Landing Gear Spring Support Prevents Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The failure of down locking springs in aircraft landing gear can cause safety issues due to broken spring parts contacting other components, leading to damage and jamming, and existing solutions like tether cables or telescopic tubes increase weight and complicate maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight spring support is externally coupled to the spring assembly, bridging critical spaces to prevent broken spring portions from entering harmful areas, thus inhibiting damage and facilitating easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a down locking spring is provided in the landing gear, then the landing gear can be locked in the deployed condition, but the broken spring can contact or foul other parts of the landing gear, resulting in damage to other components and potentially jamming the landing gear mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
A tether cable is introduced as an intermediary element between the down locking spring and the surrounding landing gear components. The tether cable is attached to the spring at one end and to a fixed structure at the other end, acting as a restraint that prevents broken spring portions from contacting and damaging other components. This mediator absorbs the harmful motion of the broken spring without compromising the spring's locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether cable provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-installed and pre-positioned to intercept potential broken spring portions before they can cause damage. The cable is tensioned and positioned along the path that a broken spring would naturally follow, creating a protective barrier in advance of any potential failure event.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a tether cable is provided to prevent spring contact, then component damage is reduced, but the tether cable can cause fouling problems during normal extension and retraction and increases weight
Solution Approach 1:
The tether cable is designed with local quality variations - it has specific attachment points, tension characteristics, and routing paths optimized for its protective function. The cable is positioned and tensioned locally where needed to restrain the spring, rather than being a universal restraint throughout the entire landing gear mechanism, reducing unnecessary interference with normal operations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If telescopic tubes or smaller diameter springs are used internally, then spring containment is improved, but the weight of the landing gear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tether cable is designed as a simple, lightweight, and inexpensive component that can be easily replaced if needed. Rather than using heavy-duty telescopic tubes or reinforced springs, the patent employs a simple cable that provides adequate containment functionality at minimal weight and cost, accepting that it may need replacement rather than designing for extreme durability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The spring support effectively prevents component damage and jamming due to spring failures, providing a lightweight and easily maintainable solution that maintains normal landing gear operation.
Implementation Method 1
The spring assembly (26) may be arranged to bias the first part (12b) to move relative to the second part (14b)
Data Source
AI summary
A landing gear assembly 10 having first and second parts 12b, 14b movably mounted with respect to one another. The landing gear assembly includes a critical space 32. A spring assembly 26 is arranged to bias the first and second parts to move relative to one another. A spring support 30 is provided to inhibit a broken portion of the spring assembly entering or contacting the critical space following a spring failure.