Dolly for handling landing gear of aircraft, and method for attaching and detaching landing gear using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017106972-A1
Application number	US-201615266572-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Apr 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention has an objective to provide a dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft that enables, while being downsized, work of positioning the landing gear with respect to an attachment portion of an airframe of the aircraft to be performed efficiently, and a method for attaching or detaching a landing gear using the dolly. A dolly ( 10 ) for handling a landing gear ( 20 ) of an aircraft includes a base ( 11 ), an expandable boom ( 12 ) that rises from the base ( 11 ) and is expandable and contractible, a hoisting boom ( 13 ) that is interconnected to the expandable boom ( 12 ) in a raisable and lowerable manner, and a holding portion ( 15 ) that is suspended on the hoisting boom ( 13 ) and retains the landing gear ( 20 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft, the dolly comprising:
a base; an expandable member that rises from the base and is configured to be expandable and contractible; a hoisting member that is interconnected to the expandable member in a raisable and lowerable manner; and a holding portion that is suspended on the hoisting member and retains the landing gear.

2 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the expandable member is configured to incline with respect to a vertical direction.

3 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the expandable member is configured to expand and contract in parallel to an axis line of a strut of the landing gear.

4 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion is suspended on the hoisting member via a rod.

5 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein
the holding portion includes:
a bracket that supports the landing gear;
a fixture that is fixed to the landing gear supported by the bracket to give the landing gear an inclination with respect to a vertical direction; and
a winch that pulls the bracket to control an attitude of the landing gear.

6 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 5 , wherein
the bracket includes:
a supporting portion that supports a strut of the landing gear;
a pair of arms that sandwich the strut above the supporting portion; and
an interconnecting portion that interconnects the supporting portion and the pair of arms.

7 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein
the interconnecting portion interconnects the supporting portion and the pair of arms on a front side of the strut.

8 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 5 , wherein
the bracket is formed in a substantially C shape in side view.

9 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein
the fixture includes:
a first end that is fixed to the interconnecting portion; and
a second end that is fixed to the strut.

10 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 9 , wherein
the fixture has a C shape as a whole when viewed in a vertical direction.

11 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein
the dolly further includes a link rod that interconnects the holding portion and the hoisting member, and the holding portion is suspended from the hoisting member via the link rod in a swingable manner.

12 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein
the dolly further includes a wire rope that ties the expandable member and the holding portion together.

13 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein
the expandable member is driven by a first hydraulic actuator, and the hoisting member is driven by a second hydraulic actuator.

14 . A method for attaching the landing gear to an airframe using the dolly according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
a first step of causing the holding portion to retain the landing gear; a second step of causing the landing gear to ascend toward an attachment portion of the airframe with the hoisting member; a third step of causing the expandable member to expand; and a fourth step of coupling the landing gear and the attachment portion of the airframe.

15 . A method for detaching the landing gear from an airframe using the dolly according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
a first step of causing the holding portion to retain the landing gear; a second step of releasing a coupling between the landing gear and an attachment portion of the airframe; a third step of causing the expandable member to contract; and a fourth step of causing the landing gear to descend with the hoisting member.

16 . The dolly for handling a landing gear of an aircraft according to claim 2 , wherein the expandable member is configured to expand and contract in parallel to an axis line of a strut of the landing gear.

17 . A method for attaching the landing gear to an airframe using the dolly according to claim 5 , the method comprising:
a first step of causing the holding portion to retain the landing gear; a second step of causing the landing gear to ascend toward an attachment portion of the airframe with the hoisting member; a third step of causing the expandable member to expand; and a fourth step of coupling the landing gear and the attachment portion of the airframe.

18 . A method for detaching the landing gear from an airframe using the dolly according to claim 5 , the method comprising:
a first step of causing the holding portion to retain the landing gear; a second step of releasing a coupling between the landing gear and an attachment portion of the airframe; a third step of causing the expandable member to contract; and a fourth step of causing the landing gear to descend with the hoisting member.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Sobajima Yuka
• Iwata Hideyuki

Classifications

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B64C25/20 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B66C23/48 Primary

  Manually-movable jib cranes for use in workshops · CPC title