ROLLER-BASED DRIVE SYSTEMS

摘要

An electric taxi system (ETS) for an aircraft includes rollers attached circumferentially to a wheel of the aircraft, and a sprocket with circumferentially distributed teeth attached to a sprocket-tooth ring. The sprocket has a hub with an axis of rotation that is parallel to an axis of rotation of the wheel of the aircraft. The sprocket includes a flexible member interposed between the hub and the sprocket-tooth ring. A radial axis of at least one tooth of the sprocket is substantially perpendicular with an axis of rotation of at least one of the rollers even if the at least one of the rollers is non-parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel of the aircraft.

主权项

1. An electric taxi system (ETS) for an aircraft comprising:
driven elements attached circumferentially to a wheel of the aircraft, and a driving member with circumferentially distributed driving elements attached to driving-element support ring; wherein the driving member has an inner hub with an axis of rotation that is parallel to an axis of rotation of the wheel of the aircraft; wherein the driving member includes a flexible member interposed between the inner hub and the driving-element support ring; and wherein the driving elements properly align with and successively engage with the driven elements upon rotation of the driving member even when distortion of the wheel results in the driven elements being misaligned relative to the axis of rotation of the driving member.