Shock Absorbers and Shock Absorber Struts, Notably for Aerodyne Landing Gear

The subject of the invention is improvements in shock absorbers and shock absorber jacks, particularly of the type equipping aerodyne landing gears.

Many shock absorbers of this type are already known, which comprise a shock absorber shaft mounted to slide in a shock absorber cylinder, either or both of these components containing one or two chambers of gas under pressure, serving as a pneumatic spring returning the device to the position of equilibrium after damping the displacement of the shaft in the cylinder, resulting in a dissipation of energy by throttling a hydraulic fluid through orifices calibrated for normal landing speeds, on the order of 3 m/s, making it possible to absorb the energy on impact.

Some of these known devices also comprise valves equipped with throttling orifices with a variable section depending on the rate of penetration or the direction of passage of the fluid, as well as means for braking at the end of the expansion of the shock absorber, in order to make the latter effective as the aerodyne taxis over unprepared ground or over paved runways, or to absorb certain peaks of force; in order to absorb the effect of the resonance phenomenon on the ground, which manifests itself on helicopters at the limit of lift, just before take-off, and in order to prevent the device from extending abruptly, with a shock when it reaches the end of its expanded position.

But these known devices prove not to be adapted to emergency or crash landings of the aerodyne, at vertical speeds on the order of 10 to 12 m/s, for which the compression throttling orifices appear to be undersized, so that the shock absorber behaves as a quasi-rigid element, transmitting to the structure of the aerodyne the entirety of the forces which it receives, causing the destruction of the aerodyne or the destruction of the shock absorber, next to that of the aerodyne.

Furthermore, shock-absorber jacks are known, which can bring the undercarriages either into retracted position when the aerodyne is in flight, in lowered position for landing and taxiing, as well as into extra-low position to facilitate storage of the aerodyne in a hangar, accessibility to certain parts of the aerodyne, anchoring it in its parking space, etc. The shock-absorber jacks described in French Pat. Nos. 76/03126 and 76/33261 both of which correspond to U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,286, comprise a shock absorber that can be of the type presented above, mounted at the end of a jack shaft, in which a first chamber serves as a cylinder for the shock absorber, and is, in itself, integral with a jack piston mounted to slide in a jack cylinder, with which the piston defines a chamber operating the lowering of the landing gear when it is fed with hydraulic fluid, and operating the extra-low positioning when it is emptied, with no change in the load on the shock absorber. Furthermore, a lifting piston mounted to slide in a second chamber in the jack shaft, separated from the first, and constituting a landing-gear lifting chamber, makes it possible to load the shock absorber by pulling the shaft of the latter toward the interior of the jack shaft, when this second chamber is fed with hydraulic fluid, and the lowering chamber is emptied, which brings the undercarriage into retracted position. A mechanical locking device, for example of the claw or hydraulic type, comprising a hydraulic locking valve with controlled opening, is also provided to lock the jack shaft in extended position relative to the jack cylinder, after filling the lowering chamber. In the case of a hydraulic device, an excess-pressure valve disposed at the bottom of the lowering chamber permits a prolongation of the stroke by emptying the lowering chamber in case of a crash. But this solution has the drawback that the possible stroke of the shock absorber is not used to the best in absorbing a supplementary part of the crash energy.

The problem which is to be solved by the present invention consists in designing improved shock absorbers and shock-absorber jacks capable of absorbing a fraction of the crash energy which can be three to four times as great as the maximum normal energy absorbed for normal landing speeds, this fraction of the crash energy being, in turn absorbed at speeds three to four times greater than the normal speeds, and the supplementary fraction of the crash energy being absorbed by the structure of the aerodyne supporting the shock absorbers or shock-absorber jacks.

