Tiltrotor aircraft rotating proprotor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046446-B2
Application number	US-201715661129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Mar 2, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

An aircraft including a nacelle disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member; a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation; a door pivotably coupled to the proprotor housing; and a linkage to connect the door and the nacelle, the linkage configured to move with the door from a closed position when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation to an open position when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation. In some embodiments, there can be a hinge member for hingedly coupling the door to the proprotor and/or nacelle. In other embodiments, the door includes a flexure portion. In some embodiments, the nacelle includes a plurality of doors. In other embodiments, proprotor includes a forward portion and a stationary aft portion; wherein the forward portion is configured to selectively pivot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle configured as a housing for an engine and disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member, the nacelle including a forward portion and an aft portion;
a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation;
a door pivotably coupled to the proprotor housing; and
a linkage to connect an interior surface of the door and an exterior surface of the aft portion of the nacelle, the linkage moves with the door from a closed position when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation to an open position when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation to dampen oscillations from the proprotor housing.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein when the door is in an open position the door is positioned above the aft portion of the nacelle.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the linkage comprises a strut.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the linkage comprises a telescoping strut.

5. An aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle configured as a housing for an engine and disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member, the nacelle including a forward portion and an aft portion;
a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation;
a door pivotably coupled to the proprotor housing; and
a linkage to connect the door and the nacelle, the linkage comprising a roller track assembly moves with the door from a closed position when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation to an open position when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5 , wherein the roller track assembly comprises a roller track and a door roller mechanism.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the roller track is at least partially disposed on the nacelle.

8. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the door roller mechanism is coupled to the door.

9. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the roller track is connected to the door.

10. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the door roller mechanism is coupled to the nacelle.

11. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the door roller mechanism is coupled to the aft portion of the nacelle.

12. An aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle configured as a housing for an engine and disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member, the nacelle including a reinforced portion comprising a rub strip;
a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation;
a door hingedly coupled to the proprotor housing by a hinge member, the hinge member including a first hinge joint disposed on an outboard side of the proprotor housing and a second hinge joint disposed on an inboard side of the proprotor housing;
wherein the hinge member moves the door from a closed position when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation to an open position when the proprotor housing is in a vertical orientation such that an aft edge of the door rests on the reinforced portion of the nacelle and the door is generally in a 90 degrees orientation relative to the nacelle.

13. The aircraft according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first hinge joint and the second hinge joint comprises:
a hinge pin attached to and extending from the proprotor housing;
wherein the hinge pin is configured to engage with a bearing of the door.

14. An aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle configured as a housing for an engine and disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member;
a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation;
a door coupled to the proprotor housing and the nacelle, the door including a flexure portion comprising a fold that extends from an outboard side to an inboard side of the door, the door configured to dampen vibrations from the proprotor housing;
wherein the flexure portion extends when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation and bends when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation.

15. The aircraft according to claim 14 , wherein the flexure portion comprises at least one of the following: a fabric, a textile, an e-textile, a composite material, and a metallic material.

16. The aircraft according to claim 14 , wherein the flexure portion is configured such that the door folds on itself when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation.

17. An aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle configured as a housing for an engine and disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member, including a forward portion and an aft portion;
a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation; and
a first door and a second door pivotably coupled to the forward portion of the nacelle to dampen vibrations from the proprotor housing, the first door is disposed on an outboard side of the nacelle and the second door is disposed on an inboard side of the nacelle;
wherein the first door and the second door move to a closed position when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation and to an open position when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation.

18. The aircraft according to claim 17 , further comprising an actuator configured to selectively open and close the first door and the second door.

19. The aircraft according to claim 17 , wherein the first door and the second door move between open and closed positions with the proprotor housing.

20. The aircraft according to claim 17 , further comprising a sliding door linkage associated with at least one of the first and second doors.

21. An aircraft, comprising:
a nacelle configured as a housing for an engine and disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member, the nacelle including a forward portion and an aft portion;
a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation;
a door pivotably coupled to the proprotor housing; and
a linkage to connect the door and the nacelle, the linkage comprising a first roller track assembly and a second track assembly moves with the door from a closed position when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation to an open position when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Ross Brent C
• Rinehart Michael E
• Williams Jeffrey M
• Smith Clegg
• Pravanh Nick

Classifications

• B64C7/02

  Nacelles · CPC title

• B64C29/0033

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64D29/06 Primary

  Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title

• B64D29/02

  associated with wings · CPC title