Panel connection system and a method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739174-B2
Application number	US-201514665380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2015
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A panel connection assembly connects a panel to a casing including hanger, first locating, and second locating plates. The hanger plate has elongate body, first end, and opposite second end portions, with each of the first and second end portions having a circular profile. The hanger plate has a dumbbell shape. The first locating plate has a first circular locating aperture, the first locating aperture to accommodate the first end portion, and the second locating plate has a second circular locating aperture, the second locating aperture to accommodate the second end portion. In use, the first locating plate is secured to the casing, the second locating plate is secured to the panel, the first and second end portions are respectively accommodated within the first and second locating apertures with the elongate body portions extending therefrom, to connect the panel to the casing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A panel connection assembly for connecting a panel to a casing, the panel connection assembly comprising:
a hanger plate;
a first locating plate; and
a second locating plate;
whereby the hanger plate comprises an elongate body portion, a first end portion, and an opposite second end portion, each of the first end portion and second end portion having a circular profile, the hanger plate thereby having a dumbbell shape, and the first locating plate comprises a first circular locating aperture, the first locating aperture being dimensioned to accommodate the first end portion, the second locating plate comprises a second circular locating aperture, the second locating aperture being dimensioned to accommodate the second end portion,
wherein, in use, the first locating plate is secured to the casing, the second locating plate is secured to the panel, the first end portion is accommodated within the first locating aperture with the elongate body portion extending therefrom, and the second end portion is accommodated within the second locating aperture with the elongate body portion extending therefrom, to connect the panel to the casing, and
wherein the hanger plate having a first surface and an opposite second surface, first and second retaining plates being positioned over the first and second surfaces respectively of each of the first and second end portions, each of the first and second retaining plates having a dimension greater than the diameter of the corresponding first or second locating aperture, each of the first end portion and the second end portion comprising a securing aperture positioned at a center of the respective circular profile, corresponding ones of the first and second retaining plates being connected together by a fastener, the fastener extending through the respective securing aperture.

2. The panel connection assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second retaining plates are circular, the diameter of each of the first and second retaining plates being greater than the diameter of the corresponding first or second locating aperture.

3. The panel connection assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second retaining plates are elongate, a length of each of the first and second retaining plates being greater than the diameter of the corresponding first or second locating aperture.

4. The panel connection assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a projection extending laterally from a midpoint of the first retaining plate, with a deformable tab being superposed atop the projection, the second retaining plate comprises a tab slot at a mid-point thereon, the securing aperture being dimensioned to accommodate the deformable tab, and, in use, the deformable tab extends through the securing aperture and through a slot in the second retaining plate, with the deformable tab being rotated relative to the projection to secure the first and second retaining plates together.

5. The panel connection assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fastener is a threaded fastener comprising a threaded rod and a nut, the threaded rod is attached to the first retaining plate, and, in use, the threaded rod extends through the securing aperture and through a hole in the second retaining plate, with the nut being threadingly attached to the threaded rod to secure the first and second retaining plates together.

6. The panel connection assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the circular profile of the first end portion is between approximately 200% to 300% of a width of the elongate body portion.

7. The panel connection assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the circular profile of the second end portion is between approximately 200% to 300% of a width of the elongate body portion.

8. The panel connection assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first locating plate and the second locating plate comprises a protrusion, the protrusion projecting radially inwardly of the circular profile.

9. A panel connection system comprising:
a casing;
a panel; and
a plurality of panel connection assemblies as claimed in claim 1 ;
wherein each of the first locating plates is attached to the casing, each of the second locating plates is attached to the panel, each of the first end portions is located within corresponding ones of the first locating apertures, and each of the second end portions is located within corresponding ones of the second locating apertures, to connect the panel to the casing.

10. The panel connection system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of panel connection assemblies is oriented such that the respective hanger plates are coplanar.

11. An exhaust system for a gas turbine engine comprising the panel connection system as claimed in claim 9 .

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Hayton Paul Robert

Classifications

• F01D25/24 Primary

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title

• F05D2260/941

  particularly aimed at mechanical or thermal stress reduction · CPC title

• Y02T50/672

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F04D29/403

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F02K1/80 Primary

  Couplings or connections · CPC title