With this in mind, the shock absorber according to the invention, of the type comprising a shock-absorber shaft containing a low-pressure, elastic return chamber, and mounted to slide in leakproof fashion inside a first chamber, filled with hydraulic fluid, of a cylinder, the end of the shaft inside the cylinder bearing a piston guided on the outer face of a first sleeve, integral with a first transverse wall of the cylinder, separating the first chamber from a second chamber of the cylinder, in which a separator piston, mounted to slide in a leakproof fashion, separates a high-pressure elastic return chamber from a volume of hydraulic fluid, the piston of the shock-absorber shaft defining, with the sleeve, at least one permanent compression-throttling orifice, is characterized in that the separator piston bears a grooved shaft, passing through the first transverse wall of the cylinder and guided in the interior of the first sleeve, the base of which has a radial passage with a section very much larger than that of the permanent, compression-throttling orifice or orifices, so that in the event of penetration of the shock-absorber shaft into the cylinder, at a rate very much higher than that for which the permanent, compression-throttling orifice or orifices were calibrated, the separator piston is displaced against the high-pressure elastic return chamber, while uncovering orifices for passage of the hydraulic fluid, defined by the grooves in the grooved shaft and conditioned for the rate of penetration of the shaft into the cylinder.

In so doing, a prolonged-stroke device is obtained, which permits an absorption energy supplementary to that obtained by the known devices. Moreover, if the grooved shaft is guided by a shoulder inside the first sleeve, and has a first longitudinal groove which, following a displacement of the separator piston in compression, comes opposite the shoulder and defines with it, an orifice permitting the free passage, toward the low-pressure return chamber, of the hydraulic fluid from the first chamber of the cylinder, flowing through the radial passage at the base of the first sleeve, a force-limiting device is obtained in which the entire possible stroke of the shock-absorber shaft in the first chamber of the cylinder, is utilized, the volume of hydraulic fluid corresponding to the volume of the shock-absorber shaft which has penetrated into the first chamber, being transferred into the shock-absorber shaft while loading the low-pressure elastic return chamber.

According to a simple structure, at least one of the permanent compression-throttling orifices is constituted by the cooperation of the piston of the shock-absorber shaft and a longitudinal groove on the outer face of the first sleeve, the free end of which is shaped as an expanded head, pierced with at least one permanent orifice for free passage of the hydraulic fluid, and guided on the inner face of the shock-absorber shaft.

In a first particular form of embodiment, limited to a suspension shock-absorber that cannot fulfill the function of a raising or super-lowering jack, the grooved shaft has, at its base, a second longitudinal groove, whereof the end nearest the separator piston permits, in the expanded position of the shock-absorber, communication by means of the radial passage in the first sleeve, between the first chamber of the cylinder and the volume of hydraulic fluid in the second chamber, so that for compression loads higher than the normal loads, the separator piston and the grooved shaft are displaced, and the second groove extends on either side of the first transverse partition, to favor the flow of hydraulic fluid from the first chamber toward the volume of hydraulic fluid in the second chamber.

Advantageously, in this case, there is provided, on the one hand an expansion braking valve for the low-pressure chamber, retained in the part of the first chamber defined between shock-absorber shaft piston, shock-absorber shaft and cylinder, and disposed opposite orifices for free passage of the hydraulic fluid, pierced in the piston of the shock-absorber shaft, the displacements of the valve being limited between this piston and an annular stop borne by the shock-absorber shaft and limiting the extension of the latter from the cylinder, and, on the other hand, an expansion braking valve for the high-pressure chamber, mounted in the first chamber of the cylinder and whose displacements are limited between the first transverse wall of the cylinder and a seat constituted by a shoulder inside the cylinder and a shoulder outside the first sleeve, facing one another, beyond the radial passage in the first sleeve toward the free end of the latter.

In a second particular form of embodiment, corresponding to a shock-absorber jack that fulfills the function of a lifting and super-lowering jack, the cylinder comprises a third chamber filled with hydraulic fluid, in which a jack shaft, mounted to slide in a leakproof fashion, defines, respectively, by its inner face and by its outer face, a lowering chamber and a lifting chamber which can be fed with hydraulic fluid to insure, respectively, the extension and the retraction of the jack shaft from or into the third chamber of the cylinder, which is separated from the second chamber by a second transverse wall of the cylinder, integral with a second sleeve having, at its base, a radial passage with a section very much larger than that of the permanent, compression-throttling orifice or orifices, and extending axially into the third chamber, the grooved shaft integral with the separator piston also passing through the second wall, and likewise being guided in the second sleeve, and having a second longitudinal groove, whereof the end, nearest the separator piston permits, when the shock absorber is in expanded position, communication between the third chamber of the cylinder and the volume of hydraulic fluid in the second chamber, through the radial passage at the base of the second sleeve, so that for compression loads higher than the normal loads, the separator piston and the grooved shaft are displaced, and the second groove extends on either side of the second transverse partition, to favor the flow of hydraulic fluid from the third chamber toward the volume of hydraulic fluid in the second chamber. Furthermore, a retraction piston, mounted to slide in leakproof fashion, on the one hand in the interior of the first chamber of the cylinder, and on the other hand, around the part of the shock absorber shaft inside the first chamber, defines, with the cylinder, a retraction chamber that can be fed with hydraulic fluid to apply the retraction piston against a stop integral with the shock-absorber shaft, and operate the retraction of the latter in the first chamber of the cylinder.

