Rotor blade flap drive apparatus

Abstract

Displacements of output portions 35, 36 of a pair of piezoelectric actuators 25, 26 arranged spanwise in a flap drive apparatus are magnified by a displacement magnification mechanism 27 so that a swing arm 28 is driven in swinging fashion with large amplitude. A flap 22 attached to the trailing edge of a blade 21 by way of a connecting rod 30 connected to a tip of the swing arm 28 is driven in vertical angular displacement fashion. The displacement magnification mechanism 27 possesses an eccentric shaft 40 has a first shaft 41 and second shaft 42 with offset axes. An output portion 35 is coupled to the first shaft 41, and an output portion 36 is coupled to the second shaft 42. The swing arm 28 is fixed to the eccentric shaft 40. Displacement of the output portions 35, 36 of the actuators 25, 26 in opposite phase results in a stable swing of the swing arm 28.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.