Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
244170250 | Lifting rotor having lift direction varying means | 24 |
20090179107 | Yoke with Notched Arm Roots - A yoke for a rotary wing aircraft rotor system has a plurality of arms, each arm having a root. Each root has a notched portion configured to allow passage of a portion of a blade-pitch control system through the notched portion. | 07-16-2009 |
20100012770 | System and Method for Improved Rotor Tip Performance - Embodiments of systems and methods for enhancing the performance of rotary wing aircraft through reduced torque, noise and vibration are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes configuring the rotorcraft in a selected flight condition, communicating input signals to a control system operable to position sails coupled to tips of blades of a rotor assembly, processing the input signals according to a constraint condition to generate sail positional information, and transferring the sail positional information to the sail. Alternately, input signals may be communicated to a control system operable to position a plurality of sails, each sail having an aerodynamic shape and positioned proximate to a tip portion of the rotor blade. The input signals may be configured to rotate each sail about a longitudinal axis into a corresponding pitch angle independently of the other sails. | 01-21-2010 |
20100264257 | Multi-Bladed Rotor System for Rotorcraft - A rotor system for a rotorcraft includes a rotor having a plurality of pitch control links and a pair of rotor blades mechanically coupled with each of the plurality of pitch control links. A rotorcraft includes a power train, a mast extending from the power train, a rotor having a plurality of pitch control links, the rotor mechanically coupled with the mast, and a pair of rotor blades mechanically coupled with each of the plurality of pitch control links. | 10-21-2010 |
20100308157 | MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR COMBINING FIRST AND SECOND CONTROL ORDERS, AND AN AIRCRAFT PROVIDED WITH SUCH A DEVICE - The present invention relates to a mechanical device ( | 12-09-2010 |
20110024555 | Purebred and Hybrid Electric VTOL Tilt Rotor Aircraft - Electrically powered Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft are presented. Contemplated VTOL aircraft can include one or more electrical energy stores capable of delivering electrical power to one or more electric motors disposed within one or more rotor housings, where the motors can drive the rotors. The VTOL aircraft can also include one or more sustainer energy/power sources (e.g., batteries, engines, generators, fuel-cells, semi-cells, etc.) capable of driving the motors should the energy stores fail or deplete. Various VTOL configurations are presented including an all-battery purebred design, a light hybrid design, and a heavy hybrid design. The contemplated configurations address safety, noise, and outwash concerns to allow such designs to operate in built-up areas while retaining competitive performance relative to existing aircraft. | 02-03-2011 |
20110114785 | BOTTOM BLADE TYPE TREFOIL FLIGHT VEHICLE - Conventional bottom blade type trefoil flight vehicles have composite structures wherein a plurality of pairs of fixing plates, forward/backward adjustment blades, and left and right rotation adjustment blades are separately mounted and adjusted, and thus have difficulties in scouting and surveillance in an indoor area due to the heavy weights and the large volumes of the flight vehicles. Another conventional flight vehicle has drawbacks in that flight in the left and right directions is difficult, and an adjustment blade and a fixing plate are arranged adjacent to each other to cause mutual influences of wind and non-uniformity in the flow of wind. The present invention provides a flight vehicle characterized in that three pairs of fixing plates with fixed pitch propellers and adjustment blades are installed at an angle of 120 degrees. The present invention allows anti-torque, hovering, forward/backward advancing, left and right rotation, and flight in the left and right direction of flight vehicles, and scouting and surveillance in a narrow space. The flight vehicle of the present invention is simple in structure and control, lightweight, and small in size, thereby improving power efficiency. | 05-19-2011 |
20120056031 | Method for Compensation of Gyroscopic Forces of a Rotor in a Helicopter - In order to suppress induction of precession when the rotor ( | 03-08-2012 |
20120175461 | ROTOR HUB AND BLADE ROOT FAIRING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A fairing system may be assembled about a rotor of a rotorcraft to present an aerodynamically quasi-static region that rotates in an airstream, as well as certain extensions that sweep through the airstream as the rotor hub passes through the air. A spherical interface between the extensions on the rotor hub fairing and the base or root portion of each blade fairing provides three degrees of freedom permitting lead-lag, flapping, and blade pitch pivoting in the blade, while still maintaining an aerodynamic profile that will minimize drag. | 07-12-2012 |
