Helicopter flight support device

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a helicopter flight support device for emergency situations. The helicopter flight support device includes a motor that causes a threaded shaft to rotate, which is coupled to the underside of a helicopter. This causes an outer support device and an inner support device to deploy until they form a wing-like configuration. The interior of the wing includes a plurality of support cables for tensioning the wing. The helicopter flight support device also includes upper and lower support cables mounted on the ends of the wing to provide horizontal stability.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 683,877, filed March 1, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 165,541, filed March 24, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention discloses a helicopter flight support device for allowing helicopters to land safely in the event of rotor failure. Background Technology

[0004] In everyday use, helicopters typically fly at much lower altitudes than airplanes. Therefore, due to the reduced altitude, any rotor failure will result in a rapid landing in an emergency. Most safety or escape systems focus on deploying a parachute from the top of the helicopter or ejecting the pilot / passenger using a capsule or ejection seat. However, neither of these escape systems can control the descent and relies solely on the deployment of a parachute, which needs to be hundreds of feet high to successfully deploy and slow down a large object like a helicopter. Therefore, a helicopter flight support system that can safely deploy in the event of rotor failure is needed to extend the descent time, thereby slowing the helicopter, while allowing some control over the descent process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This document discloses a helicopter flight support device for emergency situations. The helicopter flight support device includes a motor that causes a threaded shaft to rotate, the shaft being connected to the underside of the helicopter. This causes the outer and inner support devices to deploy until they form a wing-like structure. The interior of the wing includes multiple support cables for tensioning the wing. The helicopter flight support device also includes upper and lower support cables mounted at the wing's tip to provide horizontal stability. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 A perspective view of a helicopter flight support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0007] Figure 2 A perspective view of the helicopter flight support assembly with the cover removed is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 A bottom view of the helicopter flight support device in its undeployed configuration is shown.

[0009] Figure 4A side view of the helicopter flight support system is shown, illustrating the connection between the motor and the threaded shaft.

[0010] Figure 5 A perspective view of the unfolded support device is shown.

[0011] Figure 6 A side view of the rear section of the helicopter flight support system is shown.

[0012] Figure 7 A bottom view of the partially deployed helicopter flight support system is shown.

[0013] Figure 8 A bottom view of the further extended helicopter flight support system is shown.

[0014] Figure 9 A bottom view of the fully deployed helicopter flight support system is shown.

[0015] Figure 10 A front perspective view of the fully deployed helicopter flight support system is shown.

[0016] Figure 11 An enhanced view of the pivot joint is shown, illustrating the connection between the outer and inner support devices.

[0017] Figure 12 An enhanced view of the pivot joint is shown, illustrating the connection between the outer support assembly and the inner support assembly, both with covers.

[0018] Figure 13 and 14 A perspective view of a ball bearing support device that allows the threaded shaft to rotate freely is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Figure 1 A perspective view of a helicopter flight support 100 mounted to the underside of a helicopter 102 is shown. A first end 104 of the helicopter flight support 100 is attached to the underside of the passenger compartment 106 or cockpit 108 between landing pads 110. The exact attachment location is determined by the requirements of the helicopter 102 (such as geometry, weight). A second end 112 of the helicopter flight support 100 is attached to the underside of the tail section 114 or rudder 116. The exact attachment location of the second end 112 is also determined by the requirements or shape / design of the helicopter 102.

[0020] Helicopter flight support device 100 Figure 1The helicopter flight support 100 is shown in its retracted state, with most of its components covered by a cover 120, which, in its closed state, forms a shell enclosing most of the components of the helicopter flight support 100. As described later, the cover 120 is preferably formed of two C-shaped cross-section members that fit together to form a cylinder or elliptical cylinder surrounding the helicopter flight support 100. The first half of the cover 120 preferably fits with the second half of the cover 120 via a lip, allowing the two halves to overlap along their length when closed. The cover 120 protects many of the mechanical parts of the helicopter flight support 100 from severe weather and helps to keep the helicopter flight support 100 in its retracted state. The cover 120 also provides lift, similar to that in an aircraft. The cross-section of the cover 120 decreases from the front to the rear of the helicopter flight support 100.

