초록 ▼

A load limiter for preventing stall torque from being transmitted from a power drive unit to the flight control surfaces of an aircraft. The present invention provides such a load limiter in a package having lower weight and smaller spacial requirements than has been heretofore possible. The power d

A load limiter for preventing stall torque from being transmitted from a power drive unit to the flight control surfaces of an aircraft. The present invention provides such a load limiter in a package having lower weight and smaller spacial requirements than has been heretofore possible. The power drive unit of the aircraft generates torque which is transmitted from a rotating input shaft to a worm gear, to a helical gear, to a ball screw, and to the flight control surface of the aircraft. If the flight control surface becomes jammed or otherwise prevented from movement, the ball screw, and consequently the helical gear, stop rotating. However, the stall torque of the power drive unit will continue to cause the input shaft to rotate, which will in turn cause the worm gear to rotate and interact with the helical gear. Since the helical gear cannot move, the helical gear will cause the worm gear to axially translate relative to the input shaft. The worm gear is normally prevented from such movement by compression and tension springs laterally flanking the worm gear, but by sizing the springs to be overcome by the level of the stall torque, one of the springs, depending on the direction of rotation of the input shaft, will compress to allow the worm gear to axially move and thus cause a toothed plated attached to the worm gear to engage a mating toothed plated fixed to the actuator housing. The engaged plates therefore ground the stall torque to the housing to prevent damage to the flight control surface and its transmission. The load limiter is disengaged by reversing the direction of rotation of the input shaft.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A load limiter, comprising:a housing having a toothed plate fixedly attached thereto;an actuator shaft mounted for rotation within the housing and adapted to receive torque from a power drive unit;a worm gear splined to the actuator shaft and adapted to rotate with the ac

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A load limiter, comprising:a housing having a toothed plate fixedly attached thereto;an actuator shaft mounted for rotation within the housing and adapted to receive torque from a power drive unit;a worm gear splined to the actuator shaft and adapted to rotate with the actuator shaft, the worm gear further adapted to axially translate relative to the actuator shaft, the worm gear including a toothed plate adapted to rotate with the worm gear and opposing the housing toothed plate;a helical gear engaging the worm gear and being rotated thereby;a ball screw coupled to the helical gear for rotation therewith, the ball screw adapted to be attached to a movable element; andfirst and second springs laterally flanking the worm gear to prevent axial translation of the worm gear relative to the actuator shaft when the power drive unit generates less than stall torque, one of the first and second springs adapted to compress when the power drive unit generates stall torque to thereby allow the worm gear to axially translate relative to the actuator shaft and cause the worm gear toothed plate to engage the housing toothed plate to prevent further rotation of the actuator shaft.