Adjustable blade-to-hub lead-lag damper attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656744-B2
Application number	US-201414283515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

An aircraft includes a rotor blade and a rotor hub system. The rotor hub system includes a lead-lag damper having a rod end and being operably associated with the rotor blade; a blade adapter having a first arm and an opposing second arm; a pin carried by the blade adapter and configured to secure in position via the first arm and the second arm; and an actuator secured to the pin and configured to adjust the position of the lead-lag rod end relative to the first arm and the second arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a rotor blade; and
a rotor hub system, having:
a lead-lag damper having a rod end and being operably associated with the rotor blade;
a blade adapter, having:
a first arm and an opposing second arm;

a pin carried by the blade adapter and configured to secure in position via the first arm and the second arm; and
an actuator secured to the pin and configured to adjust the position of the lead-lag rod end relative to the first arm and the second arm.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a helicopter.

3. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the rotor hub system is an articulate rotor hub system.

4. The aircraft of claim 3 , wherein the articulated rotor hub system is a soft-in-plane assembly.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor hub system is operably associated with at least three rotor blades.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is autonomously controlled.

7. A method to increase flight performance of an aircraft, comprising:
providing the aircraft having all of the features of claim 1 ; and
adjusting the position of the rod end relative to the first arm and the second arm via the actuator.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
autonomously controlling the adjustment of the rod end.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the process of adjusting the position of the rod end is achieved via a helical threaded rod operably associated with the rod end and the actuator.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the actuator rotates the helical threaded rod.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Rauber Richard E
• Yuce Mithat
• Parham Jr Thomas C
• Newman Thomas J
• Wiinikka Mark A

Classifications

• B64C27/51

  Damping of blade movements · CPC title

• F16C11/0695

  Mounting of ball-joints, e.g. fixing them to a connecting rod · CPC title

• F16C11/0614

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

• B64C27/54 Primary

  Mechanisms for controlling blade adjustment or movement relative to rotor head, e.g. lag-lead movement · 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