US 12,187,431 B2
Container suspension and release system
Cory Gordon Keller, St. Charles, MO (US); and James V. Eveker, Berkeley, MO (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/713,600.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/185,824, filed on May 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0363387 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 1/06 (2006.01); B64D 1/12 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 1/06 (2013.01) [B64D 1/12 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A container suspension and release system comprising:
a first ejector assembly and a second ejector assembly having a carry position to retain a container and the first and second ejector assemblies configured to simultaneously deploy to release the container, the first and second ejector assemblies each having
an actuator configured to extend the first or second ejector assembly from the carry position to a deployed position, the actuator having
a housing,
an outer cylinder concentrically received in the housing;
an inner cylinder concentrically received within the outer cylinder, said inner and outer cylinders configured to telescopically extend from the housing to the deployed position, said inner cylinder having a cap sealing the concentric inner and outer cylinders for reaction of a pressurized fluid introduced into the housing and the ejection piston is received in a bore in the cap for reciprocating motion at the deployed position of the actuator;
a retention assembly with
a bracket attached to the actuator;
a forward fixed sway brace extending from the bracket and an aft fixed sway brace extending from the bracket;
a left retention arm having a left body rotatably attached to the bracket with a first pivot pin, a left engagement flange extending from the left body, the left engagement flange having a first receptacle releasably receiving an associated post in a plurality of posts to engage the left retention arm with the container, and a left rotation lever extending from the left body oppositely from the left engagement flange;
a right retention arm having a right body rotatably attached to the bracket with a second pivot pin, a right engagement flange extending from the right body, the right engagement flange having a second receptacle releasably receiving an associated post in a plurality of posts to engage the right retention arm with the container, and a right rotation lever extending from the right body oppositely from the left engagement flange, said left and right retention arms disposed between the forward and aft fixed sway braces and configured to rotate in opposite directions;
an ejection piston engaging the right rotation lever and the left rotation lever, the ejection piston configured to rotate the left and right retention arms thereby rotating the left and right engagement flanges from an engaged condition in the carry position to a released condition in the deployed position in response to actuation of the actuator thereby releasing the container from the at least one ejector assembly;
an energy source connected to the actuator to provide energy to actuate the first ejector assembly and the second ejector assembly.