Patents Assigned to Eurocopter
  • Suspension system for a rotary wing aircraft engine
    Patent number: 7461815
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for suspending an engine of a rotary wing aircraft. The technical field of the invention is that of manufacturing suspension devices for helicopter engines. The invention consists in a device for suspending an engine (21) to a rotary aircraft airframe (26), which device includes a deformable structure (20) interconnecting two attachment zones (13, 17) of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: Philippe Almeras, Jean Mondet
  • Panoramic warning system for helicopters
    Patent number: 7463183
    Abstract: A panoramic warning system for helicopters, for the purpose of detecting obstacles and the proximity of the ground by using a plurality of radar sensors connected to the fuselage structure of the helicopter and which operate on varying wavelengths, the signals of which, representing range information, which are provided with an individual identifier, are compared in a central identification-and-evaluation unit with predetermined warning thresholds and after the assignment to corresponding scan sectors are caused to be displayed on at least one cockpit display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Reich
  • Method and a device for measuring the speed of an aircraft, in particular a rotorcraft at low speed
    Patent number: 7461548
    Abstract: A method and a device for obtaining the three components (u,v,w) of the air speed (TA) of an aircraft along its flight path, the device including an arm (2) provided with two pressure probes disposed at each of its ends, each probe having two pressure intakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: François Toulmay
  • Method for Production of a Three-Dimensional Curved Fiber Composite Material Structural Component
    Publication number: 20080295755
    Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensionally curved fiber composite material structural component having a predefined flexural member profile cross section with at least one web area and at least one adjacent flange area, includes providing a flat base fiber laid scrim and disposing a unidirectional fiber laid scrim tape with 0° fibers on a partial area of the fiber laid scrim and fixed by sewing so as to provide a flat prefabricated fiber laid scrim strip having a flange strip area including the unidirectional fiber laid scrim tape and a web strip area free of the fiber laid scrim tape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2006
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Weimer
  • HYDRAULIC DISTRIBUTOR PROVIDED WITH A DEVICE FOR DETECTING SEIZING
    Publication number: 20080289487
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydraulic distributor (2) of a servo-control (1) of an aircraft, the hydraulic distributor comprising main distributor member (10) and emergency distributor member (20) that are coaxial, said emergency distributor member (20) being caused to move by said main distributor member (10) in the event of said main distributor member (10) seizing, said hydraulic distributor being provided with a detector device (60) for detecting said seizing. The detector device (60) is provided with a reed switch (66) and with amplification means (62, 69, 68) for amplifying said movement of the emergency distributor member, said amplification means comprising a lever (62) having a magnetized free end (621) that activates said reed switch (66) in the event of said emergency distributor member (20) moving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Damien Sequera, Vincent Schwaller
  • MECHANICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WITH A MAGNETIC DAMPER FOR A ROTORCRAFT
    Publication number: 20080293503
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotorcraft transmission system that comprises both a transmission shaft (21), and electromagnetic induction members (30, 31) of an active magnetic damper that extend around the shaft and that co-operate therewith to determine radial clearance (33). The system further comprises an additional radial damper (35) extending around the shaft with radial spacing (29) that is smaller than the radial clearance, such that in the event of the active magnetic damper failing, radial displacements of the shaft relative to its axis (22) are damped at least in part by the additional radial damper, so that damage to the induction members is limited or avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Berengere VIGNAL
  • ROTORCRAFT CONTROL SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20080294305
    Abstract: A system (100) for controlling a rotorcraft (1) including a rotor (10), at least one variable-pitch propulsion propeller (6L, 6R), and a motor (5) for driving the rotor and the propeller(s), the system includes: a member (101, 101A, 102, 103, 104) for generating a propeller pitch setpoint (?p*+?d*, ?p*??d*) as a function at least of a thrust variation command (TCL); a member (105, 105A) for generating a setpoint (RPM*) for the drive speed (RPM) of the rotor and the propeller(s), as a function at least of the travel speed (VTAS) of the rotorcraft; and a member (106) for generating a setpoint (NG*) for the engine speed as a function at least of the thrust command (TCL), of the drive speed setpoint (PTM*), and of a rotor collective pitch command (?0).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Philippe ROESCH
