Technical Field:

The invention relates to a lock mechanism for automatic telescopic masts used in the upgrade of sensitive electronic systems such as antenna, radar, weapon systems, communication systems, imaging systems, etc., developed for telescopic masts consisting of nested and movable profiles, and used to carry the load on the mast by locking when the nested stages of the telescopic mast open and reach the fully open position or when these are in mid-open position.

State of the Art:

Telescopic poles are systems for raising/lowering payloads such as antenna, camera, radar, receiver/transmitter, weapon systems, etc., and they are called telescopic masts in the literature.

Telescopic mast systems are used in many military and civilian areas. These systems are used in many fields such as military communication, search and reconnaissance, electronic communication and combat, target capture tools, weapon heads and systems, sensor and radar systems and fire extinguisher applications etc. In addition, telescopic masts may be used in configurations such as positioned outdoors, mounted inside the vehicle, mounted outside on the vehicle wall, on a trailer, etc.

Telescopic masts consist of nested stages and these interlocking stages are moved by electro-mechanical drive mechanism, pneumatic air pressure or hydraulic fluid pressure. Electro-mechanical drive mechanism can be provided with gear and screwshaft power transmission and/or rope and roller elements.

In telescopic masts, lock mechanisms are used to carry the load on the mast by locking when the interlocking stages open and reach the fully open position or when these are in mid-open position. Said lock systems can also be used for the desired stage to start moving and/or to keep the desired stage stationary when the internal stages in the system start moving from closed to open position.

These lock systems directly affect the carrying capacity of the telescopic mast, the open height of the telescopic mast, the service life of the telescopic mast, the accident rate during use and the safety of the system.

The lock mechanisms used in the state of the art may work with manual intervention, may be semi-automatic and require user intervention in some cases, or may be a fully automatic mechanism that does not require intervention.

In the patent no WO2019236561, the locks are in the form of pins. Locks are used in pneumatic masts. While the nested stages in the system switching to the open position, the lifting arm that pulls the lock pin back frees from the part that moves the arm, and the lock pin is pushed by a spring mechanism, fits into the gap in the tube that moves inside and performs the locking process. When the nested stages in the system are in closed position, the lock lever that moves the lock pin is pulled back by contacting the part on the lower stage and the system inside is freed from the lock. In the lowest system, the locking pin is pulled back with the pneumatic piston and frees from the inner tube.

Since the axis of movement of the main part that is used in the state of the art and that performs the locking in the lock systems described above is on the same axis with the acting wind load when the telescopic mast is in wind swing, the locks can be opened by moving due the weight of the telescopic pole lying on its side under heavy weather conditions and may cause system accidents. In such cases, the length of the telescopic jig and the payload it can handle are limited to prevent the locks from moving undesirably. Aim of the Invention:

The invention that is the subject of the grant aims to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages in the state of the art.

In this respect, the invention that is the subject of the grant aims to increase the reliability of the telescopic mast in its usability and to eliminate the limitations of the locking systems on the mast's open area and the payload it can bear.

Description of Drawings:

Figures of the lock mechanism for the developed telescopic masts are shown below.

Figure 1. Perspective view of the telescopic mast in closed position

Figure 2. Perspective view of the telescopic mast in open position

Figure 3. Detail view of the top flanges and locks of the telescopic mast

Figure 4. Perspective view of one of the mobile mid-stages

Figure 5. Exploded view of the lock region of one of the mobile mid-stages

Figure 6. Appearance of the lock block

Figure 7. Detail view of the lock mechanism-1

Figure 8. Detail view of the lock mechanism-2

Figure 9. Detail view of the lock mechanism-3

Figure 10. Detail view of the lock mechanism-4

Descriptions Of References in Drawings:

The equivalents of the reference numbers shown on the figures are given below.

