Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C17/00—Sliding-contact bearings for exclusively rotary movement
  • F16C17/12—Sliding-contact bearings for exclusively rotary movement characterised by features not related to the direction of the load
  • F16C17/22—Sliding-contact bearings for exclusively rotary movement characterised by features not related to the direction of the load with arrangements compensating for thermal expansion
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/02—Parts of sliding-contact bearings
  • F16C33/04—Brasses; Bushes; Linings
  • F16C33/043—Sliding surface consisting mainly of ceramics, cermets or hard carbon, e.g. diamond like carbon [DLC]
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/02—Parts of sliding-contact bearings
  • F16C33/04—Brasses; Bushes; Linings
  • F16C33/20—Sliding surface consisting mainly of plastics
  • F16C33/201—Composition of the plastic
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B19/00—Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
  • G11B19/20—Driving; Starting; Stopping; Control thereof
  • G11B19/2009—Turntables, hubs and motors for disk drives; Mounting of motors in the drive
  • G11B19/2018—Incorporating means for passive damping of vibration, either in the turntable, motor or mounting
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C2380/00—Electrical apparatus

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to linkages for movably attaching one structure to another and more particularly to a linkage support system for interconnecting first and second structures in a manner which allows deformation of the first structure while mitigating the transmission of resultant structural loads from the first structure to the second structure.
• a large airborne radar antenna such as those utilized in the AWACS and E2C surveillance aircraft.
• the radome of such an airborne radar antenna is subjected to large horizontal loads due to the heavy airflow impinging thereon during flight.
• airflow induced loads cause the radome support, i.e., its mechanical connection to the aircraft, to bend or deform transversely.
• the present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-mentioned deficiencies associated with the prior art. More particularly, the present invention comprises a linkage support system for interconnecting first and second structures in a manner which allows bending or deformation of the first structure while mitigating the transmission of structural loads resulting from such bending or deformation to the second structure.
• the linkage support system of the present invention comprises a first spherical bearing for slidably attaching a first portion of the first structure to a first portion of the second structure.
• Two link assemblies attach a second portion of the first structure to a second portion of the second structure.
• the first portion of the first structure and the first portion of the second structure are at the lower ends thereof and the second portion of the first structure and the second porion of the second structure are at the upper ends thereof.
• such construction is by way of illustration only, and not by way of limitation.
• Each of the two link assemblies comprises a link member extending generally from the first structure to the second structure, a pivot pin for attaching the link member to either the first structure or the second structure, and a second spherical bearing for attaching the link member to the other of the first structure and the second structure.
• the first spherical bearing cooperates with the link assemblies to mitigate the transmission of structural loads from the first structure to the second structure when the first structure is bent or transversely deformed.
• the first spherical bearing facilitates rotation of the second structure in two axes and facilitates translation of the second structure along one axis relative to the first structure.
• the two link assemblies are utilized and are disposed at diametrically opposed positions with respect to the second structure.
• T h e pivot pins and the second spherical bearings of the link assemblies are not disposed within a common horizontal plane. Therefore, bending of the first structure results in rotation of the link members about the pivot pins and also about the spherical bearings, thus accommodating deformation of the first structure.
• the pivot pins attach the link members to the first structure and the spherical bearings attach the link members to the second structure.
• the spherical bearings attach the link members to the first structure and the pivot pins attach the link members to the second structure.
• a linkage support system for interconnecting first and second structures in the manner which allows deformation of the first structure while mitigating the transmission of resultant structural loads to the second structure is provided in a manner which is volume and weight efficient, so as to allow for easy installation and maintenance of the linkage support system and also so as to enhance the reliability thereof.
