Aircraft engine assembly, comprising an engine attachment device equipped with structural movable cowls connected to the central box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494113-B2
Application number	US-201715437698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

In order to reduce the size of the attachment arrangement between an aircraft engine and its attachment device, an engine assembly is provided for which the primary structure of the attachment device includes a central box and two movable structural cowls. Further the arrangement for attaching the engine on the structure comprises a group of main ties laid out in a main transverse plane for absorbing forces crossing a front end of the movable structural cowls, this group comprising three main shearing pins radially oriented and distributed around a longitudinal axis of the engine, each pin crossing a first shearing orifice provided on a fitting secured to the hub of the intermediate case on the one hand, and a second shearing orifice provided on one of the movable cowls or on its connecting structure to the central box on the other hand.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft engine assembly comprising:
a double-flow engine comprising an intermediate case comprising a hub, an outer shell and radial arms connecting the hub to the outer shell;
a device for attaching the engine to a structure of the aircraft, said attachment device comprising a primary structure equipped with a central box;
an arrangement to attach the engine to the primary structure of the attachment device;
wherein said primary structure also comprises two movable structural cowls each comprising an outer skin internally delimiting a secondary annular jet of the engine, each movable cowl comprising a proximal end articulated on a connecting structure connecting the movable cowl to the central box, and a distal end cooperating with the distal end of the other movable cowl, said movable structural cowls being laid out in continuity behind said intermediate case hub, and
wherein said attachment arrangement comprises a group of main ties laid out in a main transverse plane for absorbing forces crossing a front end of the movable structural cowls, said group of main ties comprising three main shearing pins radially oriented and distributed around a longitudinal axis of the engine, each main shearing pin crossing a first shearing orifice provided on a fitting secured to the hub of the intermediate case, and a second shearing orifice provided either on one of the movable cowls or on its connecting structure.

2. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each movable structural cowl comprises a front frame supporting the outer skin, and said second shearing orifice is located in the front frame.

3. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each connecting structure comprises a front framework protruding laterally from the central box, said second shearing orifice being located in said front framework.

4. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the two front frameworks, associated respectively with the two movable structural cowls, are secured to a transverse stiffening rib of the central box and produced of a single piece with this rib, the latter constituting a front closing rib of said central box.

5. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the three main shearing pins, called a bottom shearing pin, is arranged diametrically opposite relative to said central box, and in wherein the two other main shearing pins, called top shearing pins, are arranged symmetrically relative to a median plane of the engine assembly crossing the central box and the bottom shearing pin.

6. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the three main shearing pins are arranged substantially at 120° relative to one another.

7. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said attachment arrangement comprises a group of secondary ties laid out in a secondary transverse plane for absorbing forces crossing a rear end of the movable structural cowls, said group of secondary ties comprising two secondary shearing pins radially oriented and spaced apart circumferentially from one another, and wherein each secondary shearing pin crosses a third shearing orifice provided on a fitting secured to a case element of the engine, and a fourth shearing orifice provided on either one of the movable structural cowls or on its connecting structure.

8. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein each movable structural cowl comprises a rear frame supporting the outer skin, and said fourth shearing orifice is located in the rear frame.

9. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein each connecting structure comprises a rear framework protruding laterally from the central box, said fourth shearing orifice being located in said rear framework.

10. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the two rear frameworks, associated respectively with the two movable structural cowls, are secured to an inner stiffening transverse rib of the central box, and produced of a single piece with this inner rib.

11. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said fitting secured to the case element of the engine comprises two cross members, each oriented substantially tangentially relative to said case element, said fitting also comprising a plate toward which the two cross members converge, the secondary shearing pin cooperating with said plate.

12. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it comprises removable fixing elements ensuring the fixing, to one another, of the two distal ends of the movable structural cowls.

13. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said attachment elements also comprise shearing pins that are inactive in normal conditions of operation of the assembly.

14. The engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said attachment elements have no lateral links for absorbing thrust forces.

15. An aircraft comprising at least one engine assembly as claimed in claim 1 , either fixed under a wing of this aircraft or onto the fuselage thereof.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Pautis Olivier
• Lafont Laurent
• Gougeon Pascal

Classifications

• F02C7/20

  Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep · CPC title

• B64D27/18 Primary

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64D27/26

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64D2027/264

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64D29/06 Primary

  Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title