Helicopter rotor system flexible inflation protection device

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible inflation protection device for a helicopter rotor system. The propeller hub cover is used for protecting a propeller hub; the propeller blade cover can be connected with the propeller hub cover through a connecting part and is used for protecting propeller blades; the propeller hub cover and the propeller blade cover are internally provided with communicated inflation inner cavities, and the propeller hub cover is provided with an inflation pipeline used for inflating the inflation inner cavities. The protective device has the advantages that the double-layer structure and the inflatable cavity formed by the double-layer structure serve as a protective means to replace a traditional canvas cover and a hard protective structure, pollution caused by dust and rainwater can be avoided, impact energy caused by hail, gravel and other objects can be absorbed, and the protective device is small in size and weight and convenient to use. The protection device has the advantage of light weight while having the excellent protection effect on the rotor wing system, the protection range is wider, and the convenience of storage, carrying, disassembly and assembly is greatly improved; the main shaft sleeve, the support arm sleeve and the paddle sleeve are all provided with hook-and-loop fasteners as opening closing means, so that the convenience is high and the maintenance cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an aircraft, specifically a flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system. Background Technology

[0002] Modern helicopters are widely deployed in diverse climatic environments such as cold, arid, and coastal areas, and therefore often face the threat of harsh environments. For example, hail generated in strong convective weather and sand and gravel in arid regions can impact rotor blades. Exposed rotor blades will develop large dents and internal delamination due to impact, which will seriously affect their aerodynamic performance and fatigue life.

[0003] The current conventional protection method is to cover the blades with canvas or rigid structure covers (such as metal materials), but it has obvious drawbacks. Canvas cannot effectively absorb the impact energy of hail and gravel, while rigid structure covers are small in size, heavy in weight, and cumbersome to assemble and disassemble. They are often only used to protect the blade hub and cannot cover large blades. They are also highly dependent on hoisting equipment and greatly increase the operating costs for maintenance personnel. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a flexible inflatable protective device for helicopter rotor systems that has good protective effect, is lightweight, easy to assemble and disassemble, and has low maintenance cost.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system, comprising a rotor hub cover for protecting the rotor hub and a blade cover for protecting the rotor blades, which can be connected to the rotor hub cover via a connecting component; the rotor hub cover and the blade cover are provided with a communicating inflatable cavity, and the rotor hub cover is provided with an inflation pipe for inflating the inflatable cavity.

[0006] The propeller hub cover includes a main shaft sleeve for mounting the propeller hub main shaft and support arm sleeves symmetrically arranged on the main shaft sleeve for mounting the propeller hub support arms. The top of the main shaft sleeve and the support arm sleeves are connected to a double-layer structure, and the inner and outer layers form a propeller hub inflation cavity. The propeller blade cover is also a double-layer structure, and the inner and outer layers form a propeller blade inflation cavity. The bottom of the support arm sleeves and the propeller blade cover are provided with air nozzles that can be connected through pipelines. The propeller hub inflation cavity and the propeller blade inflation cavity together form the inflation cavity.

[0007] The main shaft sleeve is made of multiple flexible materials that can be unfolded and stacked in the same direction. Each stacked position on the outside is provided with Velcro for quick assembly and disassembly. The lower part of the main shaft sleeve is provided with a fixing rope through a cloth sleeve for fastening the main shaft sleeve to fit the propeller hub and keep it fixed.

[0008] Both the opening on the support arm sleeve for mounting the rotor hub support arm and the opening on the blade cover for mounting the rotor blades are equipped with Velcro for quick assembly and disassembly.

[0009] The bottom of the outrigger sleeve and the blade cover are provided with vent valves for discharging gas.

[0010] The connecting components include V-shaped knots fixed to the top of the boom sleeve and the blade cover, respectively, and connecting ropes that can pass through the two V-shaped knots for binding; abrasion-resistant cloth is provided between the two V-shaped knots.

[0011] The inflation pipeline includes a main pipeline disposed inside the main shaft sleeve and multiple inflation branches extending from the main pipeline; the main pipeline is connected to the air source through a one-way valve; the inflation branches are symmetrically fixed to the inner wall of the main shaft sleeve through cloth sleeves and connected to the inflation cavity of the propeller hub.

[0012] A pressure gauge is installed on the main pipeline; the air source is an air pump or a high-pressure air tank.

[0013] The bottom of the propeller cover is provided with a cloth sleeve for fitting the control lever and a tension rope for securing the propeller blade to the helicopter.

