US 2010/0140392 A1 · TOWBARLESS AIRPLANE TUG

Abstract

Disclosed a towbarless airplane tug and method of operating thereof. The tug comprises a chassis mounted on a plurality of tug wheels, at least some of said tug wheels being steerable tug wheels and at least some of said tug wheels being drivable tug wheels; an airplane wheel support turret assembly, rotatably mounted in connection with said chassis and operative to support at least one wheel of a nose landing gear of an airplane; at least one rotation sensor connected to said wheel support turret assembly and operative to sense rotation of said wheel support turret assembly relative to said chassis, said rotation resulting at least from steering control induced movement of the nose landing gear caused by pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane, and to generate an output indicating a direction of said pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane; at least one tug wheel driver unit operative to drive said drivable tug wheels; at least one tug wheel steering mechanism operative to steer said steerable tug wheels thereby providing steering of said chassis; and at least one tug controller operative to control operation of at least said tug wheel steering mechanism at least in response to said output of said rotation sensor, so as to cause steering said steerable tug wheels such that said chassis moves in the direction indicated in said output of said rotation sensor.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A towbarless airplane tug comprising:

(a) a chassis mounted on a plurality of tug wheels, at least some of said tug wheels being steerable tug wheels and at least some of said tug wheels being drivable tug wheels;
(b) an airplane wheel support turret assembly, rotatably mounted in connection with said chassis and operative to support at least one wheel of a nose landing gear of an airplane;
(c) at least one rotation sensor connected to said wheel support turret assembly and operative to sense rotation of said wheel support turret assembly relative to said chassis, said rotation resulting at least from steering control induced movement of the nose landing gear caused by pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane, and to generate an output indicating a direction of said pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane;
(d) at least one tug wheel driver unit operative to drive said drivable tug wheels;
(e) at least one tug wheel steering mechanism operative to steer said steerable tug wheels thereby providing steering of said chassis;
and
(f) at least one tug controller operative to control operation of at least said tug wheel steering mechanism at least in response to said output of said rotation sensor, so as to cause steering said steerable tug wheels such that said chassis moves in the direction indicated in said output of said rotation sensor.

4 more elements

A towbarless airplane tug comprising:

(a) a chassis mounted on a plurality of tug wheels, at least some of said tug wheels being steerable tug wheels and at least some of said tug wheels being drivable tug wheels;
(b) an airplane wheel support turret assembly, rotatably mounted in connection with said chassis and operative to support at least one wheel of a nose landing gear of an airplane;
(c) a horizontal base assembly supporting said wheel support turret assembly and engaged to said chassis by at least one energy absorber assembly mounted between said horizontal base assembly and said chassis;
(d) at least one rotation sensor connected to said wheel support turret assembly and operative to sense rotation of said wheel support turret assembly relative to said chassis, said rotation resulting at least from steering control induced movement of the nose landing gear caused by pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane, and further operative to generate an output indicating a direction of said pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane;
(e) at least one first force sensor operative in engagement with at least one nose landing gear wheel so as to sense forces applied to said nose landing gear wheel in at least one generally horizontal direction, and further operative to generate an output indicating a difference in acceleration and/or deceleration of said airplane tug relative to acceleration and/or deceleration of the airplane being towered thereby, said difference caused, at least, by pilot-controlled deceleration of the airplane;
(f) at least one second force sensor positioned in engagement with said energy absorber so as to sense forces applied to said energy absorber and operative to generate an output indicating a difference in acceleration and/or deceleration of said airplane tug relative to acceleration and/or deceleration of the airplane being towered thereby, said difference caused, at least, by pilot-controlled deceleration of the airplane;
(g) at least one tug controller operative to control operation of said tug in response to at least one output among the outputs generated by said sensors.

