Patent Abstract:
A debris deflector includes a bracket and a horizontal blade assembly. The bracket is to secure the debris deflector to an aft side of a landing gear assembly. The horizontal blade assembly is secured to the bracket. The horizontal blade assembly includes a blade and flap. The blade has a forward blade edge, blade body, and trailing blade edge. The forward blade edge is configured for placement aft of a tire for the landing gear assembly. The blade body extends outward from the forward blade edge substantially parallel to a road surface. The flap is secured to the trailing blade edge and extends from the trailing blade edge generally rearward and downward from the trailing edge.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure generally relates to a device for deflecting debris. More particularly, the present disclosure pertains to a device and system for deflecting runway debris away from an aircraft. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    It is generally known that as a tire passes over debris on a road surface, the debris may be carried aloft. This airborne debris has the potential to cause damage. In a well known example, cars and trucks often include mud flaps to mitigate airborne road debris and any subsequent damage to the vehicle and vehicles in the vicinity. While most debris that strikes a mud flap falls down to the road surface, some debris may be redirected back towards the tire. If this moving debris comes in contact with the rotating tire, the debris may be accelerated to an even greater velocity. Rather than being directed towards the mud flap, this fast moving debris may be directed upwards and/or forwards. Most car and trucks include wheel wells that are capable of sustaining impact from such debris. 
         [0003]    Modern aircraft generally include delicate instruments that may be placed on the aircraft underside. While mud flaps may reduce the quantity of airborne debris from landing gear, conventional mud flaps may actually cause some debris to be directed towards the aircraft with greater velocity than the debris otherwise would have. In addition, due to size and weight concerns, aircraft generally do not include wheel wells. Therefore, conventional mud flaps are generally not appropriate for use on aircraft. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a debris deflecting device and system that is capable of overcoming the disadvantages described herein at least to some extent. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein in one respect a debris deflecting device and system is provided that in some embodiments reduces airborne debris from aircraft landing gear. 
         [0006]    An embodiment relates to a debris deflector for a tire of a vehicle. The debris deflector includes a bracket and a horizontal blade assembly. The bracket secures the debris deflector to the vehicle. The debris deflector is disposed at an aft side of the tire. The horizontal blade assembly is secured to the bracket. The horizontal blade assembly includes a blade having a forward blade edge, blade body, and trailing blade edge. The forward blade edge is configured for placement aft of the tire and the blade body extends outward from the forward blade edge substantially parallel to a road surface. 
         [0007]    Another embodiment pertains to an airplane including a fuselage, nose landing gear, and debris deflector. The nose landing gear is disposed below a forward section of the fuselage and includes a tire to support the airplane on a surface. The debris deflector is disposed behind the tire relative to a forward movement of the airplane. The debris deflector includes a bracket to secure the debris deflector to the nose landing gear and a horizontal blade assembly secured to the bracket. 
         [0008]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0009]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed device and method is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0010]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the various embodiments. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an airplane that includes a debris deflector in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a partial cutaway view of the debris deflector in accordance with  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a view of trajectories for debris deflected by the debris deflector in accordance with  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a partially exploded view of the debris deflector in accordance with  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the debris deflector in accordance with another embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    The present disclosure provides a device and method for deflecting debris cast up off a surface by a tire rolling on the surface. In general, the various embodiments deflect debris downward and away from the underside of an aircraft. 
         [0017]    The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.  FIG. 1  is a side view of an airplane  10  that includes a debris deflector  12  in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the airplane  10  includes a fuselage  14 , wing  16 , engine  18  and landing gear  20  that includes a tire  22  for landing/takeoff from a surface  24 . Also shown in  FIG. 1 , the airplane  10  includes an instrument  26  mounted to an underside  28  of the airplane  10 . 
