Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D41/00—Power installations for auxiliary purposes
  • B64D41/007—Ram air turbines
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
  • Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
  • Y02T50/40—Weight reduction

Definitions

• This invention relates to control systems for use on aircraft and, more particularly, to a deployment- retraction apparatus for an air turbine of an aircraft, or the like.
• Deployment-retraction apparatus are used in control systems on aircraft for moving "wind motors" from' : a stowed inoperable position within the aircraft to an extended operable position externally of the aircraft and in the airstream thereof.
• the turbine is retractable from the extended position into the stowed position when its operation is no longer required.
• Such wind motors or turbines are used for driving accessories, such as hydraul ⁇ ic pumps, for example, on the aircraft.
• the accessory pump may be intended to feed the hydraulic control system with liquid under pressure, particularly in case of failure of a main hydraulic circuit to which liquid under pressure is normally fed by pump means oper ⁇ ated by suitable power and in particular by the engine of the aircraft.
• An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide- a new and improved deployment-retraction appara ⁇ tus for an air turbine of an aircraft, or the like.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an ⁇ . apjxaxatus of the character described which can deploy the? a r- turbine without high energy hydraulic or electri ⁇ cal source: means,, by employing a high energy mechanical deployment system.
• the deployment-retraction apparatus is provided for moving an air turbine of an aircraft from a stowed inoperable position within the aircraft to an extended operable position externally of and in the airstream of the air ⁇ craft, and being retractable from the extended position to the stowed position.
• the turbine is mounted by means to afford its extendability and retractability.
• Actuator means is connected to the mounting means.
• Latch means is provided for holding the actuator means in retracted position, and signal means is provided for releasing the latch means.
• a high force mechanical compression spring is provided for forcing the actuator means from its re ⁇ tracted- position to an extended position, and means are provided for retracting the actuator means from its ex ⁇ tended! position, against the force of the compression spring, to its retracted position in engagement with the latch means.
• the signal means include selectively operable solenoid means for actuating a low energy release means operatively associated with the latch means.
• the latch means comprise mechanical linkage means including the release means.
• the downlock means comprises a spring loading locking mechan ⁇ ism movable into locking relationship with the actuator means automatically in response to the actuator means reaching its extended position.
• the deployment- retraction apparatus is effective to deploy the turbine ; to its extended operable position by energization of a low energy solenoid.
• the remaining energy for releasing the latch mechanism and moving the turbine from its stowed inoperative position to its extended operable position is provided by mechanical means, including the high force mechanical compression spring.
• the retracting means include means for applying fluid pressure to the actuator means in opposition to the compression spring for moving the actuator means to its retracted position.
• the fluid pressure is simultaneously applied to the downlock means for releasing the same to allow the actuator means to move to its retracted posi ⁇ tion.
• Signal means including a selectively operable low energy solenoid, is provided for selectively applying the fluid pressure to the actuator means and the downlock means.
• FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the deployment- retraction apparatus of the invention, with an air tur ⁇ bine; shown in full lines in its extended operable posi- i tion, and in phantom in its stowed inoperable position;
• FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the deployment-retraction apparatus
• FIGURE 3 is a somewhat schematic section illus ⁇ trating the fluid passages of the apparatus.
• a deployment-retraction apparatus is generally designated 10 and is designed for use with an air turbine, generally designated 12, of an aircraft, or the like.
• the aircraft is shown by dashed line 14 and conventionally includes one or more compartment doors through which the air turbine moves between a stowed inop ⁇ exative position (shown in phantom) within the air ⁇ craft and an extended operable position externally of and in the airstream of the aircraft, as shown in full lines.
• Mounting means 16 is pivoted to the aircraft, as at 18, to afford air turbine 12 its extendability and retracta- bility.
• Deployment-retraction apparatus 10 includes an actuator 20 in the form of a cylindrical piston, with an extension 22 of a piston rod projecting from one end thereof.- Extension 22 is pivotally connected, as at 24, to mounting means 16 of the air turbine for moving the turbine between its stowed and extended positions.
• deployment-retraction apparatus 10 includes actuator means which, as stated above, includes cylindrical piston 20 and piston rod extension 22.
• Piston 20 is reciprocal within an outer cylinder 26, and a piston rod 28 is reciprocally mounted within an internal fluid cylinder 30.
• a working piston 32 is mounted on the inner end of piston rod 28.
• a high force mechanical compression spring 34 is provided for biasing the actua ⁇ tor means toward its extended position.
• the spring is mounted in compression condition between an annular flange 36 projecting radially outwardly from fluid cylinder 30 and an interior shoulder 38 of an end cap 40 of cylin ⁇ drical piston 20.
