System for internal payload extension and retraction with locking mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11136121-B1
Application number	US-202016841007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2020
Priority date	Apr 6, 2020
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

A system is described and includes at least one track attached to an upper interior surface of a payload bay and extending along a bottom surface of a vehicle structure external to the payload bay, wherein the track comprises a horizontal flange; a rack moveably connected to the at least one track via at least one carrier assembly; and a payload actuator system for selectively extending the rack from the payload bay along the at least one track to a position from which payload carried by the rack may be safely deployed and retracting the rack into the payload bay along the at least one track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft payload system comprising:
at least one track attached to an upper interior surface of a payload bay and extending along a bottom surface of a vehicle structure external to the payload bay, wherein the at least one track comprises a horizontal flange;
a rack moveably connected to the at least one track via at least one carrier assembly; and
a payload actuator system for selectively extending the rack from the payload bay along the at least one track to a position from which payload carried by the rack is safely deployable and retracting the rack into the payload bay along the at least one track.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a payload bay door; and
a door actuator system for selectively opening the payload bay door for the rack to be extended from the payload bay and closing the payload bay door once the rack is fully extended.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the door actuator system further selectively closes the payload bay door when the rack is fully retracted into the payload bay.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one track comprises a forward track and an aft track and the at least one carrier assembly comprises a forward carrier assembly for connecting a forward end of the rack to the forward track and an aft carrier assembly for connecting an aft end of the rack to the aft track.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the forward track and the aft track each includes an inboard lock and an outboard lock and wherein the forward carrier assembly and the aft carrier assembly each includes:
an inboard striker for engaging a respective one of the inboard locks when the rack is fully retracted into the payload bay; and
an outboard striker for engaging a respective one of the outboard locks when the rack is fully extended along the forward track and the aft track.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the inboard and outboard strikers of the forward carrier assembly comprises a conical protrusion for engaging corresponding receptacles of the inboard and outboard locks of the forward track.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the inboard and outboard strikers of the aft carrier assembly comprises a wedge-shaped protrusion for engaging corresponding receptacles of the inboard and outboard locks of the aft track.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one carrier assembly comprises:
rollers engaging a top surface of the horizontal flange of the at least one track for enabling linear translation of the at least one carrier assembly along the at least one track; and
brush sweepers disposed forward and aft of the rollers to remove debris from a path of the at least one carrier assembly along the at least one track.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle structure external to the payload bay comprises an aircraft wing and wherein the at least one track is embedded in a bottom skin of the aircraft wing.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rack comprises a bomb rack unit (BRU).

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the rack further comprises a munitions launcher.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the payload comprises air-to-surface weapons.

13. An aircraft comprising:
a payload bay for storing payload in a rack;
at least one track attached to an upper interior surface of the payload bay and extending along a bottom surface of a wing of the aircraft, wherein the at least one track comprises a horizontal flange and wherein the rack is connected to and linearly translatable along the at least one track via at least one carrier assembly; and
a payload actuator system for selectively extending the rack from the payload bay along the at least one track to a position from which payload carried by the rack is safely deployable and retracting the rack into the payload bay along the at least one track.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 further comprising:
a payload bay door; and
a door actuator system for selectively opening the payload bay door for the rack to be extended from the payload bay and closing the payload bay door once the rack is fully extended.

15. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the at least one track comprises a forward track and an aft track and the at least one carrier assembly comprises a forward carrier assembly for connecting a forward end of the rack to the forward track and an aft carrier assembly for connecting an aft end of the rack to the aft track.

16. The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the forward track and the aft track each includes an inboard lock and an outboard lock and wherein the forward carrier assembly and the aft carrier assembly each includes:
an inboard striker for engaging a respective one of the inboard locks when the rack is fully retracted into the payload bay; and
an outboard striker for engaging a respective one of the outboard locks when the rack is fully extended along the forward track and the aft track.

17. The aircraft of claim 16 , wherein each of the inboard and outboard strikers of the forward carrier assembly comprises a conical protrusion for engaging corresponding receptacles of the inboard and outboard locks of the forward track.

18. The aircraft of claim 16 , wherein each of the inboard and outboard strikers of the aft carrier assembly comprises a wedge-shaped protrusion for engaging corresponding receptacles of the inboard and outboard locks of the aft track.

19. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the at least one carrier assembly comprises:
rollers engaging the horizontal flange of the at least one track for enabling linear translation of the at least one carrier assembly along the at least one track; and
brush sweepers disposed forward and aft of the rollers to remove debris from a path of the at least one carrier assembly along the at least one track.

20. A method of operating an aircraft payload system, the method comprising:
providing a track along an upper surface of a payload bay of an aircraft, wherein the track extends from the payload bay along a bottom surface of a wing of the aircraft, the track being embedded in a lower skin of the aircraft wing;
moveably connecting a rack carrying payload to the track via a carrier assembly;
selectively translating the rack between a first position in which the rack is fully stowed in the payload bay and a second position in which the rack is fully extended along the track beneath the aircraft wing;
engaging a first locking mechanism provided between the track and the carrier assembly when the rack is in the first position; and
engaging a second locking mechanism provided between the track and the carrier assembly when the rack is in the second position.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Kooiman James Everett
• Williams Jeffrey Matthew
• Smith Clegg Benjamin Brian
• Rinehart Michael E
• Caldwell Franklin Foster
• Heeringa Tjepke

Classifications

• B64D7/08

  Arrangement of rocket launchers · CPC title

• B64D1/06 Primary

  Bomb releasing; Bomb doors · CPC title

• B64C27/26

  characterised by provision of fixed wings · CPC title

• B64D9/00

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