Patents Assigned to Textron
  • Patent number: 11331867
    Abstract: A manufacturing tool for forming composite structures includes at least one interchangeable mold template having a plurality of incorporated part shapes, and a backbone that connects to and supports the at least one interchangeable mold template during a process of laying up prepreg composite material to form a plurality of three-dimensional structures corresponding to the plurality of incorporated part shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Arthur Gintert, Isaac William Nelson, Herbert Lee Skidmore, Michael Preston McKown, Larry Gene Stephens
  • Patent number: 11333215
    Abstract: A dual-frequency vibration-reduction apparatus includes a beam having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. An attachment mechanism mechanically couples a portion of the beam to a structure. One or more masses are attached to the beam such that the apparatus vibrates bi-modally at a primary frequency and a secondary frequency for reducing vibrations of the structure at the primary frequency and the secondary frequency. A first mode may be a bending mode of the apparatus, while a second mode is a torsion mode. The vibration reduction apparatus may be tuned such that the primary frequency substantially matches a blade-pass frequency of a propeller-driven aircraft and the secondary frequency substantially matches a harmonic of the blade-pass frequency. The vibration reduction apparatus includes a mounting mechanism for mounting to any structure requiring low-frequency vibration attenuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Zachary Alan Lammi
  • Publication number: 20220145810
    Abstract: An exemplary aircraft includes a turbine engine having a gas generator spool and a power spool, the power spool operational to drive a rotor, a first generator coupled to the gas generator spool, and a controller operable to increase a load on the gas generator spool when the gas generator spool is on a speed limit thereby increasing a speed limit margin in order to increase power available from the turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Hisashi STEINERT
  • Publication number: 20220144406
    Abstract: A vehicle has a pod carrier, a pod rotatably connected to the pod carrier, and an energy attenuating system (EAS) disposed between the pod and the pod carrier to attenuate forces associated with a deflection of the pod relative to the pod carrier. A method of operating an energy attenuating system (EAS) is provided for attenuating energy associated with movement between a pod and a pod carrier. The method includes providing a vehicle having a pod carrier and providing the pod carrier with an EAS configured in an undeflected state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk Landon Groninga, Daniel Bryan Robertson, Matthew Edward Louis, Paul Charles Griffiths
  • Publication number: 20220144416
    Abstract: A liquid inertia vibration elimination (“LIVE”) system for a rotor system having n number of blades. The LIVE system includes a first tuned vibration reduction component configured to provide a maximum vibratory isolation at a frequency below 2*n/rev and a second tuned vibration reduction component configured to provide a maximum vibratory isolation at a frequency above 3*n/rev.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Quinn Romano
  • Patent number: 11325482
    Abstract: Techniques involve controlling battery access on a utility vehicle. Such techniques involve monitoring status of input signals from a group comprising: a lithium battery system, a keyed switch, and a charging receptacle, comparing the status of the input signals to timeout settings stored in memory of the motion control system, initiating a timer based on comparison of the input signals to the timeout settings, and disconnecting at least one direct current (DC) path between a lithium battery interface and a power distribution interface of the utility vehicle in response to expiration of the timer. Such techniques further involve, after disconnecting, reconnecting the at least one DC current path between the lithium battery interface and the power distribution interface in response to a change in status of at least one of the input signals. Such techniques may be performed by a motion control system of the utility vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur James Harvey, Norman R. Padgett, John Ledden, Robert Charles Bradley, Patrick Dwaine Warden
  • Patent number: 11325699
    Abstract: A ducted fan assembly for generating thrust during edgewise forward flight. The ducted fan assembly includes a duct having an inlet with a leading portion and a diffuser with a trailing portion during the edgewise forward flight. A fan disposed within the duct is configured to rotate relative to the duct about a fan axis to generate an airflow through the duct from the inlet to the diffuser. An active flow control system includes a plurality of injectors including a first injector configured to inject pressurized air substantially tangential with the leading portion of the inlet and a second injector configured to inject pressurized air substantially tangential with the trailing portion of the diffuser such that when the injectors are injecting pressurized air, flow separation of the airflow at the leading portion of the inlet and the trailing portion of the diffuser is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Bryan Robertson, Kirk Landon Groninga, Matthew Edward Louis
