Goodrich Corporation

Adam J Ditzler

Zaffir A Chaudhry

William E Luce

Jason Bradley Allen

Basavaraj Bodki

Vishal Sreekumar Menon

A temperature compensating shock strut health indicator system for use with a shock strut comprises a visual indicator comprising a plurality of sectors and a pointer configured to rotate with respect to the visual indicator to point to one of the plurality of sectors. The sector to which the pointer points to is dependent on the shock strut stroke (i.e., the position of the piston with respect to the cylinder). In various embodiments, the visual indicator includes various rings that correspond to a different temperature compensated ideal stroke whereby a crew member can correspond the pointer to the appropriate ring depending on ambient temperature. In various embodiments, the pointer comprises a temperature sensitive material configured to cause the pointer to rotate with respect to the visual indicator to actively compensate for temperature.

Temperature compensated shock strut visual health indicator systems and methods

A system for shrinking landing gear includes a shock strut having a cylinder and a piston to be received by the cylinder. The system further includes a collar coupled to a brace linkage and the piston, a torque arm configured to resist rotation between the collar and the piston, and a shrink linkage coupled between the torque arm and the cylinder. The collar rotates relative to the cylinder in response to retraction of the landing gear. Rotation of the collar rotates the piston and the torque arm relative to the cylinder. The rotation of the collar relative to the cylinder forces, via the shrink linkage, the piston towards the aircraft attachment within the cylinder.

Shock strut shrinking system

Systems and methods for enabling aircraft shock strut shrink are provided. The system may comprise a shock strut comprising a shrink piston, an accumulator comprising a gas piston and a hydraulic chamber, wherein the gas piston is configured to apply gas pressure to the hydraulic chamber, and a first valve in fluid communication with the accumulator. The system may further comprise a second valve, wherein the second valve is in fluid communication with a vent, the pneumatic cylinder, and the gas piston, wherein the first valve is in fluid communication with the hydraulic chamber and the shrink piston.

Strut shrink using accumulator as energy source

A system for shrinking landing gear includes a shock strut having a cylinder and a piston to be received by the cylinder. The system further includes an upper cam fastened to the piston and a lower cam fastened to the cylinder. The system further includes a brace configured to be coupled to the shock strut to lock the landing gear in a deployed position, and to fold towards the shock strut during retraction of the landing gear. The system further includes a collar coupled to the brace and the piston and configured to rotate relative to the cylinder in response to folding of the brace such that rotation of the collar rotates the piston and the upper cam relative to the lower cam, the rotation of the upper cam relative to the lower cam forcing the piston towards the aircraft attachment within the cylinder.

A locking linkage system may comprise a lockable assembly comprising an upper brace, a lower brace coupled to the upper brace, and a linkage coupled to the upper brace and the lower brace. The locking linkage system may further comprise a downlock actuator comprising an electric motor coupled to the upper brace, a rotary output shaft coupled to the electric motor, a connecting output coupled to the rotary output shaft, wherein the connecting output shaft is configured to rotate between a fixed locked position and a fixed unlocked position, and a link rod having a distal end coupled to the linkage and a proximal end comprising a lost-motion joint, the lost-motion joint being coupled to a connection pin of connecting output shaft. The downlock actuator may be configured to toggle the linkage, the upper brace, and the lower brace between an unlocked position and a locked position.

Electrically powered downlock actuation system

A downlock actuator may comprise an electric motor, a gearbox coupled to the electric motor, the gearbox comprising a rotary output shaft, and a connecting output shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled to the rotary output shaft of the gearbox, wherein the connecting output shaft is configured to rotate between a shaft locked position and a shaft unlocked position, wherein the gearbox is back-drivable in response to the connecting output shaft being in the shaft unlocked position.

The present disclosure relates to cam operated shock absorber damper systems for use with landing gear. The cam operated shock absorber damper systems may comprise a cylinder and a piston mounted to slide telescopically in the cylinder and a snubber ring comprising rebounding orifices and compression orifices.

Cam-operated bi-directional shock absorber damper

An electrically-powered downlock actuation system for a landing gear that does not convert rotary motor output into linear motion during the actuation process, but instead uses the rotary motor output to directly drive a locking mechanism coupled to upper and lower landing gear braces. The electrically-powered downlock actuation system may include an electric motor, a gearbox (optional), a clutch (optional) and a fixed link to replace a hydraulically powered downlock actuation system. Further, the electrically-powered downlock actuation system may be controlled with motor control electronics that cooperate with one or more sensors arranged to detect a position of an output shaft.

A shrinking shock strut system for an aircraft landing gear having a retract actuator that is moveable in length to deploy or retract the landing gear, that includes a shrink strut and a transfer device. The shrink strut may be compressed in length for stowage in the fuselage. The transfer device may be in closed fluid communication with the strut shrink for transferring and receiving hydraulic fluid to and from the strut shrink. When actuated by an aircraft hydraulic system independent of any motion of the retract actuator, the transfer device may drive hydraulic fluid to the strut shrink thereby compressing or shrinking the shrink strut to a partially compressed length.

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Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Adam J Ditzler