Aircraft landing gear assembly
AssigneeSafran Landing Systems UK LTD
InventorsNicholas Foster, Sam Evans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft landing gear assembly including structural members coupled via a coupling including a bearing. The bearing has a body defining a first bearing surface arranged to contact a first counter-face of the coupling. The first bearing surface is defined by a first tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a first type having an axis and containing synthetic fibres of a first type wound around and along the axis of the bearing. The bearing body further has a second tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a second type containing synthetic fibres of a second type wound around and along the axis of the bearing.
Claims19
An aircraft landing gear assembly comprising a first structural member coupled to a second structural member via a mechanical coupling, the mechanical coupling comprising a bearing, the bearing defining a first bearing surface arranged to contact a first counter-face of the coupling, the first bearing surface being defined by a first tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a first type having an axis and containing synthetic fibres of a first type wound around and along the rotation axis of the first tubular layer, the bearing further comprising a second tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a second type containing synthetic fibres of a second type wound around and along the rotation axis of the first tubular layer, wherein one of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers has greater compressive loading capability than the other and the other of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers comprises dry lubricant particles.
An aircraft including one or more aircraft landing gear assemblies, each aircraft landing gear assembly comprising a first structural member coupled to a second structural member via a mechanical coupling, the mechanical coupling comprising a bearing, the bearing defining a first bearing surface arranged to contact a first counter-face of the coupling, the first bearing surface being defined by a first tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a first type having an axis and containing synthetic fibres of a first type wound around and along a rotation axis of the first tubular layer, the bearing further comprising a second tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a second type containing synthetic fibres of a second type wound around and along the rotation axis of the first tubular layer, wherein one of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers has greater compressive loading capability than the other and/or wherein the other of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers comprises dry lubricant particles.
A method of forming an aircraft landing gear assembly bearing, the method comprising:
- forming a first tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a first type having an axis and containing synthetic fibres of a first type wound around and along a rotation axis of the first tubular layer;
- forming a second tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a second type containing synthetic fibres of a second type wound around and along the outer surface of the first tubular layer;
- and
- curing the first and second layers to form a consolidated tubular body;
- wherein the one of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers has greater compressive strength characteristics than the other and/or wherein the other of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers contains dry lubricant particles.
A method of forming or maintaining an aircraft landing gear assembly comprising a first structural member coupled to a second structural member via a mechanical coupling, the mechanical coupling comprising a bearing, the bearing defining a first bearing surface arranged to contact a first counter-face of the coupling, the method comprising:
- fitting a bearing to the coupling, the bearing defining a first bearing surface arranged to contact the first counter-face of the coupling, the first bearing surface being defined by a first tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a first type having an axis and containing synthetic fibres of a first type wound around and along a rotation axis of the first tubular layer, the bearing further comprising a second tubular layer of fibre reinforced polymer of a second type containing synthetic fibres of a second type wound around and along the rotation axis of the first tubular layer, wherein the one of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers has greater compressive strength characteristics than the other and/or wherein the other of the first and second fibre reinforced polymers contains dry lubricant particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.