Mounting plates for rotor hub accessories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10501174-B2
Application number	US-201715406206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A rotor hub assembly includes an open rotor hub assembly with an open rotor hub and a mounting plate. The open rotor hub includes an annular base portion with periphery and a plurality of rotary member portions arranged about the annular base portion that each define an aperture for receiving a rotor blade. The mounting plate spans the annular base portion and is coupled to the annular base portion by a resilient member to accommodate radially expansion and contraction of the annular base portion according to loads exerted on the rotor hub by rotor blades seated in the apertures of the rotary member portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor hub assembly, comprising:
an open rotor hub including:
an annular base portion with a periphery; and
a plurality of rotary member portions arranged about the periphery of the annular base portion, each rotary member portion defining an aperture for receiving a rotor blade; and
a mounting plate comprising a central aperture and a resilient member, the mounting plate spanning the annular base portion and coupled to the annular base portion by the resilient member, the resilient member being configured to expand and contract in a radial direction with respect to the central aperture with the annular base portion according to a dynamic loading of the rotor hub.

2. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resilient member includes a plurality of arcuate segments disposed between the mounting plate and the rotor hub periphery.

3. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein one or more of the plurality of the arcuate segments are disposed outside or inside the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

4. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein one or more of the plurality of the arcuate segments axially overlap the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

5. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resilient member includes a plurality of axial segments disposed radially between the mounting plate and the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

6. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein one or more of the plurality of axial segments overlaps a portion of the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

7. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein one or more of the plurality of axial segments is disposed external of or internal to the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

8. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the resilient members includes a plurality of radial segments disposed radially between the mounting plate and the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

9. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 8 , wherein one or more of the plurality of radial segments overlaps the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

10. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 8 , wherein one or more of the plurality of radial segments is disposed external of or internal to the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion.

11. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resilient member includes a foot segment connected to the periphery of the rotor hub annular base portion and disposed radially outward of the mounting plate.

12. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate includes a plurality of apertures extending through the mounting plate.

13. The rotor hub assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resilient member is a first resilient member, and further including a second resilient member connected to the mounting plate on a side of the mounting plate opposite the first resilient member.

14. A rotary wing aircraft, comprising:
an airframe; and
a rotor system rotatably supported by the airframe for rotation about a rotation axis, the rotor system including:
a rotor shaft arranged along the rotation axis;
an open rotor hub connected to the rotor shaft including:
an annular base portion with a periphery; and
a plurality of rotary member portions arranged about the periphery of the annular base portion, each rotary member portion defining an aperture for receiving a rotor blade; and

a mounting plate comprising a central aperture a plurality of resilient members, the mounting plate spanning the annular base portion and coupled to the annular base portion by a plurality of resilient members, each of the plurality of resilient members being configured to expand and contract in a radial direction with respect to the central aperture with the annular base portion according to the dynamic loading of the rotor hub.

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Johnston Stephen
• Mccollough James

Classifications

• B64C27/021

  Rotor or rotor head construction (for helicopters B64C27/32) · CPC title

• B64C27/327

  Retention means relieving the stress from the arm, e.g. tie-bars · CPC title

• B64C27/028

  Other constructional elements; Rotor balancing · CPC title

• B64C11/02

  Hub construction · CPC title

• B64C27/322 Primary

  Blade travel limiting devices, e.g. droop stops · CPC title