         [0018]    As the airplane  10  moves forward, the wheel  22  rolls over the surface  24 , any foreign object debris (“FOD”)  30  that the wheel rolls over may, temporarily adhere to the wheel  22  and may be cast upward and towards the underside  28 . The faster the plane is moving, the greater the relative velocity of the FOD  30  compared to the airplane  10 . As such, during take-off and landing procedures, the FOD  30  may be propelled towards the underside  28  at a high relative velocity. 
         [0019]    While modern, well maintained, runways generally include little or no FOD  30  on the runway, airplanes are sometimes required to land on semi-prepared runways. For example, war zone operations, humanitarian missions, landing in undeveloped areas, and the like may necessitate landing on and taking off from semi-prepared runways. 
         [0020]    To reduce the likelihood of the FOD  30  contacting the instrument  26 , the debris deflector  12  includes one or more horizontally mounted blades  32 . These blades  32  may include any suitable material. Examples of suitable materials include metal, composites, plastics, and the like. Examples of suitable metals include pure and alloyed aluminum, magnesium, titanium, steel, etc. Examples of suitable composites include fiber and metal foil reinforced plastics, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, titanium graphite, etc. Examples of plastics or polymers include polycarbonate (Lexan®), etc. 
         [0021]    In the particular example shown, three blades  32  are mounted to the landing gear  20  via a mounting bracket  34 . However, in other examples, the debris deflector  12  may include one, two, four, or more blades. The blade or blades  32  is configured to deflect the FOD  30  downward. A particular path or trajectory  36  is shown by example in  FIG. 1 . As shown, the FOD  30  is ejected upwards and continues upward until it strikes the blade  32  and is deflected downward and away from the underside  28 . To facilitate the FOD  30  passing through the debris deflector  12  without being deflected back towards the wheel  22 , the blades  32  are separated by a gap  38 . It is an advantage of this and other embodiments that the horizontally mounted blade  32  reduces the likelihood that the FOD  30  will be deflected back towards the wheel  22 . It is a further advantage that the gap  38  allows the FOD  30  to pass through the debris deflector  12 . 
         [0022]    In addition, although the debris deflector  12  is shown mounted to a forward landing gear or nose landing gear  20 , mounting of the debris deflector  12  is not limited to nose landing gear but rather may be mounted to any suitable landing gear. Furthermore, although the debris deflector  12  is particularly suitable for use in aircraft landing gear, the debris deflector  12  may be utilized in any suitable vehicle. Examples of suitable vehicles include planes, trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles, and the like. In a particular example, the debris deflector  12  may be mounted aft of the rearmost set of tires on a truck or bus. By disposing the debris deflector  12  aft of the rearmost tires, any road debris directed upwards by the tires may be redirected back down to the road surface. In this manner, airborne debris may be directed away from trailing vehicles. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a partial cutaway view of the debris deflector  12  in accordance with  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the mounting bracket  34  is secured to the landing gear  20 . In a particular example, landing gear  20  includes a pair of tires  22  secured to the landing gear  20  via a shaft  40  and the mounting bracket  34  is secured to the landing gear  20  between the pair of tires  22 . More particularly, the mounting bracket  34  may be detachable secured to the landing gear  20  via the shaft  40  passing through a portion of the bracket  34 . In other examples, the mounting bracket  34  may include a plurality of components that are bolted, riveted, or otherwise affixed about the shaft  40  to capture the shaft  40 . In addition, the debris deflector  12  may include a fastener  42  to further facilitate fastening the debris deflector  12  to the landing gear  20 . In a particular example, the fastener  42  may secure the debris deflector  12  at a particular angle relative to the landing gear  20 . In various examples, the fastener  42  may include, pins, screws, bolts, and the like. It is an advantage of various embodiments that configuring the mounting bracket  34  to capture the shaft  40  and the fastener  42  facilitate retroactively attaching the debris deflector  12  to an existing landing gear. 
