Ball-joint mechanism between a clevis and a connecting rod, in particular for control apparatus of a rotorcraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9488216-B2
Application number	US-201213664960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2012
Priority date	Nov 7, 2011
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A ball joint mechanism between a connecting rod ( 1 ) and at least one journal ( 3, 3 ′) is provided. A lateral protection part ( 12, 12 ′) interposed between the connecting rod ( 1 ) and the journal ( 3, 3 ′) is arranged as a one-piece ring comprising a wear member ( 14, 14 ′) and a fastener member ( 15, 15 ′) that are secured to each other. The fastener member ( 15, 15 ′) is made of hard material and is interposed with axial clamping between the journal ( 3, 3 ′) and a shoulder ( 20, 20 ′) of an assembly pin ( 7 ) between the connecting rod ( 1 ) and the journal ( 3, 3 ′) via opposite end faces thereof with a space being arranged between them to receive the wear member ( 14, 14 ′).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ball-joint mechanism between a connecting rod and a journal, the mechanism allowing the connecting rod and the journal to move relative to each other both in pivoting and in lateral clearance by means of a ball joint interposed between the connecting rod and the journal;
the mechanism including an assembly pin engaged axially and radially against the journal, the assembly pin being provided with a spherical bearing surface in relief co-operating with a bearing surface in relief of complementary shape forming part of the connecting rod;
the mechanism including axial clamping means engaged against the journal and against the assembly pin to press the journal and the assembly pin axially against each other;
the mechanism including a lateral protection part that is shaped as a ring and that is interposed axially between facing flanks of the connecting rod and of the journal, protecting the connecting rod and the journal from lateral contact against one another;
the protection part incorporating a wear member and a fastener member that are made of respective materials and that are assembled together by securing means; and
the fastener member including axial positioning means and centering means relative to the journal, the axial positioning means including two opposite thrust faces of the fastener member that press axially respectively against an abutment on the journal and an abutment on the assembly pin;
wherein:
the fastener member is rigid and made of a hard material, and the wear member is made of a soft material and is fitted on the fastener member;
the protection part is freely mountable on the assembly pin, being axially blocked between the abutments by the clamping means;
the thrust faces of the fastener member are formed respectively by two axial end faces of the fastener member, the end faces pressing respectively against two opposite ones of the abutments arranged respectively on either side of the protection part; and
the wear member is at least partially received in a space located between the thrust faces.

2. The ball-joint mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the fastener member includes a tubular cylinder provided with a collar arranged axially opposite from an end face of the cylinder, the collar forming one said thrust face of the fastener member for pressing against the journal, the end face forming the other said thrust face for pressing against a shoulder of the assembly pin.

3. The ball joint mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein an axial bore of the tubular cylinder forms an axial clearance for passing the assembly pin through the protection part, said centering means being formed by the axial hole co-operating with a peripheral surface of the assembly pin.

4. The ball-joint mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the centering means is of an axial interfitting cone type enabling the fastener member to press axially against the journal, a centering conical bearing surface in relief being is formed at either one of the end faces of the fastener member and configured to cooperate by sliding interfitting with a conical bearing surface in relief of complementary shape included in a corresponding abutment.

5. The ball-joint mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein said space is arranged around a peripheral wall of the tubular cylinder in an axial gap defined between the collar and the end face of the cylinder.

6. The ball-joint mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein an axial extent of the fastener member corresponds to an axial extent of the protection part at least when considered in a volume defined between the two said abutments.

7. The ball joint mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the wear member is received inside the space.

8. The ball joint mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the securing means is of the adhesive bonding type between the wear member and the fastener member.

9. The ball-joint mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the securing means is of the elastic interfitting type comprising interfitting portions in relief of complementary shapes that are respectively formed on the fastener member and incorporated in the wear member, the interfitting portions in relief incorporated in the wear member being elastically deformable.

10. The ball joint mechanism according to claim 9 , wherein the interfitting portions in relief are arranged axially respectively on a face of a collar opposite from the bearing surface whereby the collar presses against the abutment associated therewith, and on the face of the wear member facing said opposite face of the collar.

11. The ball joint mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the wear member projects outside from the space towards at least any one of the facing flanks of the connecting rod and of the journal.

12. A ball joint arrangement comprising:
a connecting rod;
a journal; and
a ball joint mechanism positioned between the connecting rod and the journal for allowing the connecting rod and the journal to pivot relative to each other and move laterally relative to each other, the ball joint mechanism including:
an assembly pin supported axially and radially by the journal, the assembly pin including a spherical bearing surface that is configured to co-operate with a bearing surface of complementary shape forming part of the connecting rod;
axial clamping means configured to press the journal and the assembly pin axially against each other; and
a lateral protection part that is shaped as a ring and that is interposed axially between facing flanks of the connecting rod and the journal for protecting the connecting rod and the journal from lateral contact with one another, the protection part including a wear member and a fastener member that are connected together by securing means, the fastener member including axial positioning means and centering means relative to the journal, the axial positioning means including two opposite thrust faces of the fastener member that press axially respectively against an abutment on the journal and an abutment on the assembly pin, wherein:
the fastener member is rigid and made of a first material, and the wear member is made of a second material that is softer than the first material;
the protection part is mounted on the assembly pin and is axially blocked between the abutments by the clamping means;
the thrust faces of the fastener member are formed respectively by two axial end faces of the fastener member, the end faces pressing respectively against the abutments arranged respectively on either side of the protection part; and
the wear member is at least partially received in a space located between the thrust faces.

13. A ball joint mechanism for positioning between a connecting rod and a journal and configured to allow the connecting rod and the journal to pivot relative to each other and move laterally relative to each other, the ball-joint mechanism comprising:
an assembly pin configured to be supported axially and radially by the journal, the assembly pin including a spherical bearing surface that is configured to co-operate with a bearing surface of complementary shape forming part of the connecting rod;
axial clamping means configured to press the journal and the assembly pin axially against each other; and
a lateral protection part that is shaped as a ring and positionable axially between facing flanks of the connecting rod and the journal for protecting the connecting rod and the journal from lateral contact with one another, the protection part including a wear member and a fastener member that are configured to be connected together by securing means, the fastener member including ax

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Godiot Patrice
• Bocoviz Claude
• Somson Ludovic

Classifications

• Y10T403/32057

  Angular and linear · CPC title

• F16C11/0614 Primary

  the female part of the joint being open on two sides · CPC title

• F16C2326/43

  Aeroplanes; Helicopters · CPC title

• F16C11/045

  with at least a pair of arms pivoting relatively to at least one other arm, all arms being mounted on one pin (crank-pins F16C11/02) · CPC title

• F16C11/02

  Trunnions; Crank-pins (fastening crank-pins to webs, crank-pins integral with cranks F16C3/06, F16C3/22) · CPC title