Removable lift assembly for a rotorcraft, and a rotorcraft

• US 9,738,379 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Inventors: Cacciaguera, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US14/675,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20150284076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/26 Attaching the wing or tail units or stabilising surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/32 Rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/185 Spars

Abstract

A lift assembly that is releasably fastened to a fuselage of a rotorcraft. The lift assembly comprises a wing comprising at least two spars. A main gearbox passes through an opening in the suction side of a central box of the wing so that its bottom is attached to a resilient suspension system arranged level with the pressure side of the central box, a top of the main gearbox projecting from the central box and being fastened to at least one spar by at least three suspension bars. A reversible fastener system having a plurality of fastener means serves to fasten the central box reversibly to a plurality of fastener points of a fuselage.

Claims

1. A lift assembly for a rotorcraft, the lift assembly configured to fasten in removable manner to a fuselage of a rotorcraft and comprising:

a fixed wing comprising in succession in a transverse direction;

a left lift segment;

a central box for fastening to the fuselage; and

a right lift segment;

the wing having at least two spars extending from the left lift segment to the right lift segment, the wing extending in elevation from a pressure side to a suction side and longitudinally from a leading edge to a trailing edge;

a main gearbox extending in elevation from a bottom towards a top, the main gearbox having a mast for setting in rotation a lift rotor, the main gearbox passing through an opening in the suction side of the central box so that the bottom of the main gearbox is attached to a resilient suspension system arranged at the level of the pressure side of the central box, wherein the top projects from the central box and is fastened to at least one of the at least two spars by at least three suspension bars; and

a reversible fastener system having a plurality of fastener means for reversibly fastening the central box to a plurality of fastener points of the fuselage;

wherein the at least two spars include a leading edge spar and a trailing edge spar, each of the at least three suspension bars is fastened via a fitting to the leading edge spar or the trailing edge spar, the central box extends transversely from a left side beam to a right side beam, each side beam extends longitudinally from the leading edge spar to the trailing edge spar, and each side beam is secured to a stiffening piece extending between the side beam and one of the leading edge and trailing edge spars so that the central box defines a hollow inside space that receives the bottom of the main gearbox.

2. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least three suspension bars include at least two front suspension bars each fastened via a fitting to the leading edge spar, and at least two rear suspension bars each fastened via a fitting to the trailing edge spar.

3. The lift assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of the fittings is fastened to a stiffening piece and to a pressure side panel of the central box.

4. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the resilient suspension system comprises a mount extending longitudinally from the leading edge spar to the trailing edge spar, and resilient suspension means interposed between the mount and the bottom of the main gearbox.

5. The lift assembly according to claim 4, wherein the resilient suspension means comprises a link bar and a support that is fastened to the bottom of the main gearbox, the link bar extending between two ends, and wherein a laminated damper is arranged between each end and the support and between each end and the mount.

6. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fastener system includes at least a front pair of fastener means secured to the leading edge spar and at least one rear pair of fastener means secured to the trailing edge spar, each pair having:

first fastener means for transmitting forces to which the lift assembly is subjected as a result of movement in translation in elevation, or transversely, or movement in rotation about a longitudinal axis, about a transverse axis, or about an axis in elevation; and

second fastener means for transmitting forces to which the lift assembly is subjected as a result of a movement in translation in elevation, or a movement in rotation about a longitudinal axis, about a transverse axis, or about an axis in elevation.

7. The lift assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first fastener means of a pair comprises a triangular plate having two top orifices for fastening to the trailing edge spar or the leading edge spar, and a bottom orifice for fastening to the fuselage, the two top orifices are in alignment with each other along a transverse direction, one of the two top orifices is vertically above the bottom orifice, and each orifice is configured to cooperate with a ball joint.

8. The lift assembly according to claim 6, wherein each second fastener means comprises a link in elevation having a top hole for fastening the second fastener means to the trailing edge spar or the leading edge spar, and a bottom hole for fastening the second fastener means to the fuselage, wherein the top hole is vertically above the bottom hole, and each hole is configured to cooperate with a ball joint.

