Patents Assigned to Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH
  • Patent number: 10311202
    Abstract: A fatigue life management system for determining a remaining fatigue life of a component of an aircraft. The fatigue life management system may generate probability density functions of minimum load, maximum load, and timeframe damage for predetermined time intervals based on selected flight data of the aircraft and regression models for probabilistic prediction of minimum load, maximum load, and timeframe damage of the component. The fatigue life management system may further compute an accumulated fatigue damage estimation based on the probability density functions and a probabilistic fatigue strength model. The fatigue life management system may then generate a distribution of the accumulated fatigue damage estimation of the component. If desired, the processing circuit may compare the distribution of the accumulated fatigue damage estimation with a reliability requirement to determine the remaining fatigue life of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Sam Dekker, Georg Wurzel
  • Publication number: 20190152603
    Abstract: A braced wing aircraft with a fuselage and a fixed wing arrangement, the fixed wing arrangement comprising at least two braced wings that are arranged laterally and opposite to each other on the fuselage, each one of the at least two braced wings comprising at least one upper wing and at least one lower wing which are staggered and interconnected at a predetermined transition region, the at least one upper wing being connected to the fuselage at an associated upper wing root and the at least one lower wing being connected to the fuselage at an associated lower wing root.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Martin BLACHA, Axel FINK
  • Patent number: 10279885
    Abstract: A helicopter with a fuselage and a composite tail boom. The composite tail boom has at least a tubular tail boom cone and a composite attachment ring segment that defines a mating face which is connected to the fuselage at an associated connection interface by means of a plurality of tension members that are oriented longitudinally with respect to a longitudinal extension direction of the composite tail boom. The plurality of tension members are distributed over a perimeter of the composite attachment ring segment 7. The composite attachment ring segment has a clamp ring section with a plurality of tension member accommodations. The clamp ring section defines the mating face of the composite attachment ring segment 7. The plurality of tension members is at least partly accommodated in the plurality of tension member accommodations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Axel Fink
  • Publication number: 20190112039
    Abstract: A multirotor aircraft with an airframe and at least one wing that is mounted to the airframe, the at least one wing being provided with at least four thrust producing units that are arranged in spanwise direction of the at least one wing, wherein each one of the at least four thrust producing units comprises at least one rotor assembly that is accommodated in an associated shrouding, the associated shrouding being integrated into the at least one wing, wherein the associated shrouding defines an air duct that is axially delimited by an air inlet region and an air outlet region, wherein the air inlet region exhibits in circumferential direction of the air duct at least two different aerodynamic profiles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Rupert PFALLER, Uwe KIESEWETTER, Sebastian MORES, Marius BEBESEL
  • Publication number: 20190112040
    Abstract: An elastic torsion element for connecting a rotor blade to a rotor hub of a rotor, the elastic torsion element comprising at least two elastically deformable plates, wherein each one of the at least two elastically deformable plates comprises fiber reinforced polymers, wherein respective fibers of the fiber reinforced polymers of each one of the at least two elastically deformable plates are at least arranged along one of a first and a second dominant fiber directions, wherein the first dominant fiber direction crosses the second dominant fiber direction in a predetermined fiber direction crossing region, and wherein the elastic torsion element comprises an integrated elastic lead-lag hinge that is formed at the predetermined fiber direction crossing region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Moritz BUESING, Rupert PFALLER, Martin ORTNER
  • Publication number: 20190061928
    Abstract: An elastic flapping hinge for connecting a rotor blade to a rotor hub of a rotary wing aircraft, comprising an elastic flapping hinge member arrangement that includes a hub attachment area for attachment to the rotor hub, a connection area for attachment to the rotor blade, and an elastic flapping hinge area that is arranged between the hub attachment area and the connection area and adapted to allow flapping movements, the elastic flapping hinge member arrangement comprising at least two elastic flapping hinge members having a first bending stiffness for flapping movements and a second bending stiffness for lead-lag movements, the first bending stiffness being smaller than the second bending stiffness, wherein the at least two elastic flapping hinge members diverge from each other in the elastic flapping hinge area by a predetermined divergence angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Moritz BUESING, Rupert PFALLER, Martin ORTNER
