Thrust reverser comprising doors and at least one retractable deflector for closing a lateral opening

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12044193-B2
Application number	US-202017790684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Jan 2, 2020
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A thrust reverser including doors and at least one flexible deflector obstructing a lateral opening of the thrust reverser when the doors are open. Such a deflector allows better controlling the airflows in thrust reverser configuration and maximizing the counter-thrust force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thrust reverser for a propulsion unit of an aircraft, said thrust reverser comprising:
a fixed structure;
a door which is movable between:
a closed position in which the door delimits, with the fixed structure, a flow conduit, the flow conduit comprising an ejection outlet which is at least partially delimited by a rear end of the fixed structure, the door in the closed position being configured to be able to guide a fluid, which is flowing in the conduit, towards the ejection outlet thereof in order to generate a thrust, and
an open position in which the door releases a reversal opening so as to be able to discharge, from the flow conduit, a portion of said fluid, via said reversal opening, and to redirect at least one portion of the fluid thus discharged towards a front end of the fixed structure in order to generate a counter-thrust; and

a deflector which is directly connected both to the door and to the fixed structure so as to be folded when the door is closed and to be unfolded when the door is open, the unfolded deflector obstructing a lateral opening defined between the fixed structure and a lateral end of the open door.

2. The thrust reverser according to claim 1 , wherein the deflector comprises movable obstruction blades and one or more connecting rods, each connecting rod being hinged, at a first end thereof, on a first adjacent movable blade from said movable blades and, at a second end thereof, on a second adjacent movable blade from said movable blades.

3. The thrust reverser according to claim 1 , wherein the deflector comprises a wall made of flexible material allowing the wall to be folded when the door is closed and to be unfolded when the door is open.

4. The thrust reverser according to claim 3 , wherein the flexible material is a textile.

5. The thrust reverser according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed structure comprises beams radially delimiting the reversal opening, the deflector being connected to one of the beams.

6. The thrust reverser according to claim 1 , wherein the deflector is configured so as to occupy, when the door is closed, a housing delimited circumferentially between the door and the fixed structure and having a radial dimension which is less than or equal to a thickness of the door.

7. A nacelle for a propulsion unit of an aircraft comprising a thrust reverser according to claim 1 .

8. A propulsion unit for an aircraft comprising a nacelle according to claim 7 .

9. An aircraft comprising:
a propulsion unit according to claim 8 ; and
a fuselage on which the propulsion unit is mounted, the fuselage of the aircraft and the deflector of the thrust reverser being located on a same side of a first median longitudinal plane of the thrust reverser.

10. The aircraft according to claim 9 , further comprising an empennage, said empennage and said door of the thrust reverser being located on a same side of a second median longitudinal plane of the thrust reverser, said second median longitudinal plane being perpendicular to said first median longitudinal plane.

11. The thrust reverser according to claim 4 , wherein the flexible material is a fabric.

12. The thrust reverser according to claim 5 , wherein the lateral opening is defined between the lateral end of the open door and the one of the beams to which the deflector is connected, and the deflector is connected to the lateral end of the door.

Assignees

• Safran Nacelles

Inventors

• Pascal Sebastien Laurent Marie
• Gonidec Patrick
• Phi Alexandre
• Ferrey Paul

Classifications

• F02K1/70

  using thrust reverser flaps or doors mounted on the fan housing · CPC title

• F05D2300/601

  Fabrics · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F02K1/60 Primary

  by blocking the rearward discharge by means of pivoted eyelids or clamshells, e.g. target-type reversers · CPC title