Eurocopter

Airbus Helicopters

Eurocopter France S.a.

Etienne Jean Rampal

Elio Zoppitelli

Sylvie Jacqueline Garcin

Jean-Luc M Leman

Philippe Maurice Legendre

Eric Cornille

Philippe Maurice Ren&eacute; Legendre

A damper device () for a rotor () having a rotary ring () and a plurality of levers (), each lever () extending from a first end (') connected to the ring () by a first mechanical connection () to a second end (&#x2033;) suitable for being hinged to a blade (). The damper device () includes non-rotary damper means () secured to non-rotary fastener means () and to a non-rotary member () of an interface (), the interface () being interposed between the non-rotary damper means () and the ring () to convert a rotary movement of a blade () transmitted to a lever () into a movement in translation acting on the damper means ().

Rotor damper device, and an associated rotor and aircraft

A coaxial rotary coupling () includes a hollow inner tube () and a hollow outer tube (), with inner and outer splines (and) in mutual engagement. The coupling () further includes: approach elements for longitudinally approaching the inner and outer tubes () together with elements presenting a wedge arrangement for causing the inner and outer tubes () to turn () relative to each other in opposite directions so as to limit tangential assembly slack; a soleplate () of the driven tube (); and a flange (); the driving tubes () having complementary splines () together with dogs including force-transformation ramps () that are distributed peripherally within the coupling ().

Coupling with slack-takeup, a rotor, and a rotary wing aircraft

A pitch control device for a blade of a tilting rotor of a convertible aircraft. The pitch control device is external to a rotor hub which is driven in rotation by a mast and connected to the latter by a mechanism for tilting the hub as a whole, each blade is connected to the hub by a coupling for retaining and hingeing the blade in pitch about its pitch change axis. The device includes a pitch change lever, integral in rotation with its blade root about its axis, a pitch control rod, a bellcrank pivoting about a pin on a drive plate integral in rotation with the mast, and to which the pitch control rod is hinged, the bellcrank being also hinged to a link rod connected to the pitch change lever.

Device for controlling the pitch of the blades of a convertible aircraft rotor

A tilting rotor of a convertible aircraft comprises, between the mast and the hub, a constant velocity drive mechanism and pivoting arrangement comprising two gimbals, each of which is driven by the mast and pivots about one respectively of two diametral axes by two diametrically opposite bearings. Each gimbal is also hinged to the hub by ball joint connections diametrically opposite and centred respectively in a radial plane passing through the axis of the mast and through the diametral axis about which the other gimbal pivots. The two resulting trains transmitting torque between the mast and the hub have substantially the same torsional rigidity, and one at least of the components of each torque transmission train exhibits a flexibility in deformation about the axis of rotation of the hub.

Rotary-wing aircraft rotor with constant velocity drive

The rotating plate of the system is fixed in rotation with the rotor by a driver with two rigid driving tracks extending axially and diametrically opposite in being fixed in rotation with the rotor. Each track engages with one of two driving fingers fixed in rotation with the rotating plate and diametrically opposite on this latter. Each track has two webs between which one finger is engaged with the result of following on this track a rectilinear trajectory, parallel to the rotor axis and a circular arc trajectory centerd on this axis, respectively in the case of change of collective and cyclic pitch.

Swash-plates system for control of the pitch of rotor blades with rotating plate driver

A rotorcraft, in particular helicopter, rotor includes a tubular pylon driven in rotation about its axis, which is the rotation axis of the rotor, from its foot. A hub is attached to the pylon by a flared base and includes two annular plates substantially radial to the rotor axis and spaced from each other along the rotor axis so that relative to the pylon one is an axially inside plate and the other is an axially outside plate. Each of at least two blades has its root connected to the hub by retaining and articulation arrangements retained between the plates of the hub and enabling relative angular movement of the blade at least in pitch about a longitudinal blade pitch change axis controlled by displacement by a pitch rod of a pitch lever attached to the blade root. The base has lateral openings through which pass arms of a pitch control plate which rotates with the hub and is mobile at least axially in the base, the end of each arm, outside the base, being articulated to one end of a pitch rod articulated at the other end to the pitch lever of a respective rotor blade.

