CA2977902A1

CA2977902A1 - Locking device for locking a mechanism for an aircraft

Info

Publication number: CA2977902A1
Application number: CA2977902A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Markus Zwießler; Markus Jocham
Original assignee: Liebherr Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH
Current assignee: Liebherr Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH
Priority date: 2016-09-15
Filing date: 2017-08-31
Publication date: 2018-03-15
Also published as: DE102017118128A1; CN107826236B; CN107826236A; DE202016005689U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a locking device for locking a mechanism for an aircraft, with a lever and a hook, whereby the lever and the hook are pivotably arranged about two axes which are particularly spaced apart of each other, and whereby a spring element is disposed between the lever and the hook, and a lever gate and a roller are disposed on the lever and/or the hook for transmitting a torque between the lever and the hook.

Description

LOCKING DEVICE FOR LOCKING A MECHANISM FOR AN AIRCRAFT
The invention relates to a locking device for locking a mechanism for an aircraft, in particular a mechanism for wing flaps or a mechanism for a landing gear, with a lever and a hook, whereby the lever and the hook are pivotably arranged about two axes which are particularly spaced apart of each other, and whereby a spring element is disposed between the lever and the hook, and a lever gate and a roller are disposed on the lever and/or the hook for transmitting a torque between the lever and the hook.
Generic locking devices serve to lock a hook into a locked position with the aid of a lever. In this case, the terms "hook" and "lever" must be interpreted broadly and may refer to components with complex geometries which also have at least a corresponding hook and lever function. However, the movement of the hook can be restricted due to icing, contamination or other blockages or impairments. In such cases, the force transmitted by a spring disposed between the lever and the hook may not be strong enough to move the hook from a closed to a released position or from a locked to a released position. The hook is therefore not released, and the locking device affected by the hook cannot be released either. The reason for this is that the opening torque of the hook or the applicable torque intended for releasing the hook by means of a spring force exerted by the spring disposed between the hook and the lever is limited and too weak for releasing the hook in case of icing or similar blockages.
The object of the invention is to provide an improved locking device which can guarantee a secure release of the hook even in case of a failure, i.e. when the hook is blocked. The invention achieves this object by means of a locking device with the characteristics of Claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.
Accordingly, a locking device is provided for locking an aircraft mechanism, in particular a mechanism for wing flaps or a mechanism for landing gear. In this case, the term "mechanism" can refer to generally movable devices of an aircraft.
The locking device comprises a lever and a hook, whereby the lever and the hook are pivotably arranged about two axes which are particularly spaced apart of each other.
The axes may be mounted parallel to each other and/or spaced apart from each other and relate to corresponding bearing points or bearing regions of the components in question. Also according to the invention, a spring element is disposed between the lever and the hook whereby the spring element can for

2 example be a tension spring. Also according to the invention, a lever gate and a roller are disposed on the lever and/or on the hook for transmitting a torque between the lever and the hook. The lever gate can be disposed on the hook, and the roller can be disposed on the lever or vice versa. Advantageously, according to the invention, at least some torque can be transmitted between the lever and the hook via two arrangements: firstly via the spring element and secondly via the roller interacting with the lever gate. Thus, the maximum transferable torque is limited not only by the torque that can be transmitted by the spring element or by the force that can be transmitted via the spring element.
In a preferred embodiment it is conceivable that the locking device is designed to transmit the torque alone in a first angular range of the hook via the spring element and/or that the locking device is designed to transmit the torque in a second angular range of the hook via the spring element as well as via the lever gate and the roller.
In the present case, the terms "lever gate" and "roller" mean characteristics or components which allow the transmission of a torque by means of direct or indirect contact between lever and hook, either from the lever to the hook or vice versa. In the present case, the term "angular range" refers to angular ranges that are rotatable about the component in question. In particular, it can refer to angular ranges at which the hook can be rotated about its bearing point. It can also be provided that the first angular range and the second angular range are angular ranges of the hook which are directly adjacent to each other.
In another preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that a locking device is provided on the hook and/or that a counter locking section for locking the hook is provided on the hook in a released position.
By means of the locking section or the counter locking section it is possible to design the locking device such that sections or components such as a lever and a hook can be utilized which the device already comprises. This simplifies the design of the device. Additionally or alternatively it can be provided that the lever gate comprises a section which in a closed position of the hook is closer to the hook than all other sections of the gate. For this purpose, the lever gate may comprise a bulge or a design which is aligned in the direction of the hook, in the closed as well as in the released position of the hook. In that way, this design is positioned closer to the hook than other sections of the gate. With this design, a particularly smooth transition can be achieved between the two angular ranges, and the torque transmission by means of lever gate and roller can be increased particularly constantly or equally from zero to a maximum value. In that case, all those sections can be assigned to the gate