[0021] Figure 2 A perspective view of the helicopter flight support 100 with the cover 120 removed is shown. Figure 3 A bottom view of a helicopter flight support device 100 is shown. The helicopter flight support device 100 generally includes a front mounting bracket 202, a motor 204, an outer support device 206, an inner support device 208, a fabric 210, a rear mounting bracket 212, a threaded shaft 214, a deployment support device 216, a connecting gear 218, and a stabilizing support device 220. Figure 1-3 Other features of the helicopter flight support device 100, not shown in the figure, will be shown in subsequent figures.

[0022] The first end of the outer support device 206 is pivotally connected to the front mounting bracket 202, and the second end of the outer support device 206 is pivotally connected to the first end of the inner support device 208. The second end of the inner support device 206 is connected to the wing bracket 414 of the deployment support device 216. Figure 11 and Figure 12 An exemplary pivot joint is shown, illustrating the connection between an outer support device 206 and an inner support device 208. In this embodiment, a pin 122 is inserted between the support devices to allow pivoting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that any type of pivot-permitting joint can be used. Figure 12 The cover 120, as described above, is mounted on the external support device 206 to provide lift.

[0023] Fabric 210 is attached to the outer support device 206 and the inner support device 208 to form a wing structure when the helicopter flight support device 100 is fully deployed, as shown later. Preferably, fabric 210 is arranged in two layers, an upper layer and a lower layer. The outer support device 206 and the inner support device 208 are preferably made of lightweight and durable materials such as aluminum or carbon fiber.

[0024] Figure 4 A side view shows the connection between motor 204 and threaded shaft 214. Motor 204 and sheath 118 are connected to the underside and / or front mounting bracket 202 of helicopter 102. Motor 204 draws power from an internal battery or directly from the helicopter 102's power system. Motor 204 drives a first coupling gear 218 to rotate, the teeth of which mesh with a second coupling gear connected to the end of threaded shaft 214. The first end of threaded shaft 214 does not have threads, allowing threaded shaft 214 to rotate freely within a ball bearing support 402 mounted on sheath 118. Figure 13 With the helicopter flight support device 100 in its retracted state, the deployed support device 216 is located at the first end 104. Two upper support cables 404 are connected to the deployed support device 216 at the first attachment point 408, and two lower support cables 406 are connected to the deployed support device 216 at the second attachment point 410. The other ends of the upper support cables 404 and the other ends of the lower support cables 406 are connected to the edges of the wings of the helicopter flight support device 100. Figure 10 ).

[0025] Figure 5 A perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the deployment support 216 is shown. The deployment support 216 is preferably rectangular or square in shape, including a threaded opening 412 that matches the threads on the threaded shaft 214. As will be discussed later, the motor 204 rotates the threaded shaft 214, causing the deployment support 216 to move along the threaded shaft 214. A wing support 414 extends from the bottom of the deployment support 216 below the sheath 118, and preferably has a T-shape. Each side of the wing support 414 is connected via a similar... Figure 11 The connection shown can be pivotally connected to a single external support device 206.

[0026] The left and right sides of the deployable support 216 may include one or more linear protrusions 422 that match corresponding grooves in the sheath 118. This helps ensure that the deployable support 216 does not rotate, but only moves linearly along the length of the threaded shaft 214.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a side view showing the connection between the second end 112 and the helicopter 102. The rear of the sheath 118 and / or the rear ball bearing support 416 is connected to the tail 114 or the rudder 116. The exact connection location is determined by the geometry of the helicopter 102. The end of the threaded shaft 214 does not have threads, so it can rotate freely within the rear ball bearing support 416. Figure 14When the body of the ball bearing support 416 is fixed to the helicopter 102, the threaded shaft 214 can rotate freely within the ball bearing opening. Furthermore, as... Figure 7 As shown, the ends of all support cables 702 are connected to ball bearing support devices 416.

