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US 11,143,231 B2Granted
Blade flexure assembly with replaceable elements
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorAnthony Lazzaro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A blade flexure assembly that includes first and second mounting structures. Two or more flexure blades are connected to and extend between the first and second mounting structures. Clamping blocks clamp the flexure blades to the mounting structures. The modular design of the assembly provides for replacing one or more of the flexure blades to adjust one or more functional aspects of the assembly.
Claims20
A blade flexure assembly comprising:
- a plurality of removable flexure blades, each removable flexure blade having a first end and second end;
- a plurality of mounting structures, each mounting structure having a curved surface to receive one of the first and second ends of one of the flexure blades;
- and
- a plurality of clamping blocks, wherein each clamping block clamps one of the first and second ends of the flexure blade to one of the curved surfaces of the mounting structure, each clamping block having a curved surface with a shape different than the respective curved surface of the mounting structure such that the one of the first and second ends is clamped at two line contacts and a gap exists between the flexure blade and either the mounting structure or the clamping block.
1 more element
A blade flexure assembly comprising:
- first and second mounting structures that comprise a plurality of receptacles that each have a curved surface, the mounting structures being spaced apart and in an overlapping orientation;
- a plurality of flexure blades that extend between the first and second mounting structures, each of the flexure blades comprising a first curved section at a first end to fit within one of the receptacles of the first mounting structure and a second curved section at an opposing second end to fit within a second one of the receptacles of the second mounting structure;
- a plurality of clamping blocks each comprising a curved surface with a different curvature than the curved surfaces of the mounting structures;
- and
- a plurality of fasteners that connect the clamping blocks to the mounting structures, wherein each of the fasteners clamps one of the flexure blades between the curved surface of one of the first and second mounting structures and the curved surface of one of the clamping blocks.
2 more elements
A method of assembling a blade flexure assembly, the method comprising:
- positioning first and second flexure blades between first and second mounting structures with the first and second flexure blades being positioned in a side-by-side and crossed configuration;
- securing the first flexure blade to the first mounting structure by clamping a first curved section at a first end of the first flexure blade between the first mounting structure and a first clamping block;
- securing the first flexure blade to the second mounting structure by clamping a second curved section at a second end of the first flexure blade between the second mounting structure and a second clamping block;
- securing the second flexure blade to the first mounting structure by clamping a first curved section at a first end of the second flexure blade between the first mounting structure and a third clamping block;
- securing the second flexure blade to the second mounting structure by clamping a second curved section at a second end of the second flexure blade between the second mounting structure and a fourth clamping block;
- and
- contacting each of the first, second, third, and fourth clamping blocks against the respective flexure blade along two line contacts.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.