Societe Hispano Suiza Aerostructures

Jean-Claude Patrice Dhainault

A fail safe emergency lock for a thrust reverser is disclosed in which the thrust reverser is located on a jet engine having a cowling bounding a gas flow duct, the cowling having at least one reverse thrust opening in communication with the gas flow duct. The thrust reverser has a thrust reverser panel movably mounted on the cowling so as to be movable between a forward thrust position, in which the thrust reverser panel covers the reverse thrust opening, and a reverse thrust position in which the reverse thrust opening is uncovered. The thrust reverser also includes an emergency lock to lock the thrust reverser panel near the forward thrust position in which the lock has a support fixedly attached to either the cowling or the thrust reverser panel, a strike plate slidably located on the support, a plastically deformable element located between the support (32) and the strike plate, (31) and a lock bolt (25, 25a) movably located on the other of the cowling and thrust reverser panel so as to be moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position in which the lock bolt engages the strike plate. The arrangement of the elements are such that movement of the thrust reverser panel relative to the cowling away from the forward thrust position causes relative movement between the strike plate (31) and the support, (32) thereby causing plastic deformation of the plastically deformable element (42, 42a) and preventing further movement of the thrust reverser panel toward the reverse thrust position.

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Betheny, France

Jean-Claude Patrice Dhainault