Telescopic device
AssigneeSafran Landing System UK LTD
InventorMatthew Hilliard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A telescopic device having a housing and a rod is slidably mounted within a bore of the housing. First and second bearings provide sliding engagement between the rod and the housing. The first bearing is mounted relatively close to the open end of the bore and the second bearing is mounted relatively far from the open end of the bore relative to the first bearing. The second bearing is annular in shape with a central axis, the bearing has a radially outer mounting surface of arcuate cross-section and a radially inner bearing surface for sliding engagement with an outer surface of the rod and wherein the inner sidewall is provided with an annular groove having a second mounting surface of arcuate cross-section to house and retain the second bearing.
Claims21
A telescopic device comprising:
- a housing comprising a single unitary member having an inner side wall surface defining a bore with an open end;
- a rod having an end slidably mounted within the bore to linearly move relative to the housing along a longitudinal axis between an extended position, where the telescopic device is relatively long, and a retracted position, where the telescopic device is relatively short;
- and
- a first bearing and a second bearing each defining a respective bearing surface arranged to provide sliding engagement between the rod and the housing, the first bearing being mounted to the single unitary member relatively close to the open end of the bore and the second bearing being mounted to the single unitary member relatively far from the open end of the bore relative to the first bearing,
- wherein the second bearing is annular in shape with a central axis and has a radially outer bearing mounting surface of arcuate cross-section and a radially inner bearing surface for sliding engagement with an outer surface of the rod and wherein the inner sidewall surface of the single unitary member is provided with an annular groove defining a groove mounting surface of arcuate cross-section to house and retain the second bearing;
- and
- wherein a diameter of the inner side wall of the housing between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than an outer diameter of the outer bearing surface of the arcuate cross-section of the second bearing.
A method of manufacturing a telescopic device, the method comprising:
- providing a housing comprising a single unitary member having an inner side wall surface defining a bore with an open end, the inner sidewall being provided with an annular groove having a second mounting surface of arcuate cross-section for mounting a second bearing relatively far from the open end of the bore relative to a first bearing mounted to the single unitary member, wherein a diameter of the inner side wall of the housing between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than an outer diameter of the outer bearing surface of the arcuate cross-section of the second bearing;
- providing a second bearing;
- inserting the second bearing into the bore, the second bearing being annular in shape with a central axis, the bearing having a radially outer mounting surface of arcuate cross-section and a radially inner bearing surface for sliding engagement with an outer surface of a rod;
- moving the second bearing to situate the second bearing in the annular groove;
- and
- inserting an end of the rod through the second bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.