4 more elements

A towbarless airplane tug comprising:

(a) a chassis mounted on a plurality of tug wheels, at least some of said tug wheels being steerable tug wheels and at least some of said tug wheels being drivable tug wheels;
(b) an airplane wheel support turret assembly, rotatably mounted in connection with said chassis and operative to support at least one wheel of a nose landing gear of an airplane;
(c) a horizontal base assembly supporting said wheel support turret assembly and engaged to said chassis by at least one energy absorber assembly mounted between said horizontal base assembly said chassis;
(d) at least one tug wheel driver unit operative to drive said drivable tug wheels;
(e) at least one second force sensor positioned in engagement with said energy absorber so as to sense forces applied to said energy absorber and operative to generate an output indicating a difference in acceleration and/or deceleration of said airplane tug relative to acceleration and/or deceleration of the airplane being towered thereby, said difference caused, at least, by pilot-controlled deceleration of the airplane;
and
(f) at least one tug controller operative to control, responsive at least to said output of said second force sensor, said tug driver unit so as to maintain the forces applied to said nose landing gear of said airplane within predefined limits.

4 more elements

A method of operating a towbarless airplane tug comprising a chassis mounted on a plurality of tug wheels, an airplane wheel support turret assembly mounted in connection with said chassis and operative to support at least one wheel of a nose landing gear of an airplane, at least one tug wheel driver unit operative to drive drivable tug wheels among said plurality of tug wheels, and at least one tug wheel steering mechanism operative to steer steerable tug wheels among said plurality of tug wheels, the method comprising:

(a) sensing rotation of said airplane wheel support turret assembly relative to said chassis with the help of at least one rotation sensor connected to said wheel support turret assembly, said rotation is resulted at least from steering control induced movement of nose landing gear caused by pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane;
(b) generating an output of said rotation sensor indicative of direction of pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane;
(c) controlling, responsive at least to said generated output of said rotation sensor, said tug wheel steering mechanism so as to cause steering said tug wheels such that said chassis moves in direction indicated in said output of said rotation sensor.

(a) sensing, with the help of at least one first force sensor positioned in engagement with said nose landing gear wheel, forces applied to said nose landing gear wheel in at least one generally horizontal direction;
(b) generating an output of said first force sensor indicative of a difference in acceleration and/or deceleration of said airplane tug relative to acceleration and/or deceleration of the airplane being towed thereby, said difference caused, at least, by pilot-controlled deceleration of the airplane;
and
(c) controlling, responsive at least to said generated output of said first force sensor, said tug driver unit so as to maintain the forces applied to said nose landing gear of said airplane within predefined limits.

1 more element

A method of operating a towbarless airplane tug comprising a chassis mounted on a plurality of tug wheels, an airplane wheel support turret assembly mounted in connection with said chassis and operative to support at least one wheel of a nose landing gear of an airplane, a horizontal base assembly supporting said wheel support turret assembly and engaged to said chassis by at least one energy absorber assembly mounted between said horizontal base assembly and said chassis, at least one tug wheel driver unit operative to drive drivable tug wheels among said plurality of tug wheels, and at least one tug wheel steering mechanism operative to steer steerable tug wheels among said plurality of tug wheels, the method comprising:

(a) sensing rotation of said wheel support turret assembly relative to said chassis with the help of at least one rotation sensor connected to said wheel support turret assembly, said rotation resulting at least from steering control induced movement of the nose landing gear caused by pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane, and generating an output of said rotation sensor indicating a direction of said pilot-controlled ground steering of said airplane;
(b) sensing forces applied to said nose landing gear wheel in at least one generally horizontal direction with the help of at least one first force sensor operative in engagement with said nose landing gear wheel, and generating an output of said first force sensor indicating a difference in acceleration and/or deceleration of said airplane tug relative to acceleration and/or deceleration of the airplane being towed thereby, said difference caused, at least, by pilot-controlled deceleration of the airplane;
(c) sense forces applied to said energy absorber with the help of at least one second force sensor positioned in engagement with said energy absorber, and generating an output of said second force sensor indicating a difference in acceleration and/or deceleration of said airplane tug relative to acceleration and/or deceleration of the airplane being towed thereby, said difference caused, at least, by pilot-controlled deceleration of the airplane;
(d) controlling operation of said tug with the help of at least one tug controller operative to in response to at least one output among the outputs generated by said sensors.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Towbarless airplane tug

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Towbarless airplane tug

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28