Aircraft landing gear and a locking mechanism therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308351-B2
Application number	US-201615166349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

Aircraft landing gear comprising a locking assembly including a pair of spaced-apart bearing pads and a lock member. The lock member is moveable between a locked position in which it engages the bearing pads to prevent pivotal movement of a steerable axle, and an unlocked position in which the member is disengaged from the bearing pads such that movement of the axle can occur. The lock member has a guide surface on either side for guiding the member and bearing pads into alignment during movement of the member from the unlocked to the locked position. The guide surface comprises a first inclined portion for moving the member towards alignment with the bearing pads and a second inclined portion, spaced apart from the first portion, for moving the member into alignment with the bearing pads such that the member and bearing pads are aligned in a movement comprising two stages.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft landing gear comprising a bogie, a steerable axle pivotally mounted on the bogie, and a locking assembly,
the locking assembly comprising a pair of spaced-apart stationary bearing pads associated with the axle and a lock member associated with the bogie, the lock member being moveable between a locked position in which the member is located in the space between the bearing pads such that the lock member engages the bearing pads to prevent pivotal movement of the steerable axle with respect to the bogie, and an unlocked position in which the lock member is disengaged from the bearing pads such that pivotal movement of the axle with respect to the bogie can occur, wherein the bearing pads remain stationary between the locked and unlocked positions,
wherein the lock member has a guide surface on either side for guiding the lock member and the bearing pads into alignment during movement of the lock member from the unlocked position to the locked position, and
wherein the guide surface comprises a first inclined portion for moving the lock member towards alignment with the bearing pads in a first stage, and a second inclined portion, spaced apart from the first portion, for moving the lock member into alignment with the bearing pads in a second stage, such that the lock member and bearing pads are aligned in a movement comprising two stages.

2. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 1 , wherein the profile of the first inclined portion differs from the profile of the second inclined portion.

3. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 2 , wherein the gradient of the first inclined portion differs from the gradient of the second inclined portion.

4. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 1 , wherein the angle of inclination of the first and/or second portion is constant along the length of that portion.

5. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 1 , wherein each guide surface includes an intermediate portion located between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion and said intermediate portion is orientated such that, during movement of the lock member from the unlocked position to the locked position, the intermediate portion does not cause any substantial movement to align the lock member and the bearing pads.

6. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 1 , wherein the lock member includes a stop on either side, the stop being arranged to abut the respective bearing pad when the lock member is in the locked position such that further movement of the lock member into the space between the bearing pads is prevented.

7. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 6 , wherein the lock member is arranged such that the guide surface is located forward of the respective stop on the lock member.

8. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 7 , wherein the stops remain outside the space between the bearing pads when the lock member is in the locked position.

9. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 6 , wherein each guide surface includes an intermediate portion located between the second inclined portion and respective stop, and said intermediate portion is orientated such that, during movement of the lock member from the unlocked position to the locked position, the intermediate portion does not cause any substantial movement to align the lock member and the bearing pads.

10. A lock member for using in the aircraft landing gear having the lock assembly of claim 1 , the lock member having a guide surface on either side, each guide surface comprising a first inclined portion and a second inclined portion, spaced apart from the first portion.

11. An aircraft including a landing gear in accordance with claim 1 .

12. A method of locking an aircraft landing gear using a locking assembly, the landing gear comprising a bogie and a steerable axle pivotally mounted on the bogie, wherein the locking assembly comprises a pair of spaced-apart stationary bearing pads associated with the axle and a lock member associated with the bogie, the lock member having a guide surface on either side, the guide surface comprising a first inclined portion and a second inclined portion, the method comprising the steps of:
moving the lock member from an unlocked position in which the lock member is disengaged from the bearing pads such that pivotal movement of the axle with respect to the bogie can occur, towards a locked position in which the lock member is located in the space between the bearing pads such that the lock member engages the bearing pads to prevent pivotal movement of the steerable axle with respect to the bogie, wherein the bearing pads remain stationary between the locked and unlocked positions, and
while the lock member is moving from the unlocked position towards the locked position, bringing the lock member and the bearing pads into alignment using the guide surface, the step of bringing the lock member and the bearing pads into alignment comprising
a first stage of alignment produced by the interaction of the bearing pads and the first inclined portions, followed by
a second stage of alignment produced by the interaction of the bearing pads and the second inclined portions.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the method further includes a step of steering the axle such that the degree of misalignment of the lock member and the bearing pads is less than or equal to a predetermined capture angle, before moving the lock member from the unlocked position towards the locked position.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Thompson Robert Ian

Classifications

• B64C2025/345

  Multi-wheel bogies having one or more steering axes · CPC title

• B64C25/34 Primary

  wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies · CPC title

• B64C25/26 Primary

  Control or locking systems therefor · CPC title

• B64C25/50

  Steerable undercarriages; Shimmy-damping · CPC title

• B64C25/36 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of wheels, tyres or axles in general · CPC title