  • Patent number: 10189563
    Abstract: A beam for a rotorcraft rotor and particularly to a helicopter rotor. Said beam comprises a hub connection portion, a blade connection portion, a first flexure portion located between the hub connection portion and the blade connection portion and having a bending stiffness about a first axis which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the blade, said bending stiffness being smaller than that of the hub connection portion and that of the blade connection portion and a shear portion located between the hub connection portion and the blade connection portion and having a shear stiffness parallel to a second axis which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the blade and non-parallel to the first axis. Said shear stiffness is smaller than that of the hub connection portion and that of the blade connection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Moritz Buesing
  • Publication number: 20190016452
    Abstract: A shrouded rotor assembly for an aircraft. The shrouded rotor assembly comprises a stator hollow structure comprises formed from a plurality of composite angular segments. Each composite angular segment includes: a core arched section of a central hub casing, a peripheral rim section of an external hollow duct and a pair of angularly opposed sliced portions, respectively for one of a pair of guide vanes. The resulting stator hollow structure is a unitary one-piece, integrating together continuously the composite angular segments. The invention typically applies e.g. to aircrafts such as rotary wing aircrafts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan PROBST, Marc NOTHEN, Christian WEHLE
  • Patent number: 10173783
    Abstract: A rotorcraft comprising a cowling for closing an opening in the fuselage, the cowling being linked to the fuselage by means of a fastening system having a supporting means pivotally attached to the interior of the fuselage and a translation means coupled to the supporting means to respectively enable movements of rotation and translation of the cowling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignees: Airbus Helicopters, Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Yann Le Cadet, Christophe Leteurtre
  • Publication number: 20180362139
    Abstract: A vehicle with a fairing and a sliding door that is glidingly mounted to the vehicle, wherein the sliding door is associated with a foldable fairing integrated footstep unit, and wherein the foldable fairing integrated footstep unit comprises: an outer shell that is integrated into the fairing of the vehicle, the outer shell comprising an exterior surface that creates in closed state of the foldable fairing integrated footstep unit an at least approximately continuous aerodynamic surface with the fairing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Harish NARAYANAPPA, Stefan GOERLICH
  • Patent number: 10137976
    Abstract: An airfoil for a rotor blade of a rotary wing aircraft, the airfoil having a predetermined maximum thickness to chord ratio and comprising, between a leading edge and a trailing edge, an extrados and an intrados, the intrados being defined by predetermined intrados coordinate value pairs and the extrados being defined by predetermined extrados coordinate value pairs, wherein a maximum error of each one of the predetermined intrados coordinate value pairs and the predetermined extrados coordinate value pairs amounts to ±3%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Alexander Klein, Jonas Gude, Thorsten Lutz, Claas-Hinrik Rohardt, Kai Richter
  • Publication number: 20180334245
    Abstract: A method of controlling an artificial force feel generating device for generation of an artificial feeling of force on an inceptor that is adapted for controlling a servo-assisted control unit of a vehicle control system, wherein the artificial force feel generating device comprises at least one force generating device that is mechanically connected to the inceptor for generating a tactile cue force acting in operation on the inceptor, and wherein a safety device is provided for limiting authority of the at least one force generating device, the method comprising at least the steps of: monitoring usage of the safety device during operation of the artificial force feel generating device, determining a current accumulated fatigue of the safety device on the basis of the monitored usage, and re-configuring the at least one force generating device on the basis of the current accumulated fatigue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Boris GROHMANN, Thomas ROHR
  • Patent number: 10131424
    Abstract: A compound rotorcraft with a fuselage and at least one main rotor, the fuselage comprising a lower side and an upper side that is opposed to the lower side, the at least one main rotor being arranged at the upper side, wherein at least one propeller is provided and mounted to a fixed wing arrangement that is laterally attached to the fuselage, the fixed wing arrangement comprising at least one upper wing that is arranged at an upper wing root joint area provided at the upper side of the fuselage and at least one lower wing that is arranged at a lower wing root joint area provided at the lower side of the fuselage, the upper and lower wings being at least interconnected at an associated interconnection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Axel Fink, Martin Blacha
