Joint assembly and a method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903229-B2
Application number	US-201514955906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A joint assembly has first to third end portions of first to third components and an elongate resilient connection member. The first end portion interconnects with the second in a castellated arrangement. The first and second end portions have repeating arrays of first and second, and third and fourth connection portions. The first connection portion is received inward the third, and its first location feature being aligned with a third location feature of the third forming a first cavity portion, and the second connection portion axially distal surface abutting against that of the fourth, with a second location feature of the second connection portion being aligned with a fourth location feature of the fourth connection portion forming a second cavity portion. The first and second cavity portions are aligned forming an annular cavity, with the connection member being receivable within the annular cavity interlocking the first component to the second.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A joint assembly comprising:
a first end portion of a first hollow component;
a second end portion of a second hollow component; and
an elongate resilient connection member,
wherein the first end portion interconnects with the second end portion in a castellated arrangement,
the castellated arrangement extending around a periphery of the joint assembly,
the first end portion comprising a repeating array of first connection portions and second connection portions,
each first connection portion comprising a first location feature on an outwardly facing surface of the first end portion, and each second connection portion comprising a second location feature on an axially distally facing surface of the first end portion,
the second end portion comprising a repeating array of third connection portions and fourth connection portions,
each third connection portion comprising a third location feature on an inwardly facing surface of the second end portion, and each fourth connection portion comprising a fourth location feature on an axially distally facing surface of the second end portion,
the first connection portion being slidably received inwardly of the third connection portion, with the first location feature being aligned with the third location feature to form a first cavity portion,
the axially distal surface of the second connection portion abutting against the axially distal surface of the fourth connection portion, with the second location feature being aligned with the fourth location feature to form a second cavity portion,
the first cavity portions and the second cavity portions being aligned to form a single annular cavity,
the connection member being receivable within the single annular cavity to interlock the first component to the second component.

2. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the outwardly facing surface of the first end portion, and the inwardly facing surface of the second end portion, lie in a plane parallel to an axis of the joint assembly.

3. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the axially distally facing surface of the first end portion, and the axially distally facing surface of the second end portion, lie in a plane normal to an axis of the joint assembly.

4. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the castellated arrangement extends partially around the periphery of the joint assembly.

5. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a peripheral length of the interconnecting first and second connection portions is equal to a peripheral length of the third and fourth connection portions.

6. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection member is helical.

7. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for each first connection portion and corresponding third connection portion, an axial overlap length between the first connection portion and the corresponding third connection portion is approximately four to eight times a radial cross-sectional diameter of the annular cavity.

8. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for each second connection portion and corresponding fourth connection portion, each of a radial length of the axially distal surface of the second connection portion, and a radial length of the axially distal surface of the corresponding fourth connection portion, is approximately two to five times a radial cross-sectional diameter of the annular cavity.

9. A gas turbine engine fan casing comprising a joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 .

10. A method of joining two components using a joint assembly, the joint assembly comprising a first end portion of a first component, a second end portion of a second component, and an elongate, resilient, connection member, the first end portion interconnecting with the second end portion in a castellated arrangement, the first end portion comprising a repeating array of first connection portions and second connection portions, and the second end portion comprising a repeating array of third connection portions and fourth connection portions,
the method comprising the steps of:
(a) positioning the first end portion of the first component relative to the second end portion of the second component such that corresponding pairs of first and third connection portions, and second and fourth connection portions are aligned with one another;
(b) interconnecting the first end portion of the first component with the second end portion of the second component, such that each pair of aligned first and third connection portions form a first cavity portion, and each pair of aligned second and fourth connection portions form a second cavity portion, each of the first and second cavity portions being aligned to form a single annular cavity; and
(c) inserting an elongate, resilient connection member into the annular cavity to interlock the first component to the second component.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Benson Christopher

Classifications

• F16L37/148

  the securing element being flexible (F16L37/144 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D25/243 Primary

  Flange connections; Bolting arrangements (F01D25/265 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F05D2300/501

  Elasticity · CPC title

• F16B5/0004

  Joining sheets, plates or panels in abutting relationship (F16B5/01 takes precedence) · CPC title