20120199692 | REACTIVE DRIVE ROTOR HEAD WITH EXTERNAL SWASHPLATE - A rotorcraft is disclosed. The rotorcraft may include an airframe comprising a mast defining an interior cavity, at least one compressor connected to the airframe, and a rotor. The rotor may include a hub and a rotor blade. The hub may connect to the mast to rotate with respect thereto. The hub may also define an interior cavity. The rotor blade may form a radial conduit extending radially therewithin. A flow of compressed air generated by the at least one compressor may pass from the at least one compressor, through the interior cavity defined by the mast, through the interior cavity defined by the hub, and into the radial conduit. A swashplate assembly controlling pitch of the rotor blade may be located exterior to the hub and mast. Accordingly, the swashplate assembly may not be heated by the flow of compressed air. | 08-09-2012 |
20120312917 | Tilt rotor vertical take-off aircraft - K - A vertical take-off aircraft comprising a main propeller | 12-13-2012 |
20130119187 | DEVICE FOR VARYING BLADE PITCH OF A LIFT ROTOR - The present invention relates to a device ( | 05-16-2013 |
20130168491 | MISSION-ADAPTIVE ROTOR BLADE WITH CIRCULATION CONTROL - A rotorcraft may include an airframe and a rotor connected to the airframe. The rotor may include a plurality of blades defining ducts along the length thereof and vents in fluid communication with the ducts. Flow from through the vents may be controlled by valves with piezoelectric actuators. The valves may be adjusted to achieve a lift profile suited for an operational mode such as vertical, autorotative, or unloaded flight. The lift profile may vary along the length of the blade and may vary cyclically with rotation of the blade. The lift profile may be chosen to approximate a figure of merit for the rotor suitable for a given operational mode. | 07-04-2013 |
20130168492 | Adjustable Pitch Link - According to one embodiment, a pitch link includes a first link, a second link coupled to a first end of the first link, a third link coupled to a second end of the first link opposite the first end, and a first bearing housing having a first bearing and a second bearing housing having a second bearing. The first bearing housing is removably coupled to the second link. The second link separates the first bearing housing from the first link. The second bearing housing is removably coupled to the third link. The third link separates the second bearing housing from the first link. | 07-04-2013 |
20130206900 | Pilot Control System with Hand Rest - According to one embodiment, a control assembly includes a post, a grip, and a hand rest. The post has a top, a bottom, and a body joining the top to the bottom. The grip is positioned at least partially above the post and is movable along at least one arc. The hand rest is coupled to the top and comprises an upper surface having a profile corresponding to the at least one arc. | 08-15-2013 |
20130240663 | UNDER SWASH LEVELING TOOL FOR RADIO CONTROLLED HELICOPTERS - A swash leveling tool for radio controlled (RC) helicopters can fit onto the main shaft under the swash plate to provide a level reference plane. Unlike conventional swash leveling tools that require removal of the head, the swash leveling tool of the present invention provides a level reference plane for the swash without having to take the time to disassemble portions of the helicopter. | 09-19-2013 |
20130341458 | HYBRID SPHERICAL AND THRUST BEARING - According to one embodiment, a bearing is situated between a pitch link and a swashplate or a hub. The bearing comprises an outer housing having a first opening therethrough, an elastomeric bearing adjacent the housing inside the first opening and having a second opening therethrough, and an inner housing adjacent the elastomeric bearing inside the second opening and having a third opening therethrough. The inner housing comprising a first inner surface and a second inner surface defining the third opening. A first member is adjacent the first inner surface inside the third opening having a fourth opening therethrough. A second member is adjacent the second inner surface inside the third opening having a fifth opening therethrough coaxial with the fourth opening. | 12-26-2013 |
20140034777 | INDEPENDENT BLADE CONTROL SYSTEM WITH HYDRAULIC PITCH LINK - According to one embodiment, a rotorcraft pitch link includes a housing and a piston assembly. The housing comprises a first chamber and a second chamber. A first housing opening allows a first fluid to flow into the first chamber, and a second housing allows a second fluid to flow into the second chamber. The piston assembly is at least partially disposed within the housing and comprises a piston head and a piston rod coupled to the piston head. The piston head separates the first chamber from the second chamber. | 02-06-2014 |
