. This sleeve element is rotatably mounted relative to the pin body 10, whereby the axis of rotation for the sleeve element can be identical to the axis of rotation B of the pin body 10.

[0051] The probability of the locking device 1 jamming is further reduced by the provision of the sleeve element 9, since even in the event of jamming between the pin and the holder 7, the opening of the hook 2 is ensured.

[0052] How to display in Fig. Since the sleeve element 9 can be extracted from the pin section 3 or pin body 10, it can extend over more than half of the longitudinal dimension of the pin section 3 or pin body 10 and cover almost the entire area between the two supports 7. The inner diameter of the at least one sleeve element 9 is larger than the outer diameter of the pin section 3, as the sleeve element 9 surrounds the pin section 3 circumferentially.

[0053] By providing another possibility to enable relative movement between hook 2 and pin section 3, it is therefore possible to generate a relative movement with reduced friction even in the event of a fault, e.g. a non-functioning rotation of the pin body 10 or a non-functioning rotation of the sleeve element 9.

[0054] Fig. Figure 7 shows a further embodiment in which, in contrast to the one discussed previously, Fig. 6. The sleeve element 9 surrounding the pin body 10 has a convex outer contour. This further reduces the probability of tilting, as the outer radius of the sleeve element 9 becomes smaller at its two outer ends.

[0055] Fig. Figure 8 shows a similar embodiment in which the outer contour of the sleeve element 9 has stepped radii. Here, too, the radius decreases towards the ends, since the central area of ​​the sleeve element 9 has a larger outer radius.

[0056] Fig. Figure 9 is a further development and shows several sleeve elements 9 arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the pin section 3. The implementation with several sleeve elements 9 arranged side by side results in a smaller contact area between the sleeve element 9 and the pin body 10 and thus increases the probability that release can be successfully carried out in the event of greater friction. In addition, in the Fig. The 9 indicated angles of the hook 2 contact different sleeve elements 9 through the hook 2, so that even when both legs of the receiving opening 4 contact the pin section 3, relative movement between hook 2 and pin section 3 is possible. Thus, the Fig. The legs of the hook 2 shown above lead to a first direction of rotation of the sleeve element 9 in contact with it, whereas the one in Fig. The legs of the hook 2, as shown below, lead to an opposite direction of rotation of the sleeve element, which is in contact with the lower leg. However, since the longitudinal direction of the pin section 3 allows for different directions of rotation for the multiple sleeve elements spaced apart from each other, this is not a problem in the proposed implementation of the present invention. Fig. 9 unproblematic.

[0057] Fig. Figure 10 shows a further embodiment of the present invention, in which the several adjacent sleeve elements 9 can have different configurations. It is particularly advantageous if, similar to the outer contour of a single sleeve element, the maximum outer radii of the individual sleeve elements 9 decrease from the center to an end region. In this embodiment, the centrally arranged sleeve element 9 has a convex outer contour, whereas the outer sleeve elements 9 have a continuous outer diameter.

[0058] Fig. Figure 11 shows a further embodiment of the present invention, in which the centrally arranged sleeve element also has a larger diameter than the sleeve elements 9 arranged laterally towards the end.

[0059] However, the outer contour of the centrally arranged sleeve element 9 is not convex, but has a continuous outer diameter, which is larger than the outer diameter of the other sleeve elements not arranged in the center.

[0060] The configuration with sleeve elements 9, which have different maximum outer diameters, is advantageous insofar as, in the normally occurring orientation of the hook to the pin section 3, the play provided between hook 2 and pin section 3 is less, but still a certain tolerance for a rotation of pin section 3 and hook is given, which does not immediately lead to an adverse tilting. Reference symbol list: 1 locking device 2 hooks 3 pen section 4 Intake opening 5 thighs 6 Locking section 7 bracket 8 Fastening 9 sleeve element 10 pen bodies

Claims

Locking device (1) comprising: a movable component, a pin section (3) for locking or releasing the movable component in conjunction with a hook (2), and a hook (2) rotatable about an axis of rotation (A) for receiving the pin section (3), wherein the hook (2) has a receiving opening (4) designed to receive the pin section (3) in a locked state when the hook (2) is in a first rotation position and to release the pin section (3) in an unlocked state when the hook (2) is in a second rotation position, and wherein the pin section (3) has a contact area (K) which is encompassed by the receiving opening (4) of the hook (2) when in a locked state, wherein a contact area (K) of the pin section (3) is rotatable about an axis (B), and wherein the pin section (3) has a pin body (10) which is surrounded in its circumferential direction by at least one sleeve element (9).which is rotatably mounted relative to the pin body (10), wherein the at least one sleeve element (9) forms the contact area (K) of the pin section (3) on its outer side, characterized in that the outer contour of the at least one sleeve element (9) is not constant, but is formed such that the outer contour in the longitudinal direction of the pin section (3) is convex outwards away from the pin body (10) by providing a step-like structure. Locking device (1) according to the preceding claim 1, wherein the axis (B) runs parallel to the axis of rotation (A) of the rotatable hook (2), preferably wherein the axis (B) about which the contact area (K) of the pin section (3) is rotatable is identical to an axis of symmetry of the pin section (3). Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the axis of rotation (A) of the hook (2) is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis and / or an axis of symmetry of the pin section (3), wherein preferably a deviation of the parallelism from the axis of rotation (A) of the hook (2) to the longitudinal axis and / or to the axis of symmetry of the pin section (3) represents an undesirable condition. Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pin section (3) is attached at its two end regions or at one of its two end regions to a holder (7), preferably in such a way that the pin section (3) is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and / or its axis of symmetry, so that the outer circumference of the rotatable pin section (3) itself defines the contact area (K). Locking device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the gripping of the hook (2) on the pin section (3) takes place in an area which is formed approximately centrally, preferably in the middle third of the longitudinal extent of the pin section (3), preferably in the middle fifth of the pin section (3). Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein either the pin section (3) or the hook (2) is fixedly arranged on the movable component and the other element not fixedly arranged on the movable component is attached to a structural component relative to which the movable component is movable. Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein several sleeve elements (9) are provided, each of which circumferentially encloses a section of the pin body (10), is rotatably mounted relative to the pin body (10) and is arranged offset from one another along the longitudinal direction of the pin body (10), preferably wherein each of the several sleeve elements (9) forms a contact area (K) of the pin section (3) on its outer surface. Locking device (1) according to the preceding claim 7, wherein the several sleeve elements (9) arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the pin body (10) have different outer diameters, preferably such that the outer diameters of outerly arranged sleeve elements (9) remain the same or increase towards the tallest elements arranged in the middle. Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pin body (10), which is enclosed in its circumferential direction by at least one sleeve element (9), is itself rotatably mounted to allow rotation of the pin body (10) about its longitudinal axis and / or its axis of symmetry (B). Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving opening (4) is a U-shaped opening having two legs (5) of different lengths, preferably wherein the two legs (5) are straight and are connected to each other via a curved web section. Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving opening (4) is formed in a view onto a plane whose normal is parallel to the axis of rotation (A) of the hook (2). Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hook (2) is further provided with a locking section (6) which serves to fix its rotational position. Locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the component is an aircraft component such as an aircraft landing gear. Aircraft with a locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable component can be locked in a retracted / folded state by the locking device (1). Aircraft according to claim 14, wherein the component is a retractable aircraft landing gear, a door, a landing flap or a wingtip.

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