Longitudinal lock device for cargo in aircraft, safety trigger for longitudinal lock device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507919-B2
Application number	US-201615364668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2016
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

Longitudinal lock devices for cargo in aircraft having a locking box fastened beneath the floor of an aircraft include a locking latch connectable to the cargo and coupled to a bar mechanism disposed inside the locking box. The locking latch is moveable in a direction towards extraction of the cargo in flight. The bar mechanism is fixed to the locking box and includes a puppet arm articulated on a second pivot wand a puppet follower articulated on a first pivot, whereby each of the pivots is operably fastened to the locking box ( 9 ). The puppet arm comprises a cam profile on a face there of which is cooperative with a puppet roller connected to an electro-mechanical actuator linear by means of a drive rod. The articulations moving the bar mechanism responsively determine locked, armed and released positions for the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A longitudinal lock device for cargo in aircraft endowed with a locking box which is fastened beneath a floor of the aircraft, wherein the longitudinal lock device comprises:
a bar mechanism disposed inside the locking box;
a locking latch capable of being operatively connected to the cargo and coupled to the bar mechanism disposed inside the locking box, the locking latch being moveable in a direction towards extraction of the cargo in flight; wherein
the bar mechanism is formed by the locking box acting as a fixed bar and includes a puppet arm capable of articulation about a second pivot and a puppet follower capable of articulation about a first pivot, wherein the first and second pivots are fastened to the locking box such that articulations of the puppet arm and the puppet follower move the bar mechanism to determine locked, armed and released positions for the lock device, and wherein the device further comprises
an electro-mechanical linear actuator having a drive rod, and a puppet roller operatively connected to the drive rod, wherein the puppet arm comprises a cam profile on a face thereof which is cooperative with a contact region of the puppet roller connected to the drive rod of the electro-mechanical linear actuator.

2. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein linear movement of the drive rod of the electro-mechanical actuator linear operably moves the puppet roller to responsively determine the locked, armed and released positions for the lock device.

3. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein in the locked position the contact region of the puppet roller is maintained in operative contact with the cam profile of the puppet arm by a contact force.

4. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the locking box includes a travel stopper, and wherein the device further comprises a torsion helical spring operatively associated with the puppet roller, wherein the torsion helical spring maintains the puppet roller in seated relationship to the travel stopper disposed on the locking box.

5. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the contact force and the torsion helical spring prevent the rotation of the puppet roller to the armed and released positions.

6. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the puppet roller, the torsion helical spring and the travel stopper comprise a lock restraint which maintains positional integrity of the locking latch.

7. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the drive rod rotates the puppet roller to the armed position when the electro-mechanical actuator linear is extended to an intermediary position.

8. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the puppet arm is free of contact with the puppet roller when the lock device is in the armed position.

9. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a third pivot disposed on the locking box between the lock latch and the puppet arm, a compression helical spring cartridge, and a set of rods linking the third pivot to the compression helical spring cartridge.

10. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the compression helical spring cartridge comprises a flanged guide, a hydraulic buffer axially linked to the flanged guide, a mobile terminal linked to a first end of the hydraulic buffer, a spring which externally envelops the hydraulic buffer and the flanged guide, and a cargo cell which is axially associated to a flanged end of the flanged guide and to a fixed terminal.

11. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the flanged guide centralizes the spring based on a linear movement of hydraulic buffer inwardly of the flanged guide and outwardly of the flanged guide.

12. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the flanged guide transmits compression force of the spring to the cargo cell.

13. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a control box, wherein the cargo cell transmits compression data of the spring to a control box which relays the compression data of the spring to a central computer.

14. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the central computer correlates the compression data of the spring with a longitudinal force applied to the locking latch, releasing the cargo when a sum attains a predetermined value.

15. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the fixed terminal is fixed to the locking box.

16. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising substantially aligned first and second compression bars which push the bar mechanism when under compression thereby squeezing the compression helical spring cartridge.

17. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first compression bar is associated to the third pivot and comprises an adjustable screw cooperatively in contact with a stopper of the puppet arm.

18. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the drive rod comprises a precursor for displacing the second compression bar when the drive rod is moved by extension of the electro-mechanical actuator linear.

19. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 18 , wherein displacement of the second compression bar generates momentum in the third pivot such that the adjustable screw loses contact with the stopper of the puppet arm.

20. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 19 , wherein displacement of the second compression bar generates a rotation of the first compression bar in an anti-clockwise direction to thereby cause the locking latch to be totally retracted into the locking box.

21. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 20 , further comprising a helical torsion spring associated to the second pivot for assisting in retraction movement of the locking latch inwardly of the locking box.

22. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the drive rod rotates the puppet roller to the released position when the electro-mechanical linear actuator is extended from an intermediary position to a final position.

23. The longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the locking latch is fully retracted into the locking box when the lock device is in the released position.

24. A safety trigger for the longitudinal lock device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the safety trigger is disposed inside the locking box and comprises:
a rocker endowed with a contact face and being rotatable on a fourth pivot, and
a compression helical spring cartridge, wherein the rocker is associated to an end of a second compression bar and to an end of an adjustable rod that communicates with the compression helical spring cartridge, and wherein
the contact face of the rocker displaces the second compression bar under action of a longitudinal force applied to the locking latch over a pre-established longitudinal force.

25. The safety trigger as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the longitudinal force applied to the locking latch deflects the bar mechanism and nuzzles the contact face on the compression bar.

26. The safety trigger as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the safety trigger mechanically releases the locking latch in an armed mode by identifying a longitudinal force previously established and

Assignees

• Embraer Sa

Inventors

• Trisotto Saint Clair
• Livoratti João Carlos
• Germano Douglas De Moura
• Batista Mário Sérgio Candelária Bernardes
• Rosa Emanuel Das Neves
• Dos Santos Fábio Henrique Massuia
• Kolososki Reinaldo Sawaguchi

Classifications

• B64D9/003

  Devices for retaining pallets or freight containers · CPC title

• B64D1/16 Primary

  Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting (jettisoning fuel B64D37/26) · CPC title

• B64D1/10 Primary

  Stowage arrangements for the devices in aircraft · CPC title

• B64D1/02

  Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles (jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12) · CPC title

• B64D9/00 Primary

  Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like · CPC title