Forming a thrust reverser cascade using corrugated bodies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11668265-B2
Application number	US-202117479384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2021
Priority date	May 6, 2019
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A manufacturing process is provided during which a thrust reverser cascade is formed for an aircraft propulsion system. During the formation of the thrust reverser cascade, a first panel of material is stamped into a first corrugated body. A second panel of material is stamped into a second corrugated body. The first corrugated body is bonded to the second corrugated body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing process, comprising:
forming a thrust reverser cascade of an aircraft propulsion system, the forming of the thrust reverser cascade comprising
forming a first panel of material into a first corrugated body, wherein the first corrugated body comprises a first corrugated body first section and a first corrugated body second section that meets and is connected to the first corrugated body first section at a first corner;
forming a second panel of material into a second corrugated body, wherein the second corrugated body comprises a second corrugated body first section and a second corrugated body second section that meets and is connected to the second corrugated body first section at a second corner; and
bonding the first corrugated body to the second corrugated body, wherein the first corner is abutted against the second corner;

wherein the thrust reverser cascade includes a first rail, a second rail and a plurality of vanes connected to and extending between the first rail and the second rail;
wherein the first corrugated body comprises a first corrugation;
wherein a first section of the first corrugation forms a first of the plurality of vanes, and a second section of the first corrugation forms a first portion of the first rail;
wherein the second corrugated body comprises a second corrugation; and
wherein a first section of the second corrugation forms a second of the plurality of vanes that is spaced from the first of the plurality of vanes by an air channel, and a second section of the second corrugation forms a second portion of the first rail that is in line with the first portion of the first rail.

2. The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein the first panel of material comprises polymer material.

3. The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein the first panel of material comprises a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic panel of material.

4. The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein the first corner is configured with a first chamfered edge.

5. The manufacturing process of claim 4 , wherein
the second corner is configured with a second chamfered edge; and
the second chamfered edge is bonded to the first chamfered edge.

6. The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein the first corrugated body includes a radiused interior corner positioned opposite the first corner.

7. The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein
the first corrugated body further comprises a second corrugation; and
a section of the second corrugation forms a first portion of the second rail.

8. The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein
the forming of the thrust reverser cascade further comprises bonding a third panel of material to the first corrugated body and the second corrugated body; and
the third panel of material at least partially forms an exterior sidewall of the thrust reverser cascade.

9. The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein the first panel of material is configured with a continuous length of fiber reinforcement that extends end-to-end through the first panel of material.

10. A manufacturing process, comprising:
forming a thrust reverser cascade of an aircraft propulsion system, the thrust reverser cascade comprising a first rail, a second rail, a third rail, a plurality of first vanes and a plurality of second vanes, the plurality of first vanes connected to and extending laterally between the first rail and the second rail, the plurality of second vanes connected to and extending laterally between the second rail and the third rail, and the forming of the thrust reverser cascade comprising
forming a first panel of material into a first corrugated body, the first corrugated body comprising a first corrugated body first section and a first corrugated body second section that meets and is connected to the first corrugated body first section at a first corner;
forming a second panel of material into a second corrugated body, the second corrugated body comprising a second corrugated body first section and a second corrugated body second section that meets and is connected to the second corrugated body first section at a second corner; and
bonding the first corrugated body to the second corrugated body, the first corner abutted against the second corner;

wherein the first corrugated body first section forms a first portion of the second rail, and the first corrugated body second section forms a first of the plurality of first vanes; and
wherein the second corrugated body first section forms a second portion of the second rail, and the second corrugated body second section forms a first of the plurality of second vanes.

11. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first of the plurality of first vanes is longitudinally aligned with the first of the plurality of second vanes.

12. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first of the plurality of first vanes is parallel with the first of the plurality of second vanes.

13. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the second rail is laterally aligned with the second portion of the second rail.

14. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the second rail is coaxial with the second portion of the second rail.

15. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the second rail is adjacent and connected to the second portion of the second rail.

16. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first panel of material comprises polymer material.

17. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first panel of material comprises a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic panel of material.

18. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein
the first corner is configured with a first chamfered edge;
the second corner is configured with a second chamfered edge; and
the bonding comprising bonding the second chamfered edge to the first chamfered edge.

19. The manufacturing process of claim 10 , wherein the first panel of material is configured with a continuous length of fiber reinforcement that extends end-to-end through the first panel of material.

20. A manufacturing process, comprising:
forming a thrust reverser cascade of an aircraft propulsion system, the thrust reverser cascade comprising a first rail, a second rail, a third rail, a plurality of first vanes and a plurality of second vanes, the plurality of first vanes connected to and extending laterally between the first rail and the second rail, the plurality of second vanes connected to and extending laterally between the second rail and the third rail, and the forming of the thrust reverser cascade comprising
forming a first panel of material into a first corrugated body with a plurality of first corrugations, a first of the plurality of first corrugations comprising a first corrugation first section and a first corrugation second section that meets and is connected to the first corrugation first section at a first corner;
forming a second panel of material into a second corrugated body with a plurality of second corrugations, a first of the plurality of second corrugations comprising a second corrugation first section and a second corrugation second section that meets and is connected to the second corrugation first section at a second corner; and
bonding the first corrugated body to the second corrugated body, the first corner contacting the second corner;

wherein the first corrugation first section forms a first portion of the second rail

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Davis Jennifer

Classifications

• F05D2230/23

  by permanently joining parts together · CPC title

• B29C53/24

  of plates or sheets · CPC title

• F05D2230/51

  in a modular way, e.g. using several identical or complementary parts or features · CPC title

• F05D2300/603

  Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced · CPC title

• F02K1/72 Primary

  the aft end of the fan housing being movable to uncover openings in the fan housing for the reversed flow · CPC title