# US 10,479,472 B2 · Cover panel for aircraft landing gear wheel well > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,472 B2 - Document ID: US10479472B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/611,425 - Filed: 2017-06-01 - Published: 2018-12-06 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-01 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: David W. Kirkbride; Jerald C. Baillie, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479472B2 ## CPC - B64C 1/14: Windows; Doors; Hatch covers or access panels; Surrounding frame structures; Canopies; Windscreens {accessories therefor, e.g. pressure sensors, water deflectors, hinges, seals, handles, latches, windscreen wipers}(fairings movable in conjunction with undercarriage elements B64C25/16; bomb doors B64D1/06) - B64C 25/12: sideways - B64C 25/16: Fairings movable in conjunction with undercarriage elements - B64C 25/34: wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies - B64C 2025/125: {into the fuselage, e.g. main landing gear pivotally retracting into or extending out of the fuselage} - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS ## Abstract An aerodynamic cover panel for a landing gear wheel well in an undercarriage of an aircraft includes at least one embodiment having a peripheral lip that defines a plane. Movements of the cover panel to open and close the wheel well are confined to pivotal rotation within the plane, and occur within an aerodynamic boundary layer of the undercarriage about a pivot axis in one rotational direction to open the wheel well, and in an opposite rotational direction to close the wheel well. The cover panel includes a flange, to which a rotary shaft is secured at one end for rotation about the pivot axis. The other end of the rotary shaft is secured to an actuator fixed within the undercarriage. In one embodiment, the cover panel rotates about an arc of least 75° between fully opened and fully closed positions of the wheel well. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A landing gear door rotatably secured to an aircraft undercarriage adjacent a wheel well; the landing gear door comprising: a cover panel defining a plane oriented substantially parallel to the aircraft undercarriage, the cover panel configured to close and open the landing gear wheel well; wherein movement of the cover panel is substantially limited to rotation of the cover panel within the plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein during flight the undercarriage has an associated aerodynamic boundary layer; wherein the plane of the cover panel lies within the aerodynamic boundary layer; and wherein the cover panel has an aerodynamic shape and is configured to pivot in a first direction within the aerodynamic boundary layer to open the wheel well, and to pivot in a second direction within the aerodynamic boundary layer to close the wheel well. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein the cover panel rotates in an arc of least 75° between fully opened and fully closed positions of the wheel well. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein the aircraft undercarriage comprises a substantially planar surface surrounding the wheel well opening, and wherein the plane of the cover panel is parallel to the surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein the cover panel is a noncircular disc. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein the cover panel rotates in a single rotational direction to both open and close the wheel well. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein the cover panel has a peripheral lip. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The landing gear door of claim 7, wherein the peripheral lip provides an aerodynamic seal about the wheel well. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein the cover panel comprises a circular disc. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The landing gear door of claim 9, wherein the cover panel is convex with respect to the aircraft undercarriage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The landing gear door of claim 1, wherein rotation of the cover panel is about a single pivot axis on the undercarriage, the pivot axis extending at a substantially orthogonal angle to the plane of the cover panel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The landing gear door of claim 11, further including a rotary shaft configured to rotate about the pivot axis; and wherein the cover panel includes a flange pivotally secured via the rotary shaft to the aircraft undercarriage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The landing gear door of claim 12, wherein the rotary shaft extends orthogonally with respect to the cover panel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The landing gear door of claim 12, wherein the flange is integral to the cover panel, and both are formed of a lightweight composite material. ### Claim 15 A cover door retrofit kit for an aircraft undercarriage having a wheel well, the cover door configured to open and close the wheel well by pivotal rotation within a plane substantially parallel to the aircraft undercarriage; the cover door retrofit kit comprising: a substantially planar wheel well cover door; a rotary shaft configured to be secured to the wheel well cover door at a substantially orthogonal angle to an edge portion of the wheel well cover door; an actuator motor configured to pivot the rotary shaft relative to the undercarriage for moving the wheel well cover door substantially within a plane defined by the wheel well cover door, such that the cover door is configured to remain within the plane when moving to and away from the wheel well opening; wherein the rotary shaft is configured to rotate the cover door between open and closed positions of the wheel well. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The cover door retrofit kit of claim 15, wherein the cover door comprises a convex surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The cover door retrofit kit of claim 15, wherein the cover door includes a pivot flange. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The cover door retrofit kit of claim 17, wherein the flange comprises the edge portion. ### Claim 19 A method of opening and closing a landing gear wheel well in an aircraft undercarriage, including the steps of: configuring a cover door for attachment to the aircraft undercarriage adjacent a wheel well of the aircraft; affixing a rotary shaft between the undercarriage and the cover door by securing a first end of the rotary shaft to an actuator motor fixed to the undercarriage, and by securing a second end of the rotary shaft to a flanged edge of the cover door; configuring the cover door to pivot within a plane defined by the cover door, so that the cover door is confined to movement within a plane parallel to the undercarriage; and rotating the cover door by moving the rotary shaft to pivot the cover door about an arc within the plane to open and close the wheel well. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further including forming the cover door to have a convex exterior with respect to the undercarriage.