1 : Telescopic mast

AP : Piston

KI : Stage

KA : Lock key

KB : Lock block

KC : Lock ring

KDD : Lock outer thread KID : Lock inner thread

KKK : Lock cover

KS : Lock terminator

KT : Lock crown

KY : Lock spring

P : Profile

PP : Pneumatic piston

PPB : Pneumatic piston block

UFA : Upper flange lower part

UFB : Upper flange block

UFK : Upper flange cover part

Description of the invention:

The invention is a locking mechanism developed to move the stages (KI) by locking the stages (KI) and fixing their positions when the nested stages (KI) of the telescopic masts (1) move upwards on the vertical axis and reach the open position.

Lock block (KB), which is the main part that forms the lock mechanism for the developed telescopic masts, consists of lock ring (KC), lock inner thread (KID) and lock outer thread (KDD), and is locked by rotating around the vertical axis and unlocked by rotating in the opposite direction. There are multiple lock inner threads (KD) on the inward facing surface of the circular lock ring (KC), and at least one lock outer thread (KDD) on the outward facing surface of the lock ring (KC).

In the lock mechanism for the developed telescopic masts, since the locking process is provided by the rotating of the active load-bearing lock block (KB), the risk of the locks unlocking in heavy weather conditions and therefore falling down of the upper stages of the system (KI) due to the shift of the movement direction of the lock to an axis different from the acting wind load when the telescopic mast (1) enters the wind swing is eliminated. This feature of the locking mechanism for the developed telescopic masts increases the reliability in the usability of the telescopic masts (1) and the limitations on the lock systems on the length of the telescopic mast (1) and the payload it can bear are eliminated. Telescopic mast (1) consists of nested stages (KI) that can move up and down telescopically. Each stage (KI) comprises the following parts: profile (P), upper flange block (UFB) consisting of the upper flange cover part (UFK) and the upper flange lower part (UFA) located at the top of the profiles (P), the piston (AP) part at the bottom of the profile (P), the lock block (KB) positioned inside the upper flange lower part (UFA) carrying an inner stage (KI) on the vertical axis, lock key (KA) which rotates the lock of an upper stage (KI) and lock crown (KT) which rotates the lock of an outer stage (KI).

In the outermost stage (KI), unlike these parts, there is a pneumatic piston block (PPB) and the pneumatic piston block (PPB) moves the lock block (KB) of the lowest stage (KI).

The telescopic mast (1) moves the nested stages (KI) with pneumatic air pressure, and the stages (KI) can also be moved by electro-mechanical drive mechanism or hydraulic fluid pressure. Electro-mechanical drive mechanism can be provided with gear and screw-shaft power transmission and/or rope and roller elements.

The lock mechanism for the developed telescopic masts is located in the slot inside the flange parts at the top of the profile (P).

Said lock mechanism comprises the following parts: lock block (KB), consisting of a lock ring (KC), multiple lock inner threads (KID) and at least one lock outer thread (KDD), lock crown (KT), which locks the said lock block (KB) by rotating it in contact with the lock inner thread (KID) and is located in an inner stage (KI), lock key (KA), located in an outer stage (KI) and opens the lock by rotating said lock block (KB) in the opposite direction in contact with the lock outer thread (KDD), lock spring (KY), which forces said lock block (KB) to stay in the locked position, lock terminator (KS), which fixes the position of said lock block (KB) in the unlocked position. Locks on all other stages (KI) except all locks on the lowest stage (KI) on the telescopic mast (1) work fully-automatically by mechanical interaction, and when the stages (KI) move, the lock crown (KT) and lock key (KA) placed on the stages (KI) perform the locking and unlocking operations. The locking process in the outermost stage (KI) is also done fully-automatically by mechanical interaction through the locking crown (KT) part.

In the lock mechanism for the developed telescopic masts, unlocking at the outermost stage is done by an external drive mechanism, and this drive mechanism can be any drive mechanism such as pneumatic piston (PP), hydraulic piston, stepper motor, solenoid switch, manual crank, etc. The driving mechanism in the locking mechanism for the developed telescopic masts is preferably a pneumatic piston (PP).