Advantageously in this second form of embodiment, an expansion braking valve for the low-pressure chamber is retained between the expanded head and an annular stop on the free end of the first sleeve, opposite the permanent free-passage orifices pierced in the expanded head, and an expansion braking valve for the high-pressure chamber is mounted in the third chamber of the cylinder, between the second transverse wall and a seat constituted by a shoulder inside the cylinder, and a shoulder outside the second sleeve, opposite one another, beyond the radial passage in the second sleeve, toward the free end of the latter.

And finally, the groove or grooves of the ground shaft can have progressive sections in order to adapt the passage orifices which they define to the rates of penetration of the shaft or shafts in the cylinder.

The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the particular examples of execution which will be described below, in non-limiting fashion, with reference to the attached figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in axial section of a shock absorber to equip landing gears of aerodynes, and particularly helicopters.

FIG. 2 is a graph representing the force as a function of the stroke in a shock absorber according to FIG. 1.

And FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 for a shock-absorber jack likewise for the landing gear of an aerodyne, and particularly a helicopter.

Referring to FIG. 1, the device comprises a shock absorber shaft 1 which can be fixed to the structure of the aerodyne by attachment 2 at its upper end, and is mounted to slide in leakproof fashion in a first chamber 3, filled with hydraulic fluid, hereinafter called oil, of a cylinder 4 which can be attached to the wheels or to the swing-arm of the undercarriage by its attachment 28. The end of shaft 1 received in chamber 3 of cylinder 4 bears a shock-absorber piston 5, mounted to slide on the inner face of chamber 3 and on the outer face of a sleeve 6, integral with a transverse wall 7 of cylinder 4, separating the first chamber 3 from a second chamber 8 in cylinder 4. Sleeve 6 extends axially into the first chamber 3, and its free end is shaped as an expanded head 9 sliding in the interior of shaft 1, which contains a chamber of gas under pressure 10 adjacent to a volume of oil in communication with the interior of chamber 3 through permanent orifices 11 of free passage, pierced in the expanded head 9 of sleeve 6, and through a permanent, compression-throttling orifice defined by piston 5 and a longitudinal groove 12 on the outer face of sleeve 6. Shaft 1 also has an annular stop 13 limiting its emergence from chamber 3, under the thrust of the chamber of gas under pressure 10. This stop 13 also limits the displacements of an expansion braking valve 14 for chamber 10, which is disposed opposite permanent orifices of free passage 15, pierced in piston 5, in the part of chamber 3 delimited by cylinder 4, shaft 1 and piston 5. Valve 14 is constituted by an annular disc pierced with diaphragms opposite orifices 15. A radial passage 16, of section very much larger than that of the permanent, compression-throttling orifice defined by groove 12 and piston 5, passes through the base of sleeve 6, which has an external, annular shoulder 17 just beyond passage 16. Opposite shoulder 17, cylinder 4 has an annular shoulder 18, the two shoulders 17 and 18 serving as a seat for an expansion braking valve 19 for a chamber of gas under pressure 20, delimited in the second chamber 8 of cylinder 4, by a separator piston 21, mounted to slide in leakproof fashion in this second chamber 8, the pressure in chamber 20 being higher than that in chamber 10. Valve 19, like valve 14, is constituted by a disc pierced with diaphragms, and its displacements are limited between its seat and the partition 7. Separator piston 21 bears a grooved shaft 22 which passes through partition 7 and is guided in sleeve 6 by an annular shoulder 23 inside this sleeve 6. Grooved shaft 22 has a first longitudinal groove 24 beyond shoulder 23 and terminating at the free end of grooved shaft 22, as well as a second longitudinal groove 25 at the base of shaft 22, whereof the end nearest the separator piston 21 connects the annular space, defined between sleeve 6 and shaft 22, with a volume of oil 26, defined in the second chamber 8 of the cylinder, between partition 7 and separator piston 21, thanks to the annular stop 27 in the latter. The device whose structure has just been described, works as follows: for landings taking place at normal vertical speeds on the order of 3 m/s, shaft 1 penetrates into cylinder 4, causing a throttling, as it passes, between piston 5 and sleeve 6, in groove 12, of the oil driven from chamber 3, and compresses the low-pressure chamber 10 in shaft 1. At the same time, valve 14 is raised from piston 5 and the filling of the part of chamber 3 receiving valve 14 is insured through orifices 15.

