Bi-directional no-back brake progressive modulation spring systems and methods
Methods and systems according to one or more examples are provided for reducing chatter in a no-back brake during aiding load operations. In one example, an apparatus comprises a no-back brake, disposed within an actuator coupled to an aircraft, including a shaft, and a ball ramp plate, coupled to the shaft, to receive a force comprising an air loading force and is displaced responsive to the force. The apparatus further comprises a brake, coupled to the shaft and coupled to the ball ramp plate, and displaced by the ball ramp plate corresponding to a distance the ball ramp plate is displaced. The apparatus further comprises a modulating spring, coupled to the shaft and coupled to the brake, configured to compress in response to the brake being displaced, and the modulating spring is configured to apply a selective compressive force at the brake corresponding to a distance the brake is displaced.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a no-back brake, disposed within an actuator coupled to an aircraft, comprising:
a shaft;
a ball ramp plate, coupled to the shaft, configured to receive a force comprising an air loading force and to be displaced responsive to the force;
a brake, coupled to the shaft and coupled to the ball ramp plate, configured to be displaced, by the ball ramp plate, corresponding to a distance the ball ramp plate is displaced; and
a modulating spring, coupled to the shaft and coupled to the brake, configured to compress in response to the brake being displaced, wherein the modulating spring is configured to apply a selective compressive force at the brake corresponding to a distance the brake is displaced, and wherein the modulating spring comprises:
a first spring;
a first cylindrical washer oriented adjacent to the first spring;
a second spring oriented adjacent to the first cylindrical washer; and
wherein the first spring and the second spring comprise a belleville spring.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first spring and the second spring comprise a conical shape, wherein the conical shape of the first spring and the second spring are arranged in a same orientation facing the brake.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the belleville spring comprises a tapered surface, wherein the tapered surface comprises a first thickness at an inner diameter and a second thickness at an outer diameter, and wherein the first thickness is at least greater than the second thickness.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the belleville spring comprises a plurality of cutouts extending radially outward from an inner diameter to an outer diameter of the belleville spring.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the modulating spring further comprises a second cylindrical washer oriented adjacent to the second spring, wherein the first cylindrical washer and the second cylindrical washer comprise a substantially flat cylindrical washer.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a third spring oriented adjacent to the second cylindrical washer, wherein the third spring comprises a belleville spring, and wherein the first spring, the second spring, and the third spring are arranged in a same orientation facing the brake.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first spring, the second spring, and the third spring comprise an alloy steel, a stainless steel, or an Inconel material.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ball ramp plate is axially displaced by the force and configured to move the brake to compress the modulating spring.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the force comprises an aerodynamically induced air load corresponding to movement of a flap of the aircraft, and wherein the modulating spring reduces a chatter of the no-back brake associated with movement of the brake responsive to the force.
10. A method comprising:
receiving a force comprising an air load associated with a flap of an aircraft at a ball ramp plate of a no-back brake;
displacing the ball ramp plate responsive to the force;
displacing a brake, by the ball ramp plate, corresponding to a distance the ball ramp plate is displaced;
compressing a modulating spring responsive to the brake being displaced; and
applying a selective compressive force, by the modulating spring, at the brake corresponding to a distance the brake is displaced, and wherein the modulating spring comprises:
a first spring;
a first cylindrical washer oriented adjacent to the first spring;
a second spring oriented adjacent to the first cylindrical washer; and
wherein the first spring and the second spring comprise a belleville spring.
11. The method of claim 10 , the method further comprising arranging a conical shape of the first spring and the second spring in a same orientation facing the brake.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the belleville spring comprises a tapered surface, wherein the tapered surface comprises a first thickness at an inner diameter and a second thickness at an outer diameter, and wherein the first thickness is at least greater than the second thickness.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the belleville spring comprises a plurality of cutouts extending radially outward from an inner diameter to an outer diameter of the belleville spring.
14. The method of claim 10 , the modulating spring further comprises a second cylindrical washer oriented adjacent to the second spring, wherein the first cylindrical washer and the second cylindrical washer comprise a substantially flat cylindrical washer.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising a third spring oriented adjacent to the second cylindrical washer, wherein the third spring comprises a belleville spring, the method further comprising arranging the first spring, the second spring, and the third spring in a same orientation facing the brake.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first spring, the second spring, and the third spring comprise an alloy steel, a stainless steel, or an Inconel material.
17. The method of claim 10 , the method further comprising axially displacing the ball ramp plate by the force to move the brake to compress the modulating spring.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the force comprises an aerodynamically induced load corresponding to movement of the flap of the aircraft, and wherein the modulating spring reduces a chatter of the no-back brake associated with movement of the brake responsive to the force.