Gyroplane rotor with double-plate hub and external pitch control

The swash-plates are oscillating mounted by the non-rotating plate on a central ball joint sliding axially around a guide fixed to the structure and on which the ball joint is locked from rotation by internal splines engaging with external splines of the guide. Two parts slide on diametrically opposite raised sectors on the ball joint, and the non-rotating plate pivots on trunnions of the parts around one of two perpendicular axes the other of which is the one around which the parts pivot and which is perpendicular to the rotor axis.

Swash-plate device for controlling the pitch of rotor blades with

The swash-plates are oscillating mounted by the non-rotating plate on a central ball joint sliding axially around a guide fixed to the structure and on which the ball joint is locked from rotation by internal splines engaging external splines of the guide. Two cotters slide in diametrically opposite grooves in the external face of the ball joint, and the non-rotating plate pivots on trunnions of the cotters around one of two perpendicular axes the other of which an axis around which the cotters pivot and which is perpendicular to the rotor axis.

The rotor comprises, for each blade, an inner and an outer flap stop which are fixed to the blade and have a bearing surface which is planar with a cylindrical portion, facing an inner and an outer flap stop fixed to the hub and with torus-shaped bearing surfaces with their convexness facing towards the flap stops of the blade and in the shape of an arc of a circle centered on the axis of drag of the blade.

Rotorcraft rotor with fixed flap stops on blades and hub, and with

The rotating and non-rotating swash-plates are guided in axial translation and in tilting on the rotor axis by two non-rotating pillars and slides provided with runners with a cylindrical external face permanently tangentially engaged and sliding against the internal faces of the pillars, the slides bearing two diametrically opposite trunnions allowing the pivoting of the non-rotating plate around a diametrical axis, whereas the sliding and pivoting of the runners on the pillars guide the pivoting of the non-rotating plate around a second diametrical axis, which is the axis of the cylindrical face of the runners.

The rotating and non-rotating swash-plates are guided in axial translation and in tilting on the rotor axis by a non-rotating axial guide arrangement, such as two pillars, and slides on each of which slides one of two pads carrying diametrically opposite trunnions, enabling the pivoting of the non-rotating plate around a first diametrical axis, whereas the sliding movements of the pads on the slides guide the pivoting movements of the non-rotating plate around a second diametrical axis perpendicular to the rotor axis and first diametrical axis, and which is the axis of the cylindrical face of the slides.

Swash-plate device for controlling the pitch of the blades of a rotor

The non-rotating plate of the device is stopped from rotating around the rotor axis by a stop arm with at least one rigid stop track extending substantially axially and secured to the structure of the rotor aircraft. The track works together with a stop pin, integral with the non-rotating plate to stop the latter from rotating. The track has two flanges between which the pin is engaged so as to follow on this track a straight trajectory, parallel to the rotor axis and a circular arc trajectory centered on this axis, in the case of variation in the collective and cyclic pitch respectively. The stop pin includes a pad sliding between the two flanges of a slide constituting the said track and hinged around its fastening axis on the non-rotating plate.

Swash-plate device for controlling the pitch of rotor blades with non

Mechanical assembly for transmitting forces along an axis driven by a substantially axial movement in translation under the effect of a thrust load. This mechanical assembly comprises a transmitting part of the thrust load input movement and a receiving part of the thrust load output movement, said mechanical assembly comprising a detector for detecting the passing of a force threshold represented by a predetermined value of the thrust load, and including an elastic element and an indicator part arranged in such a way that when the thrust load exceeds the threshold value, the thrust load acts on the elastic element and modifies its axial dimension allowing the indicator part to move to the warning position.

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Marseilles, France

Etienne Jean Rampal