| CPC F02K 1/766 (2013.01) [F05D 2270/62 (2013.01)] | 11 Claims |
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1. A nacelle assembly, comprising:
a translatable nacelle cowl;
a fixed structure along which the translatable nacelle cowl moves;
a thrust reverser assembly, comprising:
a thrust reverser that includes the translatable nacelle cowl and a thrust reverser component operatively coupled to the translatable cowl and configured to translate in a first direction to deploy the thrust reverser and to translate in a second direction to stow the thrust reverser, wherein the first and second directions are parallel to each other, and wherein the thrust reverser component has a component end surface that faces the first direction;
a lock system for the thrust reverser, comprising:
a casing, coupled to the fixed structure of the nacelle, wherein the casing has a casing inner wall that extends from a casing bottom end that is below the fixed structure to a casing top end that is above the fixed structure;
a lock member extending in a third direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, between a lock member top end and a lock member bottom end, wherein the lock member top end defines a top portion end surface that faces the second direction, and wherein the lock member is translatable in the third direction within the casing inner wall between:
a locked position, in which the lock member top end is extended above the casing top end, and the lock member bottom end is spaced from the casing bottom end, for preventing deployment of the thrust reverser by the lock member by the top portion end surface of the lock member engaging the component end surface, thereby blocking the path of the component of the thrust reverser, and
an unlocked position, in which the lock member top end is at least partially retracted below the casing top end, and the lock member bottom end is against the casing bottom end, for permitting deployment of the thrust reverser by the lock member moving out of the path of the component,
wherein:
the casing bottom end has a central core that extends in the third direction toward the casing top end; and
the lock member defines a hollow center shaft, with a shaft inner wall and a shaft outer wall, and a bottom aperture that opens toward the casing bottom end, and wherein the hollow center is shaped to receive the central core for mounting the lock member to the lock system;
the shaft inner wall of the center shaft defines grooves; and
the central core defines bores and ball detents within the bores and that are biased to fit within the grooves to hold the lock member in the locked and unlocked positions; and
an electrically operated actuator for translating the lock member between the locked position and the unlocked position; and
a position sensor arranged to determine the position of the lock member that is moved by the electrically operated actuator.
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