[0028] The upper support cable 406 is routed along the length of the sheath 118, passes over the upper pulley 418, and exits from the rear to enter the first stabilizing support device 220. The lower support cable 406 is routed along the length of the sheath 118, passes over the lower pulley 420, and exits from the rear to enter the second stabilizing support device 220. The stabilizing support device 220 is a rigid tube that is held in a vertical position by connection with the helicopter 102. Both the upper support cable 404 and the lower support cable 406 remain taut during the deployment of the helicopter flight support device 100.

[0029] Reference Figure 7-9 Depicts the deployment of the helicopter flight support device 100. For clarity, the upper support cable 404 and lower support cable 406 are not shown in these views. Upon detection of an emergency or by the pilot of the helicopter 102, motor 204 begins to rotate threaded shaft 214, causing the deployment support device 216 to move along threaded shaft 214. Figure 7 As shown, the pivoting of the inner support device 208 around the unfolding support device 216 will cause the outer support device 206 to pivot outward around the front mounting bracket 202.

[0030] Figure 7-9 Another feature of the helicopter flight support device 100 is shown. Preferably, the helicopter flight support device 100 comprises an upper fabric 210 and a lower fabric 210. The fabric 210 is preferably nylon parachute fabric, such as terlyene. A plurality of support cables 702 are sandwiched between the two fabric layers. The first end of each support cable 702 is connected to an outer support device 206 and exits through an opening in an inner support device 208. The second end of all support cables 702 is connected at an attachment point to a ball bearing support device 416. Figure 14 The upper and lower fabric layers are preferably sewn together around the support cable 702 to form an internal channel for the support cable 702. When the helicopter flight support 100 is deployed, the support cable 702 helps maintain the rigidity of the helicopter flight support 100; when the helicopter flight support 100 is retracted, the support cable 702 helps to fold the fabric 210. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the number and position of the support cables 702 can vary depending on the requirements of the helicopter flight support 100.

[0031] Figure 8The helicopter flight support 100 is shown almost fully deployed. The fabric 210 is almost fully tensioned and has begun to form a wing shape. Figure 9 The fully deployed helicopter flight support system 100 is shown. At this point, the inner support units 208 are aligned with each other, and the helicopter flight support system 100 has a triangular / wing shape. All support cables 702 are parallel and perpendicular to the inner support units 208.

[0032] Figure 10 The helicopter flight support 100 is shown in its final deployed state. At this point, the deployed support 216 has moved behind the threaded shaft 214, and the motor 204 has stopped rotating to lock the helicopter flight support in this state. The fabric 210 is fully tensioned into the described wing shape. All support cables 702 are parallel at this point, contributing to the stiffness of the helicopter flight support 100. The complete wiring of the upper support cable 404 and the lower support cable 406 can be seen in this view. The first end of the upper support cable 404 is attached to the deployed support 216, extends over the upper pulley 418, passes through the stabilizing support 220, passes over the second upper pulley 424, and is attached to the connection point between the outer support 206 and the inner support 208 (i.e., the edge of the wing). Similarly, the first end of the lower support cable 406 is connected to the deployment support device 216, extends over the pulley 418, passes through the stabilizing support device 220, passes over the second pulley 426, and connects to the connection point between the outer support device 206 and the inner support device 208 (i.e., the edge of the wing). Since the upper support cable 404 and the lower support cable 406 are in a taut state, they help to provide further stability to the helicopter flight support device 100 in the deployed state.

[0033] like Figure 11 As shown, when the helicopter flight support 100 is deployed, it provides a large surface area beneath the helicopter 102. Due to the gap between the top of the fabric 210 and the bottom of the helicopter 102, the helicopter flight support 100 functions similarly to a glider, allowing the helicopter 102 to glide and experience a longer, slower descent. The pilot can also use the rudder 116 or the rotor to control the descent of the helicopter 102 to some extent.

[0034] Since the helicopter flight support 100 is primarily configured for emergency use, it may not survive landing while in operation. However, if the helicopter flight support 100 remains intact after landing, it can be reused. This can be reversed simply by moving the deployed support 216 back to its initial position. Figure 7-9The process is shown in the diagram. After the helicopter flight support 100 is folded, a technician or pilot can gather the fabric 210 and put it back into the cover 120.