• Figure 1 is a cut-away perspective view showing the use of a spherical bearing and gimbal assembly for mitigating the transmission of structural loads from a first or outer structure to a second or inner structure during transverse deformation of the outer structure, according to the gimbal support system of the prior art;
• Figure 2 shows the outer structure of Figure 1 being transversely deformed or bent, and shows how the prior art spherical bearing and gimbal assembly mitigate the transmission of structural loads caused by such bending, from the outer structure to the inner structure;
• Figure 3 is a top view, partially in cross section, of the prior art gimbal support system of Figure 1, showing the gimbal pins in single shear, i.e., cantilevered;
• Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the prior art gimbal support system of Figure 1 showing how a gimbal ring, which is inherently narrow in cross section, tends to be undesirably flexible, thus permitting undesirable deformations, i.e., rotation, bending, etc., thereof;
• Figure 5 is a top view of the prior art gimbal support system, partially in cross section, showing the limited volume between the outer and inner structures, within which the gimbal assembly is mounted;
• Figure 6 is a top view of the prior art gimbal support system of Figure 1, showing the difficulty of using tools to install and maintain the gimbal assembly thereof, due to the limited volume between the outer and inner structures thereof;
• Figure 7 is a perspective view of the prior art gimbal support system of Figure 1, partially cut away to show the transmission of a longitudinal force from the outer structure to the inner structure thereof, so as to illustrate the potential for undesirable deformation of the gimbal ring thereof, during the application of such a force;
• Figure 8 is a side view of the linkage support system of the present invention, partially cut away to show the spherical bearing and links thereof;
• Figure 9 is a side view of the linkage support system of Figure 8, showing transverse deformation or bending of the outer structure thereof in the plane of the links and showing how the spherical bearing and links thereof move so as to mitigate the transmission of structural loads from the first structure to the second structure;
• Figure 10 is a side view of the linkage support system of Figure 8, showing transverse deformation or bending of the outer structure thereof in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the links and showing how the spherical bearing and links thereof move so as to mitigate the transmission of structural loads from the first structure to the second structure;
• Figure 11 is a top view of the linkage support system of the present invention, partially in cross section, showing how the present invention is weight and space efficient, thereby providing a greater volume between the outer and inner structures, so as to facilitate easier installation and maintenance thereof, and also showing a direct path for longitudinal loads transmitted from the outer structure to the inner structure;
• Figure 12 is a perspective view of the linkage support system of the present invention, partially cut away to show the transmission of a longitudinal force from the outer structure to the inner structure thereof;
• Figure 13 is a top view, partially in cross section, of the linkage support system of the present invention, further showing the enhanced volume between the inner and outer structures thereof;
• Figure 14 is a top view, partially in cross section, of the linkage support system of the present invention, showing the ease with which tools may be manipulated within the volume between the inner and outer structures thereof, so as to facilitate installation and maintenance of the linkage support system.
• FIG. 8-14 The linkage support system of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 8-14.
• Figures 1-7 illustrate a contemporary gimbal support system.
• a first or outer structure 10 has a second or inner structure 12 mounted therein via a spherical bearing 14 and a gimbal assembly 16, in a manner which mitigates the transmission of structural loads from the outer structure 10 to the inner structure 12 when the outer structure 10 is bent or transversely deformed.
• the spherical bearing 14 is mounted within an outer race 18 in a manner which facilitates rotation thereof about all three axes thereof.
• the spherical bearing receives the inner structure 12 within bore 20 thereof in a manner which facilities sliding or longitudinally translation of the inner structure 12 relative thereof.
• the spherical bearing 14 thus allows the inner structure 12 to rotate in two axes about the center of the spherical bearing 14 and also to slide longitudinally with respect thereto. This is necessary to accommodate movement of the inner structure 12 which results from transverse deformation or bending of the outer structure 10.
• the gimbal assembly 16 of the prior art allows the inner structure 12 to rotate in two perpendicular axes with respect to the outer structure 10.
• the gimbal assembly 16 comprises a gimbal ring 22 which is attached to the outer structure 10 via two pivot pins 24 and 25, for effecting rotation of the inner structure 12 about a first axis, and is connected to the inner structure 12 via two pivot pins 26 and 27 disposed orthogonally to the two pivot pins 24 and 25, for allowing the inner structure 12 to rotate about an axis 90 degrees from the rotation facilitated by pivot pins 24 and 25.
• the spherical bearing 14 and the gimbal assembly 16 cooperate to isolate the inner structure 12 from structural loads when the outer structure 10 is deformed transversely.
• the gimbal ring 22 typically comprises a single ring having an I-configuration, as best shown in Figure 4.
• the gimbal ring comprises an upper ring member 32, a lower ring member 34, and an interconnecting member 36.
• the spherical bearing 14 rotates about its center, thus accommodating rotation of the inner structure 12 with respect to the outer structure 10.
• the spherical bearing 14 also accommodates generally vertical translation or sliding of the inner structure 12 with respect to the outer structure 10, as generally occurs during such bending of the outer structure 10.
• the gimbal ring 22 During such bending of the outer structure 10, it is not uncommon for the gimbal ring 22 to deform, as discussed in detail below. Such deformation is possible due to the limited rigidity with which the gimbal ring 22 may be constructed in the limited volume provided between the inner structure 12 and the outer structure 10.
• the gimbal assembly 16 allows the upper end of the inner structure 12 to move, i.e., rotate, as a result of such rotation about the spherical bearing 14, without applying substantial structural loading thereto.
• the gimbal assembly 16 facilitates rotation of the upper end of the inner structure 12 with respect to the upper end of the outer structure 10. In this manner, the inner structure 12 is substantially held in place with respect to the outer structure 10 without having substantial structural loads transmitted thereto due to transverse deformation of the outer structure 10.
• each of the cantilevered pins 24-27 are mounted in single shear, i.e., cantilevered and in a manner which is both weight and space inefficient.
