Apparatus for unlocking an actuator such as a RAT actuator, the apparatus comprising: a first member; and a second member movable between a blocking position in which said second member is engaged with said first member so as to block movement of said first member and an unblocking position in which said second member is disengaged from said first member so that movement of the first member is not blocked; wherein the first member is an arm arranged such that in the blocking position it is disposed between said second member and a lock release element of said actuator. As the arm is simply blocked by the second member in the blocking position, the only force that needs to be overcome in order to unlock the actuator is the friction between the first and second members. By contrast with over-centre type mechanisms, there is no need to provide an unlocking force sufficient to overcome the biasing force of the lock release element. Thus the strength, size and weight of the unblocking actuation device (e.g. solenoid) needed to move the second member can be significantly reduced while still providing more than sufficient force for the required operation of the second member. The solenoid does not need to be calibrated to an exact operating state. This facilitates manufacture and assembly. The arm can be designed to contact the second member with a small contact area that minimises the friction force that needs to be overcome, again allowing the use of smaller unblocking actuation devices and/or less calibration for the second member.


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    Title :

    ACTUATOR LOCKING MECHANISM


    Additional title:

    AKTUATOR ARRETIERMECHANISMUS
    ACTIONNEUR MÉCANISME DE VERROUILLAGE


    Contributors:
    ZAJAC PIOTR (author)

    Publication date :

    2019-05-22


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    B64D Ausrüstung für Flugzeuge , EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT / F15B SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL , Druckmittelbetriebene Systeme allgemein



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