Steering device for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988144-B2
Application number	US-201615074810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A steering device for an aircraft landing gear leg including a main fitting has a steering collar for rotatably mounting on the outside of the main fitting; an actuator having an actuator body; and an actuator arm arranged to move between an extended position and retracted position with respect to the actuator body. The actuator arm is pivoted to the main fitting, and a bracket is pivoted to the main fitting; a second pivot location pivoted to the actuator body; and a third pivot location pivotally connected to one end of a steering arm. The steering arm is pivoted at its other end to the steering collar. Also, an aircraft landing gear with the steering device and aircraft having the landing gear.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steering device for an aircraft landing gear having a leg including a main fitting, the steering device comprising a steering collar for rotatably mounting on the outside of the main fitting, at least one actuator having an actuator body and an actuator arm arranged to move between an extended position and retracted position with respect to the actuator body, the actuator arm having a distal end for pivotal connection to the main fitting, a bracket having a first pivot location for pivotal connection to the main fitting, a second pivot location pivotally connected to the actuator body, and a third pivot location pivotally connected to one end of a steering arm, the steering arm is pivotally connected at its other end to the steering collar.

2. A steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is pivotable about the second pivot location.

3. A steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the steering arm is straight.

4. A steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the steering arm is curved.

5. A steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a longitudinal axis offset from the second pivot location.

6. A steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is dual acting.

7. A steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the steering collar has a lateral lug and the steering arm is pivotally connected to the lug.

8. A steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket includes at least two plates which sandwich the actuator.

9. A steering device according to claim 8 , wherein the bracket plates are connected by a web.

10. A steering device according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of the actuators, each actuator having an actuator body pivotally connected at a respective second pivot location to the bracket.

11. A steering device according to claim 10 , wherein the actuators are arranged side by side.

12. A steering device according to claim 10 , wherein the actuators are arranged stacked one above the other.

13. An aircraft landing gear having a leg including a main fitting, and a steering device according to claim 1 , wherein the steering collar is rotatably mounted on the outside of the main fitting, the distal end of the actuator arm is pivotally connected to the main fitting, and the bracket is pivotally connected to the main fitting at the first pivot location.

14. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 13 , wherein the main fitting has an upper end for pivotal connection to an aircraft structure, and a lower end opposite the upper end, and the steering collar is rotatable mounted at the lower end of the main fitting.

15. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 13 , wherein the leg is telescopic and includes a slider axially slidable inside the main fitting.

16. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 15 , further comprising torque links coupled between the steering collar and the slider such that the slider rotates inside the main fitting as the steering collar rotates about the main fitting.

17. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 13 , wherein the leg carries an axle at a lower end thereof and one or more wheels are rotatably mounted on the axle.

18. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 13 , wherein the main fitting has a plurality of lugs, and the distal end of the actuator arm and the bracket are pivotally connected to the lugs of the main fitting.

19. An aircraft landing gear according to claim 13 , wherein the actuator is pivotable about the second pivot location to move in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of the landing gear leg.

20. An aircraft having the aircraft landing gear according to claim 13 .

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Perkins Christopher
• White Nick
• Alexander Stuart

Classifications

• B64C25/50 Primary

  Steerable undercarriages; Shimmy-damping · CPC title

• B64C25/34

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

• B64C25/10

  retractable, foldable, or the like · CPC title