US 2004/0164266 A1 · Mechanism with a push-pull cable for operating a valve in an aircraft

Abstract

A valve, e.g. of an aircraft drinking water system, has a rotatable adjusting shaft to adjust the valve between its open end position and its closed end position. A mechanism for operating the adjusting shaft includes a push-pull cable connected to a toothed rack that engages a toothed gear element secured to the adjusting shaft. The mechanism converts the push-pull linear motion of the cable to a reciprocating rotational motion of the adjusting shaft. End sections of the rack and the gear element have no gear teeth, so the rack automatically disengages from the gear element once the end position of the valve is reached. The disengaged rack can slide beyond the stopped end position of the gear element, and re-engages with the gear element once it slides back into the operating range. The valve cannot be forced beyond its end positions, despite excessive input motion of the cable.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A combination in an aircraft comprising:

a valve having a rotatable adjusting shaft, by rotation of which said valve is adjustable selectively between an open end position and a closed end position;
and
an operating mechanism including a toothed gear element and a toothed rack cooperating with said toothed gear element;
wherein said toothed gear element includes gear teeth, is rotatable, and is mechanically connected to said adjusting shaft of said valve so as to transmit a rotating motion of said toothed gear element to said adjusting shaft;
and
wherein said toothed rack includes rack teeth engaging said gear teeth so as to convert and transmit a linear motion of said toothed rack to said rotating motion of said toothed gear element.

3 more elements

A combination comprising:

a valve having a rotatable adjusting shaft, by rotation of which said valve is adjustable selectively between an open end position and a closed end position;
and
an operating mechanism including a toothed gear element and a toothed rack cooperating with said toothed gear element;
wherein said toothed gear element includes gear teeth, is rotatable, and is mechanically connected to said adjusting shaft of said valve so as to transmit a rotating motion of said toothed gear element to said adjusting shaft;
wherein said toothed rack includes rack teeth engaging said gear teeth so as to convert and transmit a linear motion of said toothed rack to said rotating motion of said toothed gear element;
wherein said toothed gear element includes only a limited number of said gear teeth distributed over a limited angular gear range;
wherein said toothed rack includes only a limited number of said rack teeth suitable for engagement with said limited number of said gear teeth, distributed over a limited linear rack range;
and
wherein said toothed gear element further includes respective blank gear sections without gear teeth on opposite sides of and adjoining said limited angular gear range, said toothed rack further includes respective blank rack sections without rack teeth on opposite sides of and adjoining said limited linear rack range, and said blank gear sections allow said blank rack sections to disengage therefrom so that said linear motion of said toothed rack can continue disengaged from said rotating motion of said toothed gear element beyond respective points at which said adjusting shaft has been rotated to said open end position or said closed end position of said valve.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mechanism with a push-pull cable for operating a valve in an aircraft

Life of this patent

Mechanism with a push-pull cable for operating a valve in an aircraft

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17