Bootstrap hydraulic reservoir

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10920795-B2
Application number	US-201816199106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2018
Priority date	Nov 23, 2018
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A bootstrap hydraulic reservoir includes a bootstrap chamber to hold hydraulic fluid, a piston chamber fluidly connected to a pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system, a piston having a bootstrap end portion held within the bootstrap chamber and a pressure end portion held within the piston chamber, and a hydraulic accumulator fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system. The hydraulic accumulator accumulates pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pressure line. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir also includes a valve fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system between the hydraulic accumulator and an outlet of a pump of the hydraulic fluid system. The valve includes an actuator selectively moves the valve to an open position when the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system is de-pressurized.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bootstrap hydraulic reservoir for a hydraulic fluid system, the bootstrap hydraulic reservoir comprising:
a bootstrap chamber to hold hydraulic fluid;
a piston chamber fluidly connected to a pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system;
a piston comprising a bootstrap end portion held within the bootstrap chamber and a pressure end portion held within the piston chamber;
a hydraulic accumulator fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system such that the hydraulic accumulator is configured to accumulate pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pressure line during operation of the hydraulic fluid system; and
a valve fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system between the hydraulic accumulator and an outlet of a pump of the hydraulic fluid system, the valve comprising a closed position, the valve comprising a valve actuator to selectively move the valve to an open position when the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system is de-pressurized as a result of the hydraulic fluid system being shut down to enable the hydraulic accumulator to supply a device actuator of the hydraulic fluid system that is fluidly connected to the outlet of the pump with a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid through the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system.

2. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic accumulator supplies the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system with a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid toward the outlet of the pump of the hydraulic fluid system when the pressure line is de-pressurized and the valve actuator moves the valve to the open position.

3. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic accumulator, the piston chamber, and the pump are each fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system, and wherein the hydraulic accumulator is between the piston chamber and the pump.

4. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir of claim 3 , wherein the valve is a check valve that is biased to the closed position, the valve actuator selectively moves the valve to the open position against the bias, and the valve moves to the open position against the bias by pressurized hydraulic fluid flowing through the pressure line toward the piston chamber.

5. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir of claim 1 , wherein the valve is an active valve, the open position is a first open position, and the closed position is a first closed position, the bootstrap hydraulic reservoir further comprising a check valve fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system between the hydraulic accumulator and the outlet of the pump of the hydraulic fluid system, the check valve being biased to a second closed position, the check valve moving to a second open position against the bias by pressurized hydraulic fluid flowing through the pressure line toward the piston chamber.

6. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir of claim 1 , wherein the open position is a first open position, the valve being fluidly connected to a secondary device actuator, the valve comprising a second open position wherein the hydraulic accumulator supplies a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the secondary device actuator.

7. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir of claim 1 , wherein the valve is an active valve, the open position is a first open position, and the closed position is a first closed position, the active valve being fluidly connected to a secondary device actuator, the active valve comprising a second open position wherein the hydraulic accumulator supplies a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the secondary device actuator when the pressure line is de-pressurized, the bootstrap hydraulic reservoir further comprising a check valve fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system between the hydraulic accumulator and the outlet of the pump of the hydraulic fluid system, the check valve being biased to a second closed position, the check valve moving to a third open position against the bias by pressurized hydraulic fluid flowing through the pressure line toward the piston chamber.

8. The bootstrap hydraulic reservoir of claim 1 , wherein the valve actuator comprises a solenoid.

9. A hydraulic fluid system comprising:
a hydraulic pump comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a pressure line;
a device actuator fluidly connected to the outlet of the hydraulic pump via the pressure line; and
a bootstrap hydraulic reservoir comprising:
a bootstrap chamber to hold hydraulic fluid;
a piston chamber fluidly connected to the pressure line;
a piston comprising a bootstrap end portion held within the bootstrap chamber and a pressure end portion held within the piston chamber;
a hydraulic accumulator fluidly connected to the pressure line such that the hydraulic accumulator is configured to accumulate pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pressure line during operation of the hydraulic fluid system; and
a valve fluidly connected to the pressure line between the hydraulic accumulator and the outlet of the hydraulic pump, the valve comprising a closed position, wherein the valve comprises a valve actuator to selectively move the valve to an open position when the pressure line is de-pressurized as a result of the hydraulic fluid system being shut down to enable the hydraulic accumulator to supply the device actuator with a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid through the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system.

10. The hydraulic fluid system of claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic accumulator supplies the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system with a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid toward the outlet of the hydraulic pump of the hydraulic fluid system when the pressure line is de-pressurized and the valve actuator moves the valve to the open position.

11. The hydraulic fluid system of claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic accumulator, the piston chamber, and the hydraulic pump are each fluidly connected to the pressure line of the hydraulic fluid system, and wherein the hydraulic accumulator is between the piston chamber and the hydraulic pump.

12. The hydraulic fluid system of claim 9 , wherein the valve is a check valve that is biased to the closed position, the valve actuator selectively moves the valve to the open position against the bias, and the valve moves to the open position against the bias by pressurized hydraulic fluid flowing through the pressure line toward the piston chamber.

13. The hydraulic fluid system of claim 9 , wherein the valve is an active valve, the open position is a first open position, and the closed position is a first closed position, the bootstrap hydraulic reservoir further comprising a check valve fluidly connected to the pressure line between the hydraulic accumulator and the outlet of the hydraulic pump, the check valve being biased to a second closed position, the check valve moves to a second open position against the bias by pressurized hydraulic fluid flowing through the pressure line toward the piston chamber.

14. The hydraulic fluid system of claim 9 , wherein the open position is a first open position, the valve being fluidly connected to a secondary device actuator, the valve comprising a second open position wherein the hydraulic accumulator supplies a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the secondary device actuator.

15. The hydraulic fluid system of claim 9 , wherein the valve is an active valve, the open position is a first open position, and the closed position is a first closed position, the active valve being fluidly connected to a secondary device actuator, the activ

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Plamondon Morgan Michael

Classifications

• F15B2211/524

  actuated by an output member of the circuit · CPC title

• F15B13/021

  Valves for interconnecting the fluid chambers of an actuator · CPC title

• F15B11/006

  Hydraulic "Wheatstone bridge" circuits, i.e. with four nodes, P-A-T-B, and on-off or proportional valves in each link · CPC title

• F15B1/26 Primary

  Supply reservoir or sump assemblies · CPC title

• F15B1/04

  Accumulators · CPC title