Aircraft
OwnerFelix Errol Groenewaldinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A helicopter with a rotor pivotally connected to a shaft by a universal joint or ball and socket joint. The helicopter includes: a fuselage; a rotor mast that is fixed against relative rotation with respect to the fuselage; at least one blade; a motor for rotating the at least one blade; and a universal joint or ball and socket joint. The universal joint or ball and socket joint: (i) is disposed between the at least one blade and the rotor mast, with the at least one blade being rotatable relative to the universal joint or ball and socket joint; (ii) is disposed between the motor and the rotor mast; and (iii) is fixed against relative rotation with respect to the rotor mast, such that, pivoting of the universal joint or ball and socket joint causes the at least one blade and the motor to tilt.
Claims12
An aircraft including:
- a fuselage;
- a rotor mast that is fixed against relative rotation with respect to the fuselage;
- at least one blade;
- a motor for rotating the at least one blade;
- and
- a ball and socket joint;
- characterised in that ball and socket joint:
- (i) is disposed between the at least one blade and the rotor mast, with the at least one blade being rotatable relative to the ball and socket joint;
- (ii) is disposed between the motor and the rotor mast;
- (iii) is fixed against relative rotation with respect to the rotor mast;
- and
- (iv) includes a radially extending protrusion and defines a linear recess that is sized and shaped to receive the protrusion therein and therealong, which protrusion and recess co-operate to permit relative tilting while preventing relative rotation of the ball and the socket,
- such that, pivoting of the ball and socket joint causes the at least one blade and the motor to tilt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.