Mounting arrangement for mounting a gear box of a rotorcraft to a fuselage of a rotorcraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10408327-B2
Application number	US-201615278427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2015
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A mounting arrangement for mounting at least a gear box of a rotorcraft to a fuselage of a rotorcraft, the mounting arrangement comprising a gear box of a rotorcraft and at least two support plates that are rigidly attached to at least approximately opposing sides of the gear box, each one of the at least two support plates comprising at least two attachment means that are adapted to allow attachment of the at least two support plates to a fuselage of a rotorcraft by means of associated struts in order to enable transfer of induced loads occurring in operation, which are directed into a predetermined load direction, via the associated struts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting arrangement for mounting at least a gear box of a rotorcraft to a fuselage of a rotorcraft, the mounting arrangement comprising a gear box of a rotorcraft and at least two support plates that are rigidly attached to substantially opposing sides of the gear box, each one of the at least two support plates comprising at least two attachment means configured to attach the at least two support plates to a fuselage of a rotorcraft by means of associated struts in order to enable transfer of induced loads occurring in operation, which are directed into a predetermined load direction, via the associated struts; wherein the gear box comprises a housing, the housing defining at least partly a containment surface of the gearbox and the at least two support plates being rigidly attached to the housing by means of associated attachment members, and wherein the at least two support plates define at least partly the containment surface of the gear box.

2. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two support plates are substantially arranged in parallel to each other.

3. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the associated attachment members comprise bolts, screws and/or rivets.

4. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two support plates comprises an opening, the housing protruding at least partly through the opening.

5. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least two support plates comprises at least one additional attachment means that is adapted to allow attachment of the at least two support plates to a fuselage of a rotorcraft by means of an associated strut in order to enable transfer of induced loads occurring in operation, which are directed into a further load direction, via the associated strut, the further load direction differing from the predetermined load direction.

6. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two support plates comprises fiber reinforced polymers.

7. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the associated struts are adapted for reducing vibration occurring in operation.

8. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the associated struts are embodied as vibration dampers.

9. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the gear box comprises at least one additional attachment means that is adapted to allow attachment of the gear box to a fuselage of a rotorcraft by means of an associated strut in order to enable transfer of induced loads occurring in operation, which are directed into a further load direction, via the associated strut, the further load direction differing from the predetermined load direction.

10. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two support plates comprises an opening such that the gear box housing and the two support plates define an uncomplete containment surface with the opening, the gear box being adapted for accommodating a plurality of gears, at least one of the plurality of gears protruding at least partly through the opening to be outside of the containment surface.

11. The mounting arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein at least one closing element is provided for closing the opening.

12. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the gear box comprises bearings for mounting a rotor mast of a rotor of a rotorcraft in a rotatable manner, wherein the predetermined load direction is at least oriented either in parallel to a longitudinal extension of the rotor mast or upright on a fuselage of a rotorcraft within a range of variation of 0° to 10°.

13. The mounting arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein a further load direction is substantially perpendicular to the predetermined load direction.

14. A rotorcraft comprising a mounting arrangement according to claim 1 .

15. A mounting arrangement for mounting a gear box of a rotorcraft to a fuselage of a rotorcraft, the mounting arrangement comprising:
a housing having first and second opposing sides, the housing defining a portion of a containment surface;
first and second support plates rigidly attached to the first and second opposing sides of the housing, wherein the housing and the first and second support plates cooperate to define a containment surface for a plurality of gears of a gear box of the rotorcraft, wherein each of the first and second support plates defines a pair of reinforced openings therethrough;
a first pair of struts, each of the first pair of struts connecting a respective one of the pair of reinforced openings of the first support plate to the fuselage of the rotorcraft to transfer and direct induced loads occurring in operation into a predetermined load direction via the associated struts; and
a second pair of struts, each of the second pair of struts connecting a respective one of the pair of reinforced openings of the second support plate to the fuselage of the rotorcraft to transfer and direct induced loads occurring in operation into a predetermined load direction via the associated struts.

16. The mounting arrangement according to claim 15 , further comprising the plurality of gears;
wherein the first support plate defines an opening therethrough such that the containment surface is uncomplete, and such that at least one of the plurality of gears protrudes at least partly through the opening to be accessible from outside of the mounting arrangement.

17. The mounting arrangement according to claim 15 , wherein the housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing attached to the lower housing.

18. The mounting arrangement according to claim 15 , wherein each of the first and second support plates defines another reinforced opening therethrough; and
wherein the mounting arrangement further comprises a third strut connecting the another reinforced opening of the first support plate to the fuselage of the rotorcraft to transfer and direct induced loads occurring in operation into another predetermined load direction via the third strut, the another predetermined load direction differing from the predetermined load direction; and
a fourth strut connecting the another reinforced opening of the second support plate to the fuselage of the rotorcraft to transfer and direct induced loads occurring in operation into the another predetermined load direction via the fourth strut.

19. The mounting arrangement according to claim 18 , wherein each of the first and second support plates is substantially triangular and defines a base side and a tip opposite to the base side, wherein the pair of reinforced openings is arranged along the base side, and wherein the another reinforced opening is arranged at the tip.

20. The mounting arrangement according to claim 18 , further comprising a fifth strut connecting the housing to the fuselage of the rotorcraft to transfer and direct induced loads occurring in operation into a further predetermined load direction via the fifth strut, the further predetermined load direction differing from the predetermined load direction and the another predetermined load direction.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH

Inventors

• Steger Justus
• Wehle Christian
• Gunn Henry

Classifications

• B64C2027/002

  mounted between the rotor drive and the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C27/12 Primary

  Rotor drives · CPC title

• F16H57/025 Primary

  Support of gearboxes, e.g. torque arms, or attachment to other devices · CPC title

• B64C27/14

  Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub · CPC title

• F16H57/028

  characterised by means for reducing vibration or noise · CPC title