TOW PLATE AND LOAD EXTRACTION SYSTEM

摘要

A tow plate for retaining and releasing an extractable unit from an aerospace vehicle including a base plate, an actuating assembly and a retaining assembly. The actuating assembly and the retaining assembly releasably hold a load transmission unit attached to the tow plate. The actuating assembly includes a movable locking element. The load transmission unit can be detached from the tow plate when the locking element has been moved to a releasing position. The retaining assembly includes at least one load sensor for measuring load acting on the load transmission unit. The tow plate includes a central data processing unit to move the at least one locking element from the retaining position to the releasing position when the load acting on the load transmission unit measured by the load sensor exceeds a predetermined value. Further, a load extraction system and a method for releasing a load transmission unit are described.

主权项

1. A tow plate comprising a base plate, an actuating assembly and a retaining assembly:
wherein the actuating assembly and the retaining assembly are rigidly attached to the base plate;
wherein the actuating assembly comprises at least one locking element and at least one actuator for moving the at least one locking element between a retaining position and a releasing position;wherein the actuating assembly and the retaining assembly are arranged for releasably holding a load transmission unit attached to the tow plate, when the at least one locking element is in the retaining position;wherein a load transmission unit held by the actuating assembly and the retaining assembly can be detached from the tow plate, when the at least one locking element has been moved to the releasing position by the at least one actuator;the retaining assembly comprising at least one load sensor adapted for measuring a load acting on a load transmission unit by an extraction unit while the load transmission unit is releasably held by the actuating assembly and the retaining assembly; and the tow plate comprising a central data processing unit connected to the at least one load sensor and the at least one actuator, wherein the central data processing unit is adapted to instruct the at least one actuator to move the at least one locking element from the retaining position to the releasing position when the load measured by the at least one load sensor exceeds a predetermined value.