Composite Drive Link Structure for Lower Weight and Cost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drive links in tiltrotor aircraft are heavy and expensive due to their solid metal construction, which poses challenges in terms of weight and manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of composite material drive links, specifically a stack of fiberglass or carbon-fiber layers with strategically oriented fibers, forming a unitary block with bearing pockets for elastomeric bearings, offering a significant weight reduction and cost efficiency compared to traditional metal links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If solid metal construction is used for drive links, then strength and reliability are ensured, but weight increases significantly and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by constructing drive links from stacked preimpregnated fiber layers (such as carbon fiber or fiberglass) that are cured together to form a unitary block. This composite construction provides the necessary strength and stiffness while significantly reducing weight compared to solid metal construction, directly addressing the contradiction between strength and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by transitioning from isotropic metal materials to anisotropic composite materials with specific fiber orientations. The fibers are arranged in different directions (0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees) to optimize mechanical properties for specific loading conditions, allowing strength to be maintained or improved while reducing overall weight.
2Reliability
If solid metal construction is used for drive links, then structural integrity is maintained, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using preimpregnated fiber layers that are prepared in advance with the correct fiber orientation and resin saturation. These preprepped layers are then stacked and cured as a unitary block, simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring consistent structural integrity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite material construction inherently simplifies manufacturing by allowing the drive link to be formed as a unitary block through curing stacked layers, eliminating the need for complex metal forming, machining, and assembly operations required for metal construction, thus improving ease of manufacture while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A link includes an outer composite portion substantially encircling at least two bearing pockets and a central substantially incompressible portion disposed between the at least two bearing pockets.