Centrifugal force bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623742-B2
Application number	US-201916372289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2019
Priority date	Apr 2, 2018
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

An elastomeric bearing assembly has a housing, a centrifugal force bearing axially captured relative to the housing, and a sliding cap disposed between the housing and the centrifugal force bearing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elastomeric bearing assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a centrifugal force bearing axially captured relative to the housing; and
a sliding cap disposed between the housing and the centrifugal force bearing, the sliding cap comprising at least one sliding surface configured to allow sliding between the sliding cap and at least one of the housing and the centrifugal force bearing;
wherein at least a portion of the at least one sliding surface is not axially overlapped by the centrifugal force bearing.

2. The elastomeric bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sliding cap comprises an exterior profile comprising a polytetrafluoroethylene coating.

3. The elastomeric bearing assembly of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the exterior profile is shaped complementary to a receiving profile of the housing.

4. The elastomeric bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a receiving profile comprising a polytetrafluoroethylene coating.

5. The elastomeric bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein a receiving profile is shaped complementary to an exterior profile of the sliding cap.

6. The elastomeric bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the centrifugal force bearing is axially captured between the housing and an outboard portion of a spindle.

7. The elastomeric bearing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a spindle axially received through at least a portion of the centrifugal force bearing.

8. A rotorcraft, comprising:
an elastomeric bearing assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a centrifugal force bearing axially captured relative to the housing; and
sliding cap disposed between the housing and the centrifugal force bearing, the sliding cap comprising at least one sliding surface configured to allow sliding between the sliding cap and at least one of the housing and the centrifugal force bearing;
wherein at least a portion of the at least one sliding surface is not axially overlapped by the centrifugal force bearing.

9. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the sliding cap comprises an exterior profile comprising a polytetrafluoroethylene coating.

10. The rotorcraft of claim 8 , wherein the housing comprises a receiving profile comprising a polytetrafluoroethylene coating.

11. A method of operating a rotorcraft, comprising:
capturing a centrifugal force bearing relative to a housing located relatively more inboard than the centrifugal force bearing;
operating the rotorcraft to rotate the centrifugal force bearing about a mast axis of rotation at a rotational speed below a threshold speed;
applying a torsional force having a first amplitude to the centrifugal force bearing; and
rotating an inboard portion of the centrifugal force bearing relative to the housing, wherein the rotating comprises sliding at least one of the housing and the centrifugal force bearing relative to a sliding surface of a sliding cap disposed between the housing and the centrifugal force bearing.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
operating the rotorcraft to rotate the centrifugal force bearing about the mast axis of rotation at a rotational speed above the threshold speed;
applying the torsional force having the first amplitude to the centrifugal force bearing; and
preventing rotation of the inboard portion of the centrifugal force bearing relative to the housing.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
providing a sliding cap between the centrifugal force bearing and the housing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sliding cap comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene coating.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the housing comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene coating.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
after preventing rotation of the inboard portion of the centrifugal force bearing relative to the housing, operating the rotorcraft to rotate the centrifugal force bearing about the mast axis of rotation at a rotational speed below the threshold speed.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
applying the torsional force having the first amplitude to the centrifugal force bearing; and
rotating the inboard portion of the centrifugal force bearing relative to the housing.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the torsional force is applied to the centrifugal force bearing via a spindle received at least partially through the centrifugal force bearing.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Maresh Andrew Ryan
• Foskey Christopher Edward

Classifications

• B64C27/32

  Rotors · CPC title

• F16C2326/43

  Aeroplanes; Helicopters · CPC title

• F16C2208/32

  Polytetrafluorethylene [PTFE] (F16C2208/58 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16C33/22 Primary

  Sliding surface consisting mainly of rubber or synthetic rubber (F16C33/24 - F16C33/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64C27/35

  having elastomeric joints · CPC title