  • Patent number: 11326661
    Abstract: The present invention includes a damper assembly, method and kit to provide dampening to an airframe comprising: a mass to dampen the vibration of the airframe; one or more wire rope isolators having a first and a second portion, wherein the mass is attached to the one or more wire rope isolators and the mass is isolated from the airframe by the one or more wire rope isolators; and a first fastener and a second fastener, wherein the first fasteners attaches to the first portion of the wire rope isolator to the mass, and the second fastener attaches the second portion of the wire rope isolator to the airframe to dampen vibration of the airframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
    Inventors: Michael Scott Seifert, Peter Quinn Romano, Thomas Parham
  • Patent number: 11325719
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a selectable drive system that allows a rotor gearbox to send torque to a proprotor assembly and/or through a multiplier planetary gear set to a pylon-mounted ducted fan thrust unit. The rotor drive system may be a stop-fold system in which rotor blades can be folded when not rotating. This allows a normally idle lift engine to provide additional aircraft thrust during cruise where an aircraft is typically using only a dedicated thrust engine for high speed flight. An inline engage/disengage actuator or “shift fork” on the rotor gearbox is used to select the torque-output direction. The multiplier planetary gear set increases the output RPM that is received from the rotor gearbox and that is applied to the thrust fan unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Foskey, Colton Gilliland
  • Patent number: 11325464
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a liquid container for a motor vehicle, having the method steps: providing a wall, which is provided in order to delimit an interior chamber of the liquid container for receiving a liquid; providing a structure, which is provided in order to be arranged in order to reduce sloshing noises in the interior chamber of the liquid container, wherein the structure comprises a random arrangement of threads cross-linked with each other and wherein a plurality of the threads of the structure are integrally joined, at least in sections, to at least one or more additional threads of the structure, such that a substantially monolithic structure is formed; connecting the structure to the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Kautex Textron GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventors: Volker Treudt, Christoph Schwenk
  • Publication number: 20220135217
    Abstract: An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft has an airframe including first and second wings with first and second pylons coupled therebetween. A distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A cargo pod is coupled between the first and second pylons. The cargo pod is rotatable between a loading configuration, substantially perpendicular to the wings and a transportation and deployment configuration, substantially parallel to the wings. A flight control system is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies and to autonomously deploy a payload from the cargo pod at a desired location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: John Robert Wittmaak, JR., Joshua Allan Edler, Eric Christopher Terry, Joseph Daniel Leachman
  • Patent number: 11319062
    Abstract: A rotor system has a mast axis, a first rotor rotatable about the mast axis in a first direction and the first rotor has a first number of first rotor blades, and a second rotor rotatable about the mast axis in a second direction and the second rotor has a second number of second rotor blades that is different than the first number. The second direction is opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Dang Quang Truong
  • Patent number: 11319056
    Abstract: A propulsion and lift system of a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing having an outboard end, a wing tip assembly having an inboard end, a fixed nacelle coupled to the wing tip assembly and a wing-nacelle splice assembly having inboard and outboard sides. The inboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the outboard end of the wing, and the outboard side of the wing-nacelle splice assembly is coupled to the inboard end of the wing tip assembly, thereby coupling the fixed nacelle to the wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Matthew Williams, George Ryan Decker, Michael Edwin Rinehart, Andrew G. Baines, James Elbert King
  • Patent number: 11319064
    Abstract: An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft has an airframe including first and second wings with first and second pylons coupled therebetween. A distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A cargo pod is coupled between the first and second pylons. The cargo pod is rotatable between a loading configuration, substantially perpendicular to the wings and a transportation and deployment configuration, substantially parallel to the wings. A flight control system is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies and to autonomously deploy a payload from the cargo pod at a desired location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: John Robert Wittmaak, Jr., Joshua Allan Edler, Eric Christopher Terry, Joseph Daniel Leachman