3 which come or are in contact with the roller when the hook is released or closed. The term "roller" should also be interpreted broadly and may comprise all sections of the hook which slide along the lever gate to transmit the torque.
In another preferred embodiment it is provided that the lever gate and a first coupling point of the spring element are disposed on opposite sides of the lever related to its bearing point. In that case, the terms "gate" and "lever gate" are used synonymously.
The term "coupling points of the spring element" means those sections in which the spring or the spring element is coupled with the hook or the lever. In this case, the bearing point of the lever and also that of the hook means the section about which the lever or the hook is pivotably arranged. The terms "spring" or "spring element"
can also be used synonymously.
With this kind of arrangement for the lever gate and the coupling points of the spring element on two opposite sides of the lever, it is particularly easy to provide a lever that can be coupled with the hook in the two ways described to transmit a force or torque. The lever designed in that way can also be advantageously designed in a compact way.
In another preferred embodiment it is conceivable that the roller and a second bearing point of the spring are disposed on opposite sides of the hook relative to its bearing point. This results in the same advantages as those which occur when the lever is designed with the coupling point and the lever gate on opposite sides.
In another preferred embodiment it is conceivable that a counter stop is disposed on the lever and/or hook to limit the hook's relative movement toward the lever when the hook is in released position.
By providing a stop and a corresponding counter stop on the hook or the lever, an excessive and perhaps undesirable relative movement of the hook toward the lever can be prevented with this design without requiring additional components.
In another preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the hook comprises a recess radially extending toward the bearing point, thus at least partially separating the roller from the rest of the hook structure.
In another preferred embodiment, it can also be provided that locking section is disposed closer to the bearing point of the lever than the first coupling point of the spring.

4 In another preferred embodiment, it can be provided that in a closed position of the device, the spring element is shorter than the distance between the two bearing points and/or that the spring element is disposed parallel to the straight line defined by the two bearing points. In this case, "closed position" of the device may refer to a position in which the hook is disposed in a closed position. The extension of the spring element may also refer to the axial extension of the tension spring or tension element. The position of the spring relative to the straight line defined by the two bearing points can also particularly be at an acute angle between 00 and 20 .
The parallel arrangement of the above named components means that the torque introduced by the spring or the spring element required to release the hook can also be applied to the hook by means of a spring that is as short as possible.
In another preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the roller and the second bearing point of the spring element are forming a right angle. This angle can also deviate from a right angle to form an angle such as between 90 and 100 .
Further details and advantages of the invention are described below with reference to the embodiments shown as examples in the drawings, where Fig. 1 shows an inventive locking device in a closed position;
Fig. 2 shows an inventive locking device in a released position, whereby the hook has been moved only by the force of a spring;
Fig. 3 shows an inventive locking device in closed position;
Fig. 4 shows an inventive locking device in locked position in a blocked state; and Fig. 5 shows an inventive locking device in a released position, whereby the hook has also been pressed on by the lever gate.
Fig. 1 shows an inventive locking device 1 for locking a mechanism for an aircraft, in particular a mechanism for wing flaps or a mechanism for a landing gear. The upper part of Fig. 1 shows a lever 2 and below it a hook 3, whereby lever 2 and hook 3 are each pivotable about two axes, particularly spaced apart from each other. In the state of the locking device shown in Fig. 1, lever 2 and hook 3 are coupled with each other via a spring element 4 for transferring a torque. Lever 2 also comprises a lever gate

5 5, and hook 3 comprises a roller 6; these two can also transmit a torque between lever 2 and hook 3 when locking device 1 is in certain angle ranges.
However, in the position shown in Fig. 1, there is no contact between lever gate 5 and roller 6, which means that a counter-clockwise torque between lever 2 and hook 3 can only be transmitted via spring element 4.
In the position of the locking device 1 shown in Fig. 1, lever 1 is also locked via a locking section 21 with hook 3 and its counter locking section 31 in a closed position of hook 3. Both components, hook 2 and lever 3 can be described as being in a closed or locked position. Due to the interaction between locking section 21 and counter locking section 31, hook 3 cannot be turned counter-clockwise and is thus locked in that direction.
Lever 2 shows lever gate 5 which comprises a section 51 which in the closed position of hook 2 shown in Fig. 1 is closer to hook 2 than in particular all other sections of gate 5. Gate 5 and a first coupling point 41 of spring element 4 are disposed on opposite sides of lever 2 relative to its bearing point 22. In this case, bearing point 22 can correspond to an axis of the lever about which lever 2 is rotatably arranged.
Analogous to this, roller 6 and a second coupling point 42 of spring element 4 are disposed at opposite sides of hook 3 relative to bearing point 32 of hook 3.
Lever 2 may also comprise a stop 23 and/or hook 3 may also comprise a counter stop 33 for limiting the relative movement of hook 3 toward lever 2 in a released position of hook 3. In that case, stop 23 may be abutting or within range of lever gate of the lever. Counter stop 33 on hook 3 can be disposed within the range of roller 6 or as roller 6. Also conceivable is an arrangement of stop 23 and counter stop 33 in the range of locking section 21 and of counter locking section 32, as shown in Fig. 2.
Hook 3 can also comprise a recess 34 which radially approaches its bearing point 32, which at least partially separates roller 6 from the rest of the structure of hook 3.
Recess 34 can be disposed opposite a hook structure 35 of hook 3 relative to the bearing point 32 of hook 3.
As Fig. 1 shows, the locking section 21 is disposed closer to the bearing point 21 of lever 2 than the first coupling point 41 of spring element 4. In particular, locking section 21 is disposed in a closed position of hook 3 in an area between the two bearing points 22, 32.

