Landing Gear Uplock Hook Sensor for Failure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing landing gear uplock arrangements in aircraft fail to detect and respond to failures of hooks or movable elements, leading to uncommanded movements of landing gear and bay doors, which can result in reduced aircraft performance and increased risk of damage.
Innovation Solution
A landing gear system uplock arrangement featuring a hook that can move between retaining and releasing positions, a sensor arrangement to detect the presence of a movable element, and a controller to alert the cockpit or record faults, ensuring the integrity of the uplock mechanism is maintained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a landing gear uplock arrangement is used to retain the landing gear in position, then the landing gear remains securely positioned, but failures of hooks or movable elements go undetected leading to uncommanded movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sensor arrangements that provide feedback signals to a control system about the state of the uplock mechanism. Sensors detect whether the movable element is properly retained by the hook, and this information is fed back to the cockpit display system, enabling real-time monitoring of the landing gear uplock status and immediate detection of any failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs intermediate sensor components and control systems that mediate between the mechanical uplock mechanism and the pilot. These intermediaries translate mechanical states (hook engagement, element position) into detectable signals, allowing the pilot to be informed of the uplock mechanism's status without directly observing the mechanical components.
2Reliability
If sensor arrangements are added to detect element presence in the gap, then failure detection is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor arrangement and control system are designed to serve multiple functions: detecting element presence in the gap, monitoring hook engagement status, and providing feedback to the cockpit. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate detection systems and minimizes overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the hook is designed to move between retaining and releasing positions, then controlled movement is enabled, but uncommanded movements may occur if failures are not detected
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback mechanism continuously monitors the hook's position and the element's retention status. If the hook moves to an unintended position or fails to retain the element properly, the sensor detects this state and communicates it to the cockpit, allowing the pilot to take corrective action before uncommanded movement occurs.
Data Source
AI summary
A landing gear system uplock arrangement (300, 500) including: a hook (310) defining a gap (314), wherein the hook is movable between a first position, at which the hook is for retaining a movable element (299, 499) of a landing gear system in the gap, and a second position, at which the hook is for permitting movement of the element into and out from the gap; a lock (320) that is changeable between a locked state, in which the lock prevents movement of the hook from the first position to the second position, and an unlocked state, in which the lock permits movement of the hook from the first position to the second position; and a sensor arrangement (330) for sensing whether the element is present in the gap.