Self-retaining bushing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753231-B2
Application number	US-201615177814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A bushing apparatus includes: a housing with first and second ends, the housing having an outer bore passing therethrough from the first end to the second end, wherein the bore includes a reduced-diameter band located between the first and second ends; and a bushing received in the outer bore, the bushing having first and second ends and an inner bore passing therethrough from the first end to the second end of the bushing, wherein the bushing includes an outer surface having a reduced-diameter groove located between the first and second ends, wherein the band is received in the groove in a radially overlapping relationship, so as to block movement of the bushing relative to the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bushing apparatus, comprising:
a housing with first and second ends, the housing having an outer bore passing therethrough from the first end to the second end, wherein the bore includes a reduced-diameter band located between the first and second ends; and
a bushing received in the outer bore, the bushing having first and second ends and an inner bore passing therethrough from the first end to the second end of the bushing, wherein the bushing includes an outer surface having a reduced-diameter groove located between the first and second ends, wherein the band is received in the groove in a radially overlapping relationship, so as to block movement of the bushing relative to the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bushing includes a body defining the outer surface and an annular, radially-extending flange disposed at the first end, the flange abutting the first end of the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the outer bore includes in sequence from the first end to the second end: first, second, and third sections, having corresponding first, second, and third diameters, and wherein the second diameter is smaller than both the first and third diameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the bushing includes sequence from the first end to the second end: first, second, and third sections, having corresponding first, second, and third diameters, and wherein the first and second diameters cooperate to define a shoulder.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the bushing includes a chamfer at the first end, and the chamfer cooperates with the third section to define an annular barb.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the bushing includes in sequence from the first end to the second end: first, second, and third sections, having corresponding first, second, and third diameters, and wherein the first and third diameters are greater than the second diameter.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first and third diameters are equal to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bushing comprises a polymer and the housing comprises a metal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises an annular actuation ring.

10. A variable stator vane apparatus for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a plurality of stator vanes disposed in an array about a central axis, each stator vane mounted for rotation about a trunnion axis;
a lever coupled to each stator vane;
an actuation ring having inboard and outboard surfaces and including a plurality of outer bores, each outer bore passing through the actuation ring from the inboard surface to the outboard surface, wherein each outer bore includes a reduced-diameter band located between the inboard and outboard surfaces;
a bushing received in each of the outer bores, each bushing having inboard and outboard surfaces and an inner bore passing therethrough from the inboard surface to the outboard surface of the bushing, wherein the bushing includes an outer surface having a reduced-diameter groove located between the inboard and outboard surfaces, wherein the band is received in the groove in a radially overlapping relationship, so as to block movement of the bushing relative to the actuation ring; and
a pin received in each inner bore, each of the pins connected to a distal end of one of the levers.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each bushing includes a body defining the outer surface and an annular, radially-extending flange disposed at the outboard surface, the flange abutting the outboard surface of the actuation ring.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein:
each of the outer bores includes in sequence from the outboard surface to the inboard surface:
first, second, and third sections, having corresponding first, second, and third diameters, and wherein the second diameter is smaller than both the first and third diameters.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the outer surface of each bushing includes in sequence from the outboard surface to the inboard surface: first, second, and third sections, having corresponding first, second, and third diameters, and wherein the first and second diameters cooperate to define a shoulder.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each bushing includes a chamfer on the outer surface, at the inboard surface, and the chamfer cooperates with the third section to define an annular barb on the outer surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the outer surface of each bushing includes in sequence from the outboard surface to the inboard surface: first, second, and third sections, having corresponding first, second, and third diameters, and wherein the first and third diameters are greater than the second diameter.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first and third diameters are equal to each other.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each bushing comprises a polymer and the actuation ring comprises a metal.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mena-Dominguez Rodolfo
• Astorga Triay Ehecatl Tonatiuh

Classifications

• F16C33/20 Primary

  Sliding surface consisting mainly of plastics (F16C33/22 - F16C33/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• F01D17/162

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16C31/02

  Sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F01D25/162 Primary

  Bearing supports · CPC title

• F05D2260/50

  Kinematic linkage, i.e. transmission of position · CPC title