The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 14, 2020
Filed:
May. 26, 2017
Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US);
John Richard McCullough, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Paul K. Oldroyd, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Mark Adam Wiinikka, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Jouyoung Jason Choi, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US);
Abstract
A rotor assembly for an aircraft is operable to generate a variable thrust vector. The rotor assembly includes a mast that is rotatable about a mast axis. A ball joint is positioned about and non rotatable with the mast. A tilt control assembly is positioned on and has a tilting degree of freedom relative to the ball joint. The tilt control assembly is non rotatable with the mast. A rotor hub is rotatably coupled to the tilt control assembly. The rotor hub is rotatable with the mast in a rotational plane and tiltable with the tilt control assembly. The rotor hub includes a plurality of grips each coupled to a rotor blade. Actuation of the tilt control assembly changes the rotational plane of the rotor hub relative to the mast axis, thereby generating the variable thrust vector.