公开(公告)号：US10399285B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-03

申请号：US15423939

申请日：2017-02-03

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： David G. Carlson ,  John R. McCullough ,  Douglas K. Wolfe ,  Andrew G. Baines ,  George R. Decker

IPC: B29C70/34 ,  B29C35/02 ,  B29C70/54 ,  B29C70/06 ,  B29D99/00 ,  B64C1/12 ,  B64C3/26 ,  B29L31/30 ,  B64C29/00

Abstract: In one aspect, there is a method of making a pre-cured laminate having a total number of plies in a mold, the mold having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends. The method includes selecting a first plurality of resin impregnated plies that continuously extend beyond the periphery of the mold, the first plurality of resin impregnated plies includes at least 50 percent of the total number of plies; laying the plies in a mold; compacting the plies in a mold; and pre-curing the plies to form a pre-cured laminate, which can extend beyond the periphery of the mold. In an embodiment, a pre-cured laminate includes a first plurality of resin impregnated plies that continuously extend beyond the periphery of the mold, the first plurality of resin impregnated plies includes at least 50 percent of the total number of plies.

公开(公告)号：US20190263516A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-29

申请号：US16413572

申请日：2019-05-15

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： John Richard McCullough ,  Paul K. Oldroyd

IPC: B64C29/00 ,  B64C3/32 ,  B64C3/10

Abstract: An aircraft has a vertical takeoff and landing fight mode and a forward flight mode. The aircraft includes an airframe with first and second M-wings having first and second pylons extending therebetween, each M-wing forming a pair of leading apexes with swept forward and swept back portions extending therefrom at a swept angle. A propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each attached to the airframe proximate one of the leading apexes. Each of the propulsion assemblies includes a rotor assembly having a tilting degree of freedom. A flight control system is operable to control the propulsion assemblies including tilting the rotor assemblies to generate variable thrust vectors. In the vertical takeoff and landing fight mode, the aircraft operates responsive to thrust-borne lift from the propulsion system. In the forward flight mode, the aircraft operates responsive to wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation.

公开(公告)号：US20190263502A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-29

申请号：US16408057

申请日：2019-05-09

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： Gary Miller ,  Frank B. Stamps

IPC: B64C11/32 ,  B64C11/06 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C11/30 ,  B64C27/605

Abstract: In one embodiment, a rotor hub comprises a yoke for attaching a plurality of rotor blades, a constant velocity joint to drive torque from a mast to the yoke and to enable the yoke to pivot, and a rotor control system configured to adjust an orientation of the plurality of rotor blades. Moreover, the rotor control system comprises: a swashplate, a phase adapter fulcrum, a plurality of actuators controlled based on a flight control input, a plurality of lower pitch links configured to transfer motion between the plurality of actuators and the swashplate, a plurality of phase adjustment levers configured to adjust a control phase associated with motion transferred between the plurality of actuators and the plurality of lower pitch links, and a plurality of upper pitch links configured to adjust a pitch of the plurality of rotor blades, wherein there are more upper pitch links than lower pitch links.

公开(公告)号：US10392098B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-27

申请号：US16289438

申请日：2019-02-28

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： Tyler Wayne Baldwin ,  Jouyoung Jason Choi ,  Richard Erler Rauber ,  Frank Bradley Stamps

IPC: B63H1/06 ,  B64C11/34 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C27/605 ,  B64C27/41 ,  B64C11/00 ,  F16D3/62 ,  B64C27/473

Abstract: A high stiffness hub assembly for a rotor system operable to rotate with a mast of a rotorcraft. The hub assembly includes a yoke and a constant velocity joint assembly. The yoke has a plurality of blade arms each configured to hold a rotor blade. The constant velocity joint assembly provides a torque path from the mast to the yoke that includes a trunnion assembly, a plurality of drive links and a plurality of pillow blocks. The trunnion assembly is coupled to the mast and has a plurality of outwardly extending trunnions. Each drive link has a leading bearing coupled to one of the trunnions and a trailing bearing coupled to one of the pillow blocks. Each pillow block is independently mounted between an upper surface of the yoke and a hub plate.

公开(公告)号：US20190257638A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-22

申请号：US15902133

申请日：2018-02-22

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： David Bryan Roberts ,  Charles Eric Covington ,  Brady Garrett Atkins

IPC: G01B7/30 ,  G01B7/04 ,  G01B11/04 ,  G01B11/26 ,  G01D5/347

Abstract: A method and system to measure a parameter associated with a component, device, or system with a specified accuracy, including: providing one or more sensors operably disposed to detect the parameter; obtaining a coarse measurement of the parameter within a first range using the one or more sensors, wherein the first range includes minimum and maximum values for the parameter; obtaining a fine measurement of the parameter within a second range using the one or more sensors, wherein the second range is smaller than the first range and has a specified ratio to the first range that provides the specified accuracy; determining a current value of the parameter by combining the coarse and fine measurements; and providing the current value of the parameter to a communications interface, a storage device, a display, a control panel, a processor, a programmable logic controller, or an external device.