  • Publication number: 20180327911
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structural arrangement on the basis of a fiber reinforced polymer component, comprising at least the steps of: providing a fiber reinforced polymer component; fixing a polyether sulfone foil on the fiber reinforced polymer component, at least in a region where an electrically conductive layer is to be formed; and performing a cold gas spraying process for spraying electrically conductive particles onto the polyether sulfone foil in order to create the electrically conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas RACK
  • Patent number: 10124898
    Abstract: A seat bench device with a seat bench component and at least one restraining unit. the seat bench component comprising a seating surface and a backrest, and the at least one restraining unit comprising a harness for restraining a seat bench occupant on the seat bench component, wherein at least two guide elements are provided and wherein the at least one restraining unit is movably arranged on the at least two guide elements for being movable on the at least two guide elements along the backrest at least between a storage position and an operating position, in which the harness is operational for buckling up of a seat bench occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Marius Herrmann
  • Publication number: 20180312259
    Abstract: A vibration filter mechanism between a fuselage and a piece of equipment of the aircraft. The filter mechanism comprises a pair of filter members, each secured with a first structure that is to be connected to the fuselage and with a second structure of the piece of equipment. Each filter member is secured with the first structure via a first pivot type connection having one degree of freedom to move in rotation and with the second structure via a second pivot type connection having one degree of freedom to move in rotation. The filter mechanism includes resilient return means for deforming during relative movement in rotation between at least one of the filter members and the first structure. The resilient return means presents a predetermined stiffness suitable for generating a return force opposing the relative movement in rotation between at least one of the filter members and the first structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicants: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS, AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Julien GUITTON, Anne-Claire CHAPUIS-DESPLANQUES, Ambrosius WEISS, Thomas MANFREDOTTI
  • Patent number: 10113609
    Abstract: A vibration isolating device that is adapted for an elastic coupling of a first component to a second component and for vibration isolation in predetermined frequency ranges between the first and second components, the vibration isolating device comprising at least a first and a second elastically deformable plate that are attached to each other in at least two separate connecting points, the first elastically deformable plate comprising a first curvature and the second elastically deformable plate comprising a second curvature, wherein the first and second curvatures are respectively located in a region between the at least two separate connecting points and arranged such that a gap is defined between the first and second elastically deformable plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Moritz Buesing
  • Patent number: 10107669
    Abstract: A liquid level sensor comprising an inner capacitor tube, an outer capacitor tube and a probe foot suitable for placing the liquid level sensor on a bottom surface of a liquid tank, wherein a capacitor region arranged to hold a liquid is defined between the outer capacitor tube and the inner capacitor tube, and wherein an insulating minimum distance is left between the inner capacitor tube base and the probe foot, the insulating minimum distance being sufficient to prevent a droplet of water on the probe foot from making contact with the inner capacitor tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Krebs, Holger Mendick, Sven-Carsten Vogler
  • Publication number: 20180273187
    Abstract: An aircraft with a fuselage that comprises at least one hollow beam element, wherein the at least one hollow beam element accommodates at least one hollow duct element that comprises a tubular duct element wall, and wherein at least one protective spacer is arranged between the tubular duct element wall and the at least one hollow beam element such that free space is available between the tubular duct element wall and the at least one hollow beam element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Chris VINKE, Petr SCHEJBAL, Daniel HAASE
  • Publication number: 20180265189
    Abstract: A multirotor aircraft with an airframe and a thrust producing units arrangement, wherein the thrust producing units arrangement comprises a predetermined number of thrust producing units for producing thrust in a predetermined direction, and wherein a flexible suspension unit is rigidly mounted to the airframe, wherein the flexible suspension unit comprises at least one bearing that mechanically couples the thrust producing units arrangement to the airframe such that the thrust producing units of the predetermined number of thrust producing units are inclinable in relation to the airframe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Qinyin ZHANG, Uwe KIESEWETTER, Sebastian MORES, Marco SCHNEEBERGER, Marius BEBESEL