VIBRATION ISOLATION DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20090218447A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: von Flotow, Andreas Hubertus, Horton, Tyler Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/131
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers

Abstract

Vibration isolation devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, an unmanned aircraft can include a fuselage having a first fuselage section and a second fuselage section adjacent to and at least approximately longitudinally aligned with the first fuselage section. The aircraft can also include at least one vibration isolation device coupling the first fuselage section to the second fuselage section. The vibration isolation device is translationally stiffer along a longitudinal axis than it is along a lateral and a vertical axis, and rotationally stiffer about a pitch and a yaw axis than it is about a roll axis.

Claims

1. An unmanned aircraft system, comprising:

a fuselage having a first fuselage section and a second fuselage section adjacent to and at least approximately longitudinally aligned with the first fuselage section; and

at least one vibration isolation device coupling the first fuselage section to the second fuselage section, wherein the vibration isolation device is

translationally stiffer along a longitudinal axis than it is along a lateral axis and a vertical axis; and

rotationally stiffer about a pitch axis and a yaw axis than it is about a roll axis.

2. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1 wherein the individual vibration isolation devices comprise:

a first member attached to the first fuselage section with a first fastener;

a second member attached to the second fuselage section with a second fastener; and

a tensioning member connected to and extending between the first member and the second member.

3. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 2 wherein:

the tensioning member includes a first wire and a second wire;

the first member includes a first clamping plate engaged with a first end portion of each of the first and second wires; and

the second member includes a second clamping plate engaged with a second end portion of each of the first and second wires.

4. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 2 wherein:

the first member includes a non-linear first mating surface facing the second member; and

the second member includes a non-linear second mating surface configured to mate with the first mating surface, and wherein the first and second mating surfaces define, at least in part, one interlocking finger.

5. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1, further comprising a rubber shear spring between the first and second fuselage sections, and wherein the individual vibration isolation devices comprises:

a first member attached to the first fuselage section, the first member including a first ball joint;

a second member attached to the second fuselage section, the second member including a second ball joint; and

a ball link connected to and extending between the first member and the second member.

6. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1 wherein the at least one vibration isolation device comprises:

two or more compressible layers in contact with and between the first and second fuselage sections, wherein the compressible layers are composed of a generally compressible material; and

a constraining layer between the individual compressible layers, wherein the constraining layer is composed of a generally rigid material.

7. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1 wherein the first fuselage section is spaced apart from the second fuselage section by a gap, and wherein the vibration isolation device further comprises a generally compressible material between and in contact with the first fuselage section and the second fuselage section.

8. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1 wherein multiple vibration isolation devices are arranged generally symmetrically about an outer circumference of the fuselage and positioned to couple the first fuselage section to the second fuselage section.

9. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1 wherein:

the first fuselage section is a nose portion of the aircraft including a turret assembly and a surveillance payload carried by a gimbal system; and

the second fuselage section is immediately aft of the first fuselage section.

10. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1, further comprising a rope deflection assembly carried by one or more vibration isolation devices.

11. The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1 wherein the aircraft is a piston-powered aircraft.

12. An aircraft system, comprising:

an unmanned aircraft having a fuselage and a pair of wings extending from the fuselage;

a first component carried by the aircraft;

a second component carried by the aircraft and positioned adjacent to the first component; and

a vibration isolation assembly coupling the first component to the second component, wherein the vibration isolation assembly is configured to (a) resist relative movement between the first and second components with respect to one translational degree of freedom and two rotational degrees of freedom, and (b) allow relative movement between the first and second components with respect to two translational degrees of freedom and one rotational degree of freedom.

13. The aircraft system of claim 12 wherein the vibration isolation assembly is configured to:

resist relative movement between the first and second components with respect to the longitudinal axis, the pitch axis, and the yaw axis; and

allow relative movement between the first and second components with respect to the lateral axis, the vertical axis, and the roll axis.

14. The aircraft system of claim 12 wherein the vibration isolation assembly comprises:

a first member attached to the first component;

a second member attached to the second component; and

a tensioning member connected to and extending between the first member and the second member.

15. The aircraft system of claim 14 wherein:

the first member includes a first base having a non-linear first mating surface, a first channel positioned to receive a portion of the tensioning member, and a first clamping plate positioned to engage the tensioning member, and wherein the non-linear first mating surface faces the second member; and

the second member includes a second base having a non-linear second mating surface configured to mate with the first mating surface, a second channel positioned to receive another portion of the tensioning member, and a second clamping plate positioned to engage the tensioning member, and wherein the first and second mating surfaces define, at least in part, one interlocking finger.

