Antivibration kit-of-parts and parts therefor, airfoil structure and aircraft provided therewith
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsIvano Bertolini, Henrik Lüttmann, Wim Westbroek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To reduce vibration of movable airfoil structures, such as rudders, elevators, and ailerons, a spring device, a leaf spring for example, is mounted to an airfoil mounting structure, such as a vertical tail plane, horizontal tail plane or the wings, such that the spring device exerts a force on a cam device, which transforms the spring force into an airfoil torque. The airfoil torque is applied to the airfoil structure and thus reduces a risk of vibration. The cam device is configured to redirect the spring force such that when the airfoil structure is moved in a first direction, torque decreases and when moved in the opposite second direction the torque is zero.
Claims18
An apparatus configured to reduce vibration of an airfoil structure, the airfoil structure being movably attachable to an aircraft, wherein the apparatus comprises:
- a spring device configured to generate a spring force due to deflection from a spring neutral position of the spring device;
- and
- a cam device configured to transform the spring force into an airfoil torque while, when both the spring device and the cam device are in an operating condition, the cam device contacts the spring device, and the cam device is configured to apply the airfoil torque to the airfoil structure while, when both the spring device and the cam device are in the operating condition, the cam device is operatively coupled to the airfoil structure,
- wherein the cam device comprises a cam device mounting portion configured to mount the cam device to the airfoil structure and a hinge portion defining an axis of rotation about which the cam device is configured to rotate, and,
- wherein the cam device further comprises a lever portion that extends from the hinge portion and that is configured to contribute in transforming the spring force into an airfoil torque, a head portion that is adjacent to the lever portion and spaced apart from the hinge portion via the lever portion, a cam that is formed on the head portion and the cam is formed on a single lateral side of the cam device and a single front side with respect to a longitudinal direction of the cam device.
A cam device for use in an apparatus configured to reduce vibration of an airfoil structure, the airfoil structure being movably attachable to an aircraft, wherein the cam device comprises:
- a cam device mounting portion configured to mount the cam device to an airfoil structure,
- a hinge portion defining an axis of rotation about which the cam device is rotatable, and
- a cam portion configured to direct a spring force exerted on the cam portion in such a manner that, when the cam device is in the operating condition, the spring force is directed in the same direction relative aft,
- wherein the cam device further comprises a lever portion that extends from the hinge portion and that is configured to contribute in transforming the spring force into an airfoil torque, a head portion that is adjacent to the lever portion and spaced apart from the hinge portion via the lever portion, a cam that is formed on the head portion and the cam is formed on a single lateral side of the cam device and a single front side with respect to a longitudinal direction of the cam device.
An apparatus configured to reduce vibration of an airfoil structure, the airfoil structure being movably attachable to an aircraft, wherein the apparatus comprises:
- a spring device configured to generate a spring force due to deflection from a spring neutral position of the spring device;
- and
- a cam device configured to transform the spring force into an airfoil torque while, when both the spring device and the cam device are in an operating condition, the cam device contacts the spring device, and the cam device is configured to apply the airfoil torque to the airfoil structure while, when both the spring device and the cam device are in the operating condition, the cam device is operatively coupled to the airfoil structure,
- wherein the spring device comprises a leaf spring configured to generate the spring force, wherein the leaf spring comprises a plurality of leaf spring layers stacked on each other in a sliding manner;
- has a fixed end portion, at which the leaf spring layers are fixed to each other;
- has a free end portion, at which the leaf spring layers are free to slide relative to each other;
- comprises a friction reducing member sandwiched between two neighboring leaf spring layers;
- or has a leaf spring bracket configured to support the leaf spring layers in a sliding manner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.