Broad goods composite yoke for rotor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701403-B2
Application number	US-201414182370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2014
Priority date	Feb 18, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a rotorcraft yoke comprises a plurality of arms. The plurality of arms, in combination, comprise a plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tiltrotor aircraft, comprising:
a body;
a wing member;
a power train coupled to the body and comprising a power source and a drive shaft in mechanical communication with the power source;
a plurality of rotor blades comprising a first rotor blade, a second rotor blade, and a third rotor blade; and
a rotor system coupled to the wing member and in mechanical communication with the drive shaft, at least part of the rotor system being tiltable between a helicopter mode position and an airplane mode position, the rotor system comprising a yoke coupled between the drive shaft and the plurality of rotor blades, wherein:
the yoke comprises a plurality of arms corresponding in number to the plurality of rotor blades, the plurality of arms comprising a first arm oriented along a first axis and coupled to the first rotor blade, a second arm oriented along a second axis and coupled to the second rotor blade, and a third arm oriented along a third axis and coupled to the third rotor blade; and
the plurality of arms, in combination, comprises:
a first plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the first plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the first plurality of fibrous plies comprising a plurality of fibers aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the first axis;
a second plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the second plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the second plurality of fibrous plies comprising a plurality of fibers aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the second axis; and
a third plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the third plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the third plurality of fibrous plies comprising a plurality of fibers aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the third axis.

2. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers of the first plurality of fibrous plies extend continuously from one edge of the yoke to an opposing edge of the yoke.

3. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of arms, in combination, further comprises:
a fourth plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the fourth plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the fourth plurality of fibrous plies comprising a first plurality of fibers aligned in a first direction at a first angle relative to the first axis and a second plurality of fibers aligned in a second direction at a second angle relative to the first axis, the first direction different from the second direction;
a fifth plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the fifth plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the fifth plurality of fibrous plies comprising a first plurality of fibers aligned in a first direction at a first angle relative to the second axis and a second plurality of fibers aligned in a second direction at a second angle relative to the second axis, the first direction different from the second direction; and
a sixth plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the sixth plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the sixth plurality of fibrous plies comprising a first plurality of fibers aligned in a first direction at a first angle relative to the third axis and a second plurality of fibers aligned in a second direction at a second angle relative to the third axis, the first direction different from the second direction.

4. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 1 , wherein every fibrous ply of the yoke extends continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms.

5. A yoke comprising:
a plurality of arms, the plurality of arms comprising a first arm oriented along a first axis, a second arm oriented along a second axis, and a third arm oriented along a third axis, wherein the plurality of arms, in combination, comprises:
a first plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the first plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the first plurality of fibrous plies aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the first axis;
a second plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the second plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the second plurality of fibrous plies aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the second axis; and
a third plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the third plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the third plurality of fibrous plies aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the third axis.

6. The yoke of claim 5 , wherein:
each fibrous ply of the first plurality of fibrous plies comprises a plurality of fibers aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the first axis;
each fibrous ply of the second plurality of fibrous plies comprises a plurality of fibers aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the second axis; and
each fibrous ply of the third plurality of fibrous plies comprises a plurality of fibers aligned in a direction that is substantially parallel to the third axis.

7. The yoke of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of fibers of the first plurality of fibrous plies extend continuously from one edge of the yoke to an opposing edge of the yoke.

8. The yoke of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of arms, in combination, further comprises:
a fourth plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the fourth plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the fourth plurality of fibrous plies comprising a first plurality of fibers aligned in a first direction at a first angle relative to the first axis and a second plurality of fibers aligned in a second direction at a second angle relative to the first axis, the first direction different from the second direction;
a fifth plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the fifth plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the fifth plurality of fibrous plies comprising a first plurality of fibers aligned in a first direction at a first angle relative to the second axis and a second plurality of fibers aligned in a second direction at a second angle relative to the second axis, the first direction different from the second direction; and
a sixth plurality of fibrous plies, each fibrous ply of the sixth plurality of fibrous plies extending continuously throughout all of the plurality of arms, each fibrous ply of the sixth plurality of fibrous plies comprising a first plurality of fibers aligned in a first direction at a first angle relative to the third axis and a second plurality of fibers aligned in a second direction at a second angle relative to the third axis, the first direction different from the second direction.

9. The yoke of claim 5 , wherein:
each fibrous ply of the first plurality of fibrous plies comprises a first plurality of fibers aligned in a first direction at a first angle relative to the first axis and a second plurality of fibers aligned in a second direction at a second angle relative to the first axis, the first direction different from the second direction;
each fibrous ply of the seco

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Kizhakkepat Amarjit
• Armstrong Levi
• Baldwin Tyler
• Oldroyd Paul
• Southerland Michael J

Classifications

• Y10T156/108

  Flash, trim or excess removal · CPC title

• B32B2260/046

  Synthetic resin · CPC title

• B32B5/26

  another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)} · CPC title

• B64C29/0033

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B32B2605/18

  Aircraft · CPC title