Background
The hanger is a connecting structure between the aircraft engine and the aircraft wing for transferring engine loads, providing access to the various systems of the aircraft from the engine, and ensuring a smooth aerodynamic profile.
When the hanging structure is designed, the most important thing is to ensure that the hanging box section can effectively transfer the load of the engine. The suspension box section needs to have enough strength and stability, and must meet the requirements of breakage safety, reduce the influence on the wing as much as possible, provide sufficient system pipeline channels, and meet the requirements of relative simplicity in manufacturing and assembly, easiness in maintenance, and the like.
The hanging structure in the prior art is mainly a non-statically determinate hanging structure and a statically determinate hanging structure.
In the two types of hanging box section structures, the box sections are both torsion box structures, and the hanging is connected with the wings through a connector and a connecting rod and is in non-static connection; the hanger is integrally of a box-shaped structure, is connected with the wings through a connector and is of a statically determinate structure. The above two hanging structures have advantages respectively,
the non-statically determinate connection interface form has heavy weight due to the connecting rod, and the statically indeterminate connection is adopted, so that more joints are adopted, the assembly is difficult, the force transmission is complex, and a clear emergency disconnection mode is provided; the statically determinate hanging device can meet the requirement of multiple force transmission paths through spare parts, has simple force transmission and relatively simple assembly, but has an unclear emergency disconnection mode. The two hanging structures are combined by a large number of parts (spare parts) and connected and assembled by fasteners, so that the manufacturing and assembling period is long and the design weight is heavy. The hanging structure with any one of the above configurations cannot have the advantages of two configurations.
In the invention patent application with publication number CN110775285A, filed by the simplified shares company for air passenger car operation and 24.6.2019, a propulsion group price for an aircraft is disclosed, which comprises a hanging rack, a mounting piece and a mounting system. This connection interface form of hyperstatic form is heavy because of containing the connecting rod and leading to weight, adopts hyperstatic connection, connects more, and the assembly is comparatively difficult, passes power complicacy. Although there is an emergency disconnection method, the emergency disconnection method is not clear.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an aircraft tow interface assembly that overcomes one or more of the shortcomings of the prior art to reduce the weight of the aircraft tow interface assembly, reduce the number of interfaces, reduce assembly complexity and force transmission relationships, and clarify emergency disconnect patterns.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to provide an aircraft hanging interface component, which can comprise: a mount assembly attaching the hanger to the wing such that the mount assembly limits movement of the hanger relative to the wing in the azimuth direction X and the vertical direction Z; and a stop assembly disposed between the hanger and the wing such that the stop assembly limits movement of the hanger relative to the wing in the lateral direction Y, wherein the mount assembly and the stop assembly form a hyperstatic interface form attaching the hanger to the wing. Through the hyperstatic interface form, the aircraft hanging interface component can reduce the assembly difficulty, reduce the number of joints and has a clear emergency disconnection mode.
According to the above aspect of the invention, preferably, the mount assembly may attach the pylon to the wing at least 3 points spaced apart from each other. Thus, in the event of failure of either set of strut assemblies, the remaining structure can still carry the desired loads to limit the movement of the pylon relative to the wing in both the yaw direction X and the vertical direction Z.
According to the above aspect of the invention, preferably, in order to facilitate the manufacture and assembly of the mount assembly while meeting the predetermined performance requirements, the mount assembly may comprise a lug fixed to or integrally formed with the hanger and a pivot shaft by means of which the lug is pivotally attached to the projection of the wing.
According to the above aspect of the invention, preferably the projection is formed as a perforated tab pivotally attached to the wing, to further facilitate fitting of the projection to the mount assembly.
According to the above aspect of the present invention, preferably, the lug is in the form of a double lug such that the projection is provided in the middle of the double lug, and rotation about the pivot axis is enabled between the single projection and the double lug by inserting the projection between the double lugs.
According to the above aspect of the present invention, preferably, the seat assembly may include 4 lugs symmetrically arranged in the heading direction X and the lateral direction Y, and 4 protrusions are provided accordingly. In this way, the redundancy design of the support assemblies is further increased, and when any one set of support assemblies fails, the remaining structure can still bear the limiting load so as to limit the movement of the hanger relative to the wing in the sailing direction X and the vertical direction Z.
According to the above aspect of the present invention, preferably, the pivot shaft may be a bolt, and the seat assembly may further include a nut cooperating with the bolt. This arrangement can be used as a backup to the stop assembly to limit the movement of the pylon relative to the wing in the lateral direction Y in the event of failure of the stop assembly. In addition, the bolt can be the weak point of the support assembly, so that under the emergency disconnection working condition, the load in the course direction X and the vertical direction Z is mainly considered, the bolt (or other fasteners) of the support assembly is firstly damaged, and the emergency disconnection is realized.
