Rotor for an aircraft capable of hovering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12434824-B2
Application number	US-202118007579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2021
Priority date	Jun 25, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A rotor for an aircraft is described, comprising an input shaft rotatable around a first axis; an output member rotatable around a second axis; a coupling element functionally interposed between the input shaft and the output member and adapted to transmit the motion from the input shaft to the output member; the coupling element is configured to allow, in use, a fixed or variable inclination between the respective first and second axes; the coupling element comprises at least a first corrugated element made of an elastically deformable material; the first corrugated element allows the inclination through elastic deformation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A convertiplane comprising:
a fuselage extending along a first axis;
a pair of half-wings extending from respective side bands opposite one another of said fuselage along respective second axes;
a pair of rotors associated with said half-wings, rotatable around respective third axes and inclinable around a fourth axis orthogonal to said second and first axis between:
a first position in which said third axes are parallel to said first axis, which position is reached when said convertiplane is, in use, in an airplane configuration; and
a second position in which said third axes are orthogonal to said first axis, which position is reached when said convertiplane is, in use, in a helicopter configuration;
each said rotor comprising:
an input shaft rotatable around a respective fifth axis;
an output member rotatable around a respective said third axis;
a coupling element functionally interposed between said input shaft and said output member and adapted to transmit the motion from said input shaft to said output member;
said coupling element being configured to allow, in use, an inclination by a variable angle between the respective said respective fifth axis and said respective third axis;
characterized in that said coupling element comprises at least a first corrugated element made of an elastically deformable material;
said first corrugated element allowing said inclination through elastic deformation;
said input shaft being a control shaft of the respective said propeller rotatable around the respective said fifth axis;
said output member being a hub on which a plurality of respective blades are articulated and rotatable around a respective said third axis;
said coupling element is configured to allow, in use, said variable oscillation angle between respective said fifth and third axes;
wherein said coupling element is homokinetic; and/or
characterized in that said coupling element is torsionally rigid in a plane orthogonal to said fifth and third axis and flexurally yielding in at least one plane parallel to said fifth and third axis.

2. The convertiplane according to claim 1 , characterized in that said first corrugated element is axial-symmetrical around a sixth axis and has a first corrugation;
said first corrugation having a direction of extension parallel to said sixth axis and a radial thickness with respect to said sixth axis.

3. The convertiplane according to claim 2 , characterized in that said first corrugation comprises at least a first ring radially external with respect to said sixth axis and axially interposed between two second rings radially internal with respect to the fifth axis itself;
said first ring and second rings being defined by a single said first corrugated element.

4. The convertiplane according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least a second corrugated element;
said second corrugated element being discoidal and comprising a second corrugation with a direction of extension radial to said fifth axis and a parallel thickness with respect to said fifth-axis.

5. The convertiplane according to claim 2 , characterized in that said first corrugation is helical; and/or characterized in that said fifth and sixth axes coincide with each other.

6. A convertiplane comprising:
a fuselage extending along a first axis;
a pair of half-wings extending from respective side bands opposite one another of said fuselage along respective second axes;
a pair of rotors associated with said half-wings, rotatable around respective third axes and inclinable around a fourth axis orthogonal to said second and first axis between:
a first position in which said third axes are parallel to said first axis, which position is reached when said convertiplane is, in use, in an airplane configuration; and
a second position in which said third axes are orthogonal to said first axis, which position is reached when said convertiplane is, in use, in a helicopter configuration;
each said rotor comprising:
an input shaft rotatable around a respective fifth axis;
an output member rotatable around a respective said third axis;
a coupling element functionally interposed between said input shaft and said output member and adapted to transmit the motion from said input shaft to said output member;
said coupling element being configured to allow, in use, an inclination by a variable angle between the respective said respective fifth axis and said respective third axis;
characterized in that said coupling element comprises at least a first corrugated element made of an elastically deformable material;
said first corrugated element allowing said inclination through elastic deformation;
said input shaft being a control shaft of the respective said propeller rotatable around the respective said fifth axis;
said output member being a hub on which a plurality of respective blades are articulated and rotatable around a respective said third axis;
said coupling element is configured to allow, in use, said variable oscillation angle between respective said fifth and third axes;
wherein said coupling element comprises a plurality of axially corrugated discs superimposed on one another and connected to one another;
said discs comprising first radially internal ends and second radially external ends axially offset with respect to said first radially internal ends.

7. The convertiplane according to claim 6 , characterized in that each said disc comprises a stretch interposed radially and axially between the respective said first and second end.

8. The convertiplane according to claim 6 , characterized in that said discs axially consecutive to one another comprise respective said first radially internal ends connected to one another and/or respective second radially external ends connected to one another.

9. The convertiplane according to claim 1 , characterized in that said at least one first corrugated element is made of a fibre-reinforced composite material.

10. The convertiplane according to claim 1 , characterized in that said coupling element comprises a first and a second end edge connected respectively to said input shaft and said output member;
said first and second end edges being circular and circumferentially continuous so as to make said coupling element homokinetic.

11. A convertiplane comprising:
a fuselage extending along a first axis;
a pair of half-wings extending from respective side bands opposite one another of said fuselage along respective second axes;
a pair of rotors associated with said half-wings, rotatable around respective third axes and inclinable around a fourth axis orthogonal to said second and first axis between:
a first position in which said third axes are parallel to said first axis, which position is reached when said convertiplane is, in use, in an airplane configuration; and
a second position in which said third axes are orthogonal to said first axis, which position is reached when said convertiplane is, in use, in a helicopter configuration;
each said rotor comprising:
an input shaft rotatable around a respective fifth axis;
an output member rotatable around a respective said third axis;
a coupling element functionally interposed between said input shaft and said output member and adapted to transmit the motion from said input shaft to said output member;
said coupling element being configured to allow, in use, an inclination by a variable angle between the respective said respective fifth axis and said respective third axis;
characterized in that said coupling element comprises at least a first corrugated element made of an elastically deformable material;
said first corrugat

Assignees

• Leonardo Spa

Inventors

• Bottasso Luigi
• Poggi Stefano
• Woody Phil
• Losi Fabrizio
• Nava Alessandro
• Sartori Sergio
• Simonetta Roberto
• Airoldi Alessandro
• Boiocchi Matteo

Classifications

• B64D35/00

  Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions · CPC title

• F16D3/725

  with an intermediate member made of fibre-reinforced resin (made of rubber-like material F16D3/74; shafts made of fibre-reinforced resin F16C3/026) · CPC title

• B64C29/0033

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C27/82

  characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft · CPC title

• B64C27/28

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