As shown in Figure 7, the nested stages (KI) are moved by air pressure on the telescopic mast (1), and when air is supplied into the system, all stages (KI) begin to move upwards on the vertical axis. As the mid-stages (KI) located between the innermost and outermost stages (KI) move upwards, the lock outer thread (KDD), which is the outer extension of the lock block (KB), rests on the lower surface of the channel opened in the lock key (KA) located in an outer stage (KI) and the stage (KI) cannot move upwards anymore. Lock spring (KY) stuck in this position tries to rotate the lock block (KB). However, the spring inside the lock terminator (KS) parts prevents the rotational movement of the lock block (KB) around the vertical axis by placing the pin at the end of the lock terminator (KS) into the slot on the lock ring (KC). In this way, the upward movement of all mid-stages (KI) is prevented and only the innermost stage (KI) can continue to move upwards.

As shown in Figure 7, when the lock crown (KT) on the profile (P) of the innermost stage (KI) aligns with the lock block (KB) of an outer stage (KI), the inclined surface on the lock crown (KT) starts to rotate the lock block (KB) around the vertical axis by contacting the inclined surface of the lock inner tooth (KID), and the lock block (KB) is freed from the pressure of the lock terminator (KS). Then, the lock spring (KY) performs the locking process by rotating the lock block (KB) all the way and pushing the lock inner thread (KID) to the end of the gap inside the lock crown (KT). As shown in Figure 8, with the rotation of the lock block (KB), lock outer thread (KDD) also frees from the surface on which it rests in the channel inside the lock key

(KA) and comes out of the lock key (KA) and the stage (KI) where the lock block

(KB) is located becomes free to move on the vertical axis. When the lock crown (KT) located on the profile (P) of the middle stage (KI), which starts to move on the vertical axis, aligns with the lock block (KB) of an outer stage (KI), these processes are repeated in order and finally all the stages (KI) are unlocked, and all the locks are locked.

When the air in the telescopic mast (1) is vented, the weight of the payload carried at the top is transferred from the lock crown (KT) to the lock inner thread (KID) and the entire load is carried by the lock blocks (KB).

As shown in Figure 9, the locking block (KB) of the outermost stage (KI) is rotated in the opposite direction around the vertical axis by means of the pneumatic piston (PP) to bring the telescopic mast (1) from its open position to the closed position and thus, the lock crown (KT) of an inner stage (KI) is freed from the lock inner threads (KID) on the lock block (KB) and an inner stage (KI) becomes free to move in the vertical axis. Air is vented and an inner stage (KI) starts moving downwards. The locking mechanism for the developed telescopic masts can also be used with other drive mechanisms such as a stepper motor or linear actuator, instead of a pneumatic piston (PP).

As shown in Figure 10, the lock outer thread (KDD) on the lock block (KB) of the stage (KI) moving downwards contacts the inclined surface of the channel in the lock key (KA) on an outer stage (KI) and the lock key (KA), which is the fixed part, starts to rotate the lock block (KB) around the vertical axis in the opposite direction. After the lock block (KB) rotates for a certain spring distance, the pin on the lock terminator

(KS) engages in the slot on the lock ring (KC), preventing the lock ring (KC) from being returned back by the lock spring (KY). After the lock ring (KC) rotates about the vertical axis by a certain spring distance in the opposite direction, the lock crown

(KT) of an inner stage (KI) is freed from the lock inner thread (KID) on the lock block (KB) of the currently movable stage (KI) and an inner stage (KI) becomes free to move in the vertical axis.

At the same time, the lock outer thread (KDD) located on the lock block (KB) is also attached to the upper surface of the channel in the channel in which the lock key (KA) moves, and this stage (KI) becomes closed to movement on the vertical axis. When the lock outer thread (KDD) on the lock block (KB) of an inner stage (KI) aligns with the lock key (KA) of the stage outside of it (KI), all the operations are repeated in order and finally all the stages (KI) are closed.

Applicability to the Industry:

The invention is applied to all telescopic masts.