Powered clutch for aircraft wheel drive system
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B64C-025/40
F16D-011/14
B60K-007/00
F16D-028/00
출원번호
US-0216911
(2016-07-22)
등록번호
US-10118691
(2018-11-06)
발명자
/ 주소
Cox, Isaiah W.
Cox, Joseph J.
Edelson, Jonathan S.
Rotenberg, Yonatan
Hanson, John
출원인 / 주소
Borealis Technical Limited
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
13
초록▼
A powered clutch assembly is provided for an aircraft landing gear or other vehicle wheel drive system equipped with wheel drive motors controllable to move the aircraft or vehicle during ground travel. Electric power for the clutch assembly is transferred to clutch actuation elements by a rotary po
A powered clutch assembly is provided for an aircraft landing gear or other vehicle wheel drive system equipped with wheel drive motors controllable to move the aircraft or vehicle during ground travel. Electric power for the clutch assembly is transferred to clutch actuation elements by a rotary power transfer assembly mounted between stationary and rotating elements within the landing gear wheel drive system to clutch actuation elements. Actuation elements are powered to securely lock clutch rotating elements when required to improve the reliability of failsafe operation of the clutch assembly when torque should not be transferred and to unlock clutch rotating elements when torque should be transferred when the landing gear wheel drive system is used to drive the aircraft during ground travel. Power transferred from the rotary power transfer assembly may also be used to operate components associated with the aircraft drive wheel other than the powered clutch assembly.
대표청구항▼
1. A powered clutch assembly electrically actuatable to control operation of a drive motor in an aircraft landing gear wheel drive system to drive the aircraft only when the aircraft should be driven during taxi on a ground surface, comprising: a. an aircraft landing gear wheel drive assembly mounte
1. A powered clutch assembly electrically actuatable to control operation of a drive motor in an aircraft landing gear wheel drive system to drive the aircraft only when the aircraft should be driven during taxi on a ground surface, comprising: a. an aircraft landing gear wheel drive assembly mounted completely within an interior volume defined by wheel wall structures of an aircraft landing gear wheel, said wheel drive assembly comprising at least a drive motor, a drive motor activating system, and an electrically actuatable powered clutch assembly located within said defined interior volume in torque transfer engagement and disengagement with said drive motor;b. said electrically actuatable powered clutch assembly being in selective torque transfer contact with said drive motor and comprising at least one or more clutch actuator motors, a ring gear driven by said one or more clutch actuator motors, a pair of clutch plates, and powered actuation elements driven by said ring gear to engage and lock or to release said pair of clutch plates; andc. an electric power supply system for said electrically actuatable powered clutch assembly comprising at least a source of electric power on said aircraft and a rotary power transfer element connecting a stationary landing gear wheel structure to a rotating landing gear wheel structure, said rotary power transfer element connecting said source of electric power to said one or more clutch actuator motors and to said powered actuation elements in said electrically actuatable clutch assembly. 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said rotary power transfer element comprises a rotary transformer comprising a stationary portion attached to a static portion of said aircraft landing gear wheel and a rotating portion that rotates when said aircraft landing gear wheel rotates. 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said one or more clutch actuator motors are mounted on an outboard face of said aircraft landing gear wheel in driving contact with said ring gear, and one or more wires connect said one or more actuator motors to said rotary power transfer element. 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said powered actuation elements comprises an actuation pin with a uniformly cylindrical body section integrally formed with a hammer-shaped actuating head section configured to engage and lock both said clutch plates. 5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said powered actuation elements are positioned with the cylindrical body section outboard of said wheel to receive electric power from said ring gear in contact with said one or more clutch actuator motors and with the hammer-shaped actuating head section in or out of engaging and locking contact with both said clutch plates. 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein each of said pair of clutch plates comprise powered actuation element engagement and locking receptacles for each said powered actuation element having a cross-sectional configuration corresponding to a cross-sectional configuration of said hammer-shaped actuating head section. 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a housing section of said aircraft landing gear wheel comprises a mechanical locking element positioned in selective meshing engagement with one of said pair of clutch plates. 8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said mechanical locking element comprises a spline element, a key element, or a lock ring element. 9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said drive motor activation system comprises a gear system or a roller traction drive system in torque transfer contact with said drive motor. 10. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising automatic or manual control means for controlling and directing a supply of electric power from said source of electric power on said aircraft to said rotary power transfer element. 11. The assembly of claim 3, further comprising four spaced clutch actuator motors mounted on said outboard face of said aircraft landing gear wheel and connected by said one or more wires to said rotary power transfer element in driving contact with said ring gear. 12. A method for controlling actuation of a powered clutch assembly electrically actuatable to control operation of a drive motor in an aircraft landing gear wheel drive system to drive the aircraft only when the aircraft should be driven during taxi on a ground surface, comprising: a. providing an aircraft landing gear wheel drive assembly comprising at least a drive motor, a drive motor activating system, and an electrically actuatable clutch assembly in selective torque transfer contact with the drive motor and mounting the landing gear wheel drive assembly completely within an interior volume defined by wheel wall structures of an aircraft landing gear wheel;b. providing an electrically actuatable powered clutch assembly comprising at least one or more clutch actuator motors, a ring gear driven by the one or more clutch actuator motors, a pair of clutch plates, and powered actuation elements driven by the ring gear to selectively engage and lock the pair of clutch plates and an electric power supply system to direct power to the clutch actuator motors and the powered actuation elements from a source of electric power on the aircraft through a rotary power transfer element;c. while the aircraft is driven during taxi on a ground surface, directing electric power from the aircraft source of electric power through the rotary power transfer element to the one or more clutch actuator motors, and transferring power from the clutch actuator motors to the powered actuation elements and causing the powered actuation elements to move in an inboard direction to engage and lock the pair of clutch plates and the powered clutch assembly into torque transfer contact with the drive motor; andd. when the aircraft should not be driven during taxi on the ground surface or the drive motor should not be operated, automatically or manually stopping transfer of electric power to the powered actuation elements, causing the powered actuation elements to be depowered and to move in an outboard direction out of engagement with the clutch plates, and releasing the pair of clutch plates and the powered clutch assembly from torque transfer contact with the drive motor. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a plurality of clutch actuator motors and a plurality of powered actuation elements in actuating contact with the clutch actuating motors, transferring electric power to the plurality of clutch actuator motors in actuating contact with the plurality of powered actuation elements, and driving the plurality of powered actuation elements from the outboard to the inboard direction into locking engagement with the pair of clutch plates and the clutch assembly into torque transfer contact with the drive motor. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising transferring electric power from the supply of electric power through the rotary power transfer element to components other than the clutch assembly comprising at least sensors and lights mounted on the aircraft landing gear wheel that require electric power for operation.
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