QUICK RELEASE ASSEMBLY FOR AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR

• US 20120132742A1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Patents and Technologies North America, LLC (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: O'Connell, Charles T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,120,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/100.R
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2025/006 Landing gear legs comprising torque arms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/14 fore-and-aft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/50 Steerable undercarriages; Shimmy-damping
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/02 Trunnions; Crank-pins fastening crank-pins to webs, crank-pins integral with cranks F16C3/06, F16C3/22
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/045 with at least a pair of arms pivoting relatively to at least one other arm, all arms being mounted on one pin crank-pins F16C11/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/43 Aeroplanes; Helicopters in general B64C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/602 by separate spring

Abstract

A torque link member for aircraft landing gear includes a first end for connecting to a lower portion or an upper portion of the aircraft landing gear and a second end for connecting to another torque link member. A locking pin is disposed on one of the upper portion, the lower portion, the first end or the second end. The locking pin is axially movable between an engaged position wherein the pin protrudes for interengagement with a cooperating aperture on the first end, the second end, the upper portion, the lower portion, or the second end of the other torque link member, and a disengaged position. The locking pin is biased toward the engaged position and movable against the biasing to the disengaged position.

Claims

1. A quick release assembly, comprising:

a pinching structure having at least two pronged portions;

a pinched structure; and

a locking pin disposed on each of the at least two pronged portions, the locking pin including a handle portion, a stationary cap fixed to the pronged portion, a slider tube that slides inside the stationary cap and together with the handle portion between an engaged position and a disengaged position, and a spring biasing the slider tube toward the engaged position;

and wherein a bore size of the stationary cap of the pinching structure and a bushing of the pinched structure are substantially the same size, and a section area of a connecting side of the slider tube is slightly smaller than the bore size of the stationary cap of the pinching structure and the bushing of the pinched structure.

2. The quick release assembly of claim 1, wherein the slider tube and the bushing of the pinched structure are tapered to cooperatively engage one another when each locking pin is in the engaged position.

3. The quick release assembly of claim 1, wherein the pinching structure has at least a three-pronged portion, and the pinched structure has at least a two-pronged portion, and locking pins are disposed on both sides of the pinching structure.

4. The quick release assembly of claim 3, wherein the pinching structure has a four-pronged portion, and the pinched structure has a three-pronged portion.

5. The quick release assembly of claim 1, wherein the pinching structure is disposed at the first end and/or second end of the lower torque link of an aircraft landing gear strut, the pinched structure is disposed at the lug of the wheel frame and/or the second end of the upper torque link of the aircraft landing gear strut.

6. The quick release assembly of claim 1, wherein the pinching structure is disposed at the first end and/or second end of the upper torque link of an aircraft landing gear strut, the pinched structure is disposed at the lug of the collar and/or the second end of the lower torque link of the aircraft landing gear strut.

7. A quick release assembly for an aircraft landing gear strut, the strut having an upper portion and a lower portion that is telescopingly and rotatably movable relative to the upper portion, an upper torque link member has a first end connected to the upper portion, a lower torque link member has a first end connected to the lower portion, second ends of the torque link members are connected together to prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower portions, comprising:

a locking pin disposed on a first member wherein the first member is one of the upper portion, the upper torque link member, the lower torque link member or the lower portion; and

a cooperating structure disposed on a second member wherein the second member is another of the upper portion, the upper torque link member, the lower torque link member or the lower portion;

and wherein the locking pin is axially urged toward an engaged position wherein the locking pin cooperates with the cooperating structure of the second member when the locking pin and the cooperating structure are aligned to connect the first and second members together, the locking pin axially movable against the urging from the engaged position to a disengaged position to disconnect the first and second members.

8. The quick release assembly of claim 7, wherein the locking pin includes a handle portion, a stationary cap fixed to the first member, a slider tube that slides inside the stationary cap and together with the handle portion between the engaged position and the disengaged position, and a spring that axially urges the locking pin toward the engaged position.

9. The quick release assembly of claim 8, wherein a bore size of the stationary cap of the first member and a bushing of the cooperating structure are substantially the same size, and a section area of a connecting side of the slider tube is slightly smaller than the bore size of the stationary cap of the first member and the bushing of the cooperating structure.

10. The quick release assembly of claim 8, wherein the slider tube and the bushing of the cooperating structure are tapered to cooperatively engage one another when the locking pin is in the engaged position.

11. The quick release assembly of claim 7 wherein the first member has at least a three-pronged portion, and the second member has at least a two-pronged portion, and the locking pin is one of two locking pins disposed on both sides of the first member.

12. The quick release assembly of claim 11, wherein the first member has a four-pronged portion, and the second member has a three-pronged portion.

13. The quick release assembly of claim 7, wherein the first member is the lower torque link member and second member is either the upper torque link member or the lower portion.

14. The quick release assembly of claim 7 further including:

a second locking pin disposed on the first member;

a second cooperating structure disposed on the second member;

the second locking pin axially urged toward an extended position wherein the second locking pin cooperates with the second cooperating structure of the second member when the second locking pin and the second cooperating structure are aligned to connect the first and second members together, the second locking pin axially movable against the urging from the extended position to a retracted position, both the first and second locking members in the retracted positions allow disconnection of the first and second members.

15. The quick release assembly of claim 7, wherein the first member is the upper torque link member and the second member is either the lower torque link member or the upper portion.

16. An aircraft landing gear assembly, comprising:

an upper portion;

a lower portion telescopingly and rotatably movable relative to the upper portion;

an upper link having a first end connected to the upper portion and a second end;

a lower torque link having a first end connected to the lower portion and a second end, the second ends of the upper and lower torque links connected together to prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower portions; and

a quick release assembly connecting one of the first end of the upper torque link and the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link and the lower portion, or the second end of the upper torque link and the second end of the lower torque link, the quick release assembly including;

a pin disposed on one of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link,

the pin slidably movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position with the pin urged toward the engaged position wherein the pin cooperates with a cooperating structure disposed on another of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link when the pin is aligned with the cooperating structure, and

the pin manually movable against the urging to the disengaged position for disconnecting said one of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link from said another of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link.

17. The aircraft landing gear of claim 16 wherein an axis of the pin forms a rotatable axis between said one of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link and said another of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link.

18. The aircraft landing gear of claim 16, wherein the locking pin includes a handle portion, a stationary cap, a slider tube that slides inside the stationary cap and together with the handle portion between the engaged position and the disengaged position, and a spring that axially urges the locking pin toward the engaged position.

19. The aircraft landing gear of claim 18, wherein a bore size of the stationary cap and a bushing of the cooperating structure are substantially the same size, and a section area of a connecting side of the slider tube is slightly smaller than the bore size of the stationary cap and the bushing of the cooperating structure.

20. The aircraft landing gear of claim 18, wherein the slider tube and the bushing of the cooperating structure are tapered to cooperatively engage one another when the locking pin is in the engaged position.