Drive system for landing gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486800-B2
Application number	US-201415021296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2014
Priority date	Sep 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive system for rotating a wheel of an aircraft landing gear. The drive system includes a motor operable to rotate a drive pinion, and a driven gear adapted to be mounted to the wheel. The drive system has a first configuration in which the drive pinion is capable of meshing with the driven gear to permit the motor to drive the driven gear and a second configuration in which the drive pinion is not capable of meshing with the driven gear. The drive system further includes a lock-stay including a first lock link and a second lock link pivotally connected to the first lock link, the lock-stay being switchable between a first position, a second position, and an intermediate position between the first and second positions in which the first and second lock links are substantially aligned. The lock-stay is in the first position when the drive system is in the first configuration and the lock-stay is in the second position when the drive system is in the second configuration. Also, an aircraft landing gear including a wheel and the drive system according in which the driven gear is mounted to the wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive system for rotating a wheel of an aircraft landing gear, the drive system including
a motor operable to rotate a drive pinion, and a driven gear adapted to be mounted to the wheel, wherein the drive system has a first configuration in which the drive pinion meshes with the driven gear to permit the motor to drive the driven gear and a second configuration in which the drive pinion does not mesh with the driven gear, the drive system further comprising
a lock-stay including a first lock link and a second lock link pivotally connected to the first lock link, the lock-stay being switchable between a first position, a second position, and an intermediate position between the first and second positions in which the first and second lock links are substantially aligned, wherein the lock-stay is in the first position when the drive system is in the first configuration and the lock-stay is in the second position when the drive system is in the second configuration, and
wherein the lock-stay is an over-center lock-stay enabling movement through the intermediate position, wherein the second position of the lock-stay is an over-center position.

2. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the lock-stay has a first end and a second end, the first end having a pivotal connection with a pivot axis spaced at a fixed distance from an axis of rotation of the driven gear, and the second end having a pivotal connection with a pivot axis spaced at a fixed distance from an axis of rotation of the drive pinion.

3. A drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the lock-stay for moving the lock-stay between the first and second positions.

4. A drive system according to claim 3 , wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.

5. A drive system according to claim 4 , wherein the linear actuator has a first end and a second end, the first end is pivotally connected to the pivotal connection between the first lock link and the second lock link.

6. A drive system according to claim 3 , wherein the actuator is a rotary actuator.

7. A drive system according to claim 3 , wherein the actuator is a back-driveable actuator.

8. A drive system according to claim 3 , wherein the actuator includes a failsafe locking device.

9. A drive system according to claim 4 , further comprising a biasing element coupled to the lock-stay for biasing the lock-stay to the second position.

10. A drive system according to claim 9 , wherein the biasing element includes at least one spring.

11. A drive system according to claim 10 , wherein the spring is a helical coil spring wound around the linear actuator.

12. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the lock-stay includes a first locking finger, and in the first position the locking finger provides a stop to limit rotation of the first lock link relative to the second lock link about the pivotal connection.

13. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the lock-stay includes a second locking finger, and in the second position the locking finger provides a stop to limit rotation of the first lock link relative to the second lock link about the pivotal connection.

14. A drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for moving the drive system between the first and second configurations, wherein the mechanism is a four bar linkage comprising a ground link, a first grounded link coupled to the ground link by a first revolute joint, a second grounded link coupled to the ground link by a second revolute joint, and a floating link coupled to the first and second grounded links by third and fourth revolute joints respectively, and wherein the lock-stay provides the floating link and the first grounded link of the four bar linkage.

15. A drive system according to claim 14 , wherein the second revolute joint of the four bar linkage is spaced at a fixed distance from an axis of rotation of the driven gear and is also spaced at a fixed distance from an axis of rotation of the drive pinion.

16. A drive system according to claim 14 , wherein the ground link comprises a mounting bracket for fixing to the landing gear.

17. A drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive path between the motor and the drive pinion, the drive path including an input shaft and an output shaft, and wherein the drive pinion is mounted on the output shaft.

18. A drive system according to claim 17 , wherein the drive path includes a reduction gear arrangement between the input shaft and the output shaft.

19. A drive system according to claim 18 , wherein the reduction gear arrangement is housed within a housing and the lock-stay is pivotally connected to the housing.

20. A drive system according to claim 17 , wherein the input shaft is coaxial with the output shaft.

21. A drive system according to claim 17 , wherein the input shaft has an axis of rotation spaced from an axis of rotation of the output shaft, and wherein the output shaft is operable to pivot about the axis of rotation of the input shaft.

22. A drive system according to claim 20 , wherein the input shaft is coaxial with an axis of rotation of the motor.

23. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the lock-stay is adapted for movement between the first and second positions in a substantially vertical plane.

24. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein one of the drive pinion and the driven gear includes a sprocket, and the other of the drive pinion and the driven gear includes a roller gear.

25. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the driven gear is adapted to be mounted to a hub outer rim of the wheel.

26. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is a motor/generator which, when operating as a generator, is configured to applying a braking torque to the wheel.

27. An aircraft landing gear having a wheel and a drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the driven gear is mounted to the wheel.

28. A drive system according to claim 21 , wherein the input shaft is coaxial with an axis of rotation of the motor.

29. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate position corresponds to the greatest effective length of the lock-stay.

30. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate position corresponds to a position in which the pivotally connected first end and second end are furthest apart.

31. A drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate position corresponds to a position in which an external angle between the first and second lock-links is greater than 180 degrees in the first configuration and slightly less than 180 degrees in the second configuration.

32. A drive system for rotating a wheel of an aircraft landing gear, comprising:
a motor operable to rotate a drive pinion,
a driven gear adapted to be mounted to the wheel, wherein the drive system has a first configuration in which the drive pinion meshes with the driven gear to permit the motor to drive the driven gear and a second configuration in which the drive pinion does not mesh with the driven gear,
the drive system further comprising a lock-stay including a first lock link having a first locking finger and a second lock link having a second locking finger,
wherein the first lock link and second lock li

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Didey Arnaud

Classifications

• B64C25/405 Primary

  Powered wheels, e.g. for taxing · CPC title

• B64C25/34

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

• Y02T50/823

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/80

  Energy efficient operational measures, e.g. ground operations or mission management · CPC title