  • Patent number: 11320841
    Abstract: An aircraft includes an airframe with first and second wings having a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. First and second yaw vanes extend aftwardly from the fuselage. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor system and control movements of the yaw vanes. In a VTOL orientation of the aircraft, differential operation of the yaw vanes and/or differential operations of first and second rotor assemblies of the coaxial rotor system provide yaw authority for the aircraft. In a biplane orientation of the aircraft, collective operation of the yaw vanes provides yaw authority for the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: John Richard McCullough, Andrew Thomas Carter, Sung Kyun Kim, Matthew John Hill
  • Patent number: 11319066
    Abstract: An unmanned aircraft system includes a flying wing airframe having leading and trailing edges with respective sweep angles. A thrust array is coupled to the airframe and includes first and second motor mounts each selectively rotatably coupled to the leading edge by a locking joint. Each motor mount has first and second propulsion assemblies coupled to respective first and second distal ends thereof. A power system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to provide power to each propulsion assembly. A flight control system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to independently control the speed of each propulsion assembly. In a flight configuration, each motor mount is locked substantially perpendicular with the leading edge by the respective locking joint. In a compact storage configuration, each motor mount is locked substantially parallel with the leading edge the respective locking joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Levi Charles Hefner, Dakota Charles Easley
  • Patent number: 11319055
    Abstract: A compliant tail structure for a rotorcraft having rotating components and a fuselage. The tail structure includes a tail assembly having first and second oppositely disposed tail members. A tail joint connects the tail assembly to an aft portion of the fuselage. The tail joint includes at least four tail mounts configured to establish a nodding axis for the tail assembly. At least two of the tail mounts are resilient tail mounts that are configured to establish a nodding degree of freedom for the tail assembly relative to the fuselage about the nodding axis, thereby detuning dynamic fuselage responses from excitation frequencies generated by the rotating components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: George Ryan Decker, Andrew G. Baines, Frank Douglas Sauer
  • Publication number: 20220126685
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a liquid container (28) for a motor vehicle, having the method steps: providing a wall (14), which is provided in order to delimit an interior chamber (26) of the liquid container (28) for receiving a liquid (34); providing a structure (2), which is provided in order to be arranged in order to reduce sloshing noises in the interior chamber (26) of the liquid container (28), wherein the structure (2) comprises a random arrangement of threads (4) cross-linked with each other and wherein a plurality of the threads (4) of the structure (2) are integrally joined, at least in sections, to at least one or more additional threads (4) of the structure (2), such that a substantially monolithic structure (2) is formed; connecting the structure (2) to the wall (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: KAUTEX TEXTRON GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Volker TREUDT, Christoph SCHWENK
  • Publication number: 20220126989
    Abstract: A vibration attenuator is configured for use on an aircraft rotor rotatable about a mast axis and has upper and lower weight assemblies, each comprising a weight with a center of gravity being a radial distance from the mast axis. The weight assemblies are configured for rotation together relative to the rotor at a selected angular rate about the mast axis, the weights being located on opposing sides of the mast axis. A first motor is configured for selective translation of one of the weight assemblies relative to the other weight assembly along the mast axis between a minimum-moment configuration, in which the centers of gravity of the weights revolve about the mast axis in the same plane, and a maximum-moment configuration, in which the centers of gravity of the weights revolve about the mast axis in different planes for producing a whirling moment about the mast axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Bradley Stamps, David Heverly, Michael R. Smith, Michael Scott Seifert, Thomas C. Parham, JR., Gary Miller, Jouyoung Jason Choi, Richard E. Rauber
  • Publication number: 20220128013
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to boosting aircraft engine performance for takeoff and critical mission segments by reducing airflow used for cooling exhaust gases. The airflow is reduced by stopping an accessory blower or by closing an external air vent Eliminating the cooling airflow to the exhaust has the effect of lowering the backpressure on the engine, which thereby increases maximum engine power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
    Inventors: William Gons, Brett Partington