Rotor blade for a bearingless rotor of a helicopter

US6196800A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Karl-Heinz Bauer · Graben-Neudorf, DE
• Gerald Kuntze-Fechner · Waakirchen, DE
• Gerhard Hausmann · Hersbruck, DE
• Bernhard Enenkl · Zetel, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 27, 1999
• Grant date: Mar 6, 2001
• Expiry date: May 27, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S416/50
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A rotor blade arrangement for a bearingless rotor of a helicopter includes a flexbeam connecting an airfoil blade to a rotor head, and a control sleeve surrounding the flexbeam. The control sleeve is relatively stiff, but the flexbeam has portions that are flexible so as form a fictitious flapping hinge, lead-lag hinge, and torsion axis, which respectively enable flapping, lead-lag pivoting, and torsional movements of the airfoil blade. The inboard end of the control sleeve is secured to the root end of the flexbeam near the rotor head to prevent lateral displacements therebetween. Damping elements are arranged within the enclosure of the control sleeve at a location between the fictitious lead-lag hinge of the flexbeam and the transition region at which the flexbeam transitions into the airfoil blade. The damping elements are preferably arranged laterally next to the flexbeam in the lead-lag plane, and are secured on the one hand to the control sleeve, and on the other hand to a securing plate that is connected to the flexbeam and the airfoil blade.