Movable cover for a proprotor nacelle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875627-B2
Application number	US-201815968649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2018
Priority date	May 1, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

An aircraft, including a fixed nacelle disposed on a wing of the aircraft, the fixed nacelle including a nacelle opening; a proprotor pylon disposed on the wing and rotatable relative to the fixed nacelle between a substantially horizontal position and a non-horizontal position, wherein rotation of the proprotor pylon to a non-horizontal position exposes the nacelle opening; and a movable cover disposed on at least one of the wing and fixed nacelle, said movable cover including a plurality of cover members that are movable between a closed position where at least a portion of the cover members collectively form a protective cover in front of the nacelle opening when the proprotor pylon is positioned in the non-horizontal position and a stowed position where at least a portion of the plurality of cover members are stowed. In other aspects, there is provide a method of covering a nacelle opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fixed nacelle disposed on a wing of the aircraft, the fixed nacelle comprising a nacelle opening;
a proprotor pylon disposed on the wing and rotatable relative to the fixed nacelle between a substantially horizontal position and a non-horizontal position, wherein rotation of the proprotor pylon to the non-horizontal position exposes the nacelle opening; and
a movable cover disposed on at least one of the wing and the fixed nacelle, said movable cover comprising a plurality of cover members that are movable between a closed position where at least a portion of the cover members collectively form a protective cover in front of the nacelle opening when the proprotor pylon is positioned in the non-horizontal position and a stowed position where at least a portion of the plurality of cover members are stowed.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , further including a linkage connected between the movable cover and the proprotor pylon that rotation of the proprotor pylon moves the cover members to a closed position.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , further including an actuator coupled to the movable cover to move at least a portion of the plurality of cover members.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fixed nacelle defines a channel that receives the proprotor pylon when the proprotor pylon is rotated to the substantially horizontal position.

5. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the movable cover is stowed at least partially in the channel of the fixed nacelle.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the movable cover is stowed at least partially in the wing.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover members comprises a plurality of cover slats.

8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of cover slats is disposed on a support frame.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the support frame is disposed on at least one of the wing and the fixed nacelle.

10. The aircraft of claim 8 , further including a flexible cover in contact with at least one of the following: the plurality of cover members, the plurality of cover slats, and the support frame.

11. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the cover slats are interlinked and movably coupled to a plurality of support tracks.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the cover slats are interlinked by being in contact with a flexible secondary layer.

13. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the cover members comprise a plurality of cover shells.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of cover shells comprises telescoping cover shells that are pivotally and slidably connected.

15. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the protective cover has a forwardly bowed shape when the proprotor pylon is in a non-horizontal position.

16. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover members comprise a material selected from at least one of the following: a ceramic material, a composite material, a metallic material, an elastomeric material, and an armored material.

17. A method of covering a nacelle opening associated with rotation of a proprotor pylon to a non-horizontal position, comprising so moving a movable cover having a plurality of cover members that the plurality of cover members collectively form a protective cover in front of the nacelle opening that is exposed when the proprotor pylon is rotated.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the movable cover is moved by linking the movable cover to a proprotor pylon for movement with the proprotor pylon.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the movable cover is moved by an actuator.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Kurikesu Abey
• Kizhakkepat Amarjit O

Classifications

• B64C7/02 Primary

  Nacelles · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64D7/00

  Arrangement of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft (dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00) · CPC title