Constant velocity drive rotary-wing aircraft rotor with torque splitting differential
First Claim
1. A rotary-wing aircraft rotor with constant velocity drive, comprising:
- a rotor mast capable of being driven in rotation about a longitudinal axis of said mast, a hub connected to said mast by a constant velocity drive mechanism and by a tilting arrangement, allowing pivoting of the hub as a whole about any flapping axis converging with the axis of the mast and perpendicular to said axis of the mast, in such a way that said hub is capable of being driven in constant velocity rotation by said mast, about a geometrical axis of rotation of the hub which may be inclined in any direction about the axis of the mast, and at least two blades, each linked to said hub by a coupling retaining and hingeing the blade in pitch, wherein said constant velocity drive mechanism comprises a differential mechanism for splitting static torque and allowing relative movement, in a plane perpendicular to said axis of the mast, between at least two devices for driving the hub, said differential mechanism comprising a set of three discs placed substantially one above another and substantially coaxial about said axis of the mast, a first disc of which, arranged between second and third discs of the set along said axis of the mast, is a driving disc, integral in rotation with said mast and connected to each of the second and third discs, which are driven, by at least one connecting pin having a longitudinal geometrical axis substantially parallel to said axis of the mast, and hinged to each of the discs in the set by one respectively of three ball joint connections substantially centred on the longitudinal geometrical axis of said connecting pin, each of the second and third discs being connected to the hub by at least one of said at least two driving devices which are each also hinged to the hub, so as to drive said hub in rotation about said geometrical axis of rotation of the hub.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A constant velocity drive mechanism of a rotary-wing aircraft rotor, comprises a torque splitting differential mechanism, comprising a driving disc integral in rotation with a rotor mast and connected to each of two driven discs either side of the driving disc, by a least one connecting pin hinged to each of the discs by one of three ball joint connections. Each of the driven discs is connected to a hub of the rotor by at least one of two driving devices, each of which is also hinged to the hub, so as to drive the hub in rotation about a geometrical axis which can be inclined in all directions about the axis of rotation of the mast.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A rotary-wing aircraft rotor with constant velocity drive, comprising:
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a rotor mast capable of being driven in rotation about a longitudinal axis of said mast, a hub connected to said mast by a constant velocity drive mechanism and by a tilting arrangement, allowing pivoting of the hub as a whole about any flapping axis converging with the axis of the mast and perpendicular to said axis of the mast, in such a way that said hub is capable of being driven in constant velocity rotation by said mast, about a geometrical axis of rotation of the hub which may be inclined in any direction about the axis of the mast, and at least two blades, each linked to said hub by a coupling retaining and hingeing the blade in pitch, wherein said constant velocity drive mechanism comprises a differential mechanism for splitting static torque and allowing relative movement, in a plane perpendicular to said axis of the mast, between at least two devices for driving the hub, said differential mechanism comprising a set of three discs placed substantially one above another and substantially coaxial about said axis of the mast, a first disc of which, arranged between second and third discs of the set along said axis of the mast, is a driving disc, integral in rotation with said mast and connected to each of the second and third discs, which are driven, by at least one connecting pin having a longitudinal geometrical axis substantially parallel to said axis of the mast, and hinged to each of the discs in the set by one respectively of three ball joint connections substantially centred on the longitudinal geometrical axis of said connecting pin, each of the second and third discs being connected to the hub by at least one of said at least two driving devices which are each also hinged to the hub, so as to drive said hub in rotation about said geometrical axis of rotation of the hub. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A convertible aircraft comprising at least one tilting rotor movable from a first position in which the or each tilting rotor operates as an aeroplane propeller to a second position in which the or each tilting rotor operates as a helicopter main lifting rotor, the or each tilting rotor comprising:
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a rotor mast capable of being driven in rotation about its longitudinal axis, a hub connected to said mast by a constant velocity drive mechanism and by a tilting arrangement, allowing pivoting of the hub as a whole about any flapping axis converging with the axis of the mast and perpendicular to said axis of the mast, in such a way that said hub is capable of being driven in constant velocity rotation by said mast, about a geometrical axis of rotation of the hub which may be inclined in any direction about the axis of the mast, and at least two blades, each linked to said hub by a coupling retaining and hingeing the blade in pitch, wherein said constant velocity drive mechanism comprises a differential mechanism for splitting static torque and allowing relative movement, in a plane perpendicular to said axis of the mast, between at least two devices for driving the hub, said differential mechanism comprising a set of three discs placed substantially one above another and substantially coaxial about said axis of the mast, a first disc of which, arranged between second and third discs of the set along said axis of the mast, is a driving disc, integral in rotation with said mast and connected to each of the second and third discs, which are driven, by at least one connecting pin having a longitudinal geometrical axis substantially parallel to said axis of the mast, and hinged to each of the discs in the set by one respectively of three ball joint connections substantially centred on the longitudinal geometrical axis of said connecting pin, each of the second and third discs being connected to the hub by at least one of said at least two driving devices which are each also hinged to the hub, so as to drive it in rotation about said geometrical axis of rotation of the hub.
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Specification