Soft in-plane tiltrotor hub

US7828525B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. · US

Inventors

• Frank B. Stamps · Colleyville, US
• Michael R. Smith · Colleyville, US
• Christopher M. Bothwell · Grapevine, US
• Lawrence M. Corso · Keller, US
• James L. Braswell, Jr. · Colleyville, US
• David A. Popelka · Colleyville, US
• Ernst C. Schellhase · Fort Worth, US
• Charles Hollimon · Oosterdijk, US
• Thomas J. Newman · Midlothian, US
• Bryan Kenneth Baskin · Arlington, US
• Thomas C. Campbell · Wichita Falls, US
• Daniel Bryan Robertson · Southlake, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 27, 2004
• Grant date: Nov 9, 2010
• Expiry date: Feb 24, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F16F2230/30
• WIPO field: Mechanical elements
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A rotor hub assembly for a rotary-wing aircraft has a central member and a plurality of blade grips adapted for attaching rotor blades to the central member. The blade grips are pivotally attached to the central member and are capable of pivoting about a pivot axis generally normal to a plane of rotation of the blades. The pivoting allows for in-plane motion of the blades relative to the central member. A damper is operably connected to each blade grip for damping the in-plane motion of the associated blade, each damper being selectively switchable between at least two spring rates.