Rotor Blade Securing Rack With Isostatic Lower Airframe Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotor blade securing systems for rotary-wing aircraft require complex installations at upper regions, leading to increased weight, difficulty in handling, and risk of damage, while also necessitating additional structural reinforcements that decrease fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A ground service device with a rack system that attaches to lower portions of the airframe using a purely isostatic fixation principle, eliminating the need for additional supporting members and allowing for easy installation without specific tools, reducing the risk of damage and weight increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external support equipment is attached to upper regions of the airframe to secure folded rotor blades, then the rotor blades can be secured against abnormal loading and movement, but the structural weight increases due to additional brackets and stiffening members
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching support equipment from above to the upper regions of the airframe, the invention inverts the approach by attaching the ground service device to the lower portions of the airframe. The rack system engages with receiver mounts on the lower fuselage and tail boom, completely avoiding the need for upper region attachments and their associated structural reinforcements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the fixation points from the upper regions of the airframe and relocates them to the lower portions. By removing the requirement for upper region brackets and stiffening members, the design eliminates the associated weight penalty while maintaining the securing function through the rack and clamp system.
2Strength
If complex fixation systems with multiple brackets and stiffeners are implemented to secure blades, then the structural integrity is improved, but the device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is segmented into separate functional components: the rack provides structural support and positioning, while the clamps provide the securing force. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies installation, as the rack and clamps can be attached and adjusted separately rather than as a single complex assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp design incorporates self-adjusting features that allow it to automatically adapt to the blade position and apply appropriate securing force. The ratcheting mechanism and adjustable arms enable the clamp to secure the blade without requiring complex alignment procedures or multiple fastening steps, reducing installation complexity while maintaining structural integrity.
3Force
If additional structural reinforcements are added to the airframe to support blade securing equipment, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the fuel efficiency decreases due to increased weight
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the attachment location from upper to lower regions of the airframe, the invention utilizes the existing structural strength of the lower fuselage and tail boom without requiring additional reinforcements. The receiver mounts are integrated into the lower shell structure, which is already designed to handle operational loads, thereby maintaining load-bearing capacity while avoiding extra weight that would reduce fuel efficiency.
4Reliability
If receiver mounts are allocated at upper or lateral regions of the airframe to support securing equipment, then the blade securing function is achieved, but lateral loads are imposed on the airframe shell requiring additional stiffening
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the location of receiver mounts from upper/lateral regions to the lower portions of the airframe. The receiver mounts are positioned on the lower fuselage and tail boom, where they can accommodate the rack system without imposing lateral loads on the thin side shells. This eliminates the need for additional stiffening members while maintaining the blade securing function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system simplifies installation, reduces the risk of damage to the aircraft, minimizes structural weight, and maintains fuel efficiency by avoiding lateral loads on the airframe.
Implementation Method 1
a first strut that is pivotally attached to the rack base and adapted for releasably attaching the rack base with the first receiver mount
Data Source
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AI summary
The present technology relates to a ground service system 250 that includes a ground service device 200 and a connecting interface 275. The ground service device 200 secures rotor blades 112 of a multi-blade rotor 110 of a rotary-wing aircraft 100 in a non-operational mode of the rotary-wing aircraft 100, when the ground service device 200 is attached to the connecting interface 275 on the rotary-wing aircraft 100. The ground service device 200 includes a rack 210 with three struts 304, 306, 308, and an attachment device 312 that are releasably attachable to four receiver mounts 322, 324, 326, 328 of the connecting interface 275: The ground service device 200 further includes clamps 240 for releasably connecting the rotor blades 112 with the four receiver mounts 322, 324, 326, 328 to secure the rotor blades 112 in the non-operational mode of the rotary-wing aircraft 100.