US 11,987,371 B2
Drive-through friction clutch as a tensile load disconnect
Navaneethakrishnan Pandian, Karnataka (IN)
Assigned to HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/524,660.
Claims priority of application No. 202111041969 (IN), filed on Sep. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0078972 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B64D 29/06 (2006.01); B64D 29/08 (2006.01); F15B 15/26 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 29/06 (2013.01) [B64D 29/08 (2013.01); F15B 15/26 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An actuator assembly for a cowl door, the actuator assembly comprising:
a housing;
an actuator configured to drive cowl door extension and cowl door retraction and to support the cowl door during the cowl door extension and the cowl door retraction;
a motor and a gear to drive operations of the actuator; and
a clutch assembly interposed between the actuator and the housing,
wherein:
the clutch assembly is configured to engage a capability of the actuator to drive the cowl door retraction when the cowl door loads the actuator and the motor drives the operations of the actuator,
the capability of the actuator is a preload level of the clutch assembly,
the actuator assembly further comprises a hold-open-rod (HOR) to support the cowl door once the cowl door is at least partially extended,
the clutch assembly comprises a second gear, a friction disc pack interposed between the second gear and a screw shaft of the actuator and an elastic element interposed between the second gear and the housing, and,
when the cowl door loads the actuator, the second gear impinges against the housing, and, when the cowl door does not load the actuator, the elastic element forms a gap between the second gear and the housing.