20140034778 | INDEPENDENT BLADE CONTROL SYSTEM WITH ROTARY BLADE ACTUATOR - According to one embodiment, a rotary blade actuator includes a housing, a vane disposed within the housing, a shaft disposed at least partially within the housing and coupled to the vane. The vane comprises a first vane surface disposed within a first chamber between a first fluid opening and a second fluid opening and a second vane surface disposed within a second chamber between a third fluid opening and a fourth fluid opening. The shaft is operable to rotate in response to movements of the vane. | 02-06-2014 |
20140034779 | INDEPENDENT BLADE CONTROL SYSTEM WITH HYDRAULIC CYCLIC CONTROL - According to one embodiment, a radial fluid device includes a cylinder block having a plurality of radially extending cylinders, a plurality of pistons, and a cam disposed about the plurality of radially extending cylinders. A first linear control is coupled to the cam and operable to reposition the cam along a first axis. A second linear control is coupled to the cam and operable to reposition the cam along a second axis. A third linear control is coupled to the cam and operable to resist movement of the cam along a third axis. | 02-06-2014 |
20140124615 | Preventing Rotation of a Fixed Ring of a Swashplate - According to one embodiment, a rotor system includes an anti-rotation sleeve featuring an outer recess portion and a tilt sleeve positioned about the anti-rotation sleeve and having an opening therethrough. A first swashplate ring is positioned about the tilt sleeve and features an inner recess portion. An anti-rotation mechanism is disposed through the opening and at least partially in the outer recess portion and the inner recess portion. The anti-rotation mechanism is operable to prevent the first swashplate ring from rotating about the anti-rotation sleeve. A second swashplate ring is positioned about the first swashplate ring and rotatable about the anti-rotation sleeve. | 05-08-2014 |
20140299709 | LOW DRAG ROTOR SYSTEM - A rotor assembly includes a rotor hub rotatable about a central axis including a plurality of rotor hub arms and blade yokes, each blade yoke including yoke arms located at opposing lateral sides of a corresponding one of the rotor hub arms to which the rotor hub arm is operably connected. The rotor assembly further includes blade retention bearings, each blade retention bearing being a single-element bearing disposed at a corresponding one of the rotor hub arms and which is supportive of a corresponding one of the blade yokes. Rotor blades are secured to corresponding ones of the blade yokes. | 10-09-2014 |
20150060597 | Dual Series Pitch Link Bearing - According to one embodiment, a bearing is situated between a pitch link and a swashplate or a hub. The bearing comprises an outer housing having a first opening therethrough, an intermediate housing adjacent the housing inside the first opening and having a second opening therethrough, and an inner housing adjacent the intermediate housing inside the second opening and having a third opening therethrough. The inner housing comprising a first inner surface and a second inner surface defining the third opening. A first member is adjacent the first inner surface inside the third opening having a fourth opening therethrough. A second member is adjacent the second inner surface inside the third opening having a fifth opening therethrough coaxial with the fourth opening. | 03-05-2015 |
20150069175 | Rotor Position Determination System with Magneto-Resistive Sensors - According to one embodiment, a method for determining a position of a rotor blade includes receiving a plurality of measurements from a plurality of magneto-resistive sensors and determining a position of the at least one magnet based on the received plurality of measurements. In this example, one of the plurality of magneto-resistive sensors and the at least one magnet moves with a rotor blade. | 03-12-2015 |
20150298803 | ADJUSTABLE SCISSOR CONTROL LINK - A control link disposed to transfer rotor shaft rotation from an elongate element rotatable with a shaft to a rotatable element is provided and includes a structure terminating at a first end thereof as a mating element, which is securable to the elongate element such that the elongate element is rotatable about an axis defined through the mating element and such that a moment reaction in opposition to structure rotation about the elongate element is generated and a rod coupled to the rotatable element being and configured to be coupled to a second end of the structure at variable distances relative to the rotatable element. | 10-22-2015 |