Actuator lock
AssigneeMicrotecnica S.R.L.
InventorMarco Gianfranceschi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A locking device for use in a rotor blade, said locking device comprising: a locking member that is arranged to be movable from an unlocked position to a locking position upon experiencing sufficiently fast rotation; and a selectively engagable retaining device arranged when engaged to retain the locking member in the unlocked position. The locking device will typically default to an unlocked position during normal rotation and will only be locked so as to prevent movement when the retaining device is de-activated. A method of locking an actuator is also disclosed. The locking device has applications in helicopter rotor blades and wind turbine blades amongst others.
Claims10
A rotor blade comprising:
- a locking device positioned inside the rotor blade, said locking device comprising:
- a locking member that is arranged to move radially with respect to the rotor blade and to be movable from an unlocked position to a locking position upon experiencing sufficiently fast rotation of the rotor blade, said locking position being radially outward of said unlocked position;
- a selectively engageable retaining device arranged when engaged to retain the locking member in the unlocked position;
- and
- a resilient biasing device, arranged to bias the locking member in the direction of the unlocked position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.