In FIG. 2, where the static curves of the force E as a function of the stroke C of such a two-chambered shock absorber are represented by S1 and S2, respectively for the low-pressure chamber 10 and the high-pressure chamber 20, the dynamic curve for a landing at a limit speed in normal use of 3 m/s is given by V.sub.N. A dynamic absorption of the landing energy is therefore possible, under normal conditions over normal stroke C.sub.N, corresponding to the maximum penetration of shaft 1 into cylinder 4.

The return to position of equilibrium under static load of the aerodyne, or the return to position of expanded abutment, as represented in FIG. 1, is reached with an expansion braking of low-pressure chamber 10 thanks to valve 14 applied against piston 5, which brakes the return of the oil in chamber 3 below piston 5.

For a contact with the ground, made at a speed of 10 to 13 m/s, during a crash, for example, the throttling orifice defined by groove 12 is of insufficient section to permit a suitable flow of oil toward chamber 10. Consequently, the pressure will rise rapidly in chamber 3, and in the volume of oil 27, with which chamber 3 communicates through radial orifice 16 and groove 25, until it reaches the pressure of high-pressure chamber 20 in a second chamber or enclosure 8. Then separator piston 21 is displaced against the effect of high-pressure chamber 20, entraining with it the grooved shaft 22. Groove 25 then extends on either side of partition 7, and facilitates the passage of oil from chamber 3 toward space 26. After a certain stroke C.sub.L of separator piston 21 and grooved shaft 22, groove 24 comes opposite shoulder 23 inside sleeve 6. The oil can then flow freely from chamber 3 into shaft 1, passing through radial orifice 16 and the interior of sleeve 6. In this configuration, the device works as a limiter of force, and can complete the entire normal stroke C.sub.N augmented by an overstroke C.sub.S, absorbing energy with no peak or force, as appears in curve V.sub.C in FIG. 2. By giving groove 25 a progressive section, it is even possible to obtain an absorption according to curve V.sub.C '. In expansion, the braking is insured by valve 19 for the expansion of high-pressure chamber 20, and by valve 14 for the expansion of low-pressure chamber 10, as already explained above.