According to the above aspect of the invention, preferably, to facilitate the seating and assembly of the stop assembly, and to add constraint to form a hyperstatic connection in an aircraft hangar interface assembly according to the invention, the stop assembly may include a stop pin attached to the wing and an insertion slot cooperating with the stop pin, the insertion slot being provided on the hangar and limiting lateral movement of the stop pin relative to the insertion slot without bearing course and vertical loads.
According to the above aspect of the invention, preferably, the stop assembly comprises two stop pins and two insertion slots arranged in tandem in the heading direction X. Thus, in the event of failure of either set of stop assemblies, the remaining structure can still be loaded to limit the movement of the pylon relative to the wing in the lateral direction Y.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an aircraft tow comprising the aircraft tow interface assembly of the above aspect.
In conclusion, the aircraft suspension interface assembly according to the invention has the advantages of light weight, few interfaces, simple assembly, simple force transmission relationship and clear emergency disconnection mode.
Detailed Description
It is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed and defined herein. Thus, unless otherwise expressly stated, specific paths of motion, directions, or other physical characteristics relating to the various embodiments disclosed should not be considered as limiting.
The aircraft tow interface assembly 100 of the non-limiting embodiments of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached figures.
Figures 1-4 are views of aircraft tow interface assembly 100 from different angles, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in the figures and in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, aircraft tow interface assembly 100 may include a seat assembly 10 and a stop assembly 20.
In this embodiment, the mount assembly 10 may be used to attach the pylon 200 to the wing 300 such that the mount assembly 10 is able to restrict movement of the pylon 200 relative to the wing 300 in the yaw direction X and the vertical direction Z.
According to the embodiment shown in fig. 1-4 and as a preferred example, the mount assembly 10 may include a lug 11 and a pivot shaft 12, the lug 11 may be fixed to the hanger 200 or integrally formed with the hanger 200 and pivotally attached to a projection 301 of the wing 300 by means of the pivot shaft 12.
For example, the projection 301 may be formed in the form of a perforated tab (or lug) that is pivotally attached to the wing 300. In alternative embodiments, the projection 301 may be fixedly attached to the wing 300, or integral with the wing 300. In addition, the lug 11 may be in the form of a double lug, such that the projection 301 is disposed in the middle of the double lug. In this way, the lug 11 and the projection 301 fit together via the pivot axis 12 to attach the hanger 200 to the wing 300.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pivot axis 12 may be a bolt, and the mount assembly 10 may further include a nut that cooperates with the bolt to securely attach the hanger 200 to the wing 300. Additionally, the bolts may be the structural members of the carrier assembly 10 having the lowest structural strength, such that under emergency disconnect conditions, the bolts fail first, enabling the hanger 200 to be disconnected from the wing 300.
As shown more clearly in fig. 4, the seat assembly 10 may comprise 4 lugs 11 arranged symmetrically in the heading direction X and in the lateral direction Y, and 4 projections 301 provided accordingly. Each pair of lugs 11 and projections 301 restricts the movement of the pylon 200 relative to the wing 300 in both the azimuth direction X and the elevation direction Z.
In alternative embodiments, the seat assembly 10 may comprise 3, 5 or 6 lugs 11 arranged symmetrically in the heading direction X and the lateral direction Y, and a corresponding number of protrusions 301 is provided accordingly. Of course other numbers of lugs and projections may be provided by those skilled in the art.
In other embodiments, the lug 11 may be attached to or integrally formed with the wing 300, and the projection 301 may be fixedly attached to or integrally formed with the hanger 200.
The lugs 11, pivot 12 and projections 301 may be made of the same material as the hanger 200 or wing 300, for example, aluminum alloy, etc., and may be machined in any manner known in the art so long as the strength is sufficient to securely attach the hanger 200 to the wing 300 and meet predetermined strength conditions. Additionally, while the 4 sets of seat assemblies 10 shown in the drawings have the same structure and shape, they may differ in alternative embodiments.
