Patents by Inventor Etienne Rampal
Etienne Rampal has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9079660Abstract: A damper device (10) for a rotor (2) having a rotary ring (11) and a plurality of levers (12), each lever (12) extending from a first end (12?) connected to the ring (11) by a first mechanical connection (20) to a second end (12?) suitable for being hinged to a blade (4). The damper device (10) includes non-rotary damper means (30) secured to non-rotary fastener means (40) and to a non-rotary member (51) of an interface (50), the interface (50) being interposed between the non-rotary damper means (30) and the ring (11) to convert a rotary movement of a blade (4) transmitted to a lever (12) into a movement in translation acting on the damper means (30).Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: Airbus HelicoptersInventors: Elio Zoppitelli, Etienne Rampal
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Publication number: 20120269630Abstract: A damper device (10) for a rotor (2) having a rotary ring (11) and a plurality of levers (12), each lever (12) extending from a first end (12?) connected to said ring (11) by a first mechanical connection (20) to a second end (12?) suitable for being hinged to a blade (4). The damper device (10) includes non-rotary damper means (30) secured to non-rotary fastener means (40) and to a non-rotary member (51) of an interface (50), said interface (50) being interposed between said non-rotary damper means (30) and said ring (11) to convert a rotary movement of a blade (4) transmitted to a lever (12) into a movement in translation acting on said damper means (30).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2012Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: EUROCOPTERInventors: Elio Zoppitelli, Etienne Rampal
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Patent number: 8240601Abstract: A coaxial rotary coupling (11) includes a hollow inner tube (4) and a hollow outer tube (7), with inner and outer splines (12 and 13) in mutual engagement. The coupling (11) further includes: approach elements for longitudinally approaching the inner and outer tubes (4, 7) together with elements presenting a wedge arrangement for causing the inner and outer tubes (4, 7) to turn (23) relative to each other in opposite directions so as to limit tangential assembly slack; a soleplate (16) of the driven tube (7); and a flange (17); the driving tubes (4) having complementary splines (12, 13, 18) together with dogs including force-transformation ramps (31) that are distributed peripherally within the coupling (11).Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2010Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: EurocopterInventors: Etienne Rampal, Elio Zoppitelli
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Publication number: 20100197415Abstract: A coaxial rotary coupling (11) includes a hollow inner tube (4) and a hollow outer tube (7), with inner and outer splines (12 and 13) in mutual engagement. The coupling (11) further includes: approach elements for longitudinally approaching the inner and outer tubes (4, 7) together with elements presenting a wedge arrangement for causing the inner and outer tubes (4, 7) to turn (23) relative to each other in opposite directions so as to limit tangential assembly slack; a soleplate (16) of the driven tube (7); and a flange (17); the driving tubes (4) having complementary splines (12, 13, 18) together with dogs including force-transformation ramps (31) that are distributed peripherally within the coupling (11).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2010Publication date: August 5, 2010Applicant: EUROCOPTERInventors: Etienne RAMPAL, Elio ZOPPITELLI
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Patent number: 6824096Abstract: A pitch control device for a blade of a tilting rotor of a convertible aircraft. The pitch control device is external to a rotor hub which is driven in rotation by a mast and connected to the latter by a mechanism for tilting the hub as a whole, each blade is connected to the hub by a coupling for retaining and hingeing the blade in pitch about its pitch change axis. The device includes a pitch change lever, integral in rotation with its blade root about its axis, a pitch control rod, a bellcrank pivoting about a pin on a drive plate integral in rotation with the mast, and to which the pitch control rod is hinged, the bellcrank being also hinged to a link rod connected to the pitch change lever.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2003Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: EurocopterInventors: Elio Zoppitelli, Etienne Rampal, Eric Cornille
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Patent number: 6695254Abstract: A tilting rotor of a convertible aircraft comprises, between the mast and the hub, a constant velocity drive mechanism and pivoting arrangement comprising two gimbals, each of which is driven by the mast and pivots about one respectively of two diametral axes by two diametrically opposite bearings. Each gimbal is also hinged to the hub by ball joint connections diametrically opposite and centred respectively in a radial plane passing through the axis of the mast and through the diametral axis about which the other gimbal pivots. The two resulting trains transmitting torque between the mast and the hub have substantially the same torsional rigidity, and one at least of the components of each torque transmission train exhibits a flexibility in deformation about the axis of rotation of the hub.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2003Date of Patent: February 24, 2004Assignee: EurocopterInventors: Elio Zoppitelli, Etienne Rampal
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Publication number: 20030183722Abstract: A pitch control device is provided for a blade of a tilting rotor of a convertible aircraft. The pitch control device is external to a rotor hub which is driven in rotation by a mast and connected to the latter by means for tilting the hub as a whole, and each blade of which is connected to the hub by a coupling for retaining and hingeing the blade in pitch about its pitch change axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2003Publication date: October 2, 2003Inventors: Elio Zoppitelli, Etienne Rampal, Eric Cornille