• Latch and release means are operably mounted in an interior compartment of a rear housing portion 44 of the apparatus. More particu ⁇ larly, a latch arm 46 is pivotally mounted at 48 and includes a hook portion 50 for latching engagement with a spherical end 52 of a rear extension 54 of piston rod 28. A spring 55 biases latch arm 46 and hook portion 50 in a counterclockwise or latching direction. In the position shown in Figure 2, hook portion 50 is in latching or locking engagement with spherical end 52 of the piston rod. A link arm 56 is pivotally mounted within the hous ⁇ ing at 58.
• the link arm is biased in a clockwise direc ⁇ tion by spring means 59 and carries a rear roller bearing 56a and a forward roller bearing 56b.
• Latch arm 46 is prevented from rotation in a clockwise direction by rear roller bearing 56a, and front roller bearing 56b engages the underside of a lever arm 60.
• the lever arm is pivotal ⁇ ly mounted at 62 and is biased in a clockwise direction by spring means 64.
• the upper end of the lever arm is biased against a rotatable, slotted pin 66.
• the slotted pin is rotatable by a selectively operable, low energy solenoid means 68.
• latch and release means 42 As stated above, in the position of Figure 2 spherical end 52 of piston rod 28 is latched behind hook portion 50 of latch arm 46. This maintains the actuator and, therefore, the air turbine in its stowed inoperative position. Deployment is initiated by an electrical signal to low energy solenoid means 68 which rotates pin 66. The pin rotates until lever arm 60 encoun ⁇ ters a slot cut into the pin. Two torsion springs 64 rotate lever arm 60 in a clockwise direction as the lever arm contacts front roller bearing 56b of link arm 56. Each torsion spring is sized to handle the required load individully to provide a safety feature.
• Link arm 56 rotates about pivot 58 in a counterclockwise direction so that rear roller bearing 56a rotates away from and out of engagement with latch arm 46.
• Spring 55 then rotates the latch arm in a clockwise direction to move hook portion 50 out of engagement with spherical end 52 on extension 54 of piston rod 28.
• This allows high force mechanical compression spring 34 to pull on hook portion 50 and rotate latch arm 46 to thereby move the hook portion away from spherical rod end 52, releasing the latching mechan ⁇ ism.
• the compression spring initiates the deployment action, opening the appropriate compartment doors against the aerodynamic loading, and deploying air turbine 12 -7-
• damping means are included to provide shock absorption and therefore a smooth transition to a fully deployed condition. More particularly, a series of damping orifices 70 are pro ⁇ vided at the forward end of fluid cylinder 30, the ori ⁇ fices decreasing in size in a forward direction. As will be. described in greater detail hereinafter, fluid cylinder 30 is filled with liquid which is forced outwardly through damping orifices 70 for accommodating shock loads on the • actuator means at full actuator stroke.
• piston 32 At the fully extended position, piston 32 will bottom against the forward end of fluid cylinder 30 and downlock means are provide for holding the actuator means and, therefore, the air turbine in extended position. More particularly, a downlock pin 72 is loaded by a coil spring 74 for biasing radially inwardly. Piston 28 has a reduced diameter portion 76 for receiving downlock pin 72. When the piston bottoms against the front end of cylinder 30, downlock pin 72 will be biased by spring 74 into the reduced diameter portion 76 of piston rod 28 to mechanically hold the piston, the actuator means and the air. turbine all in extended condition.
• FIG. 3 a somewhat schematic, sectional view illustrates the hydraul ⁇ ic: circuit of the deployment-retraction apparatus.
• retract solenoid valve 78, low pressure port 80,- and high pressure port 82 are shown at the rear of the illustration.
• the high and low pressure ports are in communication with high and low pressure sources, respec ⁇ tively, on the aircraft.
• low pressure port 80 is in communication with fluid cylinder 30 for filling the cylinder with liquid, through passages 86 and 88, shuttle valve 84, passage 90 and damping orifices 70.
• Retract solenoid 78 upon initiation by an electrical signal, operates a conventional two-position, three-way valve, generally designated 92 which, upon actuation, will port high pressure liquid from the air ⁇ craft system to shuttle valve 84, through passages 94. The associated force will cause the valve to depress the shuttle valve spring thereby moving the shuttle valve itself. This will allow high pressure liquid to contact the underside of downlock pin 72, through passage 96.
• the use of a shuttle valve precludes the necessity of an extremely large solenoid valve to move the downlock pin and therefore saves weight and electrical power draw.
• the downlock pin is retracted against spring 74 by the high pressure liquid. Simultaneously, high pressure -9-
• the actuator means is extremely reliable ,- because the energy required to deploy the air turbine is mechanically stored by high force mechanical compression spring 34.
• the system does not depend on high pressure hydraulic or high energy electrical systems to operate.
• the energy required to release the apparatus also is stored in torsion springs and initiation of both deploy ⁇ ment and retraction is effected by electrical * signals to simple, small energy solenoids.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Actuator (AREA)

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• 1986
  • 1986-09-29 IL IL80189A patent/IL80189A0/xx unknown
  • 1986-10-29 EP EP86907072A patent/EP0243487A1/de active Pending
  • 1986-10-29 WO PCT/US1986/002310 patent/WO1987002642A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1986-10-29 JP JP61506052A patent/JPS63501210A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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