Aircraft cowl locking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072433-B2
Application number	US-201916557139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A locking system for locking a cowl to a fixed structure including first and second parts, the first part including a first hook moveable on the cowl and a first shaft fixed to the fixed structure in which the first hook is moveable between locked and unlocked positions, in which the second part includes a handle actuateable between closed and open positions, a second hook and a second shaft fixed to the fixed structure or to another cowl symmetric with the cowl, in which the second hook is moveable between locked and unlocked positions and in which the second hook is mounted where passage of the handle from the closed to open positions causes the second hook to pass from the locked into the unlocked position and vice versa, and in which the locking system also includes a transmission system to move the first hook from the locked into the unlocked position when the handle passes from the closed into the open position, and vice versa.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a nacelle,
a cowl mounted articulated on a fixed structure,
a locking system for locking a cowl to a fixed structure, the locking system comprising:
a first part and a second part, the first part comprising a first hook for mounting and moveable translationally on the cowl and a first shaft to be fixed to the fixed structure in which the first hook is moveable between, alternately, a locked position in which the first hook sits snugly around the first shaft and an unlocked position in which the first hook does not sit snugly around the first shaft;
the second part comprising a handle to be mounted articulated on the cowl about a first main axis of rotation and able to be actuated between a closed position and an open position, a second hook mounted articulated on the handle about a secondary axis of rotation which is parallel to, and offset from, the main axis of rotation, and a second shaft to be fixed to the fixed structure or to another cowl symmetric with the cowl, in which the second hook is able to move between, alternately, a locked position in which the second hook sits snugly around the second shaft and an unlocked position in which the second hook does not sit snugly around the second shaft and in which the second hook is mounted on the handle such that passage of the handle from the closed position to the open position causes the second hook to pass from the locked position into the unlocked position and vice versa;
a transmission system configured to move the first hook from the locked position into the unlocked position when the handle passes from the closed position into the open position, and vice versa, in which the transmission system comprises a cable to be guided along the cowl between the first part and the second part; and
the transmission system comprising a bellcrank a first end of which is configured to be mounted articulated on the cowl about an axis of pivoting parallel to the main axis of rotation, a mounted articulated between the handle and the bellcrank between the first end and a second end of the bellcrank, and wherein the cable is fixed to the second end of the bellcrank.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first part comprises a first tension spring to be fixed between the cowl and the first hook to urge the first hook into the locked position, wherein the first hook comprises a notch, wherein the transmission system comprises a crank lever which has a first end and a second end and to be mounted articulated between the first end and the second end on the cowl about a lever axis in which the cable is fixed to the first end of the crank lever, wherein the second end of the crank lever is configured to come to hear against the first hook as the handle passes from the closed position towards the open position, wherein the locking system comprises an immobilizing system which has a first link mounted articulated by one end to the first end of the crank lever, a second link to be mounted articulated by a first end to the cowl, and a second tension spring, wherein the second end of the first link and the second end of the second link are mounted articulated to one another at a common articulation, wherein the common articulation is moveable between a stopped position in which the common articulation is housed in the notch and a free position in which the common articulation is not in the notch, and wherein the second tension spring is to be fixed between the cowl and the common articulation and urges the common articulation into the stopped position.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the first shaft is to be mounted with the ability to move translationally on the fixed structure, wherein the first shall is urged by two compression springs positioned on each side of the first shaft, and wherein the first shaft has a central section that is smaller compared with its ends.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , in which the first part is in a top part of the cowl and in which the second part is in a bottom part of the cowl.

5. An aircraft comprising:
a nacelle,
a cowl mounted articulated on a fixed structure,
a locking system for locking a cowl to a fixed structure, the locking system comprising:
a first part and a second part;
the first part comprising a first hook for mounting with and moveable translationally on the cowl and a first shaft to be fixed to the fixed structure in which the first hook is moveable between, alternately, a locked position in which the first hook sits snugly around the first shaft and an unlocked position in which the first hook does not sit snugly around the first shaft;
the second part comprising a handle to be mounted articulated on the cowl about a first main axis of rotation and able to be actuated between a closed position and an open position, a second hook mounted articulated on the handle about a secondary axis of rotation which is parallel to, and offset from, the main axis of rotation, and a second shaft to be fixed to the fixed structure or to another cowl symmetric with the cowl, in which the second hook is able to move between, alternately, a locked position in which the second hook fits snugly around the second shaft and an unlocked position in which the second hook does not fit snugly around the second shaft and in which the second hook is mounted on the handle such that the passage of the handle from the closed position to the open position causes the second hook to pass from the locked position into the unlocked position and vice versa;
the locking system comprising a transmission system configured to move the first hook from the locked position into the unlocked position when the handle passes from the closed position into the open position, and vice versa, in which the transmission system comprises a cable to be guided along the cowl between the first part and the second part; and
the transmission system comprising a pin to be mounted with an ability to slide with respect to the cowl, a bellcrank which has a first end and a second end and which is mounted articulated between the first end and the second end on the cowl about an axis of pivoting parallel to the main axis of rotation, in which the cable is fixed to the second end of the bellcrank, a compression spring to be fixed to the cowl and which pushes against the second end of the bellcrank so as to pull on the cable, a transmission cable fixed between the pin and the first end of the bellcrank via a direction-change pulley and wherein the handle has a cam shaped to push the pin away from the pulley when it is in the closed position and allow the pin to move closer to the pulley when it is in the open position.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5 , wherein the first part comprises a first tension spring to be fixed between the cowl and the first hook to urge the first hook into the locked position, wherein the first hook comprises a notch, wherein the transmission system comprises a crank lever which has a first end and a second end and to be mounted articulated between the first end and the second end on the cowl about a lever axis in which the cable is fixed to the first end of the crank lever, wherein the second end of the crank lever is configured to come to bear against the first hook as the handle passes from the closed position towards the open position, wherein the locking system comprises an immobilizing system which has a first link mounted articulated by one end to the first end of the crank lever, a second link to be mounted articulated by a first end to the cowl, and a second tension spring, wherein the second end of the first link and the second end of the second link are mounted articulated to one another at a common articulation, wherein the common articulation is moveable betwe

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Gaches Thierry
• Kaleta Mathieu
• Gougeon Pascal
• Czapla Lionel
• Piard Frédéric
• Sabathier Bastian
• Sillieres Lionel

Classifications

• E05B53/005

  Bowden · CPC title

• B64D29/08

  Inspection panels for power plants · CPC title

• E05B63/14

  Arrangement of several locks or locks with several bolts, e.g. arranged one behind the other ({locks having bolts with multiple head  E05B15/108;} with provision for latching E05B59/00, E05B61/00) · CPC title

• B64D29/06 Primary

  Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title

• E05C19/145

  flush · CPC title