6 Furthermore, the spring element 4 is shorter than the distance between the two bearing points 22, 32, and spring element 4 can also be disposed parallel to the direction defined by the two bearing points 22, 32. The two latter statements refer to a state of locking device 1 in which hook 3 is in a closed position and lever 2 is also in a closed position, as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 also shows that roller 6 and the second coupling point 42 of spring element 4 can roughly form a right angle with the bearing point 32 of hook 3.
Fig. 2 shows a closed or locked position of the locking device 1 in which hook 3 abuts with its counter stop 33 on a stop 23 of lever 2. For this, hook 3 could be moved by spring element 4 or its spring force. Roller 6 and the lever gate do not have to engage each other, since lever 1 and hook 3 have already moved into the position shown in Fig. 2. All reference numbers and characteristics of Fig. 1 are the same as those in the other figures.
Fig. 3 shows the device in the same position as shown in Fig. 1, but - as Fig.

indicates - hook 3 blocks and cannot be moved into a released position in spite of force applied by the tensioned spring, but remains in a locked position due to the blockage. This corresponds to the failure which the invention aims to rectify.
As Fig. 4 also shows, a torque is transmitted to hook 3 up to the contact between roller 6 and lever gate 5, solely via spring element 4. As soon as roller 6 comes in contact with lever gate 5, as shown in Fig. 4, a torque is transmitted from lever 2 to hook 3 via the spring element and also via lever gate 5 and roller 6. In the position in which roller 6 is just touching lever gate 5, roller 6 and the two bearing points 22, 32 can together form an angle between 90 and 1800, and particularly between 115 and 155 . The second angle range, in which a torque is transmitted via the spring element 4 as well as via lever gate 5 and roller 6, can correspond to an angle range that is limited by the beginning contact or first contact of roller 6 with lever gate 5.
By rotating lever 2 clockwise, locking arrangement 1 can be moved from the state shown in Fig. 4 into the state shown in Fig. 5, whereby roller 6 rolls along lever gate 5 until stop 23 at lever 2 interacts with counter stop 33 at hook 3 and prevents a further relative movement between lever 2 and hook 3.

Claims

1. A locking device (1) for locking a mechanism for an aircraft, in particular a mechanism for wing flaps or a mechanism for a landing gear, with a lever (2) and a hook (3), whereby the lever (2) and the hook (3) are pivotably arranged about two axes which are particularly spaced apart of each other, and whereby a spring element (4) is disposed between the lever (2) and the hook (3) and a lever gate (5) and a roller (6) are disposed on the lever (2) and/or the hook (3) for transmitting a torque between the lever (2) and the hook (3).

2. The locking device (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the locking device (1) is designed to transmit the torque alone in a first angle range of the hook (3) via the spring element (4), and/or that the locking device (1) is designed to transmit the torque in a second angle range of the hook 3 via the spring element (4) as well as via the lever gate (5) and the roller (6).

3. The locking device (1) according to Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a locking section (31) is disposed on the lever (2) and/or that a counter locking section (31) is disposed on the hook (3) to lock the hook (3) in a closed position.

4. The locking device (1) according to Claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the lever gate (5) comprises one section (51) which in a closed position of the hook (2) is closer to the hook (2) than in particular all other sections of the lever gate (5).

5. The locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lever gate (5) and a first coupling point (41) of the spring element (4) are disposed on opposite sides of the lever (2) relative to its bearing point (22).

6. The locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller (6) and a second coupling point (42) of the spring (4) are disposed on opposite sides of the hook (3) related to its bearing point (32).

7. The locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a stop (23) is disposed on the lever (2) and/or on the hook (3) to limit the relative movement of the hook (3) toward the lever (2) in a released position of the hook (3).

8. The locking device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hook (3) comprises a recess (34) which radially extends to its bearing point (32) and which at least partially separates the roller (6) from the rest of the hook's (3) structure.

9. A locking device (1) at least according to Claims 3 and 5, characterized in that the locking section (21) is disposed closer to the bearing point (22) of the hook (2) than the first coupling point (41) of the spring.

10. The locking device (1) at least according to Claims 5 and 6, characterized in that in a closed position of locking device (1), the spring element (4) is shorter than the distance between the two bearing points (22, 32), and/or that the spring element (4) is disposed parallel to the straight line defined by the two bearing points (22, 32) and/or that the roller (6) and the second coupling point /42) of the spring element (4) form a right angle with the bearing point (32) of the hook (3).