IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,679,531
Granted Patent B2
US 12,679,531 · App. 18/231,709 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Rotorcraft with a non-retractable wheel-type landing gear

Inventors: Axel Fink (Donauworth, DE); Aurelien Achard (Vitrolles, FR); Didier Bertin (Marseilles, FR)
Assignees: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
B64C25/60B64C25/06B64C25/34B64C2025/325
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,679,531
App. No.
18/231,709
Filed
Aug 8, 2023
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3616
USPC
188/10
Abstract

A rotorcraft with at least one non-retractable wheel-type landing gear and a fuselage comprising a lower shell, an inner floor, and at least one lower fuselage compartment arranged between the inner floor and the lower shell, wherein the at least one non-retractable wheel-type landing gear is rigidly attached in the at least one lower fuselage compartment and comprises: at least one wheel; a shock absorber connected to the at least one wheel and comprising a shock absorber tube and a shock absorber rod telescopically mounted to the shock absorber tube; at least two mounting arms extending laterally from the shock absorber tube; and a mounting pin device extending laterally from the shock absorber tube and comprising a mounting pin connected to a floor fitting provided at the inner floor.

Claims (51)

1 . A rotorcraft with a fuselage comprising a lower shell, an inner floor, and at least one lower fuselage compartment arranged between the inner floor and the lower shell, wherein the at least one lower fuselage compartment is equipped with a floor fitting provided at the inner floor and at least two lateral fittings, and wherein the at least one lower fuselage compartment is at least accessible via an opening formed in the lower shell, the rotorcraft comprising:

at least one non-retractable landing gear rigidly attached in the at least one lower fuselage compartment and extending at least partly through the opening formed in the lower shell, comprising:

at least one wheel;

a shock absorber connected to the at least one wheel, comprising:

a shock absorber tube with an associated shock absorber tube length axis, and

a shock absorber rod telescopically mounted to the shock absorber tube;

at least two mounting arms extending laterally from the shock absorber tube toward the at least two lateral fittings in the at least one lower fuselage compartment, wherein the at least two mounting arms are mounted to the at least two lateral fittings; and

a mounting pin device extending laterally from the shock absorber tube and comprising a mounting pin connected to the floor fitting provided at the inner floor.

2 . The rotorcraft of claim 1 ,

wherein the mounting pin comprises a mounting pin length axis that is offset from the shock absorber tube length axis.

3 . The rotorcraft of claim 1 ,

wherein the mounting pin device comprises a device mounting arm that is mounted via at least two spherical bearings to the shock absorber tube; and wherein the mounting pin extends from the device mounting arm toward the floor fitting provided at the inner floor.

4 . The rotorcraft of claim 3 ,

wherein the shock absorber tube comprises at least one lug to which the at least two spherical bearings are mounted; and wherein the at least two spherical bearings define a hinge axis that is offset from the shock absorber tube length axis.

5 . The rotorcraft of claim 4 ,

wherein an offset between the shock absorber tube length axis and the mounting pin length axis is greater than an offset between the shock absorber tube length axis and the hinge axis.

6 . The rotorcraft of claim 4 ,

wherein the mounting pin device is rotatable about the hinge axis.

7 . The rotorcraft of claim 1 , further comprising a fixation unit mounted to the floor fitting provided at the inner floor, wherein the mounting pin is mounted to the fixation unit.

8 . The rotorcraft of claim 7 ,

wherein the fixation unit comprises a socket that is rigidly attached to the inner floor.

9 . The rotorcraft of claim 8 ,

wherein the fixation unit comprises a spherical pin bearing accommodated in the socket; and wherein the spherical pin bearing is mounted to the mounting pin.

10 . The rotorcraft of claim 9 ,

wherein the mounting pin is slidable in the spherical pin bearing.

11 . The rotorcraft of claim 7 ,

wherein the fixation unit comprises a cover that covers the fixation unit on a side pointing away from the mounting pin device.

12 . The rotorcraft of claim 7 ,

wherein the mounting pin is rotatably mounted to the floor fitting provided at the inner floor.

13 . The rotorcraft of claim 1 ,

wherein the shock absorber tube comprises a closed end and an axially opposed open end, and wherein the open end is linked via a torque link to the shock absorber rod.

14 . The rotorcraft of claim 13 ,

wherein the torque link comprises a torque arm pivotally mounted to a fixation provided on the shock absorber tube close to the open end.

15 . The rotorcraft of claim 14 ,

wherein the torque link comprises a mounting bracket pivotally mounted to both the torque arm and the shock absorber rod; and wherein the mounting bracket is connected to a wheel axle of the at least one wheel.

16 . The rotorcraft of claim 8 ,

wherein the socket is rigidly attached to the inner floor by screws.

17 . A rotorcraft with a fuselage comprising a lower shell, an inner floor, and a lower fuselage compartment arranged between the inner floor and the lower shell, wherein the lower fuselage compartment has a floor fitting at the inner floor and two lateral fittings, and wherein the lower fuselage compartment is accessible via an opening in the lower shell, the rotorcraft comprising:

a non-retractable landing gear rigidly attached in the lower fuselage compartment and extending through the opening in the lower shell, comprising:

a wheel;

a shock absorber connected to the wheel, comprising:

a shock absorber tube with an associated shock absorber tube length axis, and

a shock absorber rod telescopically associated with the shock absorber tube;

two mounting arms extending laterally from the shock absorber tube toward the two lateral fittings in the lower fuselage compartment, wherein the two mounting arms are mounted to the two lateral fittings; and

a mounting pin device extending laterally from the shock absorber tube and comprising a mounting pin connected to the floor fitting.

18 . The rotorcraft of claim 17 ,

wherein the mounting pin comprises a mounting pin length axis that is offset from the shock absorber tube length axis.

19 . The rotorcraft of claim 17 ,

wherein the mounting pin device comprises a device mounting arm mounted via two spherical bearings to the shock absorber tube; and wherein the mounting pin extends from the device mounting arm toward the floor fitting provided at the inner floor.

20 . The rotorcraft of claim 19 ,

wherein the shock absorber tube comprises a lug to which the two spherical bearings are mounted; and wherein the two spherical bearings define a hinge axis offset from the shock absorber tube length axis.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 26, 2023
From: FINK, AXEL; ACHARD, AURELIEN; BERTIN, DIDIER
To: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
Reel/Frame 066664/0692 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 22315307 · Dec 6, 2022 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240182161A1 · Jun 6, 2024
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