OUTBOARD CENTRIFUGAL FORCE BEARING WITH INBOARD BLADE FOLD AXIS IN A FOLDING ROTOR BLADE ASSEMBLY
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A folding rotor blade assembly for a tiltrotor aircraft, comprising:
- a drive mast connected to a hub spring assembly;
a yoke connected to the hub spring assembly;
an inboard bearing assembly connected to the yoke proximate the hub spring assembly;
an outboard bearing assembly, including an outboard centrifugal force (“
CF”
) bearing, connected to the yoke;
a grip connected to the inboard bearing assembly; and
a rotor blade connected to the grip at a pivotal connection positioned inboard of the CF bearing.
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Abstract
A rotor blade assembly for a tiltrotor aircraft comprising a rotor blade pivotally connected to a yoke with dual concentric blade bolts having a common central axis providing a pivotal axis inboard of an outboard CF bearing and the yoke tip. In use, the compact folded arrangement of the rotor blades reduces folded aircraft dimensions in response to ever increasing restricted storage space parameters.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A folding rotor blade assembly for a tiltrotor aircraft, comprising:
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a drive mast connected to a hub spring assembly; a yoke connected to the hub spring assembly; an inboard bearing assembly connected to the yoke proximate the hub spring assembly; an outboard bearing assembly, including an outboard centrifugal force (“
CF”
) bearing, connected to the yoke;a grip connected to the inboard bearing assembly; and a rotor blade connected to the grip at a pivotal connection positioned inboard of the CF bearing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A folding rotor blade assembly, comprising:
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a yoke connected to a hub spring assembly; an inboard clamp mounted to the yoke proximate the hub spring assembly and connected to an inboard shear bearing; an inboard beam, housing the inboard shear bearing, connected to a grip; a spindle connected to the yoke and connected to an outboard centrifugal force (“
CF”
) bearing;an outboard beam, housing the outboard CF bearing, connected to a rotor blade; and the rotor blade connected to the grip at a pivotal connection positioned inboard of the outboard CF bearing. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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pitching a rotor blade of a rotor blade assembly comprising an inboard bearing connected to a yoke and a grip, an outboard bearing connected to the yoke and the rotor blade, the rotor blade connected to the grip at a lockable connection with releasable pins and at a pivotable connection with axially aligned blade bolts providing a pivot axis inboard of the outboard bearing; releasing the releasable pins at the lockable connection; and rotating the rotor blade about the pivot axis. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification