Towbarless airplane tug
US8515594B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 25, 2009 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 22, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T50/80
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An airplane tug for receiving a landing gear of an airplane. Tug comprises a chassis for receiving the landing gear, a propulsion arrangement for moving tug, force sensor(s) for measuring a force exerted by the chassis on the gear due to a speed differential between tug and airplane, and a controller for altering movement parameter(s) of tug for maintaining the force below a value. Propulsion arrangement comprises a variable angle swash plate hydraulic pump coupled to a variable angle swash plate hydraulic motor and to a bypass path valve such that fluid circulates between the pump and motor to activate the arrangement to increase the speed and/or traction force when bypass path is in a closed state, and the fluid circulates across the motor via the valve to reduce a rotational speed and/or traction force of the tug when the path is in an opened state.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.