Systems and methods for restraining cargo on aircraft loading systems using indexing mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017794-B2
Application number	US-202117226962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	Apr 9, 2021
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A cargo restraint system includes a driving shaft, a first restraint, and a second restraint. The first restraint is operatively coupled to the driving shaft via a first indexing mechanism arrangement. The second restraint is operatively coupled to the driving shaft via a second indexing mechanism arrangement. The first and second indexing mechanism arrangements are arranged such that rotation of the driving shaft in a first rotational direction causes the first restraint to rotate between a lowered position and a raised position, and further rotation of the driving shaft in the same rotational direction causes the second restraint to rotate between the lowered position and the raised position. The first restraint may be axially offset from the second restraint to allow sequential loading and unloading of cargo.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo restraint system for use with a cargo loading system of an aircraft, the cargo restraint system comprising:
a driving shaft configured to rotate about a first axis;
a first driving gear configured to rotate with the driving shaft, wherein the first driving gear comprises a first driving surface and a first dwell surface;
a first driven gear configured to rotate about a second axis, wherein the first driven gear comprises a first driven surface and a first locking surface;
a first restraint configured to rotate together with the first driven gear between a first raised position and a first lowered position;
a second driving gear configured to rotate with the driving shaft, wherein the second driving gear comprises a second driving surface and a second dwell surface;
a second driven gear configured to rotate about a third axis, wherein the second driven gear comprises a second driven surface and a second locking surface; and
a second restraint configured to rotate together with the second driven gear between a second raised position and a second lowered position;
wherein:
in response to the driving shaft rotating a first preselected number of degrees of rotation in a first rotational direction, the first driving surface engages the first driven surface to cause the first driven gear to rotate between a first position and a second position, thereby causing the first restraint to rotate with the first driven gear from one of the first lowered position and the first raised position to the other of the first lowered position and the first raised position, and the second dwell surface slidingly engages the second locking surface to secure the second restraint in one of the second lowered position and the second raised position; and
in response to the driving shaft rotating a second preselected number of degrees of rotation in the first rotational direction, the second driving surface engages the second driven surface to cause the second driven gear to rotate between a third position, and a fourth position thereby causing the second restraint to rotate with the second driven gear from one of the second lowered position and the second raised position to the other of the second lowered position and the second raised position, and the first dwell surface slidingly engages the first locking surface to secure the first restraint in the one of the first lowered position and the first raised position.

2. The cargo restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the first driving gear is spaced apart from the second driving gear along the first axis, and the first restraint is spaced apart from the second restraint along the first axis, and the first restraint is rotatable from the first lowered position to the first raised position to restrain a cargo in the aircraft.

3. The cargo restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the first driving gear further comprises a driver pin and the first driven gear further comprises a driven arm, wherein the driver pin is configured to contact the driven arm to begin rotation of the first driven gear, while the first driving gear is rotating.

4. The cargo restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the first driving surface is disposed along a first arc length of a perimeter of the first driving gear and the first dwell surface is disposed along a second arc length of the perimeter of the first driving gear.

5. The cargo restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the first driving surface comprises a first plurality of teeth and the first driven surface comprises a second plurality of teeth.

6. The cargo restraint system of claim 5 , wherein the first dwell surface comprises a convex radiused surface.

7. The cargo restraint system of claim 5 , wherein the first locking surface comprises at least one tooth of the second plurality of teeth.

8. The cargo restraint system of claim 7 , wherein the first locking surface comprises a shortened tooth of the second plurality of teeth.

9. The cargo restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the first driving surface comprises a pin disposed radially from the first axis and the first driven surface comprises a slot configured to receive the pin.

10. The cargo restraint system of claim 9 , wherein the first dwell surface comprises a convex radiused surface concentric with the first axis.

11. The cargo restraint system of claim 10 , wherein the pin is disposed radially outward from the convex radiused surface.

12. The cargo restraint system of claim 11 , wherein the first locking surface comprises a concave radiused surface configured to interface with the convex radiused surface of the first dwell surface.

13. A cargo restraint system, comprising:
a driving shaft configured to rotate about a first axis;
a first driving gear configured to rotate with the driving shaft;
a first driven gear configured to rotate about a second axis, wherein the first driven gear is configured to mesh with the first driving gear;
a first restraint configured to rotate together with the first driven gear between a first raised position and a first lowered position;
a second driving gear configured to rotate with the driving shaft;
a second driven gear configured to rotate about a third axis, wherein the second driven gear is configured to mesh with the second driving gear; and
a second restraint configured to rotate together with the second driven gear between a second raised position and a second lowered position;
wherein rotation of the driving shaft in a first rotational direction between a first rotational position and a second rotational position causes the first restraint to rotate between the first raised position and the first lowered position, and further rotation of the driving shaft in the first rotational direction between the second rotational position and a third rotational position causes the second restraint to rotate between the second raised position and the second lowered position.

14. The cargo restraint system of claim 13 , wherein when the second restraint is rotated between the second raised position and the second lowered position, the first restraint remains secured in one of the first raised position and the first lowered position.

15. The cargo restraint system of claim 13 , wherein the first driven gear comprises a first perimetrical surface comprising a first concave radiused surface, a second concave radiused surface, and a slot disposed between the first concave radiused surface and the second concave radiused surface, wherein a first tab is formed between the first concave radiused surface and the slot and a second tab is formed between the second concave radiused surface and the slot.

16. The cargo restraint system of claim 15 , wherein the first driving gear comprises a second perimetrical surface comprising a convex radiused surface, a driving tab disposed radially from the convex radiused surface, and a channel disposed in the convex radiused surface, wherein the channel is configured to receive at least a portion of the first tab and the second tab in response to the first driving gear rotating with the driving shaft.

17. The cargo restraint system of claim 13 , wherein:
the first driving gear comprises a convex radiused surface and a first plurality of teeth; and
the first driven gear comprises a second plurality of teeth, wherein the second plurality of teeth comprises a first stopping tooth, a second stopping tooth, and a shortened tooth disposed between the first stopping tooth and the second stopping tooth, wherein the first stopping tooth, the second stopping tooth, and the shortened to

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Lee Brandon David
• Larson Wallace Harold
• Heyd Alexander Mitchell
• Almvig Lynne M
• Meyer Zachary

Classifications

• B60P7/065

  by pressurizing or creating a vacuum in a bag, cover or the like · CPC title

• B64C1/20 Primary

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title

• B60P7/13

  Securing freight containers or forwarding containers on vehicles · CPC title

• B64D9/003 Primary

  Devices for retaining pallets or freight containers · CPC title