Beam springs for aircraft engine mount assemblies
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsBruce Bennett Bacon, John Elton Brunken, Jr., Michael Edwin Rinehart, Nick Pravanh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe. The engine mount assembly includes a torsion bar coupled to the engine and a lateral movement control assembly coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe. The lateral movement control assembly includes a spring having a lateral stiffness. The torsion bar rotates in response to lateral movement of the engine such that the lateral movement of the engine is controllable based on the lateral stiffness of the spring.
Claims19
An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe, the engine mount assembly comprising:
- a torsion bar coupled to the engine;
- and
- a lateral movement control assembly coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe, the lateral movement control assembly including a spring having a lateral stiffness;
- wherein the torsion bar further comprises a middle section and wherein the lateral movement control assembly is coupled proximate the middle section of the torsion bar;
- and
- wherein the torsion bar rotates in response to lateral movement of the engine such that lateral movement of the engine is controllable based on the lateral stiffness of the spring.
A rotorcraft comprising:
- an airframe;
- an engine;
- an engine mount assembly adapted to mount the engine to the airframe, the engine mount assembly including:
- a torsion bar coupled to the engine;
- and
- a lateral movement control assembly coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe, the lateral movement control assembly including a spring having a lateral stiffness;
- wherein the torsion bar further comprises a middle section and wherein the lateral movement control assembly is coupled proximate the middle section of the torsion bar;
- and
- wherein the torsion bar rotates in response to lateral movement of the engine such that lateral movement of the engine is controllable based on the lateral stiffness of the spring.
A tiltrotor aircraft having a helicopter mode and an airplane mode, the tiltrotor aircraft comprising:
- an airframe including a fuselage, a wing and a nacelle;
- an engine disposed within the nacelle;
- an engine mount assembly adapted to mount the engine to the airframe, the engine mount assembly including:
- a torsion bar coupled to the engine;
- and
- a lateral movement control assembly coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe, the lateral movement control assembly including a spring having a lateral stiffness;
- wherein the torsion bar further comprises a middle section and wherein the lateral movement control assembly is coupled proximate the middle section of the torsion bar;
- and
- wherein the torsion bar rotates in response to lateral movement of the engine such that lateral movement of the engine is controllable based on the lateral stiffness of the spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.