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US 2020/0385108 A1Published application
Rotor mast with composite insert
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsGilberto Morales, Roozbeh Kiamanesh, Russell Mueller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotor mast including an outer member defining a channel therethrough and an inner member disposed in the channel through the outer member, wherein the inner member is configured to apply a compressive force to the outer member.
Claims20
A rotor mast, comprising:
- an outer member including an external surface, an internal surface, a first bearing area, and a second bearing area, wherein the internal surface defines a channel extending between the first bearing area and the second bearing area;
- and
- an inner member disposed within the channel of the outer member, the inner member including a first bearing surface and a second bearing surface;
- wherein the first bearing area is in contact with the first bearing surface and the second bearing area is in contact with the second bearing surface, and the outer member is under compression along a length thereof between the first bearing area and the second bearing area and the inner member is under tension along a length thereof between the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface.
1 more element
A method of assembling a rotor mast, comprising:
- providing a metal outer member having a first bearing area, a second bearing area, and a channel extending between the first bearing area and the second bearing area;
- inserting an inner member having a composite shaft into the channel;
- contacting the second bearing area of the outer member with a second bearing surface of the inner member;
- coupling a clamping element having a first bearing surface to the shaft of the inner member;
- contacting the first bearing area of the outer member with the first bearing surface of the clamping element;
- and
- creating a tensile force in the inner member and a compressive force in the outer member.
4 more elements
An aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a powerplant configured to produce rotational energy;
- and
- a rotor assembly, comprising:
- a rotor hub;
- a plurality of rotor blades extending from the rotor hub;
- and
- a rotor mast coupled to the rotor hub, the rotor mast being configured to receive the rotational energy produced by the powerplant and transmit it to the rotor hub, the rotor mast comprising:
- a metallic outer member including an external surface, an internal surface, a first bearing area, and a second bearing area, wherein the internal surface defines a channel extending between the first bearing area and the second bearing area;
- and
- an inner member including a composite shaft disposed within the channel of the outer member, the inner member including a first bearing surface coupled to a first end of the composite shaft and a second bearing surface coupled to a second end of the shaft;
- wherein the first bearing area is in contact with the first bearing surface and the second bearing area is in contact with the second bearing surface, and the outer member is under compression along a length thereof between the first bearing area and the second bearing area and the inner member is under tension along a length thereof between the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.