An aircraft landing gear assembly having a first landing gear element movably coupled relative to a second landing gear element to move between a first condition and a second condition. The aircraft landing gear assembly further comprises a fibre composite leaf spring formed from a plurality of composite layers and arranged between the first and second elements, the leaf spring being arranged to bend when the first element moves from the first condition to the second condition. The fibre composite leaf spring comprises a first region and a second region, wherein the number of composite layers in the first region is greater than the number of composite layers in the second region. The landing gear further comprises a mounting assembly arranged to engage the first region of the leaf spring to couple the leaf spring to the first landing gear element.

Leaf spring comprising at least one leaf of composite material that comprises: a central body (1), and two eyes (2),
wherein the central body (1) comprises its longitudinal end zones (1.1) embedded in a cavity (2.1) of the eyes (2), wherein the sections transversal to the longitudinal direction of the central body (1) of the longitudinal end zones (1.1) of the central body (1) and the cavities (2.1) of the eyes (2) present increasing dimensions towards the longitudinal end of the leaf spring and that comprises fibre fabrics (7, 8, 9) of the central body (1) stacked in a Z-direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the central body (1) and to the longitudinal direction of the hole (3) of the eyes (2) and comprises fibre fabrics (10, 11) of the eyes (2) stacked in a parallel direction to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal axis of the hole (3).

A holding element for a spring, having a spring fastening area (10) for fastening the leaf spring (2) to the holding element (5) and a wheel carrier fastening area (9) for fastening a wheel carrier (4) to the leaf spring (2). The holding element (5) has a deformation zone (23) through which webs and openings extend for transmission of forces from the spring fastening area (10) to the wheel carrier fastening area (9), such that the webs (S2.1, S2:2, S3.1, S3.2) and the openings (A1, A2, A3) are formed mirror-symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis (L) of the holding element.

A leaf spring manufactured from composite material has a variable cross sectional area. The leaf spring is manufactured by die forming a core of a constant cross section, then winding fibers onto the core to create a spring with a variable cross section and then cutting the spring to size. A ply lay-up station is shown which winds fiber onto a die formed workpiece as it moves through the station.

Resiliently flexible articles include a resiliently flexible element, a first rigid element, and a second rigid element. The resiliently flexible element is formed of a fiber reinforced polymeric composite. The first rigid element is formed of a first thermoplastic composition and at least a portion of the first rigid element is bonded, such as by an overmolding process, onto a first portion of the resiliently flexible element. Similarly, the second rigid element is formed of a second thermoplastic composition and at least a portion of the second rigid element is bonded, such as by an overmolding process, onto a second portion of the resiliently flexible element. The resiliently flexible articles can be useful as springs, limbs, living hinges, and the like.

An illustrative example composite leaf spring includes first and second bushing tubes near longitudinal ends. A ribbon of base material is wrapped at least partially around the first and second bushing tubes. The base material has a width that defines a width of the leaf spring. First portions of the base material are near the longitudinal ends and a second portion is between the first portions. The second portion is thicker than the first portions. A plurality of layers of a ribbon of tension material are wrapped around the base material. The tension material defines an outermost layer of the leaf spring. The tension material has warp strands in a longitudinal direction between the first and second longitudinal ends of the leaf spring and weft strands transverse to the warp strands. The warp strands establish a majority of a composition of the tension material.

To reduce vibration of movable airfoil structures, such as rudders, elevators, and ailerons, a spring device, a leaf spring for example, is mounted to an airfoil mounting structure, such as a vertical tail plane, horizontal tail plane or the wings, such that the spring device exerts a force on a cam device, which transforms the spring force into an airfoil torque. The airfoil torque is applied to the airfoil structure and thus reduces a risk of vibration. The cam device is configured to redirect the spring force such that when the airfoil structure is moved in a first direction, torque decreases and when moved in the opposite second direction the torque is zero.

A main landing gear assembly for an aircraft has an upper beam and a lower beam. The proximal ends of the upper and lower beams are each connected to a trunnion assembly that is mounted on the fuselage or wing of the aircraft. The distal ends of the upper and lower beams are each affixed to an axel support structure on which a main wheel of the landing gear assembly is mounted. In the gear assembly, the upper beam and the lower beam are coplanar and act together, in combination, to accommodate a planar flexure of the gear assembly during aircraft takeoffs and landings.

Described is a fibre composite component designed as a spring, comprising at least one spring section and at least one force transfer structure (2). In the end portion forming or surrounding the force transfer element (3) the fibre composite material of the fibre composite component (1) is divided, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the force transfer structure (2), into at least two fibre composite material strands (4, 4.1, 4.2). Two adjacent fibre composite strands (4, 4.1, 4.2) run in opposite directions, overlapping over a specific angular portion and each forming an eye, with their mutually opposed side faces (7) force-transmittingly connected in the overlapping portion.

A main landing gear assembly for an aircraft has an upper beam and a lower beam. The proximal ends of the upper and lower beams are each connected to a trunnion assembly that is mounted on the fuselage or wing of the aircraft. The distal ends of the upper and lower beams are each affixed to an axel support structure on which a main wheel of the landing gear assembly is mounted. In the gear assembly, the upper beam and the lower beam are coplanar and act together, in combination, to accommodate a planar flexure of the gear assembly during aircraft takeoffs and landings.