Anti-roll oscillation landing wheel rims for rotorcraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12110100-B2
Application number	US-202217687625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2022
Priority date	Mar 5, 2022
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A landing wheel assembly for a rotorcraft having a light on gear phase during takeoff and landing includes a tire and an anti-roll oscillation rim. The tire has first and second side walls and forms a center aperture. The anti-roll oscillation rim includes a center disc disposed in the aperture of the tire, a first side wall support plate protruding from the center disc and extending at least 25 percent of the vertical length of the first side wall of the tire and a second side wall support plate protruding from the center disc and extending at least 25 percent of the vertical length of the second side wall of the tire. The first and second side wall support plates support the first and second side walls, respectively, to stiffen the tire in the light on gear phase of takeoff and landing, thereby reducing roll oscillations of the rotorcraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A landing wheel assembly for a rotorcraft having a light on gear phase during takeoff and landing, the landing wheel assembly comprising:
a tire including first and second side walls each having a vertical length, the first and second side walls each having a proximal end, the tire having a longitudinal centerline and forming a center aperture; and
an anti-roll oscillation rim comprising:
a center disc including first and second center disc halves disposed in the aperture of the tire and receiving the proximal ends of the first and second side walls of the tire;
a first side wall support plate including a center interface portion separable from the center disc, the center interface portion of the first side wall support plate coupled to the first center disc half such that the first side wall support plate covers the first center disc half, the first side wall support plate extending at least 50 percent of the vertical length of the first side wall of the tire; and
a second side wall support plate including a center interface portion separable from the center disc, the center interface portion of the second side wall support plate coupled to the second center disc half such that the second side wall support plate covers the second center disc half, the second side wall support plate extending at least 50 percent of the vertical length of the second side wall of the tire such that the first and second side wall support plates are symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the tire, the center disc halves and the side wall support plates each substantially covering the aperture of the tire;
wherein, the first and second side wall support plates engage and support the first and second side walls, respectively, to stiffen the tire in the light on gear phase of takeoff and landing, thereby reducing roll oscillations of the rotorcraft.

2. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first side wall support plate extends away from the first center disc half and the second side wall support plate extends away from the second center disc half.

3. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first center disc half is coupled to the second center disc half to sandwich the tire therebetween.

4. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second side wall support plates are curved to contour the first and second side walls.

5. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second side wall support plates comprise flat side wall support plates.

6. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second side wall support plates are coupled to the first and second center disc halves, respectively, with one or more fasteners.

7. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the center interface portions of the first and second side wall support plates are coupled to the first and second center disc halves, respectively, with one or more fasteners.

8. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the anti-roll oscillation rim comprises a plurality of side wall support plates including the first and second side wall support plates, the side wall support plates interchangeably attachable to the center disc.

9. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second side wall support plates are formed from a different material than the center disc.

10. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein the first and second side wall support plates are formed from steel and the center disc is formed from aluminum.

11. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second side wall support plates extend at least 75 percent of the vertical lengths of the first and second side walls of the tire, respectively.

12. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each first and second side wall has a surface area, the first side wall support plate covering at least 25 percent of the surface area of the first side wall and the second side wall support plate covering at least 25 percent of the surface area of the second side wall.

13. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the proximal end of each first and second side wall forms a bead; and
wherein, the first and second center disc halves each has a tire-facing surface forming a bead rest, the bead rests receiving the beads of the tire to secure the tire to the anti-roll oscillation rim.

14. The landing wheel assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein the bead rests are closer to proximal ends of support plate portions of the first and second side wall support plates than distal ends of the support plate portions of the first and second side wall support plates.

15. A helicopter having a light on gear phase during takeoff and landing, the helicopter comprising:
a fuselage; and
a landing gear system coupled to an underside of the fuselage, the landing gear system including port and starboard landing wheel assemblies, each landing wheel assembly comprising:
a tire including inboard and outboard side walls each having a vertical length, the inboard and outboard side walls each having a proximal end, the tire having a longitudinal centerline and forming a center aperture; and
an anti-roll oscillation rim comprising:
a center disc including inboard and outboard center disc halves disposed in the aperture of the tire and receiving the proximal ends of the inboard and outboard side walls of the tire;
an inboard side wall support plate including a center interface portion separable from the center disc, the center interface portion of the inboard side wall support plate coupled to the inboard center disc half such that the inboard side wall support plate covers the inboard center disc half, the inboard side wall support plate extending at least 50 percent of the vertical length of the inboard side wall of the tire; and
an outboard side wall support plate including a center interface portion separable from the center disc, the center interface portion of the outboard side wall support plate coupled to the outboard center disc half such that the outboard side wall support plate covers the outboard center disc half, the outboard side wall support plate extending at least 50 percent of the vertical length of the outboard side wall of the tire such that the inboard and outboard side wall support plates are symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the tire, the center disc halves and the side wall support plates each substantially covering the aperture of the tire;
wherein, the side wall support plates engage and support the side walls to stiffen the tires in the light on gear phase of takeoff and landing, thereby reducing roll oscillations of the helicopter.

16. The helicopter as recited in claim 15 wherein the underside of the fuselage forms port and starboard wheel bays, and wherein the port and starboard landing wheel assemblies are retractable into the port and starboard wheel bays, respectively.

17. The helicopter as recited in claim 15 wherein the side wall support plates are configured to increase a roll oscillation mode frequency of the helicopter in the light on gear phase of takeoff and landing.

18. The helicopter as recited in claim 15 wherein the side wall support plates reduce lateral flexibility of the tires in the light on gear phase of takeoff and landing.

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Brand Albert G
• Pujol Michael
• Johnson Casey T
• Vuga Marko

Classifications

• B64C2025/325

  specially adapted for helicopters · CPC title

• B64C25/36 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of wheels, tyres or axles in general · CPC title