Rotorcraft centrifugal force bearing

A system, comprising:

• a rotor assembly comprising:
• a yoke coupled to a rotating mast and having a tapered recess;
• a grip configured for attachment to a rotor blade, the grip extending through an opening in the yoke;
• and
• a centrifugal force (CF) bearing, wherein:
• the CF bearing comprises an inner-member, an outer-member, and an elastic member interposed between the inner-member and the outer-member;
• the outer-member is attached to a portion of the grip;
• the inner-member comprises a first surface and a second surface, the second surface opposing the first surface;
• the first surface comprises a protrusion that extends in a direction toward the outer-member, the protrusion having a profile that is curvilinear;
• the second surface comprises a planar external surface and a boss that protrudes from the planar external surface in a direction away from the elastic member;
• and
• the boss has a profile that is continuously and linearly tapered from the planar external surface to an outermost end of the boss and further wherein the outermost periphery of the boss is radially displaced inward of the outermost periphery of the planar external surface, wherein the boss is disposed in and matches a profile of the tapered recess of the yoke.

A method, comprising:

• operating a rotorcraft having a main rotor assembly and an articulated main rotor blade, by
• receiving a pilot control input;
• and
• in response to the pilot control input, changing a configuration of a main rotor assembly of the rotorcraft;
• wherein the main rotor assembly of the rotorcraft comprises:
• a grip that is attached to an articulated main rotor blade;
• and
• a yoke that has a tapered recess, the tapered recess having a first diameter at the mouth of the tapered recess and a second diameter less than the first diameter at the bottom of the tapered recess, and an intermediate diameter along sidewalls of the tapered recess, the sidewalls being straight from the mouth of the tapered recess to the bottom of the tapered recess;
• and
• mechanically communicating a mechanical load from the grip to the yoke through a centrifugal force (CF) bearing that is interposed between the grip and the yoke, wherein:
• the CF bearing has an inner-member, an outer-member, and an elastic member interposed between the inner-member and the outer-member;
• the outer-member is attached to the grip by a first clamp;
• the inner-member is engaged to the yoke by a second clamp, and wherein the inner-member includes
• a rigid plate having a first rigid extension at one end of the rigid plate and a second rigid extension at an opposite end of the rigid plate,
• a protruding feature that extends outward from a first surface of the rigid plate, and
• a boss that extends away from the elastic member and outward from a second surface of the rigid plate, the boss having a tapered profile that is matched to and disposed in the tapered recess of the yoke, the taper extending continuously and with a fixed slope from the second surface of the rigid plate to the outermost end of the boss.