Shrink shock strut locking mechanism for retractable aircraft landing gear
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorWilliam E. Luce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shrink shock strut assembly for retractable aircraft landing gear is disclosed which includes an elongated strut cylinder, an elongated strut piston coaxially mounted for reciprocal movement within the strut cylinder between a shrunk condition when the landing gear is retracted into a wheel well of an aircraft and a fully extended condition when the landing gear is deployed from the wheel well for landing the aircraft, and a blocking mechanism operatively associated with the strut cylinder and mounted for movement into a blocking position with respect to the strut piston, when the landing gear is retracted within the wheel well, to prevent axial movement of the strut piston into the fully extended condition within the wheel well.
Claims21
A shrink shock strut assembly for retractable aircraft landing gear, comprising:
- a) an elongated strut cylinder;
- b) an elongated strut piston coaxially mounted for reciprocal movement within the strut cylinder between a shrunk condition when the landing gear is retracted into a wheel well of an aircraft and a fully extended condition when the landing gear is deployed from the wheel well for landing the aircraft;
- and
- c) a blocking mechanism operatively associated with the strut cylinder and mounted for movement into a blocking position with respect to the strut piston, when the landing gear is retracted within the wheel well, to prevent axial movement of the strut piston into the fully extended condition within the wheel well.
A shrink shock strut assembly for retractable aircraft landing gear, comprising:
- a) an elongated strut cylinder;
- b) an elongated strut piston having an upper end portion coaxially mounted for reciprocal movement within the strut cylinder between a shrunk condition when the landing gear is retracted into a wheel well of an aircraft and a fully extended condition when the landing gear is deployed from the wheel well for landing the aircraft;
- c) a strut bearing connected to the upper portion of the strut piston within the strut cylinder and having a capture notch formed therein;
- and
- d) a plunger operatively associated with the strut cylinder, mounted for movement between a retracted position spaced from the strut bearing when the strut piston is in a fully extended condition deployed from the wheel well of the aircraft and a blocking position with respect to the capture notch when the strut piston is in a shrunk condition within the wheel well of the aircraft, to prevent axial movement of the strut piston into the fully extended condition within the wheel well.
A method of a preventing a compressed shrink shock strut assembly of a retractable aircraft landing gear from moving to a fully extended condition within a wheel well of an aircraft, comprising the steps of:
- a) axially compressing a strut piston and strut cylinder of a shrink shock strut assembly into a shrunk condition for retraction into the wheel well of an aircraft;
- and
- b) blocking axial movement of the strut piston into a fully extended condition while the landing gear is retracted within the wheel well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.