Propeller/rotor control apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9555881-B2
Application number	US-201414242932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a rotor of a rotary wing aircraft, including a stationary frame, a rotary propulsion shaft extending through the frame, the propulsion shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion coupled to the first shaft portion at a joint, the first shaft portion being configured to be coupled to a drive unit and the second shaft portion being pivotable relative to a centerline of the first shaft portion in two degrees of freedom about the joint, and at least one actuator coupled to the stationary frame at one end and connected to the second shaft portion at the other end so that the second shaft portion rotates relative to the at least one actuator, the at least one actuator being configured to pivot the second shaft portion in the two degrees of freedom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling a rotor of a rotary wing aircraft, comprising:
a stationary frame;
a rotary propulsion shaft extending through the stationary frame, the propulsion shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion coupled to the first shaft portion at a joint, the first shaft portion being configured to be coupled to a drive unit and the second shaft portion being pivotable relative to a centerline of the first shaft portion in two degrees of freedom about the joint;
a bearing assembly mounted to the second shaft portion;
a spherical bearing mounted to the stationary frame;
at least one control arm coupling the spherical bearing to the bearing assembly;
a stabilizing member that is common to each of the at least one control arm, the stabilizing member being configured to adjust a contact pressure of each control arm against one or more of the bearing assembly and spherical bearing while allowing pivoting of the second shaft portion; and
at least one actuator coupled to the stationary frame at one end and connected to the second shaft portion at the other end so that the second shaft portion rotates relative to the at least one actuator, the at least one actuator being substantially parallel with the rotary propulsion shaft and configured to pivot the second shaft portion in the two degrees of freedom.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spherical bearing is mounted to the stationary frame so that a pivot axis of the spherical bearing is coincident with a pivot axis of the joint.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one actuator is coupled at the other end to a respective one of the at least one control arm for effecting pivoting of the second shaft portion in the two degrees of freedom.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one actuator is pivotally coupled to the stationary frame and the respective one of the at least one control arm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one pitch actuator and at least one yaw actuator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises a pair of opposing pitch actuators and a pair of opposing yaw actuators.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tilt control unit connecting the stationary frame to the second shaft portion, the tilt control unit being coupled to the other end of the at least one actuator and having a pivot axis that is coincident with a pivot axis of the joint, the at least one actuator being configured to pivot the tilt control unit to effect the two degree of freedom movement of the second shaft portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the tilt control unit includes a spherical bearing that defines the pivot axis of the tilt control unit.

9. A rotary wing aircraft comprising:
a frame;
a tail rotor connected to the frame, the tail rotor including
a rotary propulsion shaft extending through the frame, the propulsion shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion coupled to the first shaft portion at a joint, the first shaft portion being configured to be coupled to a drive unit and the second shaft portion being pivotable relative to a centerline of the first shaft portion in two degrees of freedom about the joint;
a bearing assembly mounted to the second shaft portion;
a spherical bearing mounted to the stationary frame;
at least one control arm coupling the spherical bearing to the bearing assembly;
a stabilizing member that is common to each of the at least one control arm, the stabilizing member being configured to adjust a contact pressure of each control arm against one or more of the bearing assembly and spherical bearing while allowing pivoting of the second shaft portion; and
at least one actuator connected to the frame at one end and connected to the second shaft portion at the other end so that the second shaft portion rotates relative to the at least one actuator, the at least one actuator being substantially parallel with the rotary propulsion shaft and configured to pivot the second shaft portion in the two degrees of freedom.

10. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the spherical bearing is mounted to the frame so that a pivot axis of the spherical bearing is coincident with a pivot axis of the joint.

11. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the at least one actuator is coupled at the other end to a respective one of the at least one control arm for effecting pivoting of the second shaft portion in the two degrees of freedom.

12. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the at least one actuator is pivotally coupled to the frame and the respective one of the at least one control arm.

13. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one pitch actuator and at least one yaw actuator.

14. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises a pair of opposing pitch actuators and a pair of opposing yaw actuators.

15. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the tail rotor includes a tilt control unit connecting the frame to the second shaft portion, the tilt control unit being coupled to the other end of the at least one actuator and having a pivot axis that is coincident with a pivot axis of the joint, the at least one actuator being configured to pivot the tilt control unit to effect the two degree of freedom movement of the second shaft portion.

16. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the tilt control unit includes a spherical bearing that defines the pivot axis of the tilt control unit.

17. The rotary wing aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the tilt control unit does not rotate about the centerline of the first shaft portion or a centerline of the second shaft portion.

18. A method comprising:
providing a rotary wing aircraft with a rotary propulsion shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion so that the second shaft portion is pivotable relative to a centerline of the first shaft portion in two degrees of freedom about a joint; and
pivoting the second shaft portion in the two degrees of freedom with at least one actuator that is arranged substantially parallel to the rotary propulsion shaft and connecting a non-rotatable frame of the rotary wing aircraft to the second shaft portion so that the second shaft portion rotates relative to the at least one actuator;
wherein control arms are connected to both a spherical bearing mounted to the non-rotatable frame and a bearing assembly mounted to the second shaft portion and a contact pressure of each control arm against one or more of the spherical bearing and the bearing assembly is adjusted with a stabilizing member that is common to each control arm.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the pivoting the second shaft portion includes pivoting a tilt control unit, that connects the at least one actuator to the second shaft portion, about a pivot axis of the spherical bearing of the tilt control unit where the pivot axis of the spherical bearing is coincident with a pivot axis of the joint.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising controlling pitch and yaw through the pivoting of the second shaft portion.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kulesha Richard L

Classifications

• 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

• F16H23/10

  with rotary wobble-plates with plane surfaces · CPC title

• B64C27/52 Primary

  Tilting of rotor bodily relative to fuselage (of see-saw type construction B64C27/43) · CPC title

• Y10T74/19502

  Pivotally supported · CPC title