  • Apparatus with twisting tool having cavities and associated retaining parts for manufacturing electrical harnesses
    Patent number: 7454830
    Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing a harness of electrically conductive wire segments, the apparatus comprising a twisting tool (20) having at least two cavities (31 to 38), each cavity being associated with retaining means (43, 44) enabling at least a portion of a wire segment to be retained in the cavity, release means enabling said wire segment portion to be extracted from the cavity, and opening means (46) enabling said wire segment portion to be inserted into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: Serge Pittau, Christian Tourenq
  • Method for using a tiltable stabilizer to reduce vibration generated on the fuselage of a helicopter
    Patent number: 7451949
    Abstract: A method and a device allow for reducing the vibration generated on the structure 17 of a helicopter 2 by the air flow through the main rotor 5 and by the air flow along the fuselage 3. The device 1 includes: at least one sensor 18, 19, 20 measuring the vibration generated on the structure 17; and computer element 30 responsive to the measurements to determine a variation in angle of incidence for a stabilizer 39 of the helicopter 2 that is suitable for generating a vertical opposing force {right arrow over (TZ)} for opposing the vertical vibration, with the variation in angle of incidence as determined in this way being transmitted to a system 10 for controlling the angle of incidence of the stabilizer 39.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Paul Eglin
  • TO CRIMPING SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED MONITORING
    Publication number: 20080276678
    Abstract: A crimping tool including a punch carrier, a plurality of punches movable in translation in radial housings of the punch carrier, a thrust member having an inside face co-operating with the outer ends of the punches, the thrust member being pivotally mounted relative to the punch carrier, such that pivoting of the thrust member causes a contact to be crimped, a tool body having two pivotal handles for causing the thrust member and the punch carrier to pivot mutually, and a member for adjusting the stroke of the punches, a sensor sensitive to the position of the member for adjusting the stroke of the punches, a sensor sensitive to an identity signal from a contact positioning tool, and a memory associated with the position sensor and with the identity sensor and arranged to record the data delivered by the sensors and/or to deliver the data to a data processor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Alain PACAUD, Philippe Tontic
  • ROTOR BRAKE FOR A ROTARY-WING AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20080277213
    Abstract: A rotor brake for a rotary-wing aircraft includes a rotor shaft, a braking-force actuator configured to be hydraulically actuated, a braking-force pick-up element connected to the rotor shaft and operationally connected to the braking-force actuator, an electromechanical piston control element, and a first hydraulic line connecting the electromechanical piston control element to the braking-force actuator so that the braking-force actuator can be actuated electrohydraulically by the electromechanical piston control element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Doleschel, Peter Konstanzer
  • BALANCING THE POWER OF TWO TURBOSHAFT ENGINES OF AN AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20080275597
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to an associated fuel metering system for balancing the power delivered by two aircraft turboshaft engines by determining first and second limiting margins of the engines (M1, M2) which are transformed into first and second power margins. Thereafter, the values of the first and second power margins are compared in order to determine a primary difference between said first and second power margins. Finally, the engine having the greater power margin is accelerated in order to balance the first and second engines in power by minimizing the primary difference to as great as extent as possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Francois-Xavier GAULMIN, Lionel IRAUDO, Daniel CHANIOT
  • Method and a system for determining and indicating a sound nuisance level outside an aircraft
    Publication number: 20080269962
    Abstract: A method of determining a sound nuisance level outside an aircraft, in which method: an aircraft is fitted with a plurality of external microphones (11, 110); then during a flight of the aircraft, sound levels are measured using on-board microphones and at least two components are measured of the speed of the aircraft relative to air; and thereafter the kurtosis of samples of the sound level measurements is calculated and a model (15, 150) is determined of variations in a sound nuisance level as function of the air speed components, with the sound nuisance level being determined as a function of the kurtosis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Henri-James Marze
