ADJUSTABLE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A landing gear system for an aircraft, the landing gear system comprising:
- a shock strut assembly having a housing, a cylinder and a piston, wherein the piston is movably receivable with respect to the cylinder and the housing is sized to telescopically receive at least a portion of the cylinder, the housing pivotally coupled to the aircraft at a first longitudinal distance from an aircraft center of gravity; and
a linkage member having a first portion moveable relative to a second portion, the first portion pivotally coupled to the aircraft at a second longitudinal distance from the aircraft center of gravity, the second longitudinal distance aft of the first longitudinal distance by a desired amount, the second portion pivotally coupled to the cylinder, the linkage member actuatable from a first length to a second length to change a pre-flight angle of attack of the aircraft when the landing gear system is in a deployed configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A landing gear system includes a shock strut assembly and a linkage member coupled to an aircraft. Preferably, the shock strut assembly and linkage member are oriented or angled relative to one another in a non-parallel relationship. Actuation of the linkage member moves the shock strut from a de-hiked to a hiked configuration or vice-versa. In addition, the orientation of the linkage member relative to the shock strut assembly permits it to automatically move the shock strut assembly to the de-hiked position during retraction of the landing gear system and prevents the shock strut assembly from exceeding a desired length during retraction. The linkage member may take the form of a hydraulic actuator having a lower end portion coupled to an inner cylinder of the shock strut assembly and an upper end portion coupled to the aircraft aft of where the shock strut assembly is coupled to the aircraft.
43 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A landing gear system for an aircraft, the landing gear system comprising:
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a shock strut assembly having a housing, a cylinder and a piston, wherein the piston is movably receivable with respect to the cylinder and the housing is sized to telescopically receive at least a portion of the cylinder, the housing pivotally coupled to the aircraft at a first longitudinal distance from an aircraft center of gravity; and a linkage member having a first portion moveable relative to a second portion, the first portion pivotally coupled to the aircraft at a second longitudinal distance from the aircraft center of gravity, the second longitudinal distance aft of the first longitudinal distance by a desired amount, the second portion pivotally coupled to the cylinder, the linkage member actuatable from a first length to a second length to change a pre-flight angle of attack of the aircraft when the landing gear system is in a deployed configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A landing gear system for an aircraft, the landing gear system comprising:
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a shock strut assembly having a housing, a cylinder and a piston, wherein the piston is movably receivable by the cylinder and the housing is sized to telescopically receive at least a portion of the cylinder, the housing pivotally coupled to the aircraft at a first distance from an aircraft center of gravity; and a linkage member having a first portion moveable relative to a second portion along a linkage member longitudinal axis, the first portion pivotally coupled to the aircraft at a second distance from the aircraft center of gravity, the second portion pivotally coupled to the cylinder, wherein based on an orientation of the linkage member longitudinal axis relative to a shock strut longitudinal axis the linkage member is configured to urge the shock strut assembly into a stowed configuration upon retraction of the landing gear system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a landing gear system of an aircraft, the landing gear system having at least one shock strut, the method comprising:
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moving the landing gear system to a deployed configuration with the shock strut in a de-hiked configuration relative to the aircraft; actuating a linkage member to urge the shock strut from the de-hiked configuration to a hiked configuration while the aircraft is static, the linkage member having a first end portion coupled to a telescoping cylinder of the shock strut and a second end portion coupled to the aircraft in a location aft of where the shock strut is coupled to the aircraft; and while retracting the landing gear system from the deployed configuration to a stowed configuration, shortening the shock strut through operation of a kinematic relationship between the linkage member and the shock strut. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification