AIRCRAFT DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM AND AIRCRAFT DOOR ARRANGEMENT

• US 20200131815A1
• Filed: 10/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: POPPE, Andreas, PAPENROTH, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 11,434,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1407 Doors; surrounding frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1415 Cargo doors, e.g. incorporating ramps
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/004 about an axis perpendicular to the surface on which the fastener is mounted
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/046 in the form of a crescent-shaped cam hooks E05C3/045

Abstract

An aircraft door locking system comprises a first locking element fastenable to a first element of an aircraft door arrangement rotatable about a rotation axis and having a receiving opening and a bearing shell. A second locking element is fastenable to a door arrangement second element and comprises a locking bolt. In a release state, the locking bolt is insertable through the receiving opening and, by a rotation of the first locking element about the rotation axis in a locking direction, is positionable in the bearing shell to effect the locking state. A torque-generating device is configured, in the locking state, to generate a torque opposing a rotation of the first locking element about the rotation axis in a release direction opposite to the locking direction if a force directed substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis is exerted on the bearing shell and/or on the locking bolt.

Claims

1. An aircraft door locking system, comprising:

a first locking element which is fastenable to a first element of an aircraft door arrangement to be rotatable about a first axis of rotation and has a receiving opening and a bearing shell,

a second locking element which is fastenable to a second element of the aircraft door arrangement and comprises a locking bolt,

wherein, in a release state of the aircraft door locking system, the locking bolt of the second locking element is insertable through the receiving opening of the first locking element by means of a translatory relative movement of the first and the second locking element in a plane perpendicular to the first axis of rotation of the first locking element and, by a subsequent rotation of the first locking element about the first axis of rotation in a locking direction, is positionable in the bearing shell of the first locking element in order to transfer the aircraft door locking system into its locking state, and

a torque-generating device which is configured in order, in the locking state of the aircraft door locking system, to generate a torque which opposes a rotation of the first locking element about the first axis of rotation in a direction of a release direction opposite to the locking direction if a force directed perpendicular to the first axis of rotation is exerted on at least one of the bearing shell of the first locking element or on the locking bolt.

2. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 1,

wherein the first locking element comprises a first limb and a second limb which is connected to the first limb via a connecting piece,

wherein the receiving opening of the first locking element is formed between a free end of the first limb and a free end of the second limb.

3. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 2, wherein the bearing shell of the first locking element is defined by the connecting piece.

4. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 2, wherein the first axis of rotation of the first locking element is arranged in a region of the first limb of the first locking element in the region of an axle projection of the first limb, said axle projection projecting in a direction of the second limb.

5. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 2, wherein a concavely curved bearing surface is formed on the first limb between the first axis of rotation and the free end of the first limb, said bearing surface being configured to receive the locking bolt of the second locking element if, in a state of the door locking system mounted in an aircraft door arrangement, the first and the second element of the aircraft door arrangement take up a defined extreme position.

6. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 1, wherein the first locking element furthermore comprises a baseplate which is provided with a first centering opening extending through the baseplate parallel to the first axis of rotation.

7. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 2, wherein the torque-generating device comprises a locking projection which is formed on the second limb of the first locking element, projects in a direction of the first limb of the first locking element and is configured to interact with the locking bolt of the second locking element if a force directed perpendicular to the first axis of rotation is exerted on at least one of the bearing shell of the first locking element or on the locking bolt of the second locking element.

8. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 7, wherein the locking projection is arranged closer to an apex point of the connecting piece of the first locking element than the first axis of rotation.

9. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 7, wherein the torque of the torque-generating device, said torque opposing a rotation of the first locking element in the release direction, is determined by an angle which is defined by a tangent which lies on a region of the locking projection facing an apex point of the connecting piece, and by a straight line which runs perpendicular to the first axis of rotation through a center point of a circular arc segment defined by the bearing shell.

10. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 1, wherein the locking bolt of the second locking element comprises a core connected to a holding element and a roller which is plugged onto the core and is rotatable relative to the core about a second axis of rotation, wherein a second centering opening extending through the core coaxially with respect to the second axis of rotation is formed in the core.

11. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 1, which furthermore comprises a bearing element which is connectable to the first locking element, wherein the bearing element is provided with a third centering opening which, when the aircraft door locking system is installed on an aircraft door arrangement, is positionable relative to the first locking element in such a manner that said third centering opening is aligned with the first centering opening formed in a baseplate of the first locking element.

12. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 1, which furthermore comprises a sensor arrangement for sensing an operating state of the aircraft door locking system, wherein the sensor arrangement is configured to sense a position of the first locking element relative to the first element of the aircraft door arrangement.

13. The aircraft door locking system according to claim 1, furthermore comprising a drive system which is configured to rotate the first locking element about the first axis of rotation in order to adjust the aircraft door locking system between the release state and the locking state, wherein the drive system comprises a rotary shaft which extends coaxially with respect to the first axis of rotation and on which the first locking element is mounted for rotation therewith.

14. An aircraft door arrangement, comprising:

a first element,

a second element, and

at least one aircraft door locking system according to claim 1,

wherein the first locking element of the aircraft door locking system is fastened to the first element, and the second locking element of the aircraft door locking system is fastened to the second element.

15. The aircraft door arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the first element is in a form of an aircraft door and the second element is in a form of a doorframe.

16. The aircraft door arrangement according to claim 14, further comprising a plurality of said aircraft door locking systems, which are arranged distributed along two mutually opposite side edges of the first and the second element.

17. The aircraft door arrangement according to claim 16, furthermore comprising:

each of the plurality of door locking systems comprising a drive system which is configured to rotate the first locking element about the first axis of rotation to adjust the aircraft door locking system between the release state and the locking state,

wherein the drive system comprises a rotary shaft which extends coaxially with respect to the first axis of rotation and on which the first locking element is mounted for rotation therewith, and

wherein the drive systems of the aircraft door locking systems are coupled to one another in such a manner that only some of the aircraft door locking systems are driven directly while other aircraft door locking systems are driven indirectly.

18. The aircraft door arrangement according to claim 16, wherein only some of the aircraft door locking systems are provided with a sensor arrangement.