Bearing installed on an aircraft structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561845-B2
Application number	US-201514728452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 6, 2007
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

An edge flap arrangement for an aircraft wing includes a main flap element and an actuator. A linkage arrangement supports the main flap. The linkage arrangement includes a drop hinge link arrangement. The drop hinge link arrangement includes a fixed strut and a drop link. The fixed strut and the drop link are pivotally connected by a hinge point. The hinge point includes an hourglass bearing. The hourglass bearing includes an inner member, an outer member, and a plurality of hourglass rollers. Any combination of the inner member, the outer member, and the hourglass rollers are fabricated from CREN, Cronidur 30, XD15NW, 422 Stainless Steel, CRES, and/or 440C Stainless Steel. A cage is disposed between the inner member and the outer member. The cage includes a plurality of first rails and a plurality of second rails. Opposing pairs of first rails and second rails define a plurality of pockets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An edge flap arrangement for an aircraft wing, the arrangement comprising:
a main flap element and an actuator for moving the main flap element relative to the aircraft wing;
a linkage arrangement supporting the main flap element from the aircraft wing for movement relative to the aircraft wing, the linkage arrangement including a fixed strut secured to the aircraft wing and a drop link secured to the main flap element, the fixed strut and the drop link being pivotally connected by a hinge point; and
at least a first hourglass bearing disposed in at least one of the hinge point and the actuator, the first hourglass bearing comprising:
an inner member defining an inner raceway having a radially outwardly facing convex surface having an inner raceway radius of curvature R 1 ;
an outer member defining an outer raceway having a radially inward facing convex inner surface having an outer raceway radius of curvature Ro, the outer raceway being positioned around the inner raceway;
at least one hourglass roller disposed between the inner member and the outer member in rolling engagement with the inner raceway and the outer raceway, the roller comprising;
a circular cross section symmetrical about a longitudinal axis, a first axial end and a second axial end and an axial width extending between the first axial end and the second axial end,
an exterior surface extending between the first axial end and the second axial end, the exterior surface defining a concave engagement surface extending outwardly from a central portion of the roller,
the concave engagement surface having a first radius of curvature R 1 extending from the central portion to each of two first transition zones Z 1 positioned on opposing sides of the central portion,
the concave engagement surface having a second radius of curvature R 2 extending outwardly from each of the two first transition zones Z 1 to each of two second transition zones Z 2 ; and
the second radius of curvature R 2 is greater than the first radius of curvature R 1 ;
at least one of the outer member, the inner the member, and the at least one hourglass roller being fabricated from at least one of CREN, and 422 Stainless Steel;
an annular seal assembly snap-fit into the outer race, the annular seal assembly

comprising,
a first annular retaining ring defining a first radially outermost portion,
a second annular retaining ring defining a second radially outermost portion, and
a resilient ring defining a third radially outermost portion, the resilient ring being disposed between the first annular retaining ring and the second annular retaining ring,
the first radially outermost portion, the second radially outermost portion and the third radially outermost portion being aligned with one another,
the resilient ring projecting radially inward from the first annular retaining ring and the second annular retaining ring, and
the resilient ring being more compressible and flexible than the first annular retaining ring and the second annular retaining ring; and

a cage disposed between the inner raceway and the outer raceway, the cage comprising;
an annular ring having a first axial face and a second axial face, a plurality of first rails extending the length from the first axial face and a plurality of second rails extending the length from the second axial face, the length being of a magnitude greater than that of the axial width of the hour glass rollers,
a plurality of pockets, each of the plurality of pockets defined by opposing circumferentially facing walls of at least one of adjacent pairs of the first rails and adjacent pairs of the second rails, and
the circumferentially facing walls being concavely formed so that each of the plurality of pockets is cylindrical.

2. The edge flap arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the hourglass bearing is disposed in a structure of an aircraft.

3. An edge flap arrangement for an aircraft wing, the arrangement comprising:
a main flap element and an actuator for moving the main flap element relative to the aircraft wing;
a linkage arrangement supporting the main flap element from the aircraft wing for movement relative to the aircraft wing, the linkage arrangement including a fixed strut secured to the aircraft wing and a drop link secured to the main flap element, the fixed strut and the drop link being pivotally connected by a hinge point; and
at least a first hourglass bearing disposed in at least one of the hinge point and the actuator, the first hourglass bearing comprising:
an inner member defining an inner raceway having a radially outwardly facing convex surface having an inner raceway radius of curvature R 1 ;
an outer member defining an outer raceway having a radially inward facing convex inner surface having an outer raceway radius of curvature Ro, the outer raceway being positioned around the inner raceway;
at least one hourglass roller disposed between the inner member and the outer member in rolling engagement with the inner raceway and the outer raceway, the roller comprising;
a circular cross section symmetrical about a longitudinal axis, a first axial end and a second axial end and an axial width extending between the first axial end and the second axial end,
an exterior surface extending between the first axial end and the second axial end,
the exterior surface defining a concave engagement surface extending outwardly from a central portion of the roller,
the concave engagement surface having a first radius of curvature R 1 extending from the central portion to each of two first transition zones Z 1 positioned on opposing sides of the central portion, the concave engagement surface having a second radius of curvature R 2 extending outwardly from each of the two first transition zones Z 1 to each of two second transition zones Z 2 ; and
the second radius of curvature R 2 is greater than the first radius of curvature R 1 ; at least one of the outer member, inner the member and the at least one hourglass roller being fabricated from at least one of CRES and 440C stainless steel; an annular seal assembly snap-fit into the outer race, the annular seal assembly comprising; a first annular retaining ring defining a first radially outermost portion, a second annular retaining ring defining a second radially outermost portion, and
a resilient ring defining a third radially outermost portion, the resilient ring being disposed between the first annular retaining ring and the second annular retaining ring,
the first radially outermost portion, the second radially outermost portion and the third radially outermost portion being aligned with one another,
the resilient ring projecting radially inward from the first annular retaining ring and the second annular retaining ring, and
the resilient ring being more compressible and flexible than the first annular retaining ring and the second annular retaining ring; and
a cage disposed between the inner raceway and the outer raceway, the cage comprising,
an annular ring having a first axial face and a second axial face, a plurality of first rails extending a length from the first axial face and a plurality of second rails extending a length from the second axial face, the length being of a magnitude greater than the axial width of the hourglass rollers,
a plurality of pockets, each of the plurality of pockets defined by opposing circumferentially facing walls of at least one of adjacent pairs of the first rails and adjacent pairs of the second rails, and
the circumferentially facing walls being arcuately formed so that each of the plurality of pockets is cylindrical.

4. The edge flap arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the hourglass bearing is disposed in a structure of an aircraft.

Assignees

• Roller Bearing Co America Inc

Inventors

• Habibvand Alex
• Cowles Jr John H
• Murphy Richard

Classifications

• F16C23/086

  forming a track for rolling elements · CPC title

• F16C33/7806

  for spherical roller bearings · CPC title

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• F16C33/48

  for multiple rows of rollers or needles · CPC title

• F16C33/36

  with bearing-surfaces other than cylindrical, e.g. tapered; with grooves in the bearing surfaces · CPC title