公开(公告)号：US11492131B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-08

申请号：US17306428

申请日：2021-05-03

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Brent Ross ,  Michael Rinehart ,  Jeffrey Williams ,  Clegg Smith ,  Nick Pravanh

IPC: B64D29/06 ,  B64C29/00

Abstract: An aircraft including a nacelle configured as a housing for an engine and disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member; a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation; a door hingedly coupled to the proprotor housing by a first hinge joint and hingedly coupled to the nacelle by a second hinge joint. An aspect includes an aircraft with a proprotor coupled to a wing member, the proprotor comprising a forward portion and an aft portion; wherein the forward portion is configured to selectively pivot between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation about a conversion axis C; and wherein when the forward portion is in a non-horizontal orientation, the aft portion is in a horizonal orientation.

公开(公告)号：US11479338B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-25

申请号：US17037082

申请日：2020-09-29

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Timothy Brian Carr ,  William Anthony Amante ,  Michael Reaugh Smith

IPC: B64C11/00 ,  B64C29/00

Abstract: In an embodiment, a ducted fan assembly includes a housing that further includes a rotor. The ducted fan assembly also includes a rim that extends around at least a portion of a perimeter of the ducted fan assembly, where the rim defines an opening surrounding at least a portion of the housing. The ducted fan assembly also includes a skin that is attached to the rim and extends around the at least a portion of a perimeter of the ducted fan assembly to form a leading edge of the ducted fan assembly. The ducted fan assembly also includes a blade positioned on the rim underneath the skin.

公开(公告)号：US20220333562A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-20

申请号：US17235239

申请日：2021-04-20

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Thomas PARSONS ,  Charles Eric COVINGTON

IPC: F02M35/10 ,  F02C3/00

Abstract: A system for optimizing engine air-mass-flow intake of an aircraft includes a forward-facing airframe-inlet duct interoperably coupled to an inlet of an engine of the aircraft, an air-mass-flow bypass mechanism coupled to the forward-facing airframe-inlet duct and adjustable to allow a selected amount of air entering an inlet of the forward-facing airframe-inlet duct to bypass the inlet of the engine, and an air-pressure sensor arranged in the forward-facing airframe-inlet duct adjacent to the inlet of the engine. A measured value (“PT1”) from the air-pressure sensor is used to determine a degree to which the air-mass-flow bypass mechanism is to be opened.

公开(公告)号：US11459088B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-04

申请号：US16590322

申请日：2019-10-01

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： George Matthew Thompson ,  Charles Hubert Speller ,  Jonathan Knoll

IPC: B64C11/46 ,  B64C11/10 ,  B64C11/00 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64D27/24

Abstract: A rotor assembly configured to increase the stiffness of a rotor mast. The rotor assembly includes the rotor mast, a rotor hub, a mast nut, a mast bearing, and a cuff disposed between the mast nut and the mast bearing. The cuff is captured and compressed between the mast nut and the inner race of the mast bearing along an uninterrupted load path that extends between the mast nut and the mast bearing.

公开(公告)号：US11454312B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-27

申请号：US17183695

申请日：2021-02-24

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Scott David Poster

IPC: B64D33/08 ,  F16H57/04 ,  B64C27/12 ,  F16H57/02

Abstract: An apparatus includes a shared cooling device for cooling one or more systems or components, and a plurality of primary cooling pathways. Each of the primary cooling pathways includes a fan, and each fan is in fluid communication with the shared cooling device.

公开(公告)号：US20220297853A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-22

申请号：US17306652

申请日：2021-05-03

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Alvin JONES ,  Vitthal Vishnuthreeth ARAKERI ,  Kevin KNOTT

IPC: B64F5/50 ,  B66F5/02

Abstract: An exemplary aircraft transport jack includes a vertical structure having a vertical axis, a bottom end, and a top end, a connector above the bottom end operable to detachably secure the vertical structure to an aircraft member, a wheel assembly with wheels positioned on opposing sides of the vertical structure, and an actuator coupled to the vertical structure and the wheel assembly and operable to move the wheel assembly axially relative to the vertical structure between a lowered position with the wheels on a ground and a raised position with the bottom end on the ground and the wheels above the ground.

公开(公告)号：US20220297831A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-22

申请号：US17306610

申请日：2021-05-03

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Kevin KNOTT ,  Vitthal Vishnuthreeth ARAKERI

IPC: B64C27/605 ,  F01D7/00

Abstract: An exemplary pitch link centering tool includes a rod having a longitudinal axis, a front face, a rear face, a first rod end and a second rod end, the first rod end having a first aperture with a first rotational axis, the second rod end having a second aperture with a second rotational axis, a first connector coupled to the first rod end, the first connector having a first slot extending in a first radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis and a second connector coupled to the second rod end, the second connector having a second slot extending in a second radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis different from the first radial direction.

公开(公告)号：US11447242B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-20

申请号：US17082659

申请日：2020-10-28

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Andrew Paul Haldeman ,  Paul Wayne Woolbright ,  Bryan Baskin

IPC: B64C27/605 ,  B64C27/82

Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a pitch spider, rotor blade assemblies, and pitch horn joints. The pitch spider has a body and pitch spider legs extending from the body. Each blade rotor assembly includes a rotor blade, a pitch adapter joined to the rotor blade and connecting the rotor blade to the rotor hub, and a pitch horn. Each pitch horn joint joins one of the rotor blade assemblies to a corresponding pitch spider leg. Each pitch horn joint includes a pitch horn joint bolt extending from the pitch horn of the rotor blade assembly to the pitch spider leg along a pitch horn joint axis, the pitch horn joint bolt fixed to the pitch horn; a spherical bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring; and a slider sleeve coupled to the spherical bearing, the slider sleeve enabling the pitch horn to translate along the pitch horn joint axis.

公开(公告)号：US11440653B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-13

申请号：US16894321

申请日：2020-06-05

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Terry K. Thompson ,  Mark Wiinikka ,  Bryan Baskin ,  Vince Calabrese ,  Samantha Renee Lucero

IPC: B64C27/605

Abstract: One embodiment includes a swashplate assembly for a rotary aircraft, including: a rotating ring configured to rotate with a drive shaft of the rotary aircraft; a non-rotating ring coupled to the rotating ring and rotationally decoupled from the rotating ring, wherein the non-rotating ring does not rotate with the rotating ring and drive shaft; an outer casing disposed around the gearbox; and an anti-drive mechanism to maintain the outer casing rotationally stationary relative to the gearbox, the anti-drive mechanism including a key and slot system between the gearbox and the outer casing.

公开(公告)号：US11440651B1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-13

申请号：US17188785

申请日：2021-03-01

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Andrew Paul Haldeman ,  Paul Wayne Woolbright ,  Timothy McClellan Mosig ,  George Matthew Thompson

IPC: B64C27/35 ,  B64C27/48 ,  B64C27/82

Abstract: A spherical bearing centrifugal force retention link includes an inboard spherical bearing to attach to a rotor hub and an outboard spherical bearing to attach to a rotor blade. In use, the inboard spherical bearing and the outboard spherical bearing react centrifugal force radially and a torsional moment of the centrifugal force link is substantially constant throughout the rotor blade pitch range.