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Publication number: 20030178528Abstract: A tilting rotor of a convertible aircraft comprises, between the mast and the hub, a constant velocity drive mechanism and pivoting arrangement comprising two gimbals, each of which is driven by the mast and pivots about one respectively of two diametral axes by two diametrically opposite bearings. Each gimbal is also hinged to the hub by ball joint connections diametrically opposite and centred respectively in a radial plane passing through the axis of the mast and through the diametral axis about which the other gimbal pivots. The two resulting trains transmitting torque between the mast and the hub have substantially the same torsional rigidity, and one at least of the components of each torque transmission train exhibits a flexibility in deformation about the axis of rotation of the hub.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2003Publication date: September 25, 2003Inventors: Elio Zoppitelli, Etienne Rampal
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Patent number: 6152696Abstract: The swash-plates are oscillating mounted by the non-rotating plate on a central ball joint sliding axially around a guide fixed to the structure and on which the ball joint is locked from rotation by internal splines engaging with external splines of the guide. Two parts slide on diametrically opposite raised sectors on the ball joint, and the non-rotating plate pivots on trunnions of the parts around one of two perpendicular axes the other of which is the one around which the parts pivot and which is perpendicular to the rotor axis.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 1998Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: EurocopterInventor: Etienne Rampal
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Patent number: 6149386Abstract: The swash-plates are oscillating mounted by the non-rotating plate on a central ball joint sliding axially around a guide fixed to the structure and on which the ball joint is locked from rotation by internal splines engaging external splines of the guide. Two cotters slide in diametrically opposite grooves in the external face of the ball joint, and the non-rotating plate pivots on trunnions of the cotters around one of two perpendicular axes the other of which an axis around which the cotters pivot and which is perpendicular to the rotor axis.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: EurocopterInventor: Etienne Rampal
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Patent number: 6102659Abstract: The rotating and non-rotating swash-plates are guided in axial translation and in tilting on the rotor axis by two non-rotating pillars and slides provided with runners with a cylindrical external face permanently tangentially engaged and sliding against the internal faces of the pillars, the slides bearing two diametrically opposite trunnions allowing the pivoting of the non-rotating plate around a diametrical axis, whereas the sliding and pivoting of the runners on the pillars guide the pivoting of the non-rotating plate around a second diametrical axis, which is the axis of the cylindrical face of the runners.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 1998Date of Patent: August 15, 2000Assignee: EurocopterInventor: Etienne Rampal
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Patent number: 6074168Abstract: The rotating and non-rotating swash-plates are guided in axial translation and in tilting on the rotor axis by a non-rotating axial guide arrangement, such as two pillars, and slides on each of which slides one of two pads carrying diametrically opposite trunnions, enabling the pivoting of the non-rotating plate around a first diametrical axis, whereas the sliding movements of the pads on the slides guide the pivoting movements of the non-rotating plate around a second diametrical axis perpendicular to the rotor axis and first diametrical axis, and which is the axis of the cylindrical face of the slides.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1998Date of Patent: June 13, 2000Assignee: EurocopterInventors: Etienne Rampal, Sylvie Jacqueline Garcin
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Patent number: 6033182Abstract: The non-rotating plate of the device is stopped from rotating around the rotor axis by a stop arm with at least one rigid stop track extending substantially axially and secured to the structure of the rotor aircraft. The track works together with a stop pin, integral with the non-rotating plate to stop the latter from rotating. The track has two flanges between which the pin is engaged so as to follow on this track a straight trajectory, parallel to the rotor axis and a circular arc trajectory centered on this axis, in the case of variation in the collective and cyclic pitch respectively. The stop pin includes a pad sliding between the two flanges of a slide constituting the said track and hinged around its fastening axis on the non-rotating plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1998Date of Patent: March 7, 2000Assignee: EurocopterInventor: Etienne Rampal
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Patent number: 5388961Abstract: Mechanical assembly for transmitting forces along an axis driven by a substantially axial movement in translation under the effect of a thrust load. This mechanical assembly comprises a transmitting part of the thrust load input movement and a receiving part of the thrust load output movement, said mechanical assembly comprising a detector for detecting the passing of a force threshold represented by a predetermined value of the thrust load, and including an elastic element and an indicator part arranged in such a way that when the thrust load exceeds the threshold value, the thrust load acts on the elastic element and modifies its axial dimension allowing the indicator part to move to the warning position.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 1993Date of Patent: February 14, 1995Assignee: Eurocopter France S.A.Inventors: Jean-Luc Leman, Philippe Legendre, Etienne Rampal