16. The aircraft system of claim 14 wherein:

the tensioning member includes a first wire and a second wire;

the first member includes a first clamping plate engaged with a first end portion of each of the first and second wires; and

the second member includes a second clamping plate engaged with a second end portion of each of the first and second wires.

17. The aircraft system of claim 12 wherein:

the first component is an engine carried by the aircraft; and

the second component is a fuselage section immediately adjacent to the engine.

18. The aircraft system of claim 12 wherein:

the first component is a payload carried by the aircraft; and

the second component is a portion of the aircraft immediately adjacent to the payload.

19. The aircraft system of claim 12 wherein the vibration isolation assembly is a removable feature configured to be releasably attached to the respective first and second components.

20. The aircraft system of claim 12 wherein the vibration isolation assembly is a generally non-removable feature fixedly attached to the respective first and second components.

21. The aircraft system of claim 12 wherein first component is spaced apart from the second component by a gap, and wherein the vibration isolation assembly further comprises a generally compressible material between and in contact with the first and second components.

22. A method for operating an unmanned aircraft, the method comprising:

coupling a first fuselage section of the aircraft to a second fuselage section of the aircraft with a vibration isolation device;

flying the aircraft; and

inhibiting vibration transfer from the second fuselage section to the first fuselage section during flight operations with the vibration isolation device by

inhibiting translational movement of the first and second fuselage sections relative to each other along a longitudinal axis with a first translational force, and inhibiting translational movement of the first and second fuselage sections relative to each other along a lateral and vertical axes with a second translational force and a third translational force, respectively, and wherein the second and third translational forces are less than the first translational force; and

inhibiting rotational movement of the first and second fuselage sections relative to each other about a pitch axis and a yaw axis with a first rotational force and a second rotational force, respectively, and inhibiting rotational movement of the first and second fuselage sections relative to each other about a roll axis with a third rotational force less than the first and second rotational forces.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein coupling a first fuselage section to a second fuselage section with a vibration isolation device comprises:

attaching a first member to the fuselage section with a first fastener;

attaching a second member to the second fuselage section with a second fastener; and

coupling the first member to the second member with a tensioning member in contact with and extending between the first member and the second member.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first member includes a non-linear first mating surface facing the second member, and the second member includes a non-linear second mating surface, and wherein:

coupling a first fuselage section of the aircraft to a second fuselage section includes mating the first mating surface with the second mating surface to define, at least in part, an interlocking finger positioned to mechanically limit movement between the first and second members.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein coupling a first fuselage section to a second fuselage section comprises coupling a nose portion of the aircraft including a turret assembly and a surveillance payload to a fuselage section immediately aft of the nose portion.

26. An aircraft system, comprising:

an unmanned aircraft including a fuselage having (a) a first fuselage section including a nose portion with a turret assembly and a surveillance payload carried by a gimbal system, and (b) a second fuselage section immediately aft of and at least approximately longitudinally aligned with the first fuselage section; and

a plurality of vibration isolation devices arranged generally symmetrically about an outer circumference of the fuselage and positioned to couple the first fuselage section to the second fuselage section, wherein each vibration isolation device is

translationally stiffer along a longitudinal axis than it is along a lateral axis and a vertical axes; and

rotationally stiffer about a pitch axis and a yaw axis than it is about a roll axis; and

wherein the individual vibration isolation devices include

a tensioning member connected to and extending between a first member attached to the first fuselage section and a second member attached to the second fuselage section, wherein the tensioning member includes a first wire and a second wire,

wherein the first member including a first base having a non-linear first mating surface, a first channel, and a first clamping plate engaged with a first end portion of each of the first and second wires, and wherein the non-linear first mating surface faces the second member, and

wherein the second member includes a second base having a non-linear second mating surface configured to mate with the first mating surface, a second channel positioned to receive another portion of the tensioning member, and a second clamping plate engaged with a second end portion of each of the first and second wires, and wherein the first and second mating surfaces define, at least in part, one interlocking finger.

27. The aircraft system of claim 26 wherein the vibration isolation devices are removable features configured to be releasably attached to the respective first and second fuselage sections and positioned to mate the two sections together.

28. The aircraft system of claim 26 wherein the vibration isolation devices are generally non-removable features secured to the respective first and second components and positioned to mate the two sections together.