Coupling with slack-takeup, a rotor, and a rotary wing aircraft
AssigneeEurocopter
InventorsEtienne Rampal, Elio Zoppitelli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coaxial rotary coupling (11) includes a hollow inner tube (4) and a hollow outer tube (7), with inner and outer splines (12 and 13) in mutual engagement. The coupling (11) further includes: approach elements for longitudinally approaching the inner and outer tubes (4, 7) together with elements presenting a wedge arrangement for causing the inner and outer tubes (4, 7) to turn (23) relative to each other in opposite directions so as to limit tangential assembly slack; a soleplate (16) of the driven tube (7); and a flange (17); the driving tubes (4) having complementary splines (12, 13, 18) together with dogs including force-transformation ramps (31) that are distributed peripherally within the coupling (11).
Claims13
A coaxial rotary coupling (11) comprising a hollow inner tube (4) and an outer tube (7), the tubes (4;
- 7) being provided with complementary splines (12;
- 13) in mutual engagement and extending in a longitudinal direction (X), said coupling (11) further including longitudinal approach means (21) for longitudinally approaching the inner and outer tubes (4, 7), together with at least one wedge arrangement (19A, 20A, 31) that acts, under the effect of said approach means (21), to cause the inner and outer tubes (4, 7) to pivot (23) relative to each other in opposite directions so as to compensate for assembly slack (24), wherein the coupling (11) comprises:
- a soleplate (16) rigidly secured to a base (15) of one of said tubes that is a driven tube (4;
- 7), which soleplate projects radially;
- a peripheral flange (17) mounted on the other one of said tubes (4;
- 7) that is a driving tube, said flange (17) having splines (18) complementary to the said splines (12) of the driven tube (4;
- 7) and in engagement therewith;
- and
- dogs, firstly on a bottom face (19) of the soleplate (16) and secondly on a top face (20) of the peripheral flange (17), each dog (19A, 20A) possessing at least one transformation ramp (31) forming a wedge arrangement, while the longitudinal approach means (21) are distributed within the coupling (11) and radially spaced apart from said splines (12, 13, 18), such that in the tangential slack take-up position, the splines (12, 13) of the driving tube (7;
- 4) are in engagement with the splines (18) of the flange (17) via the flanks thereof, and downstream therefrom the splines (13, 12) of the driven tube (4;
- 7) are in engagement with the splines (12, 13) of the driving tube (7;
- 4) via the flanks thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.