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US 10,239,631 B2Granted
Aircraft receptacle
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsBrian Lewis, Bruce M. Whiteman, Christopher Mark Alley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for an aircraft receptacle. The aircraft receptacle comprises an actuator connected to a number of latches and a tension spring connected to the number of latches. The actuator is part of an actuation system. The elastic member holds the number of latches in a disengaged position after failure of the actuation system.
Claims21
An aircraft receptacle comprising:
- an actuator connected to a number of latches, wherein the actuator is part of an actuation system connected to a power source;
- and
- a single elastic member connected to all the number of latches, the single elastic member configured to hold all the number of latches in a disengaged position when the actuator receives no power from the power source;
- such that the disengaged position comprises retention of the number of latches in a number of first cavities and prevention of the number of latches from extension into a second cavity of the aircraft receptacle, such that the second cavity comprises a refueling boom cavity.
1 more element
An aircraft refueling receptacle system that comprises:
- an aircraft refueling receptacle configured to engage a refueling boom during flight;
- and
- a single elastic member connected to all of a number of latches, the single elastic member configured to hold, responsive to a loss of power from a power source to an actuation system connected to the number of latches the number of latches in a number of first cavities and prevent the number of latches from extending inside a second cavity of the aircraft refueling receptacle, such that the second cavity comprises a boom cavity.
A method comprising:
- controlling a number of latches of an aircraft refueling receptacle between an engaged position and a disengaged position with an actuation system;
- and
- maintaining, responsive to the actuation system failing, all of the number of latches in the disengaged position via a single elastic member, such that maintaining the number of latches in the disengaged position comprises holding the number of latches in a number of first cavities and preventing the number of latches from extending into a second cavity of the aircraft refueling receptacle, wherein the second cavity is a boom cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.