         [0024]    According to an embodiment, the bracket  34  includes a horizontal bottom plate  44 . This horizontal bottom plate  44  is configured to deflect debris that might otherwise pass upward between the tires  22 . Also shown in  FIG. 2 , the debris deflector  12  includes flaps  46  secured to the blades  32 . In general, the flaps  46  act to extend the fore to aft length of the blades  32 . The flaps  46  may include a resilient/deformable panel configured to absorb energy of the FOD  30  striking the flaps  46  and, thereby, slow the velocity of the FOD  30 . 
         [0025]    It is to be noted that while the mounting bracket  34  is shown mounted to the landing gear  20  via the fastener  42  and via capture of the shaft  40 , embodiments are not limited to this particular manner of attachment. Instead, any suitable method of attachment may be employed. For example, the landing gear  20  may include a set of mounting lugs suitable for attaching the mounting bracket  34  via corresponding bolts. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a view of trajectories for FOD  30  deflected by the debris deflector  12  in accordance with  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , as the airplane moves in direction “A” the tire  22  rotates in direction “B.” As the tire  22  passes over the FOD  30 , the FOD  30  may adhere to the tire  22  for a random length of time. As the FOD  30  detaches from the tire  22 , the FOD  30  may be cast upwards at an angle that is generally tangent to the tire  22  at the point of detachment. Upon striking the blade  32  and/or flap  46 , the FOD  30  is deflected at an angle that is equal and opposite to a line “N” normal to (e.g., perpendicular to) the blade  32  and/or flap  46 . In this manner, the FOD  30  ejected up towards the underside  28  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) is deflected downward to the surface  24  or otherwise directed away from the underside  28 . 
         [0027]    Also shown in  FIG. 3 , the debris deflector  12  may include a coupling  48  to join the blade  32  to the flap  46 . In a particular example, the coupling  48  facilitates joining the flap  46  at an angle relative to the blade  32 . In this manner, the flap  46  may be angled downward to facilitate deflecting the FOD  30  towards the surface  24 . However, in other embodiments the flap  46  may be directly affixed to the blade  32 . It is advantage of the downwardly sloping flap  46  that a trailing edge  50  of the flap  46  may be disposed in closer proximity to the surface  24  than the blade  32 . In this regard, the blade  32  is securely affixed to the landing gear  20 . As such, the blade  32  is disposed at a sufficient height above the surface  24  to avoid impacting irregularities in the surface  24  or relatively large debris on the surface  24 . However, the trailing edge  50  may contact the surface  24  and/or debris without negative consequences due to the flexible properties of the flap  46 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a partially exploded view of the debris deflector  12  in accordance with  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the horizontal bottom plate  44  provides a horizontal surface or barrier to prevent debris from being ejected up between the tires  22  (near tire  22  removed for clarity). In addition, the mounting bracket  34  may include an opening  54  to facilitate the passage of air therethrough. In this manner, resistance due to wind may be reduced. 
         [0029]    Also shown in  FIG. 4 , the debris deflector  12  may include a blade assembly  56  that may be detachably secured to the mounting bracket  34 . In a particular example, the blade assembly  56  may include a pair of vertical members  58  configured to mate with vertical portions of the mounting bracket  58 . Specifically, a set of fasteners  60  maybe utilized to attach the blade assembly  56  to the mounting bracket  34 . The set of fasteners  60  include any suitable fastener such as, for example screws, bolts, rivets, etc. It is an advantage of various embodiments that the blade assembly  5   6  may be quickly and easily replaced or removed by virtue of the set of fasteners  60 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the debris deflector  12  in accordance with another embodiment of  FIG. 1 . The debris deflector of  FIG. 4  is similar to the debris deflector of  FIG. 2  and thus, for the sake of brevity, those items described with regard to  FIG. 2  will not be described again with respect to  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the debris deflector  12  includes a side mounting bracket  70  to secure one or both sides of the blades  32  to the landing gear  20 . In a particular example, the side mounting bracket  70  is secured to the shaft  40 . 
         [0031]    The many features and advantages of the various embodiments are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages that fall within the true spirit and scope of the embodiments. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the embodiments to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents maybe resorted to, falling within the scope of the various embodiments.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1