US 7,585,151 B2
	Rotorcraft blade provided with a flap that is tiltable with the help of at least one main ball joint having a first shaft that is secured to said flap
Francois Lorin De La Grandmaison, Hennebont (France); Michel Morant, Bouc Bel Air (France); Olivier Ardesi, Aix en Provence (France); and Jacques Gaffiero, Paris (France)
Assigned to Eurocopter, Marignane (France)
Filed on Oct. 24, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/585,207.
Claims priority of application No. 05 10916 (FR), filed on Oct. 26, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2007/0098553 A1, May 03, 2007
Int. Cl. B64C 27/615 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 416—24

8 Claims

1. A rotorcraft rotor blade (1) having at least one trailing edge flap (5) that is tiltable, said flap (5) being suitable for pivoting about a virtual hinge axis (Y′) extending substantially along the span of said blade (1) and of said flap (5), wherein said flap (5) is provided with at least one main ball joint (30) having an inner cage (32) and an outer cage (33), and a first shaft (31) secured to said flap (5), the front portion (33′) of said outer cage (33) of the main ball joint (30) being connected to a linear actuator (10) that is arranged in said blade (1) and that enables said flap (5) to be pivoted, said first shaft (31) of the main ball joint (30) extending substantially perpendicularly to said virtual hinge axis (Y′) about which said flap (5) pivots, wherein said flap includes a fastener ball joint (39) having an outer cage (37) and an inner cage (36), together with a second shaft (35), the front portion (37′) of the outer cage (37) of said fastener ball joint (39) being secured to a stationary point of said blade.