Parachute support and stabilization for helicopter recovery systems
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorRichard L. Kulesha
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A parachute support system for supporting a helicopter emergency parachute is provided, comprising a parachute support shaft located within a main rotor shaft, said parachute support shaft being rotationally separated from the rest of the helicopter through the use of bearing supports or enclosures. As the parachute support shaft is connected to the main rotor shaft at multiple distinct and distant points, the system described also provides a preferable load path transfer route, such that parachute system malfunction is minimized.
Claims21
A parachute support and stabilization system comprising:
- a rotor shaft having a hollow interior, a neck portion and a bottom portion;
- a parachute support shaft having a top portion and a bottom portion, said parachute support shaft being disposed within the hollow interior of the rotor shaft;
- an upper bearing support having bearings, said upper bearing support being operationally engaged with the top portion of the parachute support shaft and with neck portion of the rotor shaft;
- and
- a lower bearing support having bearings, said lower bearing support being operationally engaged with the bottom portion of the parachute support shaft and with the bottom portion of the rotor shaft;
- said upper and lower bearing supports serving to distribute load from a parachute over the length of the rotor shaft.
A helicopter comprising:
- a helicopter body;
- a rotor shaft coupled to the helicopter body, said rotor shaft having a hollow interior, a narrow neck portion and a bottom portion;
- a parachute support shaft having a top end and a bottom end, said parachute support shaft being disposed within the hollow interior of the main helicopter rotor shaft;
- an upper bearing support having bearings, said upper bearing support being operationally engaged with the top portion of the parachute support shaft and with the narrow neck portion of the rotor shaft;
- and
- a lower bearing support having bearings, said lower bearing support being operationally engaged with the bottom portion of the parachute support shaft and with the bottom portion of the rotor shaft;
- said upper and lower bearing supports serving to distribute load from a parachute over the length of the rotor shaft.
A method of fitting a helicopter, having at least one rotor shaft, with a parachute support and stabilization system, comprising:
- providing a parachute support shaft having a top portion and a bottom portion;
- inserting the parachute support shaft into a hollow interior of the rotor shaft;
- operationally engaging a lower bearing support having bearings to the bottom portion of the parachute support shaft and to a bottom portion of the rotor shaft, and an upper bearing support having bearings to the top portion of the parachute support shaft and to the narrow neck portion of the rotor shaft, such that said upper and lower bearing supports serve to distribute load from a parachute over the length of the rotor shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.