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US 2018/0223572 A1Published application
Hold open rod assembly
AssigneeHartwell Corporation
InventorBo D. ARTIN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hold open rod assembly includes an outer tubular structure and an inner tubular structure positioned for telescoping movement relative to the outer tubular structure. A locking mechanism retains the hold open rod assembly in an extended state to support a panel of an aircraft in an open position at the selection of a user.
Claims12
A hold open rod assembly comprising,
- an outer tube,
- an inner tube extending into the outer tube and configured to slide relative to the outer tube between a fully retracted position where the inner tube is substantially received in the outer tube and a fully extended position where the inner tube is extended away from the outer tube,
- a locking mechanism positioned within the outer tube and coupled to the inner tube to move with the inner tube, the locking mechanism including one or more lock pins and a plunger positioned to engage with the lock pins, and
- a control shaft coupled to the outer tube,
- wherein the locking mechanism is configured for movement between a loaded configuration biasing the lock pins outward to engage the lock pins with the outer tube to block movement of the inner tube relative to the outer tube when the inner tube reaches the fully extended position and an unloaded configuration where the lock pins are allowed to move inward to allow movement of the inner tube relative to the outer tube, and the control shaft engages with the locking mechanism and defines a reset point at a predetermined location along a length of travel of the inner tube relative to the outer tube to allow movement of the locking mechanism from the unloaded configuration to the loaded configuration.
2 more elements
A method of operating a hold open rod assembly comprising,
- sliding an inner tube relative to an outer tube toward a fully extended position away from a collapsed position,
- engaging lock pins of a locking mechanism with the outer tube to place the hold open rod assembly in a locked state,
- sliding a lock-release sleeve relative to the inner tube to slide a plunger of the locking mechanism relative to the lock pins from a hold position to a release position to disengage the plunger from the lock pins and place the hold open rod assembly in an unloaded configuration,
- sliding the inner tube relative to an outer tube away from the collapsed position to disengage the lock pins from the outer tube to place the hold open rod assembly in an unlocked state and allow the inner tube to slide relative to the outer tube toward a fully retracted position, and
- resetting the locking mechanism by sliding the inner tube relative to the outer tube toward the collapsed position and passing a plunger-motion controller over a reset point on a control shaft coupled to the outer tube to allow the plunger to move toward the hold position and bias the lock pins outward.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.