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US 6,550,510 B2Granted
Optimized demountable flange and retaining ring geometry for aircraft wheels
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorJon H. Champion
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorJon H. Champion
Estimating the term…
A technique for reducing the likelihood of fatigue damage to a wheel rim assembly (11) of the type having an annular wheel rim (13) with a first bead flange (19), a second separable bead flange (15, 21), and a retaining ring (17) disposable within a groove (35) in the wheel rim to secure the separable bead flange to the wheel rim includes forming the retaining ring to have an annular bead (41), a portion of which has an arcuate cross-sectional configuration by shaping the annular bead, in cross-section, as at least two tangentially joined circular segments (43, 45) of unequal radii (27, 29). Contact between the retaining ring and the wheel rim is limited to the arcuate portion as the sole contact region between retaining ring and wheel rim. The separable bead flange is formed to have a concave retaining ring engaging annular surface (25) which, in cross section has a finite radius of curvature (59) and the retaining ring is formed to have a separable bead flange engaging convex annular surface (23) which, in cross-section, has a finite radius of curvature (61). Each radius of curvature (59, 61) is constant throughout the respective engaging surfaces.
A method of reducing the likelihood of fatigue damage to a wheel rim assembly of the type having an annular wheel rim with a first bead flange, a second separable bead flange, and a retaining ring disposable within a groove in the wheel rim to secure the separable bead flange to the wheel rim, comprising:
A wheel rim assembly for receiving a tire having an annular wheel rim with a first bead flange, a second separable bead flange, and a retaining ring disposable within a groove in the wheel rim to engage both the wheel rim and a region of the separable bead flange to secure the separable bead flange to the wheel rim and retain an inflated tire between the first and second bead flanges, the region of engagement between the separable bead flange and retaining ring comprising abutting annular surfaces, each annular surface, in cross-section, having a finite radius of constant curvature, the radius of curvature of the separable bead flange surface exceeding the radius of curvature of the retaining ring surface.
A wheel rim assembly for receiving a tire having an annular wheel rim with a first bead flange, a second separable bead flange, and a retaining ring disposable within a groove in the wheel rim to engage both a region of the wheel rim and the separable bead flange to secure the separable bead flange to the wheel rim and retain an inflated tire between the first and second bead flanges, the region of engagement between the wheel rim and retaining ring comprising abutting annular surfaces which, in cross-section, separate from one another at points of tangency between the two surfaces at each of the two opposite extremities of the region of engagement.
A method of reducing the likelihood of fatigue damage to a wheel rim assembly of the type having an annular wheel rim with a first bead flange, a second separable bead flange, and a retaining ring disposable within a groove in the wheel rim to secure the separable bead flange to the wheel rim, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.