Actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016348701-A1
Application number	US-201615165429-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides an actuator comprising an actuator body, a piston relatively moveable within the actuator body, and a rod attached to the piston and extending out of the actuator body, the actuator body comprising a port for conveying actuator fluid, wherein the actuator also has a damping control portion provided with damping control fluid containing magnetic particles, wherein the piston or the rod is adjacent the damping control fluid, and a first electrical coil associated with the damping control portion, such that an electrical current supplied to the first electrical coil induces a magnetic field and causes the effective viscosity of the damping control fluid to increase, thus increasing the damping effect of the damping control fluid on the piston or rod. The invention also provides an aircraft assembly, such as a landing gear assembly, an aircraft and a method of operating an actuator.

First claim

1 . An actuator comprising:
an actuator body, a piston relatively moveable within the actuator body, and a rod attached to the piston and extending out of a first end of the actuator body, the actuator body comprising a port for conveying actuator fluid to or from the actuator body to effect relative movement of the piston and rod with respect to the actuator body,
wherein the actuator also has:
a damping control portion provided with damping control fluid containing magnetic particles, wherein the piston or the rod is adjacent the damping control fluid, and
a first electrical coil associated with the damping control portion, such that an electrical current supplied to the first electrical coil induces a magnetic field over the damping control fluid and causes the effective viscosity of the damping control fluid to increase, thus increasing the damping effect of the damping control fluid on the piston or rod.

2 . An actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the damping control portion comprises a chamber located past the first end of the actuator body and wherein the rod extends through the first end of the actuator body and into a first end of the chamber, such that the damping control fluid in the chamber is adjacent to the rod and wherein an increase in viscosity of the damping control fluid increases the damping effect of the damping control fluid on relative movement of the rod through the chamber.

3 . An actuator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the rod extends out of a second opposite end of the chamber.

4 . An actuator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first electrical coil extends around the chamber.

5 . An actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the damping control portion is part of an inlet or outlet port passage of the actuator body and wherein the actuator fluid contains magnetic particles and thus provides the damping control fluid and wherein an increase in viscosity of the actuator fluid increases the damping effect of the actuator fluid on the relative movement of the piston in the actuator body.

6 . An actuator as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first electrical coil extends around the inlet or outlet port passage of the actuator body.

7 . An actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator also has a controller unit for controlling the electrical current supplied to the first electrical coil.

8 . An actuator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the controller unit is provided with an input related to the relative position and/or speed of the piston within the actuator body.

9 . An actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the piston or rod is provided with a magnet and an inducer coil is provided around the actuator body, such that relative movement of the piston or rod within the actuator body induces an electrical current in the inducer coil.

10 . An actuator as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the electrical current supplied to the first electrical coil is dependent on the electrical current induced in the inducer coil.

11 . An actuator as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the induced electrical current is supplied to the first electrical coil.

12 . An actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a plurality of electrical coils associated with the damping control portion.

13 . An aircraft assembly, such as a landing gear assembly, comprising the actuator of claim 1 .

14 . An aircraft comprising the actuator of claim 1 .

15 . A method of operating the actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the steps of:
conveying actuator fluid to or from the actuator body to effect relative movement of the piston and rod, and damping such movement by supplying an electrical current to the first electrical coil.

16 . A method of operating the actuator as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the electrical current supplied to the first electrical coil is based on a current induced in an inducer coil, the current induced in the inducer coil being related to the position and/or speed of relative movement of the piston or rod.

17 . A method of operating the actuator as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the actuator is part of an aircraft or aircraft assembly.

18 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Marles David

Classifications

• F16F9/535 Primary

  Magnetorheological [MR] fluid dampers (springs comprising magnetorheological [MR] elastomers F16F1/361) · CPC title

• F16F9/532

  Electrorheological [ER] fluid dampers · CPC title

• F15B21/065

  Use of electro- or magnetosensitive fluids, e.g. electrorheological fluid · CPC title

• B64C25/62

  Spring shock-absorbers; Springs · CPC title

• B64C25/58

  Arrangements or adaptations of shock-absorbers or springs (shimmy-dampers B64C25/50) · CPC title