Aircraft landing gear assembly shimmy damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8967534-B2
Application number	US-95611807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2007
Priority date	Jan 20, 2004
Publication date	Mar 3, 2015
Grant date	Mar 3, 2015

Abstract

An aircraft vehicular assembly is provided that includes a nonelastomeric outer tubular member having an inner axial center bore with a tubular cylindrical frictional interface contiguous smooth inner surface segment, and a nonelastomeric inner member having an outer bonding surface segment. The nonelastomeric inner member is rotationally received in the outer member inner axial center bore with the nonelastomeric inner strut member rotatable within said outer member. An elastomer encompasses the nonelastomeric inner strut member outer bonding surface segment. The elastomer has an inner bonding surface segment and an outer grooved elastomer surface, the inner bonding surface segment is bonded to the nonelastomeric inner member outer bonding surface segment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft landing gear assembly, said landing gear assembly comprised of a nonelastomeric outer aircraft landing gear vertical strut member having an inner axial center bore with a frictional interface inner surface segment, a nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member having an outer bonding surface segment, said nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member rotationally received in said outer aircraft landing gear vertical strut member inner axial center bore with said nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member rotatable within said outer aircraft landing gear vertical strut member, and an elastomeric surface effect damper member encompassing said nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member outer bonding surface segment, said elastomeric surface effect damper member having an inner bonding surface segment and an outer grooved elastomer surface, said elastomeric surface effect damper inner bonding surface segment bonded to said nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member outer bonding surface segment, and a surface effect lubricant, said surface effect lubricant disposed between said elastomeric surface effect damper outer grooved elastomer surface and said nonelastomeric outer aircraft landing gear vertical strut member frictional interface inner surface segment with said elastomeric surface effect damper outer grooved elastomer surface engaging said nonelastomeric outer aircraft landing gear vertical strut member frictional interface inner surface segment and inhibiting an oscillating shimmy rotation of said nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member.

2. An aircraft landing gear assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member is grounded to a front nose wheel with said front nose wheel and said nonelastomeric inner aircraft landing gear vertical strut member rotationally actuated by a steering input and said nonelastomeric outer aircraft landing gear vertical strut member rotationally fixed to an aircraft nose front.

3. An aircraft assembly, said assembly comprised of a nonelastomeric outer member having an inner axial center bore with a frictional interface inner surface segment, a nonelastomeric inner member having an outer bonding surface segment, said nonelastomeric inner member rotationally received in said outer member inner axial center bore with said nonelastomeric inner member rotatable within said outer member, and an elastomeric shimmy damper member encompassing said nonelastomeric inner member outer bonding surface segment, said elastomeric shimmy damper member including an elastomer having an inner bonding surface segment and an outer elastomer surface, said elastomeric damper inner bonding surface segment bonded to said nonelastomeric inner member outer bonding surface segment, and a grease, said grease disposed between said elastomeric damper outer elastomer surface and said nonelastomeric outer member frictional interface inner surface segment with said elastomeric surface effect damper outer elastomer surface engaging said nonelastomeric outer member frictional interface inner surface segment and inhibiting an oscillating shimmy rotation of said nonelastomeric inner member.

4. An aircraft assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said outer elastomer surface includes a plurality of grease dams.

5. An aircraft landing gear assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said elastomer surface includes a plurality of elastomer surface grooves which terminate with raised elastomer grease obstructions which radially extend outward and away from the inner bonding surface.

6. An aircraft assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said assembly includes a grease inlet for injecting grease after said nonelastomeric inner member is received in said outer member inner axial center bore.

7. An aircraft assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said assembly includes at least one grease dam for retaining said grease.

8. A method of making an assembly, said method comprising: providing a nonelastomeric outer member having an inner axial center bore with a frictional interface inner surface segment, providing a nonelastomeric inner member rotationally receivable in said outer member inner axial center bore with said nonelastomeric inner member rotatable within said outer member, said nonelastomeric inner member having an outer bonding surface segment, bonding an elastomer having an outer elastomer surface distal from said nonelastomeric inner member outer bonding surface segment, receiving said nonelastomeric inner member in said outer member inner axial center bore with said nonelastomeric inner member rotatable within said outer member with said elastomer surface engaging said nonelastomeric outer member frictional interface inner surface segment and inhibiting a shimmy rotation of said nonelastomeric inner member relative to said nonelastomeric outer member.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , said method including molding said elastomer onto said nonelastomeric inner member outer bonding surface segment with said outer elastomer surface.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 , said method including providing a grease and a plurality of grease dams for controlling the flow of said grease along said outer elastomer surface.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 , said method including providing a grease inlet and a grease, and injecting said grease between said outer elastomer surface and said frictional interface inner surface segment.

12. A method of making a shimmy damper, said method comprising: providing a nonelastomeric outer tubular member having an inner axial center bore with a tubular cylindrical frictional interface inner surface segment, providing a nonelastomeric inner member rotationally receivable in said outer member inner axial center bore with said nonelastomeric inner member rotatable within said outer member, said nonelastomeric inner member having an outer bonding cylindrical surface segment and an elastomer bonded to said nonelastomeric inner member outer bonding cylindrical surface segment, said elastomer having an outer elastomer surface distal from said nonelastomeric inner member outer bonding cylindrical surface segment, said outer elastomer surface including a plurality of grooves and a plurality of grease dams, receiving said nonelastomeric inner member in said outer member inner axial center bore with said nonelastomeric inner member rotatable within said outer member with said elastomer surface engaging said nonelastomeric outer member frictional interface inner surface segment and inhibiting an oscillating shimmy rotation of said nonelastomeric inner member.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said elastomer is molded to said nonelastomeric inner member with the outer elastomer surface having two mold flats.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 , said method including providing a grease inlet for injecting grease after said nonelastomeric inner member is received in said outer member inner axial center bore, and wherein said elastomer surface includes a grease receiving groove, with said grease inlet proximate said elastomer surface grease receiving groove.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said outer elastomer surface includes a grease dam.

16. A shimmy damper for damping a rotating oscillation, said shimmy damper comprised of a nonelastomeric outer tubular member having an inner axial center bore with a tubular cylindrical frictional interface inner surface segment, a

Assignees

• Bachmeyer Paul Joseph
• Hodgson Doug
• Jones Darrin M
• Anderson Nicholas V
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Bachmeyer Paul Joseph
• Hodgson Doug
• Jones Darrin M
• Anderson Nicholas V

Classifications

• F16F2224/025

  Elastomers · CPC title

• F16F7/02

  with relatively-rotatable friction surfaces that are pressed together (F16F7/01 takes precedence; one of the members being a spring F16F13/02 {; friction devices between relatively-movable parts of a hinge E05D11/08; braking devices for wings E05F5/00}) · CPC title

• B64C25/505 Primary

  Shimmy damping · CPC title