  • Method and a system for detecting and locating an adjustment error or a defect of a rotorcraft rotor
    Patent number: 7440857
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting and identifying a defect or an adjustment error of a rotorcraft rotor using an artificial neural network (ANN), the rotor having a plurality of blades and a plurality of adjustment members associated with each blade; the network (ANN) is a supervised competitive learning network (SSON, SCLN, SSOM) having an input to which vibration spectral data measured on the rotorcraft is applied, the network outputting data representative of which rotor blade presents a defect or an adjustment error or data representative of no defect, and where appropriate data representative of the type of defect that has been detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Hervé Morel
  • METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR DE-ICING AN AIRCRAFT WALL
    Publication number: 20080251642
    Abstract: A device for de-icing an aircraft wall that comprises a composite structure (47) and layer (41) of electrically conductive material, which device comprises a plurality of thin inductor elements (33 to 35) designed to extend substantially parallel to the layer of conductive material at a distance therefrom that is small enough to ensure that when the inductor is powered by an AC source of appropriate frequency, the layer or skin heats rapidly and uniformly, without significantly heating the composite structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Patrick BOSCHET, Bruno Lorcet
  • AUXILIARY NOSE UNDERCARRIAGE, A FORCE-TRANSMISSION STRUCTURE, AND A ROTARY WING AIRCRAFT
    Publication number: 20080237396
    Abstract: A steerable auxiliary nose undercarriage (2) for a rotary wing aircraft (1); the undercarriage (2) being retractable substantially rearwards. In the undercarriage (2), an oscillating system (13) presents a elevation stroke (58) about its hinged front end (52) that is greater than a shock absorbing stroke (59), and a shock-absorbing actuator (9) possesses retraction means for going beyond a high abutment position of the oscillating system (13) so that the oscillating system (13) and the shock-absorbing actuator (9) provide both a shock-absorption function and an undercarriage retraction function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Claude Bietenhader
  • Method and apparatus for manufacturing electrical harnesses
    Patent number: 7428916
    Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing a harness of segments of electrically conductive wire, the harness including a connector and the apparatus including a harness support that is elongate along an axis; the apparatus further includes a connector support (100) fitted with members (101, 102, 109) for fastening the connector to the connector support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: Serge Pittau, Christian Tourenq
  • Method and apparatus for diagnosing a mechanism
    Patent number: 7430483
    Abstract: A method of analyzing variations in an indicator of the behavior of a mechanism, in which noise is extracted, and any discontinuities from an indicator in order to obtain a trend, variations in the trend are compared with one or more reference values; and a fault of the mechanism is indicated as a function of the result of the comparison. Any outlier data in the indicated data are search for and subtracted, and any edge data are extracted from the data obtained from the search operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Johan Wiig
  • Auxiliary nose undercarriage, a force-transmission structure, and a rotary wing aircraft
    Patent number: 7429019
    Abstract: A steerable auxiliary nose undercarriage (2) for a rotary wing aircraft (1); the undercarriage (2) being retractable substantially rearwards. In the undercarriage (2), an oscillating system (13) presents a elevation stroke (58) about its hinged front end (52) that is greater than a shock absorbing stroke (59), and a shock-absorbing actuator (9) possesses retraction means for going beyond a high abutment position of the oscillating system (13) so that the oscillating system (13) and the shock-absorbing actuator (9) provide both a shock-absorption function and an undercarriage retraction function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Claude Bietenhader
  • Optimized method of controlling yaw for rotary-wing aircraft, and a system for implementing it
    Patent number: 7427046
    Abstract: A method of the invention for controlling the pitch of the blades of a tail rotor of a rotary-wing aircraft includes the following operations: a) generating a main control for the pitch of the blades of the tail rotor as a function of a control member for controlling the pitch of the blades of the tail rotor that is actuated by a pilot of the aircraft; b) generating a collective pitch and yaw decoupling control as a function of the collective pitch of the rotary wing; c) generating a bias control that is variable as a function of the flying speed of the aircraft and of the position of the control member; and d) adding the bias control to the decoupling control and to the main control in order to obtain an overall control, thereby controlling the pitch of the blades of the tail rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Jacques Bellera