Patent ID: 8919504

Claim:
An aircraft electric brake actuator assembly, comprising: an actuator housing configured to be mounted on an aircraft landing gear, the actuator housing defining an actuator gearbox housing; a motor housing coupled to the actuator housing and removable therefrom, wherein the motor housing is accessible when the actuator housing is mounted on the aircraft landing gear; an actuator disposed within the actuator housing, the actuator being coupled to receive a drive torque and configured, upon receipt of the drive torque, to translate to a position; an electric motor disposed within the motor housing and removably coupled to the actuator, the electric motor adapted to be selectively energized and configured, upon being energized, to rotate and thereby supply the drive torque to the actuator, wherein the electric motor comprises an output shaft; a gear set disposed within the actuator gearbox housing and coupled between the actuatol and the output shaft; a support structure coupled to the actuator gearbox housing and disposed between the electric motor and the actuator gearbox housing; and a foreign-object-damage (FOD) shield disposed within the support structure, the FOD shield including an opening through which the output shaft extends, wherein the opening in the FOD shield is dimensioned to at least inhibit debris ingress into the gearbox housing when the electric motor is removed from the actuator assembly while the actuator housing is mounted on the aircraft landing gear, and wherein the FOD shield is configured such that the opening is substantially closed when the electric motor is removed from the actuator assembly.