Movement-limiting device for a turbine engine and associated method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268406-B2
Application number	US-201916537976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Aug 12, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A movement- and/or load transfer-limiting device for a turbine engine, comprises a first fitting including a retention member, with the first fitting being engaged with a fancase surrounding a turbine engine fan blade system. A second fitting is engaged with a fancowl disposed radially outward of the fancase. The second fitting includes a constraint member arranged to be received by the retention member. The retention member is arranged to limit radially outward movement of the fancowl via engagement with the constraint member. The constraint member comprises at least one of (i) a hook member arranged to limit radially inward movement of the first fitting in relation to the fancowl or (ii) a laterally-extending shaft having opposed ends and a flange engaged with at least one of the ends, arranged to limit lateral movement of the retention member in relation to the first fitting. Associated devices and methods are also provided.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A movement-limiting device for a turbine engine, comprising:
a first fitting including a retention member, the first fitting being engaged with a fancase surrounding a turbine engine fan blade system; and
a second fitting engaged with a fancowl disposed radially outward of the fancase, the second fitting including a constraint member comprising spaced-apart fittings engaged with the fancowl and extending outward therefrom to respective distal ends, and a reinforcement disposed between the fittings about the distal ends thereof, the fittings and the reinforcement cooperating to define a bore extending therethrough, the constraint member being arranged to be received by the retention member of the first fitting and the retention member being arranged to limit radially outward movement of the fancowl via engagement with the constraint member, the constraint member comprising at least one of:
(i) a hook member arranged to limit radially inward movement of the first fitting in relation to the fancowl, or
(ii) a laterally-extending shaft having opposed ends and a first flange engaged with one of the opposed ends, wherein the bore is arranged to receive the shaft therein, with the shaft having a length greater than a distance between the fittings, and
wherein the constraint member is arranged to limit lateral movement of the retention member in relation to the first fitting.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the retention member comprises a support ledge, and wherein the constraint member comprises the laterally-extending shaft having opposed ends and the first flange engaged with one of the opposed ends, the shaft being arranged to be received by the support ledge and the flange being arranged to limit lateral movement between the shaft and the support ledge.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the retention member comprises a ramp portion extending to the support ledge, and a detent between the ramp portion and the support ledge.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first fitting includes adjacent retention members, each retention member comprising a support ledge, and wherein the constraint member comprises the laterally-extending shaft having the opposed ends, with the opposed ends each having one flange engaged therewith, the shaft being arranged to be received by the support ledges of the adjacent retention members, with the flanges being arranged to limit lateral movement of the shaft in relation to the support ledges and to limit lateral separation between the adjacent retention members.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein each retention member comprises a ramp portion extending to the support ledge, and a detent between the ramp portion and the support ledge.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the retention member comprises a loop arrangement and the constraint member comprises the hook member arranged to limit radially inward movement of the first fitting in relation to the fancowl, the hook member being an inverted hook member engaged with the constraint member and arranged to be received through the loop arrangement to limit radially inward movement of the first fitting engaged with the fancase in relation to the fancowl.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fancowl comprises a hemicylindrical member extending lengthwise along and covering a portion of the fancase, the hemicylindrical member having a first angular end arranged to be pivotable about an axis extending lengthwise along the fancase and disposed about an upper quadrant thereof, and an opposed second angular end, and wherein the first fitting is engaged with the fancase about a lower quadrant thereof and the second fitting is engaged with the fancowl about the second angular end thereof to be engageable with the first fitting upon the hemicylindrical member being pivoted to cover the portion of the fancase.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first fitting includes adjacent retention members, each retention member comprising a support ledge, and wherein the constraint member comprises the laterally-extending shaft having the opposed ends, with the opposed ends each having one flange engaged therewith, the shaft being arranged to interact with the support ledges of the adjacent retention members, upon the hemicylindrical member being pivoted to cover the portion of the fancase, with the flanges being arranged to limit lateral movement of the shaft in relation to the adjacent retention members and to limit lateral separation therebetween.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first fitting includes adjacent retention members, wherein each retention member comprises a ramp portion extending to a support ledge, with a detent between the ramp portion and the support ledge, and wherein the constraint member comprises the laterally-extending shaft arranged to interact with and be guided by the ramp portions, past the detents, and into interaction with the support ledges of the adjacent retention members, upon the hemicylindrical member being pivoted to cover the portion of the fancase.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the retention member comprises spaced-apart struts engaged with the fancase and extending outward therefrom to respective distal ends, and a crossmember extending between the distal ends to form a loop arrangement, and wherein the constraint member comprises the hook member formed as an inverted hook member arranged to be received through the loop arrangement, upon the hemicylindrical member being pivoted to cover the portion of the fancase, to limit radially inward movement of the first fitting engaged with the fancase in relation to the fancowl.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the constraint member is arranged to allow radially outward movement of the retention member engaged with the fancase.

12. A movement-limiting device for a turbine engine having a fancase surrounding a turbine engine fan blade system, the device comprising:
a first fitting including spaced-apart struts engaged with the fancase and extending outward to respective distal ends, and a crossmember extending between the distal ends to form a loop arrangement, the first fitting further including adjacent retention members, each retention member comprising a support ledge engaged with and extending laterally from the distal end of one of the struts; and
a second fitting engaged with a fancowl disposed radially outward of the fancase, the second fitting including a laterally-extending shaft having opposed ends and a flange engaged with each of the opposed ends, the shaft being arranged to be received by the support ledges, with the flanges being arranged to limit lateral movement of the shaft in relation to the support ledges and to limit lateral separation between the adjacent retention members, wherein the first fitting is arranged to limit radially outward movement of the fancowl via engagement with the second fitting.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein each retention member comprises a ramp portion extending to the support ledge, and a detent between the ramp portion and the support ledge.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the fancowl comprises a hemicylindrical member extending lengthwise along and covering a portion of the fancase, the hemicylindrical member having a first angular end arranged to be pivotable about an axis extending lengthwise along the fancase and disposed about an upper quadrant thereof, and an opposed second angular end, and wherein the first fitting is engaged with the fancase about a lower quadrant thereof and the second fitting is engaged with the fancowl about the second angular end thereof to be engageable with the first fitting upon the h

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Stanescu Adrian
• Zielinski Jennifer Bender
• Foy Michael Patrick
• Gelzer Daniel F

Classifications

• B64D29/06

  Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title

• F01D9/042

  fixing blades to stators (fixing stator-rings in the casing or to each other F01D25/246) · CPC title

• F01D25/28

  Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing · CPC title

• F05D2260/30

  Retaining components in desired mutual position · CPC title

• F04D29/563 Primary

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title