System and method of protection of aircraft from foreign object strikes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548655-B2
Application number	US-201816102229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 13, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An aircraft structure protected from collisions with foreign objects includes a first support proximate to an aircraft structure root; first sheets attached to the first support to form a first leading edge portion of the aircraft structure; a second support proximate to an outer end of the aircraft structure; second sheets attached to the second support to form a second leading edge portion; and a door including one or more ribs disposed between the first and second supports and configured to give shape to a third leading edge portion of the aircraft structure; and third sheets, attached to the ribs to form the third portion of the leading edge; wherein the first support, the first sheets, the second support, the second sheets, the one or more ribs, and the third sheets are disposed to mitigate damage from a foreign object collision by absorbing kinetic energy from a collision.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft structure protected from collisions with foreign objects comprising:
a first support proximate to a root of the aircraft structure;
one or more first sheets comprising a first material and attached to the first support to form a first portion of a leading edge of the aircraft structure;
a second support proximate to an outer end of the aircraft structure;
one or more second sheets comprising a second material and attached to the second support to form a second portion of the leading edge; and
a hinged leading-edge door comprising:
one or more leading-edge door ribs disposed between the first support and the second support and configured to give shape to a third portion of a leading edge of the aircraft structure, wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs are configured to enclose a rotor shaft at least partly within the leading edge; and
one or more third sheets comprising a third material, attached to the one or more leading-edge door ribs to form the third portion of the leading edge;

wherein the first support, the one or more first sheets, the second support, the one or more second sheets, the one or more leading-edge door ribs, and the one or more third sheets are disposed to mitigate damage from a collision with a foreign object by absorbing kinetic energy from the collision.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft structure is a tail fin or a wing.

3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs comprise aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs comprise at least one T-rib, L-rib, C-rib, or D-rib.

5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

6. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises aluminum, titanium, steel, or composite.

7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the third material comprises aluminum, titanium, steel, or composite.

8. A rotorcraft comprising:
a fuselage;
one or more engines coupled to the fuselage; and
an aircraft structure protected from collisions with foreign object impacts, coupled to the fuselage and comprising:
a first support proximate to a root of the aircraft structure;
one or more first sheets comprising a first material and attached to the first support to form a first portion of a leading edge of the aircraft structure;
a second support proximate to an outer end of the aircraft structure;
one or more second sheets comprising a second material and attached to the second support to form a second portion of the leading edge; and
a hinged leading-edge door comprising:
one or more leading edge-door ribs disposed between the first support and the second support and configured to give shape to a third portion of a leading edge of the aircraft structure, wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs are configured to enclose a rotor shaft at least partly within the leading edge; and
one or more third sheets comprising a third material, attached to the one or more leading-edge door ribs to form the third portion of the leading edge;

wherein the first support, the one or more first sheets, the second support, the one or more second sheets, the one or more leading-edge door ribs, and the one or more third sheets are disposed to mitigate damage from a collision with a foreign object by absorbing kinetic energy from the collision, and wherein the hinged leading-edge door is configured and disposed to allow inspection and maintenance of the rotor shaft when the hinged leading-edge door is opened.

9. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the aircraft structure is a tail fin or a wing.

10. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs comprise aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

11. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs comprise at least one T-rib, L-rib, C-rib, or D-rib.

12. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the first material comprises aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

13. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the second material comprises aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

14. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the third material comprises aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

15. A method of protecting an aircraft structure from collisions with foreign objects, comprising:
providing the aircraft structure;
attaching to the aircraft structure a first support proximate to a root of the aircraft structure;
attaching one or more first sheets comprising a first material to the first support to form a first portion of a leading edge of the aircraft structure;
attaching a second support proximate to an outer end of the aircraft structure;
attaching one or more second sheets comprising a second material and attached to the outer support to form a second portion of the leading edge; and
attaching a hinged leading-edge door comprising:
one or more leading-edge door ribs disposed between the first support and the second support and configured to give shape to a third portion of a leading edge of the aircraft structure, wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs are configured to enclose a rotor shaft at least partly within the leading edge; and
one or more third sheets comprising a third material, attached to the one or more leading-edge door ribs to form the third portion of the leading edge;

wherein the first support, the one or more first sheets, the second support, the one or more second sheets, the one or more leading-edge door ribs, and the one or more third sheets are disposed to mitigate damage from a collision with a foreign object by absorbing kinetic energy from the collision, and wherein the hinged leading-edge door is configured and disposed to allow inspection and maintenance of the rotor shaft when the hinged leading-edge door is opened.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the aircraft structure is a tail fin or a wing.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs comprise aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more leading-edge door ribs comprise at least one T-rib, L-rib, C-rib, or D-rib.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first material comprises aluminum, steel, titanium, or composite.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second material comprises aluminum, titanium, steel, or composite.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Smith Michael
• Tho Cheng-Ho
• Marimuthu Anand Kumar

Classifications

• B64C1/12

  Construction or attachment of skin panels · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C3/28 Primary

  Leading or trailing edges attached to primary structures, e.g. forming fixed slots · CPC title

• B64C27/12

  Rotor drives · CPC title

• B64C2001/0072

  from composite materials · CPC title