Claims

1. A helicopter flight support device for a helicopter, comprising: A first external support device has a first end that is pivotally connected to the bottom of the helicopter near the front of the helicopter. A second external support device has a first end, the first end of which is pivotally connected to the bottom of the helicopter opposite to the first external support device. A rotatable shaft having a threaded portion that connects to the helicopter between a first external support device and a second external support device; A motor, the motor being used to rotate the threaded shaft; An unfolding support device having a threaded opening configured to mate with a threaded portion of the rotatable shaft; A first inner support device, the first inner support device having a first end, the first end of the first inner support device being pivotally connected at a first pivot joint to a second end of the first outer support device; A second inner support device, having a first end, is pivotally connected at a second pivot joint to a second end of the second outer support device. The second end of the first inner support device is pivotally connected to the unfolding support device, and The second end of the second inner support device is pivotally connected to the unfolding support device; as well as The first and second fabrics have a wing shape that is connected to the first outer support device, the second outer support device, the first inner support device, and the second inner support device. The rotatable shaft, through rotation of the motor in a first direction, causes the deployment support device to move along the threaded section toward the rear of the helicopter, thereby deploying the helicopter flight support device. Multiple support cables, with a first end of each cable connected to the inner edge of the first outer support device and a second end connected to an attachment point mounted near the rotatable shaft at the rear of the helicopter. The plurality of support cables exit from the opening in the first inner support device before being connected to the attachment point.

2. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of support cables are sandwiched between the first layer of fabric and the second layer of fabric.

3. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, further comprising: A first cover, having a semi-elliptical shape, is attached to the outer edge of the first outer support device; as well as A second cover, having a semi-elliptical shape, is attached to the outer edge of the second outer support device. The first cover has a first edge, which, when the helicopter flight support device is in an undeployed configuration, matches the second edge of the second cover to form an elliptical or circular cover for the helicopter flight support device.

4. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, further comprising: A sheath having an open bottom that at least covers the threaded portion of the rotatable shaft and the unfolding support device.

5. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, further comprising: A first ball bearing support device is mounted at its first end on the underside of the helicopter. A second ball bearing support device is mounted on the helicopter near the tail or rudder. The first end of the rotatable shaft rotates freely within the first ball bearing support device, and The second end of the rotatable shaft rotates freely within the second ball bearing support device.

6. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, further comprising: An upper stabilizing support device, which has a cylindrical shape and is vertically connected to the rear of the helicopter; A lower stabilizing support device, the lower stabilizing support device having a cylindrical shape, is vertically connected to the rear of the helicopter; The first set of upper support cables; as well as First set of lower support cables. The first end of the upper support cable is connected to the deployment support device, and the second end of the upper support cable is connected to the first pivot joint and the second pivot joint. The upper support cable extends through the upper stabilizing support device. The first end of the lower support cable is connected to the deployment support device, and the second end of the lower support cable is connected to the first pivot joint and the second pivot joint. The lower support cable extends through the lower stabilizing support device.

7. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, The first fabric is nylon parachute fabric, and The second fabric is nylon parachute fabric.

8. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, The plurality of support cables exit from equidistant openings in the first inner support device before being connected to the attachment point.

9. The helicopter flight support device of claim 8, wherein when the helicopter flight support device is in the deployed configuration, a portion of the plurality of support cables sandwiched between the first fabric and the second fabric are substantially parallel.

10. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 8, The first fabric and the second fabric are connected to each other near each of the plurality of support cables to form a channel for each cable.

11. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, wherein the first external support device and the second external support device are formed of aluminum or carbon fiber.

12. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, wherein the first external support device and the second external support device have the same length.

13. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 12, wherein the first inner support device and the second inner support device have the same length.

14. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 13, wherein the length of the first outer support device is greater than the length of the first inner support device.

15. The helicopter flight support device according to claim 1, wherein the helicopter flight support device, when deployed, forms a wing with a generally triangular structure.

Images