Aircraft Wheel Brake Electromechanical Actuator Guide System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft wheel brake systems face challenges in easy assembly and disassembly of electromechanical actuators, and they lack robustness under mechanical stresses during landing and braking, often requiring complex maneuvers and risking damage from transverse forces on fixing screws.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a guide system with a groove on the actuator and a protrusion on the actuator carrier, along with a flange to immobilize the actuator radially, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly in a radial direction without disassembling the wheel, and shifts the mechanical stress transmission away from the fixing screws, ensuring robustness by guiding the actuator with fingers and maintaining axial position through the brake structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If actuators are screwed directly onto the actuator carrier, then the connection is simple, but the fixing screws are subjected to significant transverse forces during landing and braking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide means (protrusion and groove) as an intermediary mechanism between the actuator and actuator carrier. The protrusion on the actuator carrier engages with the groove on the actuator body, creating a mechanical interface that transmits braking forces without relying solely on the fixing screws. This intermediary structure protects the screws from transverse forces while maintaining a relatively simple connection system.
2Device complexity
If actuators are mounted axially opposite the landing gear, then the brake structure is compact, but the actuator cannot be disassembled without disassembling the brake and wheel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the actuator assembly into separable components with distinct mounting and dismounting paths. The actuator can be removed radially from the actuator carrier through the guide means interface, independent of the brake and wheel assembly. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and replace actuators without disassembling the entire brake system, significantly improving ease of repair while maintaining structural compactness.
3Reliability
If fixing screws are used to secure the actuator, then the actuator is held in position, but the screws are solicited by mechanical stresses from shock, vibration, and pusher force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hybrid fastening system where the guide means (protrusion-groove interface) handles the majority of mechanical stress transmission, while the fixing screws provide supplementary positioning and locking. This partial action approach allows the screws to be smaller and less heavily loaded, reducing the harmful effects of shock and vibration on the fastening system while maintaining reliable actuator positioning.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The brake (1) has a door-actuator (14) that carries an electromechanical actuator (15) comprising a push rod (19) that is moved according to a direction parallel to a rotation axis (X) of a wheel (2). The door-actuator and the electromechanical actuator comprise a set of guidance units e.g. grooves, so as to guide the electromechanical actuator during its assembly on the door-actuator. A flange is fixed on the door-actuator so as to immobilize the electromechanical actuator on the door-actuator in a service position.