[0014] The advantages of this invention are: (1) The double-layer structure and the inflatable cavity formed by it are used as a protective means to replace the traditional canvas cover and rigid protective structure. It can avoid pollution from dust and rainwater, absorb the impact energy from hail, sand and gravel, etc., and has a small volume and weight. This protective device has excellent protection effect on the rotor system, as well as the advantage of lightweight, wider protection area, and greatly improves the convenience of storage, carrying and disassembly. (2) The main shaft sleeve, support arm sleeve and blade sleeve are all equipped with Velcro as an opening and closing means, thereby realizing the quick disassembly and assembly of the protective device, which is convenient and has low maintenance cost. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view schematic diagram of the propeller hub cover of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the propeller hub cover of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a front view schematic diagram of the blade cover of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a bottom view schematic diagram of the blade cover of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a top view of the connecting component of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The flexible inflatable protective device for helicopter rotor systems of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0017] As shown in the figure, the flexible inflatable protective device for helicopter rotor systems of the present invention includes a rotor hub cover 1 for protecting the rotor hub. The rotor hub cover 1 includes a main shaft sleeve 6 for mounting the rotor hub main shaft. The main shaft sleeve 6 is formed by four flexible fabric parts that can be unfolded and stacked in the same direction along the circumference (similar to a folding umbrella). Each stacking position on its exterior is provided with Velcro 11 for quick assembly and disassembly. After being stacked and fixed by the Velcro 11, the main shaft sleeve 6 is a hollow cylinder with a main shaft mounting opening at the bottom. Its upper part has a double-layer wall surface, and its lower part has a single-layer wall surface. Four support arm sleeves 7 arranged in a cross shape for mounting rotor hub support arms are fixed on the side wall of the main shaft sleeve 6. The support arm sleeves 7 have the same double-layer wall surface as the upper part of the main shaft sleeve 6, and have side openings on their long sides for fitting the rotor hub support arms. Quick assembly and disassembly are achieved through Velcro 11 provided at the openings.

[0018] The upper surface of the boom sleeve 7 is connected to a blade shield 3 for protecting the rotor blades via a connecting component 2. The blade shield 3 also has a double-layered wall and an overall airfoil shape that conforms to the shape of the helicopter rotor blades. An opening is provided on its short side facing the boom sleeve 7 for inserting the rotor blades, and it is also quick-released via Velcro 11 located at the opening. The connecting component 2 includes V-shaped knots 15 glued to the top of the boom sleeve 7 and the blade shield 3, respectively, and a connecting rope 16 that can pass through the two V-shaped knots 15 for binding. An anti-abrasion cloth 17 is fixed between the two V-shaped knots 15 below the path of the connecting rope 16 to reduce wear on the outer walls of the boom sleeve 7 and the blade shield 3 caused by repeated movement and friction between the V-shaped knots 15 and the connecting rope 16. Below the blade shield 3 are two cloth sleeves 12 for inserting T-shaped operating levers, allowing operators to operate remotely from the ground. A tension rope 23 is also provided at the end to secure the rotor blades to the helicopter and prevent them from moving freely.

[0019] The outer walls of the upper part of the main shaft sleeve 6, the support arm sleeve 7, and the blade cover 3 are made of high-performance fabric-coated film material (such as the Uretek series film material produced by Uretek LLC, USA). The inner and outer layers of the two form a connected hub inflation cavity 8. The blade cover 3 also has a double-layer structure similar to the support arm sleeve 7. Its inner and outer layers form a blade inflation cavity 9. Air nozzles 10 are provided at the bottom of the support arm sleeve 7 and the blade cover 3. The air nozzles 10 are connected by a hose to connect the hub inflation cavity 8 and the blade inflation cavity 9, which together form the integral inflation cavity of this protective device. A vent valve 14 for venting gas is also provided below the support arm sleeve 7 and the blade cover 3.

[0020] Multiple cloth sleeves 12 are fixed on the inner wall of the main shaft sleeve 6, and an inflation pipeline 5 for inflating the inflation chamber is laid through them. The inflation pipeline 5 includes a main pipeline 18 located inside the main shaft sleeve 6 and four inflation branch pipelines 19 extending from the main pipeline 18. After passing through the cloth sleeves 12 for limiting, the four inflation branch pipelines 19 are respectively connected to the four support arm sleeves 7 and connected to the inflation chamber 8 of the propeller hub, thereby uniformly inflating the entire inflation chamber. One end of the main pipeline 18 is connected to a pressure gauge 22 through a three-way valve, and the other end is connected to an air source 21 through a one-way valve 20. In this embodiment, the air source 21 can be an air pump or a high-pressure air tank.

[0021] Multiple cloth sleeves 12 are also fixed on the lower outer wall of the main shaft sleeve 6. Each cloth sleeve 12 is provided with a fixing rope 13 for tightening the main shaft sleeve 6 after it is installed so that it fits the propeller hub and remains fixed.