• acceleration of the outer structure 10 in the direction of arrow 28 causes a reactive force 30 on the gimbal ring 27 to be generated.
• the gimbal assembly 16 requires a comparatively large volume. As can be seen, the circumference or outer diameter of the gimbal ring 22 is almost equal to the inner diameter of the first structure 10 and the inner diameter of the gimbal ring 22 is almost equal to the outer diameter of the inner structure 12. Thus, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the gimbal assembly 16 takes up an appreciable amount of available volume between the inner structure 12 and the outer structure 10.
• such prior art gimbal assemblies are comparatively flexible and thus do not transmit longitudinal loads, i.e., those in a vertical direction as illustrated by arrow 40, from the outer structure 10 to the inner structure 12 in a desirable manner.
• the gimbal ring 22 tends to bend and twist upon the application of such longitudinal loads. Such bending and twisting can undesirably affect the positioning of the inner structure 12.
• an upward movement, in the direction of arrow 40, of the outer structure 10 can result in a force 42 being transmitted through outer pins 24 and 25, along the gimbal ring 22, and then through inner pins 26 and 27 such that a reactive force 44 is generated in the inner structure 12.
• One application of one such linkage system is in the mounting of a large airborne radar antennae such as those utilized in the AWACS and E2C surveillance aircraft, as discussed in detail above.
• the radome of such airborne radar antennae is subjected to large horizontal drag loads and vertical lift loads due to the airflow thereabout during flight. These loads cause the radome support to bend or deform transversely. Although bending of the radome support is generally acceptable, it is desirable to prevent the antenna support, contained therein, from experiencing structural loading due to such bending of the radome support.
• a spherical bearing and gimbal mount assembly is frequently utilized to isolate the radar antenna mount from the radome mount in such aircraft .
• the linkage support system of the present invention likewise exist.
• the second structure does not have to be contained within the first structure as shown and described. Rather, the two structures may be side by side, or in any other desirable relationship.
• the first structure may alternatively comprise a plurality of separate structures, which may either be independent or connected to one another by various means, i.e., hinges, pivots, etc.
• the two independent structures may move with respect to one another, in a fashion which is generally analogous to the bending of a single structure.
• each link member 50 is attached to the first structure 10 via a pivot pin 58.
• Each link member is attached to the inner structure 12 via a spherical bearing 62 (best shown in Figure 10).
• each link member 52 has 1 degree of rotational freedom about pivot pin 58 with respect to the first structure 10
• the second structure 12 has 2 degrees of rotational freedom with respect to the each link member 52.
• the inside structure 12 does not have 3 degrees of rotational freedom with respect to each link member 52 since the inner structure 12 is restrained from moving in the third axis normally permitted by such spherical bearings by the other link member 50.
• pivot pin 58 optionally comprises two separate pivot pins aligned along a common axis and passing through bracket 56 formed upon the first structure 10.
• the pivot pins 58 also pass through the upper end of link member 52, so as to facilitate rotation thereabout .
• the spherical bearing 62 is rotatably disposed upon a pin 60 which mounts to bracket 54 of the second structure 12.
• Race 64 formed upon the lower end of link member 50 captures the spherical bearing 62 and facilitates rotation of the link member 52 thereabout.
• the link assemblies 50 of the present invention are comparatively volume and weight efficient and thus provide ample room for assembly and maintenance thereof.
• a bend 70 occurring in the outer structure 10 results in rotation of the inner structure 12 about the center of spherical bearing 20, thus causing the upper end of the inner structure 12 to move about an arc.
• Link assemblies 50 accommodate such motion of the upper end of the inner structure 12 without applying structural loads to the inner structure 12.
• the link support system of the present invention does not utilize cantilevered pins, as does the prior art gimbal assembly. All the pins of the present invention are in double shear, and are therefore weight and space efficient.
• the linkage support system of the present invention is substantially more stiff than that of the prior art gimbal support system.
• link member 52 This places the link member 52 primarily in tension, thereby resulting in no substantial deformation or bending thereof.
• the structural loading results in a reactive force as indicated by arrow 74 in the inner structure 12.
• a downward acceleration of the outer structure 10 results in a compressive force being applied to the link members 52, again with no substantial deformation thereof.
• the link members 52 of the present invention are substantially more rigid than the corresponding gimbal ring 22 of the prior art.
• the link members 52 of the present invention result in more firm and stable mounting of the inner structure 12 with respect to the outer structure 10.
• link assemblies 50 of the present invention are volume efficient, and thereby leave ample room for an operator to insert a hand 40 and a tool 38, so as to effect assembly and/or maintenance of the linkage support system.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Pivots And Pivotal Connections (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26792556

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (15)

• 1997
  • 1997-06-12 EP EP97945171A patent/EP1019978A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-06-12 WO PCT/US1997/009850 patent/WO1998057388A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events