Helicopter skid landing gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994308-B2
Application number	US-201314133698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A cross tube for a helicopter skid landing gear, including a monolithic metallic tube having a central portion extending transversely between two end portions with longitudinal central axes of the central portion and of the end portions being located in a plane, where the central portion has inner and outer heights, the end portions each have inner and outer heights, and the inner and outer heights of one of the central portion and the end portion are respectively greater than the inner and outer heights of the other of the central portion and the end portion. A skid tube with two portions with cross-sections having one or both of different orientations with respect to one another and different dimensions with respect to one another, and a method of forming a structural tube for a helicopter skid landing gear are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A helicopter skid landing gear comprising:
two longitudinal skid tubes for contact with the ground;
a front cross tubes interconnecting the two skid tubes; and
a rear cross tube interconnecting the two skid tubes, at least one of the cross tubes including:
a monolithic metallic tube having a central portion extending transversely between two end portions with longitudinal central axes of the central portion and of the end portions being located in a same plane, with
at least part of the central portion having a cross-section defining first and second axes with the first axis, the second axis and the longitudinal axis of the central portion extending perpendicularly to each other and intersecting at a common point, one of the first and second axes extending along a minimum outer cross-sectional dimension of the central portion, the first axis extending at a first angle with respect to the plane, the second axis extending at a second angle with respect to the plane, the second angle smaller than the first angle; and
at least part of each end portion having a cross-section defining third and fourth axes with the third axis, the fourth axis and the longitudinal axis of the end portion extending perpendicularly to each other and intersecting at a common point, one of the third and fourth axes extending along a minimum outer cross-sectional dimension of the end portion, the third axis extending at a third angle with respect to the plane, the fourth axis extending at a fourth angle with respect to the plane, the fourth angle smaller than the third angle;

wherein the cross-section of the central portion has inner and outer heights defined along the second axis and the cross-section of the end portions each have inner and outer heights defined along the fourth axis, and the inner and outer heights of one of the central portion and the end portion are respectively greater than the inner and outer heights of the other of the central portion and the end portion
wherein the second angle is different from the fourth angle.

2. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cross-section of the central portion is defined along a major part of a length of the central portion, and wherein the cross-section of the end portions is defined along a major part of a length of each of the end portions.

3. The landing gear as defined in claim 2 , wherein the cross-sections of the central portion and of the end portions each have a rectangular shape.

4. The landing gear as defined in claim 2 , wherein the cross-section of the central portion has a rectangular shape, and an end of each end portion extending spaced apart from the central portion has a circular cross-sectional shape.

5. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer heights of the central portion are respectively greater than the inner and outer heights of each of the end portions.

6. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein the central portion has inner and outer widths defined along the first axis and the end portions each have inner and outer widths defined along the third axis, and the inner and outer widths of one of the central portion and the end portion are respectively greater than the inner and outer widths of the other of the central portion and the end portion.

7. The landing gear as defined in claim 6 , wherein the inner and outer widths of each of the end portions are respectively greater than the inner and outer widths of the central portion.

8. The landing gear as defined in claim 7 , wherein the inner and outer heights of the central portion are respectively greater than the inner and outer heights of each of the end portions.

9. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein the fourth axis extends within the plane, such that the fourth angle is 0.

10. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first, second, third and fourth axes is an axis of symmetry.

11. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein the central portion has inner and outer widths defined along the first axis, and the inner and outer heights of the central portion are respectively greater than the inner and outer widths of the central portion.

12. The landing gear as defined in claim 11 , wherein the end portions each have inner and outer widths defined along the third axis, and the inner and outer widths of each of the end portions are respectively greater than the inner and outer heights thereof.

13. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cross-sections of the central portion and of the end portions each define a perimeter having a same length.

14. The landing gear as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of the cross-section of the central portion has a same wall thickness than at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of the cross-section of each of the end portions.

15. A helicopter skid landing gear comprising:
two longitudinal skid tubes for contact with the ground;
front and rear cross tubes interconnecting the two skid tubes;
wherein each skid tube includes a monolithic metallic tube having at least a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion, the tube defining a ground contact plane for contact with a ground surface, with
the first portion having a cross-section defining first and second axes with the first axis, the second axis and a longitudinal axis of the first portion extending perpendicularly to each other and intersecting at a common point, one of the first and second axes extending along a minimum outer cross-sectional dimension of the cross-section of the first portion, the first axis extending at a first angle with respect to the ground contact plane, the second axis extending at a second angle with respect to the ground contact plane, the first angle smaller than the second angle; and
the second portion having a cross-section defining third and fourth axes with the third axis, the fourth axis and a longitudinal axis of the second portion extending perpendicularly to each other and intersecting at a common point, one of the third and fourth axes extending along a minimum outer cross-sectional dimension of the cross-section of the second portion, the third axis extending at a third angle with respect to the ground contact plane, the fourth axis extending at a fourth angle with respect to the ground contact plane, the third angle smaller than the fourth angle;
the cross-sections of the first and second portions having one or both of different orientations with respect to one another and different dimensions with respect to one another, the different orientations including the first and third axes being non parallel, the different dimensions including outer and inner cross-sectional dimensions of the first portion defined along the second axis being respectively greater or respectively smaller than outer and inner cross-sectional dimensions of the second portion defined along the fourth axis.

16. The landing gear as defined in claim 15 , wherein the second portion defines a region of attachment with a cross-tube, the third angle being different than 0, the fourth axis extending in alignment with a longitudinal axis of an end of the cross-tube when attached to the skid tube.

17. The landing gear as defined in claim 15 , wherein the second portion defines a region of attachment with a cross-tube, the cross-section of the second portion having a circular shape, and the cross-section of the first portion having a rectangular shape.

18. The landin

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
• Univ Laval
• Univ Laval

Inventors

• Bernier Simon
• Fews Robert Clive
• Guillot Michel
• Gakwaya Augustin
• Blanchet Jocelyn
• Elie-Dit-Cosaque Xavier Jean-Gilles
• Levesque Julie
• Aquino Giuseppe

Classifications

• B21D53/92

  other parts for aircraft · CPC title

• Y10T428/12292

  Workpiece with longitudinal passageway or stopweld material [e.g., for tubular stock, etc.] · CPC title

• B64C2025/325

  specially adapted for helicopters · CPC title

• B64C25/52 Primary

  Skis or runners · CPC title

• B21D26/033

  Deforming tubular bodies (corrugating tubes by applying fluid pressure B21D15/03, B21D15/10) · CPC title