Latching apparatus and methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJan A. Kordel, Mark S. Good
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Latching apparatus and methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a first latch portion including a first tooth and a first pin disposed in a first aperture defined by the first tooth and a second latch portion including a second tooth and a second pin disposed in an second aperture defined by the second tooth. The second tooth of the second latch portion is to mesh with the first tooth of the first latch portion to substantially orient the first pin and the second pin along an axis. The example apparatus further includes an actuator adjacent a first end of one of the first latch portion or the second latch portion to move the first pin and the second pin along the axis to lock the first latch portion to the second latch portion.
Claims12
An apparatus, comprising:
- a wing of an aircraft including a first portion and a second portion, the second portion to move between a folded position and a spread position;
- a first catch disposed on the first portion of the wing and a second catch disposed on the second portion of the wing, the first catch adjacent the second catch when the second portion of the wing is in the spread position;
- a plurality of locking bars, a first one of the locking bars disposed in the first catch, a second one of the locking bars disposed in the second catch;
- and
- an actuator operatively coupled to a third one of the locking bars, the actuator to move the third one of the locking bars when the second portion of the wing is in the spread position to cause at least two of the locking bars to be disposed in each of the first catch and the second catch to lock the second portion of the wing in the spread position.
A method, comprising:
- engaging a first latch portion disposed on a first portion of a wing of an aircraft and a second latch portion disposed on a second portion of the wing, the first latch portion including a first catch and a first locking bar disposed in the first catch, the second latch portion including a second catch and a second locking bar disposed in the second catch;
- actuating an actuator to move a third locking bar from a first position to a second position, the third locking bar operatively coupled to one of the first locking bar or the second locking bar;
- and
- determining if the first locking bar and the second locking bar have moved from the first position to the second position to lock the first latch portion into engagement with the second latch portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.