Counterbalanced retract actuator for landing gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12473080-B2
Application number	US-202418745279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2024
Priority date	Feb 16, 2022
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

An aircraft landing gear actuation system which uses two separate actuation forces to retract aircraft landing gear is disclosed. One of the actuation forces may be provided by an actuator, such as a hydraulic actuator. Another of these actuation forces may be provided by a pressurized fluid that is directed into the actuator through a conduit that extends into a hollow interior of an actuator rod of the actuator. The pressurized fluid may be provided from a pressurized fluid source that contains a fixed volume of pressurized fluid. This pressurized fluid may exert a force on an actuator piston of the actuator or the actuator rod. The pressurized fluid may also be used to dampen the deployment of the landing gear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating an aircraft landing gear, comprising:
operating an actuator to exert a first retraction force on said aircraft landing gear, wherein said actuator comprises an actuator rod, an actuator cylinder, and an actuator piston, exerting a second retraction force on said aircraft landing gear that is separate from said first retraction force, wherein said second retraction force comprises using a first fluid to exert a fluid pressure on said actuator, moving said aircraft landing gear from a deployed position to a retracted position using said first retraction force and said second retraction force; and operating a conduit extending from said first fluid, wherein a first section of the conduit that extends beyond the actuator cylinder when the actuator is in said deployed position is of a first outer diameter, wherein a second section of the conduit that is disposed within the actuator cylinder when the actuator is in said deployed position is of a second outer diameter that is larger than the first outer diameter.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating said actuator comprises operating a hydraulic actuator using a hydraulic fluid that is separate from said first fluid for exerting said second retraction force.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exerting said second retraction force comprises directing said first fluid into an interior of said actuator rod of said actuator.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exerting said second retraction force comprises exerting a gaseous fluid pressure on said actuator.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
damping movement of said aircraft landing gear, from said retracted position to said deployed position, using said second retraction force.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
releasing said fluid pressure to allow said aircraft landing gear to reach and be locked in said deployed position at least in a first condition; wherein said first condition comprises an inability of said actuator to dispose said aircraft landing gear in said deployed position.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving said aircraft landing gear from said retracted position to said deployed position using the first retraction force and the second retraction force; and using the second retraction force to oppose the movement of said aircraft landing gear to the deployed position.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said second retraction force is exerted on said aircraft landing gear both when said aircraft landing gear is locked in said deployed position and during movement of said aircraft landing gear from said deployed position to said retracted position.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exerting said second retraction force entails a second fluid pressure exerted on said actuator by a fixed volume of said first fluid.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Allen Jason Bradley

Classifications

• F15B15/20

  Other details {, e.g. assembly with regulating devices} · CPC title

• F15B15/088

  the motor using combined actuation, e.g. electric and fluid actuation · CPC title

• F15B11/072

  Combined pneumatic-hydraulic systems (F15B11/032 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F15B2015/206

  Combined actuation, e.g. electric and fluid actuated · CPC title

• F15B15/1476

  Special return means · CPC title