9. The lift assembly according to claim 6, wherein the fastener means of a pair are arranged in a common plane.

10. The lift assembly according to claim 6, wherein the fastener system includes at least two longitudinal fasteners, each longitudinal fastener having at least one longitudinal link for transmitting the forces to which the lift assembly is subjected as a result of movement in longitudinal translation, each longitudinal link is provided with a first passage for fastening the longitudinal link to the central box and with a second passage for fastening the longitudinal link to the fuselage, and each passage is configured to cooperate with a ball joint.

11. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lift assembly includes a rotor secured to the mast.

12. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lift assembly includes at least one main transmission shaft that is connected to the main gearbox and that is rotatable by an engine.

13. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lift assembly includes at least one propeller carried by a lift segment of the wing, a secondary drive train connecting the propeller to the main gearbox.

14. The lift assembly according to claim 1, wherein each lift segment of the wing includes at least one wheel set of a landing gear suitable for standing on ground.

15. A rotorcraft comprising:

a fuselage; and

a lift assembly including;

a fixed wing comprising in succession in a transverse direction;

a left lift segment, a central box fastened to the fuselage, and a right lift segment, the wing having at least two spars extending from the left lift segment to the right lift segment, the wing extending in elevation from a pressure side to a suction side and longitudinally from a leading edge to a trailing edge;

a lift rotor;

a main gearbox extending in elevation from a bottom towards a top, the main gearbox having a mast for setting in rotation the lift rotor, the main gearbox passing through an opening in the suction side of the central box so that the bottom of the main gearbox is attached to a resilient suspension system arranged at the level of the pressure side of the central box, wherein the top projects from the central box and is fastened to at least one of the at least two spars by at least three suspension bars; and

a fastener system having a plurality of fastener means for fastening the central box to a plurality of fastener points of the fuselage;

wherein the at least two spars include a leading edge spar and a trailing edge spar, each of the at least three suspension bars is fastened via a fitting to the leading edge spar or the trailing edge spar, the central box extends transversely from a left side beam to a right side beam, each side beam extends longitudinally from the leading edge spar to the trailing edge spar, and each side beam is secured to a stiffening piece extending between the side beam and one of the leading edge and trailing edge spars so that the central box defines a hollow inside space that receives the bottom of the main gearbox.

16. The rotorcraft according to claim 15, wherein the rotorcraft has at least two longitudinal lift beams, the central box is arranged over the at least two longitudinal lift beams and is fastened to the lift beams by two respective longitudinal links.

17. The rotorcraft according to claim 15, wherein the rotorcraft includes at least two lift frames extending in elevation, two spars of the lift assembly are fastened in reversible manner respectively to the two lift frames, and each spar is fastened to a lift frame by a pair of fastener means.

18. A lift assembly for a rotorcraft, the lift assembly configured to fasten in removable manner to a fuselage of a rotorcraft and comprising:

a fixed wing comprising in succession in a transverse direction;

a left lift segment, a central box, and a right lift segment, the wing having a leading edge spar and a trailing edge spar that each extend from the left lift segment to the right lift segment, the wing extending in elevation from a pressure side to a suction side and longitudinally from a leading edge to a trailing edge;

a main gearbox extending in elevation from a bottom towards a top, the main gearbox having a mast for setting in rotation a lift rotor, the main gearbox passing through an opening in the suction side of the central box so that the bottom of the main gearbox is attached to a resilient suspension system arranged at the level of the pressure side of the central box, wherein the top projects from the central box and is fastened to the wing by two front suspension bars and two rear suspension bars; and

a fastener system configured to removably fasten the central box to a plurality of fastener points of the fuselage;

wherein each front suspension bar is fastened via a fitting to the leading edge spar, and each rear suspension bar is fastened via a fitting to the trailing edge spar, wherein the central box extends transversely from a left side beam to a right side beam, each side beam extending longitudinally from the leading edge spar to the trailing edge spar, and wherein each side beam is secured to a stiffening piece extending between the side beam and one of the leading edge and trailing edge spars so that the central box defines a hollow inside space that receives the bottom of the main gearbox.

19. The lift assembly according to claim 18 wherein the resilient suspension system comprises a mount extending longitudinally from the leading edge spar to the trailing edge spar, and resilient suspension means interposed between the mount and the bottom of the main gearbox.

20. The lift assembly according to claim 19 wherein the resilient suspension means comprises a link bar and a support that is fastened to the bottom of the main gearbox, the link bar extending between two ends, and wherein a laminated damper is arranged between each end and the support and between each end and the mount.