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US 5,501,434 AGranted
Hybrid fluid and elastomer damper
AssigneeLord Corporation
InventorDennis P. McGuire
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid fluid and elastomer damper. A damper, which may be utilized as a lead-lag damper for a helicopter rotor application, reduces vibratory motion transmitted axially, torsionally and angularly between a pair of components such as a rotor and a blade by hysteresis of the elastomer and throttling and shearing of the fluid through a narrow annular passageway. The hybrid damper captures the best features of both the elastomer and fluid dampers while avoiding many of the disadvantages of each.
Claims18
A helicopter rotor system having a lead-lag damper operatively interconnected between a rotor and a blade, said system comprising:
- a) a slender primary generally
- b) a secondary generally cylindrical element received within said primary cylindrical element;
- c) first and second annular elastomeric members interconnecting said primary and secondary cylindrical elements at axially spaced locations, each of said annular elastomeric members having an appreciable thickness relative to their respective diameters;
- d) a first fluid-containing chamber at least partially defined by said primary and secondary cylindrical elements and said first elastomeric member;
- e) a second fluid-containing chamber at least partially defined by said primary and secondary cylindrical elements and said second elastomeric member;
- f) a narrow annular passageway interconnecting said first and second fluid-containing chambers, said annular passageway having a length which is several times its width;.
- g) a first connecting means operatively connecting said primary cylindrical element to one of said rotor and said blade;
- h) a second connecting means operatively connecting said secondary cylindrical element to the other of said rotor and said blade;
- i) a trapezoidally shaped annular protrusion formed upon and extending from a first one of said primary and secondary generally cylindrical elements toward and proximate the second one of said primary and secondary cylindrical elements to partially define said annular passageway;
- whereby relative axial motion between said rotor and said blade causes deformation of said elastomeric members causing significant hysteresis damping in said elastomeric members as well as fluid flow between said first and second fluid-containing chambers through said narrow annular passageway resulting in throttling and shearing of said fluid such that said relative motion is damped by a combined force generated by said elastomer and said fluid.
7 more elements
A damper for interconnection between a pair of components, said damper comprising:
- a) a slender primary generally cylindrical element;
- b) a secondary generally cylindrical element received within said primary cylindrical element;
- c) first and second annular elastomeric members interconnecting said primary and secondary cylindrical elements at axially spaced locations, each of said annular elastomeric members having an appreciable thickness relative to their respective diameters;
- d) a first fluid-containing chamber at least partially defined by said primary and secondary cylindrical elements and said first elastomeric member;
- e) a second fluid-containing chamber at least partially defined by said primary and secondary cylindrical elements and said second elastomeric member;
- f) a narrow annular passageway interconnecting said first and second fluid-containing chambers, said annular passageway having a length which is several times its width;
- g) a first connecting means for operatively connecting said primary cylindrical element to one of said pair of components;
- h) a second connecting means for operatively connecting said secondary cylindrical element to the other of said pair of components;
- i) a trapezoidally shaped annular protrusion formed upon and extending from a first one of said primary and secondary generally cylindrical elements toward and proximate the second one of said primary and secondary cylindrical elements to partially define said annular passageway;
- whereby relative axial motion between said pair of components causes deformation of said elastomeric members causing significant hysteresis damping in said elastomeric members as well as fluid flow between said first and second fluid-containing chambers through said narrow annular passageway resulting in throttling and shearing of said fluid such that said relative motion is damped by a combined force generated by said elastomer and said fluid.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.