Retracting hooks assembly
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsBill K. Taylor, Keith A. Kerns, Michael S. Grygla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fastening system with a rotatable fastener that may secure an aircraft store to an aircraft and may rotate to reduce a drag coefficient of the aircraft store. Reducing the drag coefficient of the aircraft store may increase fuel efficiency of the aircraft store by requiring less energy to propel the aircraft store at a given speed or acceleration. The rotatable fastener allows the aircraft store to attach to the aircraft and to possess a low drag coefficient once the aircraft store is deployed. The rotatable fastener member may be configured to conform to attachment interface standards, such as Standardization Agreement (“STANAG”) 3842 or any other suitable aircraft store attachment interface standard.
Claims22
A fastening system for securing an expendable aircraft store to an aircraft, including:
- a body that is configured to form part of the expendable aircraft store, the body extending along a longitudinal axis;
- a first fastener rotatably connected to the body, wherein the first fastener is rotatable about a first fastening axis;
- and
- a second fastener rotatably connected to the body opposite the first fastener relative to the longitudinal axis of the body, wherein the second fastener is rotatable about a second fastening axis, and wherein the second fastener is rotatable about a portion of the second fastening axis that is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis opposite the first fastening axis;
- wherein each fastener includes an engagement section for securing the respective fastener to a mechanical interface of the aircraft, each engagement section being radially outward of the respective fastening axis;
- wherein each fastener is rotatable from an open position, wherein the respective engagement section is engageable with the mechanical interface of the aircraft, to a closed position that reduces a drag coefficient of the fastening system compared to the open position, wherein when each fastener is in the closed position each longitudinal end of each fastener is flush with the body;
- and
- wherein the fastening system further includes first and second closed position adjusters comprising, a first movable protrusion and a second movable protrusion configured to adjust the closed position of the first fastener and second fastener, respectively, that are each extendable relative to the body, wherein the movable protrusions are extendable radially relative to the longitudinal axis to contact a respective radially inwardly facing surface of the corresponding first fastener or second fastener when each fastener is in the closed position, whereby each movable protrusion is extendable to a respective position wherein each longitudinal end of each fastener is flush with the body when each fastener contacts the corresponding movable protrusion.
A method of operating a fastening system for securing an expendable aircraft store to an aircraft, including;
- providing a body that is configured to form part of the expendable aircraft store, the body extending along a longitudinal axis;
- rotating a first fastener about a first fastening axis, wherein the first fastener is rotatably connected to the body;
- and
- rotating a second fastener about a second fastening axis that is laterally offset from the first fastening axis relative to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second fastener is rotatably connected to the body;
- extending a first movable protrusion of a first closed position adjuster of the fastening system, relative to the body to adjust the closed position of the first fastener;
- and
- extending a second movable protrusion of a second closed position adjuster of the fastening system, relative to the body to adjust the closed position of the second fastener, wherein each movable protrusion is extended radially relative to the longitudinal axis to contact a respective radially inwardly facing surface of the corresponding first fastener or second fastener when each fastener is in the closed position, whereby each movable protrusion is extended to a respective position wherein each longitudinal end of each fastener is flush with the body when each fastener contacts the corresponding movable protrusion;
- wherein each fastener includes an engagement section for securing the respective fastener to a mechanical interface of the aircraft, each engagement section being radially outward of the respective fastening axis;
- and
- wherein each fastener is rotatable from an open position, wherein the respective engagement section is engageable with a mechanical interface of the aircraft, to a closed position that reduces a drag coefficient of the fastening system compared to the open position, wherein when each fastener is in the closed position each longitudinal end of each fastener is flush with the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.