The present invention relates generally to aircraft landing gears, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an apparatus to monitor the position of the landing gear.
Safety is paramount in the design and operation of aircraft, and one subsystem of particular importance is the landing gear system. For such safety reasons, aircraft computer systems need to monitor the position of the landing gears and pins associated therewith (hereinafter called a landing gear pin). Existing landing gear and door unlocks indicate the position of the landing gear, not by monitoring the position of the landing gear pins directly, but by using switches actuated by a latch to indicate when the uplock hook and latch are in the locked position (See
Accordingly, in one of its aspects, Applicant has conceived of an apparatus which may be used to de-activate (remove) an electrical signal to an aircraft's monitoring systems if a landing gear holding pin is not in the safely up and locked position. For example, in one exemplary configuration the present invention may provide a landing gear pin detection apparatus for detecting the presence of a landing gear pin retained within the apparatus. The apparatus may include a pin retention member mounted to a housing of the apparatus, with the pin retention member having an opening disposed therein for receiving the landing gear pin. In addition, one or more detectors, such as switches, may be mounted in the housing, and a latch may be rotatably mounted to the housing as well. The latch may include a proximal lever end and an opposing distal detector end, with the latch rotatable about a location intermediate the proximal and distal ends to move the detector end into and out of contact with the detectors. A pin detection lever may be rotatably mounted on the housing and have a distal latch end and a proximal pin end, with the proximal pin end disposed at a location to contact the landing gear pin when located in the opening. The proximal lever end of the latch may include a roller for rolling engagement with the distal latch end of the lever.
The apparatus may also include a lever spring operably connected to the pin detection lever to bias the pin detection lever against the landing gear pin, such as a linear and/or torsional spring. When the landing gear pin is not located in the pin retention member, the lever spring may be configured to rotate the distal latch end into contact with the proximal lever end of the latch. The distal latch end may push against the proximal lever end to rotate the latch to move the detector end of the latch out of contact with the one or more detectors.
The foregoing summary and the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be further understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:
Referring now to the figures, wherein like elements are numbered alike throughout,
In recognition of this problem, Applicant has conceived of and designed a new landing gear pin detection apparatus 200,
When the landing gear pin 120 is in the correct position the pin detect lever 270 is pushed by the spring 275 onto the surface of the landing gear pin 120,
A tension spring 240 may be operably connected between the hook 210 at hook attachment point 216 and the latch 230 at latch attachment point 217 located between the pivot point 234 and roller 232. The tension spring 240 can then rotate the hook 210 about its pivot point 214 and further rotate the latch 230 about its pivot point 234 until a switch contact end 239 of the latch 230 is rotated out of contact with one or more detectors, such as switches 291, to de-activate the switches 291, thus, notifying an aircraft computer that the landing gear pin 120 is not in position.
Turning to the structure of the landing gear pin detection apparatus 200 in more detail, the apparatus may include hook 210 having a proximal end 212 an opposing distal end 215, the proximal end 212 having an arcuate mating surface 213 shaped to retain the landing gear pin 120 therein,
When the landing gear pin 120 is no longer retained in the apparatus 200, the continued biasing force provided by the spring 275 against the shoulder 277 may rotate the first end 272 of the pin detect lever 270 towards the seating surface 281 into the location occupied by the landing gear pin 120,
The latch 230 may be provided in a generally V-shape with two opposing ends, first end 238 located proximate the rollers 232, and onto which end 238 the rollers 232 are mounted, and second switch contact end 239 disposed in opposition to the first end 238. The latch 230 may be rotatably mounted to the housing 280 at its vertex where the pivot point 234 may be located. The latch 230 and hook 210 may be mechanically linked to one another by tension spring 240 having opposing ends mounted to each of the latch 230 and hook 210, respectively. For example, the hook 210 may include attachment point 216 located between the proximal end 212 and pivot point 214, and the latch 230 may include an attachment point 217 disposed between the first end 238 and pivot point 234, with respective ends of the tension spring 240 connected between respective attachment points 216, 217. One or more detectors, such as switches 291 may be located at the switch contact end 239 and may be biased by the latch 230 to press against a switch mating surface 290 of the housing 280 to activate the switches 291,
These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing specification. Accordingly, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It should therefore be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is intended to include all changes and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims.
This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 for International Application No. PCT/US20/19470, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/810,002, filed on Feb. 25, 2019, the entire contents of which application(s) are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2020/019470 | 2/24/2020 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2020/180520 | 9/10/2020 | WO | A |
Number | Date | Country |
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2018189299 | Oct 2018 | WO |
WO-2018189299 | Oct 2018 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220126986 A1 | Apr 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62810002 | Feb 2019 | US |