Composite twin beam main landing gear for an aircraft
AssigneeCtlp, LLC
InventorsTodd H. Ashton, Easton D. Smith, James S. Winegar, Austin J. N. Blue, Linden S. Blue
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A main landing gear assembly for an aircraft has an upper beam and a lower beam. The proximal ends of the upper and lower beams are each connected to a trunnion assembly that is mounted on the fuselage or wing of the aircraft. The distal ends of the upper and lower beams are each affixed to an axel support structure on which a main wheel of the landing gear assembly is mounted. In the gear assembly, the upper beam and the lower beam are coplanar and act together, in combination, to accommodate a planar flexure of the gear assembly during aircraft takeoffs and landings.
Claims20
A landing gear assembly for an aircraft which comprises:
- an axel support structure;
- a trunnion assembly mounted on the aircraft;
- an upper beam made of a composite material, having a length L(upper), and extending between the trunnion assembly on the aircraft and the axel support structure;
- and
- a lower beam made of a composite material, having a length L(lower) extending between the trunnion assembly on the aircraft and the axel support structure, wherein the lower beam is coplanar with the upper beam to create a flexure unit to dissipate energy and to dampen rebound vibrations during a flexure of the gear assembly.
A landing gear assembly for an aircraft which comprises:
- an axel support structure for holding a wheel thereon;
- and
- a leaf spring made of a composite material with a proximal end mounted on the aircraft and a distal end affixed to the axel support structure.
A method for manufacturing a main landing gear for an aircraft with composite leaf springs, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a cure tool with a surface having a predetermined superficial shape, wherein the surface defines an undulating and cuspidate centerline and the surface extends symmetrically outward from the centerline in opposite directions along lines mutually perpendicular to the centerline;
- placing a strip of composite material along a preselected length of the centerline, wherein the strip has a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness;
- curing the strip of composite material on the cure tool to create a laminate element;
- repeating the placing step and the curing step as needed to create a plurality of different laminate elements;
- and
- establishing a flexure unit between an upper beam made of laminate elements and having a length L(upper) and a lower beam made of laminate elements and having a length L(lower), wherein the upper beam and the lower beam are coplanar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.