[0022] In use, first open all the Velcro straps 11. Then, put the main shaft sleeve 6, which has the internal inflation tube 5 fixed, onto the helicopter rotor hub main shaft, and put each arm sleeve 7 onto the corresponding rotor hub arm. After that, overlap the multiple parts of the fabric of the main shaft sleeve 6 and attach the Velcro straps 11 on the main shaft sleeve 6 and each arm sleeve 7 to achieve initial fixation of the rotor hub cover 1. Then, pass the fixing rope 13 through the cloth cover 12 on the lower outer wall of the main shaft sleeve 6 and tie it tightly so that the lower part of the main shaft sleeve 6 is in contact with the helicopter main shaft. Next, insert the operating lever into the cloth cover 12 below the rotor blade cover 3 and drive it to slide from the end of the helicopter rotor blade. To install the protective device, repeat the process three times, attaching the blade cover 3 to each blade and securing it with the Velcro 11. Finally, use the connecting rope 16 to secure it by passing it through the two V-shaped knots 15 located on the boom sleeve 7 and blade cover 3 respectively. Then, tie the tension rope 23 at the end of the blade cover 3 to the helicopter body. This completes the installation of the protective device. At this point, connecting the air source 21 to the main pipeline 18 will inflate the internal cavity, providing effective protection against hail, sand, and other objects. When no protection is needed, first release the air through the deflation valve 14, then open the binding ropes and Velcro 11 for quick disassembly. This embodiment is only for helicopters with a four-bladed rotor system. In actual production, the product can be adapted to helicopters with other numbers of rotor systems by changing the number of components such as the boom sleeve 7 and blade cover 3.

[0023] Of course, the above description is not intended to limit the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the examples given above. Any changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention should also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system, characterized in that: It includes a hub cover (1) for protecting the hub and a blade cover (3) for protecting the blades, which can be connected to the hub cover (1) via a connecting component (2); the hub cover (1) and the blade cover (3) are provided with a communicating inflatable cavity, and the hub cover (1) is provided with an inflation pipe (5) for inflating the inflatable cavity.

2. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hub cover (1) includes a main shaft sleeve (6) for mounting the hub spindle and a support arm sleeve (7) symmetrically arranged on the main shaft sleeve (6) for mounting the hub support arm. The top of the main shaft sleeve (6) and the support arm sleeve (7) are connected to each other in a double-layer structure, and the inner and outer layers form a hub inflation cavity (8). The blade cover (3) is also a double-layer structure, and the inner and outer layers form a blade inflation cavity (9). The bottom of the support arm sleeve (7) and the blade cover (3) are provided with air nozzles (10) that can be connected by pipelines. The hub inflation cavity (8) and the blade inflation cavity (9) together form the inflation cavity.

3. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main shaft sleeve (6) is made of multiple flexible materials that can be unfolded and stacked in the same direction. Each stacked position on its exterior is provided with Velcro (11) for quick assembly and disassembly. The lower part of the main shaft sleeve (6) is provided with a fixing rope (13) through a cloth sleeve (12) for fastening the main shaft sleeve (6) to fit the propeller hub and keep it fixed.

4. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The opening on the support arm sleeve (7) for mounting the rotor hub support arm and the opening on the blade cover (3) for mounting the blade are both provided with Velcro (11) for quick assembly and disassembly.

5. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the boom sleeve (7) and the blade cover (3) are provided with vent valves (14) for venting gas.

6. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that: The connecting component (2) includes a V-shaped knot (15) fixed to the top of the boom sleeve (7) and the blade cover (3) respectively, and a connecting rope (16) that can pass through the two V-shaped knots (15) for binding; an anti-abrasion cloth (17) is provided between the two V-shaped knots (15).

7. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that: The inflation pipeline (5) includes a main pipeline (18) disposed inside the main shaft sleeve (6) and multiple inflation branches (19) extending from the main pipeline (18); the main pipeline (18) is connected to the air source (21) through a one-way valve (20); the inflation branches (19) are symmetrically fixed to the inner wall of the main shaft sleeve (6) through a cloth sleeve (12) and connected to the inflation cavity (8) of the propeller hub.

8. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to claim 7, characterized in that: A pressure gauge (22) is installed on the main pipeline (18); the air source (21) is an air pump or a high-pressure air tank.

9. The flexible inflatable protective device for a helicopter rotor system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The bottom of the blade cover (3) is provided with a cloth sleeve (12) for fitting the operating lever and a tension rope (23) for tethering and fixing the blade to the helicopter.

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