Referring to FIG. 3, in which the elements corresponding to the elements in FIG. 1 are provided with the same reference numerals, there is, once more, a shock absorber shaft 1, containing a low-pressure gas chamber 10, and mounted to slide in leakproof fashion in a chamber 3 of a cylinder 4, in which there extends axially a first sleeve 6, equipped on its outer face with a longitudinal groove 12, and borne by a first transverse wall 7 of cylinder 4. Groove 12 cooperates with a shock absorber piston 5, borne by shaft 1, to define a permanent compression-throttling orifice for the oil passing from chamber 3 into shaft 1, and loading the low-pressure chamber 10, after having raised an expansion braking valve 30 in this chamber 10, valve 30 being disposed opposite permanent orifices of free passage 11, pierced in the expanded head 9 of sleeve 6, on which shaft 1 slides. An annular stop 31, borne at the free end of sleeve 6, limits the displacements of valve 30. The first sleeve 6 has, at its base, a radial passage 16, of very much larger section than that of groove 12, insuring communication between the interior of sleeve 6 and chamber 3, separated by a partition formed by the first transverse wall 7 from a second chamber 8, separated in turn by a second transverse partition 32 from a third chamber 33 in cylinder 4, filled with oil, and into which there extends a second sleeve 34, borne by the second transverse partition or wall 32, and whereof the base has a radial passage 35, whose section is likewise very much larger than that of groove 12. A separator piston 21 is mounted to slide in leakproof fashion in chamber 8, and separates a high-pressure gas chamber 36 from a space for a volume of oil 37. Separator piston 21 bears a grooved shaft 38, passing through the second wall 32, and, in leakproof fashion, the first wall 7, and is guided in the first sleeve 6 by a shoulder 23 inside the latter, and in the second sleeve 34 by a shoulder 39 at the free end of the latter. Grooved shaft 38 has a first longitudinal groove 40 in its part situated between wall 7 and shoulder 23 when the device is in abutment, expanded, as well as a second longitudinal groove 41, in its part situated essentially in sleeve 34, but the end of groove 41 nearest the separator piston 21, terminates in space 37. A valve 42, for expansion braking of the high-pressure chamber 36 is disposed in the third chamber 33 between the second wall 32 and a seat constituted by two opposing annular shoulders, of which one, 43, is inside cylinder 4 and the other 44, is outside the second sleeve 34, the seat being disposed beyond the radial passage 35, toward the free end of sleeve 34. And finally a jack shaft 45 and a retraction piston 46 are mounted to slide in leakproof fashion, the first in the third chamber 33, and the second in the first chamber 3, and around the part of shock absorber shaft 1 in the interior of chamber 3. The retraction piston 46 defines, with cylinder 4 and shock absorber shaft 1, a retraction chamber 47, which can be fed with oil through orifice 48 to operate the retraction of shock absorber shaft 1 into chamber 3, by pressure of the retraction piston 46 against the annular stop 49 constituted by the external lateral edge of shock-absorber piston 5. By its internal face, the jack shaft 45 defines, with chamber 33, a lowering chamber 50 of the device, while its external face defines, with chamber 33, a lifting chamber 51; the chambers 50 and 51 can be fed with oil, respectively through orifices 52 and 53 to operate the extension or retraction of jack shafts 45 from or into chamber 33 of cylinder 4.

The device whose structure has just been described constitutes a shock-absorber jack, serving as a shock absorber under the same conditions as the device represented in FIG. 1, for normal landing speeds, but also making it possible either to raise the undercarriage when the lifting chamber 51, and retraction chamber 47, are fed with oil, chamber 50 being emptied, or to lower the undercarriage when the retraction and lifting chambers 47 and 51 are emptied and lowering chamber 50 is fed, or to lower the aerodyne further, when resting on its undercarriages by feeding lifting chamber 51 and emptying chamber 50, the position of the shock absorber under static load not being changed.

In the event of a crash, since the section of groove 12 is too small to permit a suitable damping by penetration of shock-absorber shaft 1 into cylinder 4, the pressure in chamber 50, and hence in the oil volume 37, communicating with the latter through radial passage 35 and the end of groove 41, rises rapidly until it reaches the level of pressure in high-pressure chamber 36. Then the separator piston 21 and grooved shaft 38 are displaced, loading the high-pressure chamber 36, which brings groove 41 on either side of partition 32. The oil can thus flow from chamber 40 toward volume 37, which allows a possible overrun if jack shaft 45 were already extended. After a given displacement of separator piston 21 and grooved shaft 38, groove 40 comes opposite shoulder 23 in sleeve 6, which permits the passage of oil from chamber 3 directly into shaft 1, bading the low-pressure chamber 10.

The shock-absorber jack in this configuration, works as a force limiter, transmitting no peak of force, and insuring an absorption of energy over all of the strokes of shock-absorber shaft 1 and jack shaft 45 in cylinder 4.

The devices according to the invention, in either shock-absorber version, or shock absorber-jack version, will advantageously equip the landing gears of helicopters; the low and high-pressure chambers can be filled with a gas, such as nitrogen, under pressure, or with elastomers, gums, deformable or friable materials fulfilling the same function.