FUSELAGE MOUNTED LANDING GEAR

• US 20120168561A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Barmichev, Sergey D., Salmon, James Jason, Long, Michael Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,523,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/102.A
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2025/125 into the fuselage, e.g. main landing gear pivotally retracting into or extending out of the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/12 sideways
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/18 Operating mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/26 Control or locking systems therefor

Abstract

A landing gear for an aircraft. The landing gear may have a wheel/truck assembly, an oleo strut/support frame for supporting the wheel/truck assembly, and a retraction assembly attached to the oleo strut/support frame, the retraction assembly for moving the landing gear between a deployed position and a retracted position. The retraction assembly may have a pivoting trunnion brace attached to the oleo strut/support frame and to a fuselage of the aircraft for positioning the wheel/truck assembly, the oleo strut/support frame and the retraction assembly at least substantially fully within the fuselage of the aircraft in the retracted position.

Claims

1. A landing gear for an aircraft, comprising:

a wheel/truck assembly;

an oleo strut/support frame for supporting the wheel/truck assembly; and

a retraction assembly attached to the oleo strut/support frame, the retraction assembly for moving the landing gear between a deployed position and a retracted position, the retraction assembly including a pivoting trunnion brace attached to the oleo strut/support frame and to a fuselage of the aircraft for positioning the wheel/truck assembly, the oleo strut/support frame and the retraction assembly at least substantially fully within the fuselage of the aircraft in the retracted position.

2. The landing gear of claim 1, wherein the retraction assembly comprises a retract actuator connected to the pivoting trunnion brace for moving the landing gear from the deployed position to the retracted position.

3. The landing gear of claim 2, wherein the retract actuator connects pivot points on the pivoting trunnion brace and on the oleo strut/support frame.

4. The landing gear of claim 1, wherein the oleo strut/support frame comprises fixed trusses, and a shock strut having a large offset attach point provided by the fixed trusses.

5. The landing gear of claim 1, wherein the retraction assembly comprises a drag brace for forming a straight drag load path from the oleo strut/support frame to the fuselage, and a side brace for forming a straight side load path from the oleo strut/support frame to the fuselage.

6. The landing gear of claim 5, wherein the retraction assembly defines a four bar linkage with the oleo strut/support frame and the aircraft.

7. The landing gear of claim 6, wherein the aircraft comprises a first bar of the four bar linkage, the oleo strut/support frame comprises a second bar of the four bar linkage, the pivoting trunnion brace comprises a third bar of the four bar linkage, and the drag brace or the side brace comprises a fourth bar of the four bar linkage.

8. The landing gear of claim 7, wherein the retraction assembly further comprises a pair of folding lock links for stabilizing the four bar linkage.

9. The landing gear of claim 1, wherein the wheel/truck assembly comprises one of a one axle, a two axle or a three axle wheel/truck assembly.

10. A landing gear for an aircraft, comprising:

a wheel/truck assembly;

an oleo strut/support frame for supporting the wheel/truck assembly; and

a retraction assembly attached to the oleo strut/support frame for moving the landing gear between a deployed position outwardly of a fuselage of the aircraft, and a retracted position, the retraction assembly including a pivoting trunnion brace attached to the oleo strut/support frame and to the fuselage for positioning the wheel/truck assembly, the oleo strut/support frame and the retraction assembly at least substantially fully within the fuselage of the aircraft in the retracted position.

11. The landing gear of claim 10, wherein the retraction assembly comprises a retract actuator connected to the pivoting trunnion brace for moving the landing gear from the deployed position to the retracted position.

12. The landing gear of claim 10, wherein the retraction assembly comprises a drag brace for forming a straight drag load path from the oleo strut/support frame to the fuselage, and a side brace for forming a straight side load path from the oleo strut/support frame to the fuselage.

13. The landing gear of claim 12, wherein the retraction assembly defines a four bar linkage with the oleo strut/support frame and the aircraft.

14. The landing gear of claim 13, wherein the aircraft comprises a first bar of the four bar linkage, the oleo strut/support frame comprises a second bar of the four bar linkage, the pivoting trunnion brace comprises a third bar of the four bar linkage, and the drag brace or the side brace comprises a fourth bar of the four bar linkage.

15. The landing gear of claim 10, wherein the wheel/truck assembly comprises one of a one axle, a two axle or a three axle wheel/truck assembly.

16. The landing gear of claim 10, wherein the aircraft comprises a wide body aircraft and wherein the wheel/truck assembly, the oleo strut/support frame and the retraction assembly are fully within the fuselage of the aircraft when the landing gear is in the retracted position.

17. A method for retracting a wheel truck assembly of an aircraft from a deployed position to a retracted position, comprising:

providing a linkage between an oleo strut/support frame that supports the wheel truck assembly, and a fuselage of the aircraft;

stabilizing the linkage with a pair of folding lock links when the wheel truck assembly is in the deployed position;

unlocking the pair of folding lock links to release the linkage; and

operating a retract actuator to rotate the oleo strut/support frame relative to the fuselage until the wheel truck assembly is at least substantially fully within the fuselage of the aircraft in the retracted position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein unlocking the pair of folding lock links comprises operating a lock actuator to unlock the pair of folding lock links.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the linkage comprises a pivoting trunnion brace attached to the oleo strut/support frame and to the fuselage, a drag brace for forming a straight drag load path from the oleo strut/support frame to the fuselage, and a side brace for forming a straight side load path from the oleo strut/support frame to the fuselage.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the retract actuator connects pivot points on the pivoting trunnion brace and on the oleo strut/support frame.