In addition, although in the preferred embodiment illustrated in connection with fig. 1-4, the mount assembly 10 includes the lugs 11, pivot axis 12 and projections 301, those skilled in the art will be able to envision other similar alternative structures that would enable the mount assembly 10 to limit the movement of the hanger 200 relative to the wing 300 in both the heading direction X and the vertical direction Z and to achieve the desired emergency breakaway. In other words, the stop assembly 20 only restricts the movement of the pylon 200 relative to the wing 300 in the lateral direction Y and in the vertical direction X, and the mount assembly 10 first fails in the emergency release condition, enabling emergency release of the pylon 200 from the wing 300.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of stop assembly 20 according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention and as a non-limiting example, the stop assembly 20 may be disposed between the hanger 200 and the wing 300 such that the stop assembly 20 is capable of limiting movement of the hanger 200 relative to the wing 300 in the lateral direction Y.
As shown, and as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, stop assembly 20 may include a stop pin 21 and an insertion slot 22 cooperating with stop pin 21. For example, the stop pin 21 may be attached to the wing 300, and the insertion slot 22 may be provided on the hanger 200 and limit lateral movement of the stop pin 21 relative to the insertion slot 22.
As shown in more detail in fig. 5, the stop pin 21 is shown in the form of a cylindrical pin, while the insertion groove 22 is formed as an oblong opening, and the diameter of the stop pin 21 can be fitted into the insertion groove 22 without play. It should be understood, however, that this shape is merely illustrative and that any suitable shape, such as square, etc., may be employed by one skilled in the art.
In an alternative embodiment, the stop pin 21 may be attached to the hanger 200 and the insertion slot 22 may be provided on the wing 300 and limit lateral movement of the stop pin 21 relative to the insertion slot 22, thereby limiting movement of the hanger 200 relative to the wing 300 in the lateral direction Y.
In the preferred embodiment shown in fig. 5, the stop assembly 20 comprises two stop pins 21 (e.g. a first stop pin and a second stop pin) and two insertion slots 22 (e.g. a first insertion slot and a second insertion slot) arranged in tandem in the heading direction X. Likewise, two stop pins 21 may be attached to the wing 300 and two insertion slots 22 may be provided on the hanger 200. Of course, a person skilled in the art may provide other numbers of stop pins 21 and stop slots 22 without departing from the scope of the invention, such as 1, 3, 4, etc. In addition, although the first and second stopper pins shown in the drawings have the same structure and shape, they may be different.
Likewise, the stop pin 21 may be made of the same material as the hanger 200 or the wing 300, such as aluminum alloy, and may be made by any processing method known in the art, so long as the strength of the stop pin can limit the movement of the hanger 200 relative to the wing 300 in the lateral direction Y and meet the predetermined fitting condition.
In this way, the mount assembly 10 and stop assembly 20 form a hyperstatic interface form, i.e., a structural system with unchanged geometry but with redundant constraints, that attaches the hanger 200 to the wing 300.
In addition, although in the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the stop assembly 20 comprises a stop pin 21 and an insertion slot 22 cooperating with the stop pin 21, a person skilled in the art will be able to envisage other similar alternative structures, provided that the stop assembly 20 is able to limit the movement of the hanger 200 in the lateral direction Y with respect to the wing 300. In other words, the stop assembly 20 limits movement of the hanger 200 relative to the wing 300 in the lateral direction Y only, and does not limit movement of the hanger 200 relative to the wing 300 in the lateral direction X and the vertical direction Z.
According to the non-limiting embodiment described above in connection with the figures, the seat assembly 10 is primarily subject to heading and vertical loads, and the stop assembly 20 is primarily subject to lateral loads and not subject to heading loads. The four mount assemblies 10 and fasteners connecting the hanger 200 to the wing 300 are of a fail-safe design, and any one set of joints or connectors fails, and the remaining structure can still bear the restraining load.
As described above, the lateral load is transmitted only through the stop assembly 20 (e.g., shear pin), while the heading and vertical load (vertical load) is borne only through the seat assembly 10, unlike the original hyperstatic hanging form.
In the emergency breakaway condition, primarily considering course and vertical loads, the seat assembly 10 breaks, for example, the fasteners used to attach the lugs 11 to the bosses 301 break, enabling emergency breakaway.
As used herein, the terms "first" or "second", etc., used to indicate a sequence, are only for the purpose of making the concept of the present invention shown in the form of preferred embodiments better understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all sequences, orientations, or orientations are used for the purpose of distinguishing one element/component/structure from another element/component/structure only, and do not imply any particular sequence, order of installation, direction, or orientation, unless otherwise specified. For example, in an alternative embodiment, "first stop pin" may be used to represent "second stop pin".
In view of the above, an aircraft tow interface assembly 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and achieves the intended purpose.
While the aircraft tow interface assembly of the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiment, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing examples are illustrative only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Therefore, various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention within the spirit and scope of the claims, and these modifications and changes will fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.