Landing gear provided with energy absorber means, an aircraft provided with said landing gear, and a method of landing
AssigneeAirbus Helicopters
InventorsJean-Jacques Ferrier, Pierre Prudhomme-Lacroix
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aircraft landing gear (10) provided with at least one contact means (20) for making contact with a contact surface (S). The landing gear includes energy absorber means (30) provided with an inflatable airbag (31) secured to said contact means (20), said energy absorber means (30) being provided with control means (32) and with at least one inflation means (32) for inflating said airbag (31) under the control of said control means (32), said energy absorber means (30) including adjuster means (34) for adjusting the pressure that exists inside (INT) said airbag (31).
Claims18
Aircraft landing gear provided with at least one contact means for making contact with a contact surface (S), wherein the landing gear includes energy absorber means provided with an inflatable airbag secured to said contact means and suitable for interposing itself between said contact surface (S) and said contact means, said energy absorber means being provided with control means and with at least one inflation means for inflating said airbag under the control of said control means, said energy absorber means including adjuster means for adjusting the pressure that exists inside (INT) said airbag, said adjuster means comprising at least one orifice open to the inside (INT) of the airbag, said contact means being dimensioned to withstand the forces that result from landing at a predetermined vertical speed, said open orifice being dimensioned to enable said contact means to make contact with the contact surface (S) at said predetermined vertical speed.
A method of landing for touching an aircraft down on a contact surface, said aircraft having landing gear provided with at least one contact means, said aircraft including energy absorber means provided with an inflatable airbag secured to said contact means and suitable for interposing itself between said contact surface (S) and said contact means, said energy absorber means being provided with control means and at least one inflation means for inflating said airbag under the control of said control means, said energy absorber means including adjuster means for adjusting the pressure that exists in the inside (INT) of said airbag, during which method said airbag is inflated equally well:
- either when the height between said contact means and said contact surface is less than a predetermined threshold height while a vertical speed of said contact means is greater than a predetermined vertical speed;
- or
- else when said contact surface comprises a flexible material into which the contact means might penetrate;
- and after said airbag has been inflated, the adjuster means are used to adjust the pressure that exists in the inside (INT) of said airbag in order to enable said contact means to make contact with the contact surface (S) at said predetermined vertical speed.
An energy absorber for an aircraft landing gear, the landing gear being connected to an aircraft fuselage and having a contact point for contacting a landing area, the landing gear being configured to withstand a landing at a vertical speed threshold, the energy absorber comprising:
- an inflatable airbag secured to the landing gear and configured to interpose between the contact point and the landing area upon activation;
- a controller;
- an inflation device associated with the airbag and configured to inflate the airbag in response to a command from the controller;
- and
- a pressure adjuster associated with the airbag and configured to adjust the pressure inside the airbag to reduce an aircraft velocity to the vertical speed threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.