Swashplate apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718541-B2
Application number	US-201414914583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A swashplate apparatus is provided and includes a first swashplate including outer and inner bodies and an intermediate portion defining a major groove between the outer and inner bodies, a second swashplate disposable in the major groove to be rotatable relative to the first swashplate, the second swashplate including an interior facing surface radially separated from the inner body to define a minor groove and defining a recess in which the rod end is disposable, a connector disposable in the recess to pivotably couple the rod end to the second swashplate and a plate element disposable in the minor groove and affixable to the interior facing surface of the second swashplate and the connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A swashplate apparatus for use with a rod end, comprising:
a first swashplate including outer and inner bodies and an intermediate portion defining a major groove between the outer and inner bodies;
a second swashplate disposable in the major groove to be rotatable relative to the first swashplate, the second swashplate including an interior facing surface radially separated from the inner body to define a minor groove and defining a recess in which the rod end is disposable;
a connector disposable in the recess to pivotably couple the rod end to the second swashplate; and
a plate element disposable in the minor groove and affixable to the interior facing surface of the second swashplate and the connector.

2. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inner body comprises a uniball element.

3. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a bearing element configured to rotatably support the second swashplate in the major groove.

4. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rod end is pivotably coupled to the second swashplate in a plane of the first swashplate.

5. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the interior facing surface of the second swashplate and the inner body is substantially greater than a thickness of the plate element.

6. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a distance between the interior facing surface of the second swashplate and the inner body is greater than a thickness of the rod end.

7. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plate element and the rod end are removable from the second swashplate by an initial inward radial movement in the minor grove and a subsequent axial movement out of the minor groove.

8. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second swashplate is formed to define multiple recesses,
each of the multiple recesses being associated with a corresponding one of multiple connectors to pivotably couple a corresponding one of multiple rod ends to the second swashplate, and
each of the multiple recesses being associated with a corresponding one of multiple plate elements disposable in the minor groove and affixable to the interior facing surface of the second swashplate and the corresponding one of the multiple connectors.

9. A swashplate apparatus for use with rod ends, the swashplate apparatus comprising:
a non-rotating swashplate including outer and inner bodies and an intermediate portion defining a major groove between the outer and inner bodies;
a rotating swashplate disposable in the major groove to be rotatable relative to the non-rotating swashplate, the rotating swashplate including a rotatable body having an interior facing surface radially separated from the inner body to define a minor groove and defining multiple recesses in which the rod ends are respectively disposable;
multiple connector pins respectively disposable in each of the multiple recesses to pivotably couple the rod ends to the rotatable body; and
multiple plate elements respectively disposable in the minor groove and affixable to the interior facing surface of the rotatable body and each of the multiple connectors.

10. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the inner body comprises a uniball element.

11. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a bearing element configured to rotatably support the rotating swashplate in the major groove.

12. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each of the rod ends is pivotably coupled to the rotatable body in a plane of the non-rotating swashplate.

13. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein a distance between the interior facing surface of the rotatable body and the inner body is substantially greater than a thickness of each of the multiple plate elements.

14. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein a distance between the interior facing surface of the rotatable body and the inner body is greater than a thickness of the rod ends.

15. The swashplate apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the multiple plate elements and the rod ends are removable from the rotatable body by an initial inward radial movement in the minor grove and a subsequent axial movement out of the minor groove.

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Darrow Jr David A
• Poulin Stephen V
• D'Anna Frank P
• Miner Frederick J

Classifications

• B64C27/10 Primary

  arranged coaxially · CPC title

• B64C27/605

  including swash plate, spider or cam mechanisms · CPC title