公开(公告)号：US20190257425A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-22

申请号：US15898541

申请日：2018-02-17

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： Colton Gilliland

IPC: F16J15/04 ,  B64C3/56

Abstract: Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a fuselage and a wing assembly rotatable relative to the fuselage about a stow axis between a flight position and a stowed position. The aircraft includes a drive component having a retractable driveshaft that selectively engages the mid-wing gearbox via axially translatable motion along a rotation axis when the wing assembly is in the flight position. The mid-wing gearbox is misaligned with the retractable driveshaft when the wing assembly is in the stowed position. A seal is coupled to the drive component at a first end and the mid-wing gearbox at a second end and deploys in order to maintain a sealed connection between the drive component and the mid-wing gearbox when the wing assembly is transitioned between the flight position and the stowed position.

公开(公告)号：US20190256190A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-22

申请号：US15898550

申请日：2018-02-17

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： Eric Stephen Olson ,  David Russell Bockmiller

IPC: B64C3/56 ,  B64C29/00

Abstract: Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a fuselage and a wing assembly rotatable relative to the fuselage about a stow axis between a flight position and a stowed position. The aircraft includes a gearbox having a retractable driveshaft that selectively engages the mid-wing gearbox via axially translatable motion along a rotation axis when the wing assembly is in the flight position. The retractable driveshaft also selectively disengages the mid-wing gearbox in the flight position to allow selectively rotation of the wing assembly about the stow axis from the flight position to the stowed position resulting in the mid-wing gearbox being misaligned with the retractable driveshaft when the wing assembly is in the stowed position.

公开(公告)号：US10386858B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-20

申请号：US15594393

申请日：2017-05-12

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： Christopher Mike Bothwell ,  Jillian Samantha Alfred ,  Sung Kyun Kim ,  Marko Vuga ,  Matthew Hendricks ,  Mark Wasikowski ,  Thomas Parham ,  Michael Reaugh Smith

IPC: G05D1/08 ,  B64C27/82 ,  B64C27/04 ,  B64C27/57 ,  B64C27/00

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method of operating a rotorcraft includes receiving a measured yaw rate from a yaw rate sensor or a measured lateral acceleration from a lateral acceleration sensor of the rotorcraft, filtering the measured yaw rate or the measured lateral acceleration using a filter to form a filtered measured yaw rate or a filtered measured lateral acceleration, and regulating a yaw rate or a lateral acceleration of the rotorcraft based on the measured yaw rate or the measured lateral acceleration. The filter includes a bandpass characteristic or a notch characteristic, and the filtering is configured to reduce lateral vibrations caused by airflow in a tail section of the rotorcraft.

公开(公告)号：US10386843B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-20

申请号：US15477944

申请日：2017-04-03

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： Robert Earl Worsham, II

IPC: G05D1/02 ,  G05D1/00 ,  G01S19/40 ,  B64C13/50 ,  G01C21/16 ,  G01S19/49 ,  G05D1/10 ,  B64C27/06 ,  G01S19/15

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a rotorcraft includes operating the rotorcraft in a position hold mode by determining whether GPS position data is usable, receiving a position of the rotorcraft from a GPS sensor, determining a position error based on received GPS position data and a held position when the GPS position data is usable, determining the position error based on a rotorcraft velocity when the GPS position data is not usable, and transmitting an actuator command based on the determined position error.

公开(公告)号：US20190248483A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-15

申请号：US16229296

申请日：2018-12-21

Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Inventor： Mark Alan Przybyla ,  Charles Hubert Speller

IPC: B64C29/00 ,  B64C11/28 ,  B64D27/14

CPC classification number: B64C29/0033 ,  B64C11/28 ,  B64D27/14 ,  B64D35/00

Abstract: A mast lockout system for a tiltrotor aircraft having a proprotor assembly. The system includes a mast coupled to and rotatable with the proprotor assembly. A proprotor gearbox having a proprotor gearbox housing is configured to transmit torque and rotation energy to the mast. A lock assembly has first and second lock members. The first lock member is coupled to the mast between first and second mast bearings and configured to rotate with the mast. The second lock member is coupled to the proprotor gearbox housing. The lock assembly has a first position in which the first and second lock members are disengaged, thereby allowing rotation of the mast. The lock assembly has a second position in which the first and second lock members are engaged, thereby preventing rotation of the mast. The lock assembly is actuatable between the first and second positions.