Aircraft landing gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802697-B2
Application number	US-201514877253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to an aircraft landing gear equipped with a steering device ( 7 ) for orienting the wheels ( 5 ), the steering device ( 7 ) comprising a body ( 8 ) in which is incorporated an electromechanical actuator ( 41 ) equipped with an electric motor ( 42 ). The landing gear is further equipped with damping means intended to limit the transmission of vibration from the wheel ( 5 ) to the rest of the landing gear ( 1 ) when the aircraft is on the ground. The body ( 8 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) is mounted with the ability to rotate with a limited amplitude of rotation. The damping means are mounted between the body ( 8 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) and the strut assembly ( 2 ) of the landing gear to damp the vibration between the body ( 8 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) and the strut assembly ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft landing gear comprising:
a strut assembly ( 2 ) articulated to a structure of the aircraft,
a strut ( 3 ) sliding along an axis of sliding X in the strut assembly ( 2 ) and a free end of which carries at least one wheel ( 5 ),
a steering tube ( 4 ) mounted with the ability to rotate about the axis (X), and
a torque link ( 6 ) connecting the steering tube ( 4 ) and the strut ( 3 ) in terms of rotation,
the landing gear ( 1 ) additionally being equipped with a steering device ( 7 ) for orienting the at least one wheel ( 5 ) about the axis X, the steering device ( 7 ) comprising a body ( 8 ) in which is incorporated an electromechanical actuator ( 41 ) equipped with an electric motor ( 42 ) intended to drive the rotation of the steering tube ( 4 ) and therefore of the strut ( 3 ) in order to steer the at least one wheel ( 5 ),
the landing gear being further equipped with damping means intended to limit the transmission of vibration from the at least one wheel ( 5 ) to the rest of the landing gear when the aircraft is on the ground,
characterized in that the body ( 8 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) is mounted with the ability to rotate about the axis (X) with a limited amplitude of rotation, and
in that the damping means extend between the body ( 8 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) and the strut assembly ( 2 ) to damp the vibration between the body ( 8 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) and the strut assembly ( 2 ).

2. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 1 , in which the damping means comprise at least one hydraulic jack ( 15 ).

3. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 2 , in which the at least one hydraulic jack ( 15 ) comprises a body ( 17 ) connected to the body ( 8 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) and a piston ( 18 ) sliding in the body ( 17 ) of the at least one hydraulic jack ( 15 ) provided with a rod ( 19 ) articulated to the strut assembly ( 2 ) of the landing gear ( 1 ).

4. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 3 , in which a return spring ( 38 ) is incorporated into the body ( 17 ) of the at least one hydraulic jack ( 15 ).

5. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 3 , in which the strut assembly ( 2 ) is equipped with a bending bar ( 40 ), and in which the rod ( 19 ) of the piston ( 18 ) is articulated to the bending bar ( 40 ).

6. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 2 , in which the damping means comprise two pairs of hydraulic jacks ( 15 ) positioned relative to one another symmetrically about a vertical plane (P) passing through the axis X.

7. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 1 , in which the electromechanical actuator ( 41 ) of the steering device ( 7 ) is equipped with clutch means ( 45 ) designed selectively to couple an output shaft ( 48 ) of the electric motor ( 42 ) to the steering tube ( 4 ) or uncouple same therefrom.

8. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 1 , in which the steering device ( 7 ) comprises locking means ( 50 , 50 ′) for locking the at least one wheel ( 5 ) of the landing gear ( 1 ) in an angular position.

9. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 8 , in which the locking means ( 50 , 50 ′) comprise a lock ( 52 , 52 ′) designed to prevent the steering tube ( 4 ) from turning.

10. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 9 , in which the lock ( 52 , 52 ′) is a bistable lock.

11. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 9 , in which the lock comprises an electromagnet ( 53 , 53 ′).

12. The aircraft landing gear according to claim 9 , in which the locking means ( 50 , 50 ′) comprise a handle ( 59 , 59 ′) allowing the angular position of the at least one wheel ( 5 ) of the landing gear ( 1 ) to be unlocked manually.

Assignees

• Messier Bugatti Dowty

Inventors

• Liegeois Pierre-Yves
• Blanpain Thierry
• Campbell Edouard

Classifications

• Y02T50/54

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C25/505 Primary

  Shimmy damping · CPC title

• B64C25/34

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

• Y02T50/50

  On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency · CPC title