Passive proprotor-blade retention systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11814153-B2
Application number	US-202117552052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2021
Priority date	Dec 15, 2021
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A system for retaining a folded proprotor blade in flight. The system includes a mounting plate, a first arm coupled to the mounting plate at an acute angle relative to the mounting plate, and a first deformable pad affixed to the first arm and adapted to contact the folded proprotor blade.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for retaining a folded proprotor blade in flight, the system comprising:
a mounting plate;
a first arm coupled to the mounting plate at an acute angle relative to the mounting plate; and
a first deformable pad affixed to the first arm and adapted to contact the folded proprotor blade.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first deformable pad is preloaded to facilitate proprotor blade retention.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first deformable pad is contoured to mate with the folded proprotor blade.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first deformable pad comprises at least one of TEFLON, open-cell foam, closed-cell foam, rubber, and NEOPRENE.

5. The system of claim 1 , comprising a second arm positioned opposite the first arm in a beamwise direction and coupled to the mounting plate at an acute angle relative to the mounting plate.

6. The system of claim 5 , comprising a second deformable pad affixed to the second arm and adapted to contact the folded proprotor blade.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first arm and the second arm are symmetrical about a chordwise-direction axis.

8. A system for retaining a folded proprotor blade in flight, the system comprising:
a mounting plate;
a first pair of opposing arms coupled to the mounting plate; and
a deformable roller rotatably coupled to each of the first pair of opposing arms and adapted to rollably contact the folded proprotor blade.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the deformable rollers are spring-loaded to facilitate proprotor blade retention.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the deformable rollers are spring-loaded by the mounting plate.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the deformable rollers comprise at least one of TEFLON, open-cell foam, closed-cell foam, rubber, and NEOPRENE.

12. The system of claim 8 , comprising a second pair of opposing arms coupled to the mounting plate and to the deformable rollers at an opposite end of the deformable rollers.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the first pair of opposing arms and the second pair of opposing arms comprises a tapered surface on a leading edge thereof.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the first pair of opposing arms has an adjustment slot formed therein to adjust the deformable rollers in a chordwise direction.

15. A system for retaining a folded proprotor blade in flight, the system comprising:
a mounting plate;
a first arm coupled to at least one of the mounting plate at a first acute angle relative to the mounting plate;
a second arm coupled to at least one of the mounting plate at a second acute angle relative to the mounting plate;
a first deformable pad affixed to the first arm and adapted to contact a first side of the folded proprotor blade;
a second deformable pad affixed to the second arm and adapted to contact a second side of the folded proprotor blade; and
wherein the first side and the second side are on opposite sides of the folded proprotor blade in a beamwise direction.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first deformable pad and the second deformable pad are preloaded to facilitate proprotor blade retention.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first deformable pad and the second deformable pad are contoured to mate with the folded proprotor blade.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first deformable pad and the second deformable pad comprise at least one of TEFLON, open-cell foam, closed-cell foam, rubber, and NEOPRENE.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein each of the first arm and the second arm has an adjustment slot formed therein to adjust the first deformable pad and the second deformable pad in a chordwise direction.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first acute angle is different from the second acute angle.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Cravener Kyle Thomas
• Maresh Andrew
• Knoll Jonathan Andrew

Classifications

• B64C11/28 Primary

  Collapsible or foldable blades · CPC title

• B64C11/04

  Blade mountings · CPC title

• B64C27/28

  with forward-propulsion propellers pivotable to act as lifting rotors · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title