×

Aircraft landing gear monitoring apparatus

  • US 9,008,871 B2
  • Filed: 03/05/2008
  • Issued: 04/14/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for monitoring the load on at least one part of an aircraft landing gear during landing of the aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:

  • monitoring output from a landing gear deployment sensor for a first indication indicating that the landing gear of the aircraft has been deployed;

    obtaining strain measurements from one or more parts of said landing gear in response to said first indication until one or more of said strain measurements exceeds a first predetermined strain threshold indicating a landing event having occurred;

    storing data representing the peak strain measurement if said peak strain measurement exceeds a second predetermined strain threshold indicating that said landing event represented a hard landing;

    enabling a wireless transmitter in response to said storing of said peak strain measurement data for transmitting said peak strain measurement data from said aircraft to an external device, wherein powering up of a measurement device is delayed for a first predetermined period after said first indication from said landing gear deployment sensor, and wherein said predetermined period is set so as to conserve power before said landing; and

    ,determining whether a landing has occurred when the strain has exceeded the first pre-determined threshold;

    based on said determining, wherein said transmitter is disabled after a second predetermined period after said landing event, and stopping said sampling after a first delay if said landing has occurred, or said transmitter is disabled in response to a detection of a second indication from said landing gear deployment sensor indicating that said landing gear has been stowed, and stopping said sampling after a second delay if said landing has not occurred, wherein said second delay is longer than said first delay.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×