Remote gearbox lubricant level gauge system for rotorcraft
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsNathaniel Ross Bernklau, Charles Eric Covington
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft is described and includes an aircraft body, a gearbox housing containing a lubricant, and a remote gearbox lubricant level gauging (RGLLG) system including a light source that when activated illuminates an interior of the gearbox housing; at least one light tube for transmitting light from inside the gearbox housing to an observer end of the RGLLG system, and at least one indicator at the observer end of for indicating a level of the lubricant contained within the gearbox based on the light transmitted via the at least one light tube.
Claims15
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a vertical stabilizer connected to an aft end of the fuselage, the vertical stabilizer supporting a tail rotor proximate an upper end of the vertical stabilizer;
- a gearbox housing within the vertical stabilizer proximate the upper end thereof, the gearbox housing comprising a top, a bottom, and at least one side disposed between the top and the bottom, the gearbox housing containing a lubricant;
- and
- a remote gearbox lubricant level gauging system comprising:
- a light source within the gearbox housing;
- a plurality of ports in the at least one side of the gearbox housing;
- a display disposed on the fuselage at a location remote from the gearbox housing, the display comprising a plurality of indicators and having integrated therewith a switch for controlling activation of the light source;
- and
- a plurality of light tubes connected between the plurality of ports and the plurality of indicators;
- wherein the indicators indicate a level of the lubricant contained within the gearbox housing based on the light transmitted via the light tubes;
- and
- wherein the display comprises multiple displays disposed at various points on the fuselage, wherein each of the displays is remote from the gearbox housing.
A remote gearbox lubricant level gauging system for a rotorcraft, the rotorcraft comprising a fuselage and a vertical stabilizer connected to an aft end of the fuselage, the vertical stabilizer supporting a tail rotor assembly proximate an upper end thereof, the remote gearbox lubricant level gauging system comprising:
- a light source that when activated illuminates an interior of a gearbox housing for containing a lubricant, the gearbox housing comprising a top, a bottom, and at least one side disposed between the top and the bottom, the gearbox housing disposed within the tail rotor assembly proximate the upper end of the vertical stabilizer;
- at least one port provided in the at least one side of the gearbox housing;
- at least one light tube connected to the gearbox housing via the at least one port and configured for transporting light from within the gearbox housing to an observer end of the remote gearbox lubricant level gauging system, the observer end comprising a display panel and located on the fuselage in a location remote from the gearbox housing;
- at least one indicator on the display panel for indicating a level of the lubricant contained within the gearbox housing based on the light transported by the at least one light tube;
- and
- a switch for activating and deactivating the light source disposed on the fuselage proximate the display panel;
- and
- a plurality of display panels disposed at various locations on the fuselage and remote from the gearbox housing.
A method for gauging a level of lubricant contained within a gearbox housing of an aircraft comprising a fuselage and a vertical stabilizer for supporting a tail rotor assembly including the gearbox housing, the gearbox housing comprising a top, a bottom, and at least one side disposed between the top and the bottom, the method comprising:
- activating a light source within the gearbox housing using a switch;
- transporting light generated by the light source from an interior of a gearbox housing to a display panel using a plurality of light tubes each connected to one of a plurality of ports disposed in the at least one side of the gearbox housing, wherein the display panel is disposed on the fuselage at a location remote from the gearbox and wherein the switch is incorporated into the display panel;
- and
- illuminating at least one of a plurality of indicators arranged on the display panel in a vertical configuration based on the light transported using the plurality of light tubes, the illuminated indicators corresponding to a level of lubricant contained within the gearbox housing;
- wherein the switch is disposed on the fuselage proximate the display panel
- wherein the display panel comprises multiple display panels disposed at various points on the fuselage, wherein each of the display panels is remote from the gearbox housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.