Disengageable interface mechanism between a motorization system of an aircraft landing gear assembly and a wheel

• US 8,794,092 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Tizac, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Ha D
• Application Number:
  US13/481,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120312112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 743/54, 744/21.A, 244/103.R, 244/103.S
• US Class Current: 74/354
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/405 Powered wheels, e.g. for taxing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/80 Energy efficient operational measures, e.g. ground operations or mission management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19367 Swinging carriage

Abstract

A motorization mechanism for a wheel of a landing gear assembly, including an input gear driven by a motor-reducer unit; a pendulum element, carrying two intermediate gear wheels driven in rotation by this element, with the intermediate gear wheels having synchronized rotation blocking mechanisms such that the two intermediate gear wheels can be simultaneously engaged or simultaneously released. The angular displacement of the pendulum element around its rotation axis is limited by a first and a second adjustable stop. These adjustable stops are set so that when the pendulum element comes into contact with an adjustable stop, the blocking mechanism of the intermediate gear wheels is freed, whereas it is engaged when the pendulum element is in the neutral position. This pendulum assembly faces a cog wheel that is capable of driving the hub of the said wheel.

Claims

1. A mechanism for motorizing a wheel of an aircraft'"'"'s landing gear comprising a motor-reducer unit and an interface device installed between the motor-reducer unit and the wheel, wherein the interface device comprises:

an input gear fitted so as to be directly driven by the motor-reducer unit and joined to a rotating shaft along a lateral axis Y;

a cog wheel along an axis parallel to lateral axis Y capable of driving a wheel rim of said wheel rotationally, with the cog wheel and the input gear arranged on a same vertical plane XZ and a vertical axis Z outlined by center lines of the input gear and the cog wheel, and a longitudinal axis X laid out perpendicular to the vertical Z axis in a middle plane of the cog wheel and the input gear;

a pendulum element, joined to the rotating shaft and set in a neutral position, carrying at least one intermediate gear wheel arranged on the XZ plane alongside the input gear, driven in rotation around a parallel lateral axis Y by the rotation of the input gear wheel,

wherein the at least one intermediate gear wheel contains a rotation blocking device,

wherein an angular path of the pendulum element around its rotation axis is limited by an adjustable stop, said adjustable stop being set so that when the pendulum element comes into contact with the adjustable stop, the blocking mechanism is just released, whereas the blocking mechanism is engaged when the pendulum element is in the neutral position, the distance between the pendulum element'"'"'s rotation axis and the rotation axis of the cog wheel is determined by the radius of the at least one intermediate gear wheel and said cog wheel, and by the cog wheel and the at least one intermediate gear wheel being fully engaged when the pendulum element comes to be blocked against the adjustable stop.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one intermediate gear wheel includes a first and a second intermediate gear wheel located on a vertical plane XZ, aranged on either side of the input gear onto the pendulum element and driven in rotation by the rotation of the input gear, with at least one of the first or second intermediate gear wheels comprising the rotation blocking device,

wherein the angular displacement of the pendulum element around its rotational axis is limited to a range comprising a minimal and maximum value by a first and a second adjustable stop;

wherein said adjustable stops are adjusted so that;

a) mesh lines of a gear with the cog wheel conform to theory,

b) when the pendulum element comes into contact with a stop, the blocking device is released, whereas the blocking device is engaged when the pendulum element is in the neutral position,

wherein said pendulum element faces the cog wheel,

wherein the distance between the pendulum element'"'"'s rotation axis and the rotation axis of the cog wheel is determined by the radius of the intermediate gear wheels and said cog wheel, and by the cog wheel and one or the other of the intermediate gear wheels being engaged when the pendulum element comes to be blocked against one or the other of the adjustable stops.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, wherein each of the first and second intermediate gear wheels comprise the blocking device and the blocking device is carried by the pendulum element and synchronized in such a way that the first and second intermediate gear wheels are either simultaneously engaged or simultaneously released.

4. A mechanism according to claim 2, wherein when at least one of the first and second intermediate gear wheels begin to engage with the cog wheel, and the pendulum element is not yet engaged by an adjustable stop, the blocking device is partially released and determines rotational play with regard to the first intermediate gear wheel.

5. An aircraft landing gear assembly, comprising a motorization mechanism according to claim 1.

6. An aircraft, comprising a motorization mechanism according to claim 1.