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US 7,677,868 B2Granted
Self-lubricated actuator for on-blade rotor control
AssigneeSikorsky Aircraft Corporation
InventorsZaffir Chaudhry, Andrew John Collins, Ulf J Jonsson, Fanping Sun, Brian E Wake, Michael G O'Callaghan, Jimmy Lin-Min Yeh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-lubricated actuator for a rotor blade flap of a helicopter having a housing; a motor having a shaft disposed in a bearing is provided. The actuator further has an output rod and a mechanism operatively associated with the motor and the output rod to transmit movement from the motor to the output rod. The housing includes a lubrication medium capable of substantially immersing the bearing, the motor shaft and the mechanism during operation.
Claims24
A self-lubricated actuator for a control flap of a helicopter rotor blade, comprising:
- a housing defining an internal cavity;
- a motor disposed within said internal cavity for rotation of a motor shaft within said internal cavity;
- an output rod which extends from said internal cavity, said output rod extends from said housing;
- and
- a transmission device operatively associated with said motor shaft to convert rotation of said motor shaft into a linear movement of said output rod to extend and retract said output rod with respect to said actuator housing, said output rod extends at least partially within said internal cavity wherein said internal cavity contains a volume of lubrication medium sufficient to substantially immerse said motor shaft, said transmission device and said output rod which is at least partially within said internal cavity.
2 more elements
A self-lubricated actuator for a control flap of a helicopter rotor blade, comprising:
- a housing defining an internal cavity;
- a motor disposed within and rotating a motor shaft within said internal cavity;
- an output rod extending from said housing;
- and
- transmission device operativity associated with said motor shaft to convert rotation of said motor shaft into a linear movement of said output rod;
- and
- a spur gear system disposed between said motor shaft and said transmission device;
- wherein said internal cavity comprises a volume of lubrication medium sufficient to substantially immerse said motor shaft and said transmission device during exposure of a centrifugal force to the actuator, said internal cavity comprises a first reservoir and a second reservoir, said transmission device disposed in said first reservoir and said spur gear system disposed in said second reservoir, said first and second reservoirs each comprising said volume of lubrication medium sufficient to substantially said motor shaft and said transmission device and said spur gear system, respectively, during exposure of the centrifugal force to the actuator.
5 more elements
A helicopter rotor blade comprising:
- a control flap rotatable about a shaft;
- an actuator configured to extend and retract an output rod;
- a first transmission device between said control flap and said actuator, said first transmission device being configured to convert extension and retraction of said output rod into rotation of said control flap about said shaft, wherein the actuator comprises:
- an actuator housing which defines an internal cavity;
- a motor disposed within and rotating a motor shaft within said internal cavity;
- and
- a second transmission device operatively associated with said motor shaft to cause rotation of said motor shaft to extend and retract said output rod with respect to said actuator housing, said output rod extends at least partially within said internal cavity wherein said internal cavity comprises a volume of lubrication medium sufficient to substantially immerse said motor shaft, said second transmission device and said output rod which is at least partially within said internal cavity.
4 more elements
A helicopter rotor blade comprising:
- a leading rotor blade edge and a trailing rotor blade edge, a radial direction defined along said leading rotor blade edge and said trailing rotor blade edge;
- a control flap rotatable about a shaft, said control flap has a position selected from the group consisting of said leading rotor blade edge, said trailing rotor blade edge, and any combinations thereof;
- an actuator configured to extend and retract an output rod, said actuator positioned so that said output rod extends and retracts in a direction parallel to said radial direction;
- a first transmission device between said control flap and said actuator, said first transmission device being configured to convert extension and retraction of said output rod into rotation of said control flap about said shaft, wherein the actuator comprises:
- a housing defining an internal cavity;
- a motor disposed within and rotating a motor shaft within said cavity;
- a second transmission device operatively associated with said motor shaft to cause rotation of said motor shaft to extend and retract said output rod, wherein said cavity comprises a volume of lubrication medium sufficient to substantially immerse said motor shaft and said second transmission device during exposure of a centrifugal force to the actuator;
- a sliding seal between said output rod and said housing so that during exposure of the centrifugal force to the actuator said lubrication medium is urged away from said sliding seal.
5 more elements
A helicopter rotor blade comprising:
- a control flap rotatable about a shaft;
- an actuator configured to extend and retract an output rod;
- and
- a first transmission device between said control flap and said actuator, said first transmission device being configured to convert extension and retraction of said output rod into rotation of said control flap about said shaft, wherein the actuator comprises:
- a housing defining an internal cavity;
- a motor disposed within and rotating a motor shaft within said cavity;
- a second transmission device operatively associated with said motor shaft to cause rotation of said motor shaft to extend and retract said output rod, wherein said cavity comprises a volume of lubrication medium sufficient to substantially immerse said motor shaft and said second transmission device during exposure of a centrifugal force to the actuator;
- and
- a spur gear system disposed between said motor shaft and said second transmission device;
- wherein said internal cavity comprises a first reservoir and a second reservoir, said second transmission device being disposed in said first reservoir and said spur gear system being disposed in said second reservoir, said first and second reservoirs each comprising said volume of lubrication medium sufficient to substantially immerse said motor shaft and said second transmission device and said spur gear system, respectively, during exposure of the centrifugal force to the actuator.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.