Back to results
US 7,461,815 B2Granted
Suspension system for a rotary wing aircraft engine
AssigneeEurocopter
InventorsPhilippe Almeras, Jean Mondet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a system for suspending an engine of a rotary wing aircraft. The technical field of the invention is that of manufacturing suspension devices for helicopter engines. The invention consists in a device for suspending an engine (21) to a rotary aircraft airframe (26), which device includes a deformable structure (20) interconnecting two attachment zones (13, 17) of the device.
Claims17
A system for suspending a rotor drive engine (21) to an aircraft airframe (26), the system comprising:
- at least one device (10) for suspending the engine to the airframe, each device (10) including i) two attachment portions (13, 17), a first of the two attachment portions for connecting the device to the engine and a second of the two attachment portions for connecting the device to the airframe, and ii) a deformable structure (20) lying between the two attachment portions (13, 17), wherein,
- the deformable structure (20) comprises a plurality of blades (37, 38),
- each suspension device further has a compression abutment (43, 44) configured to limit an extent to which the suspension device can be shortened by a deformation of the deformable structure (20), and
- each suspension device has a first extension abutment configured to limit an elongation of the device, the elongation by deformation of the deformable structure, to a first elongation value, and a second extension abutment configured to limit the elongation to a second elongation value,
- wherein the second elongation value is greater than the first elongation value.
2 more elements
A system for suspending a rotor drive engine (21) to a rotary wing aircraft airframe (26), the system comprising:
- at least one device (10) for suspending the engine to the airframe, each device (10) including a deformable structure (20) interconnecting two attachment zones (13, 17) of the device, each attachment zone including a first pivot (15) for connecting the device to the engine and a second pivot for connecting the device to the airframe, and the structure (20) comprising two tuning-fork or U-shaped blades (37, 33) configured to be pinched under the action of longitudinal compression forces thereby shortening the device, wherein,
- the deformable structure (20) has a longitudinal stiffness that is less than or equal to 1500 newtons per millimeters, and
- each suspension device includes a first extension abutment limiting an elongation of the device, the elongation by deformation of the deformable structure, to a first elongation value, and a second elongation device limiting the elongation to a second elongation value, the second elongation value being greater than the first elongation value.
A device (10) for suspending a rotor drive engine (21) to a rotary wing aircraft airframe (26), the device comprising:
- first connecting means (15) for connection to the engine;
- second connecting means (18) for connection to the airframe;
- and
- a body (11) having a longitudinal axis (12) and a transverse axis (19), the body comprising:
- a first rigid end portion (13) receiving the first connecting means,
- a second rigid end portion (17) receiving the second connecting means,
- a middle portion extending between the two end portions,
- guiding means for mutually guiding the first and second rigid end portions in relative displacement in translation along the longitudinal axis, wherein,
- the middle portion comprises i) an elastically deformable structure (20) extending along the transverse axis (19) and comprising two U-shaped blades (37,38) configured to be pinched to shorten the device along said longitudinal axis, ii) abutment means for limiting an amplitude of deformation of the deformable structure (20), and iii) energy absorbing means for absorbing energy by plastic deformation of a part of the middle portion,
- the abutment means includes a first extension abutment and a second extension abutment, the first extension abutment limiting an elongation of the device along the longitudinal axis to a first elongation value, and a second extension abutment limiting the elongation of the device along the longitudinal axis to a second elongation value, the second elongation value being greater than the first elongation value, and
- the energy absorbing means includes a fusible structure (51), having a zone of weakness and configured to enable activation of the second extension abutment (45, 43)
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.