Spring assembly for aircraft components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440732-B2
Application number	US-201414568059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A spring assembly elongate along a longitudinal direction includes a first spring that includes a first spring member and a first elongate member that extends from the first spring member along the longitudinal direction. The spring assembly includes a second spring including a second spring member and a second elongate member that extends from the second spring member along the longitudinal direction. The second elongate member extends through the first spring member, and the first elongate member extends through the second spring member such that the first and second spring members are spaced apart with respect to each other along the longitudinal direction.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A landing gear configured to transition between a deployed configuration and a retracted configuration in a compartment of an aircraft, the landing gear comprising:
a main member;
a side brace coupled to the main member;
a locking brace coupled to the main member; and
a spring assembly coupled to the side brace and the locking brace, the spring assembly elongate along a longitudinal direction and further including:
a first spring that includes a first spring member and a first elongate member that extends from the first spring member along the longitudinal direction; and
a second spring that includes a second spring member and a second elongate member that extends from the second spring member along the longitudinal direction,
wherein the first elongate member extends through the second spring member and the second elongate member extends through the first spring member such that the first and second spring members are spaced apart with respect to each other along the longitudinal direction.

2. The landing gear of claim 1 , wherein each spring includes a first end and a second end spaced opposed to the first end, the first and second ends of each spring include an attachment member configured to be moveably coupled to side brace.

3. The landing gear of claim 2 , wherein each attachment member is a hook.

4. The landing gear of claim 3 , wherein the respective hooks of the first ends of the springs are attached to a first pin positioned on the side brace and the respective hooks of the second ends of the springs are attached to a second pin positioned on the locking brace.

5. The landing gear of claim 1 , wherein the first and second spring members do not contact the first and second elongate members.

6. The landing gear of claim 1 , wherein the first spring will perform the desired function in the event the second spring fails.

7. The landing gear of claim 1 , wherein the spring assembly includes a first end, a second end spaced from the first end in a longitudinal direction, and a length that extends from the first end to the second end, wherein the length of the spring assembly increases as the spring assembly transitions from a first configuration into a second extended configuration.

8. The landing gear of claim 1 , further comprising a landing wheel assembly supported by the main member.

9. A method of transitioning a landing gear between a deployed configuration and a retracted configuration in a compartment of an aircraft, the method comprising:
coupling a side brace to a main member;
coupling a locking brace to the main member; and
coupling a spring assembly to the side brace and the locking brace, the spring assembly elongate along a longitudinal direction and further including:
a first spring that includes a first spring member and a first elongate member that extends from the first spring member along the longitudinal direction; and
a second spring that includes a second spring member and a second elongate member that extends from the second spring member along the longitudinal direction,
wherein the first elongate member extends through the second spring member and the second elongate member extends through the first spring member such that the first and second spring members are spaced apart with respect to each other along the longitudinal direction.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second spring members do not contact the first and second elongate members.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein each spring includes a first end and a second end spaced opposed to the first end, the first and second ends of each spring include an attachment member configured to be moveably coupled to respective structures.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each attachment member is a hook configured to attach to an elongate pin.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the spring assembly includes a first end, a second end spaced from the first end in a longitudinal direction, and a length that extends from the first end to the second, wherein the length of the spring assembly increases as the spring assembly transitions from a first configuration into a second extended configuration.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each spring member is a coil and each elongate member is a linear rod.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each coil elongates when the spring assembly is in the second extended configuration.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first spring and the second spring are duplicate parts.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first spring and second spring each have approximately the same diameter and spring rate.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second spring assemblies attach to a structure at the same points and are centered about common central axis.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein the coupling the spring assembly to the side brace and the locking brace includes:
attaching a first end of the spring assembly to the side brace; and
attaching a second end of the spring assembly to the locking brace.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein each spring includes first and second opposed ends, and the first attaching step includes:
attaching respective first ends of the first and second springs to a first pin; and
attaching the first pin to the side brace.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second attaching step includes:
attaching respective second ends of the first and second springs to a second pin; and
attaching the second pin to the locking brace.

22. The method of claim 9 , further comprising extending, via a tool, each spring from a first length to an extended length.

23. The method of claim 9 , further comprising placing a coupler between the elongate members of each spring so as to prevent the elongate member from contacting each other.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Toon Nicholas

Classifications

• F16F3/04

  composed only of wound springs · CPC title

• B64C25/26

  Control or locking systems therefor · CPC title

• B64C25/62

  Spring shock-absorbers; Springs · CPC title

• B64C25/20 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B64C25/34

  wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies · CPC title