Gas turbine engine including separator for removing extraneous matter

Claim 1

IN A GAS TURBINE ENGINE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A COMPRESSOR HAVING AN INLET THERETO, A COMBUSTOR, AND A TURBINE IN SERIAL FLOW ARRANGEMENT, A SEPARATOR FOR REMOVING EXTRANEOUS MATTER FROM A STREAM OF AIR SUPPLIED TO THE COMPRESSOR, SAID SEPARATOR COMPRISING: EXPANSIBLE WALL MEANS LOCATED UPSTREAM OF SAID COMPRESSOR INLET AND FORMING A BOUNDARY SURFACE FOR THE FLOW OF AIR TO SAID COMPRESSOR INLET. SAID EXPANSIBLE WALL MEANS HAVING AN UNEXPANDED POSITION AND AN EXPANDED POSITION, SAID WALL MEANS IN SAID UNEXPANDED POSITION PERMITTING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIMPEDED FLOW OF AIR TO SAID COMPRESSOR INLET AND SAID WALL MEANS IN SAID EXPANDED POSITION FORMING A TORTUOUS PATH FOR THE FLOW OF AIR TO SAID COMPRESSOR INLET, MEANS FOR EXPANDING SAID EXPANSIBLE WALL MEANS TO SAID EXPANDED POSITION AND FOR DEFLATING SAID EXPANSIBLE WALL MEANS TO SAID UNEXPANDED POSITION, AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING EXTRANEOUS MATTER POSITIONED AXIALLY BETWEEN SAID EXPANSIBLE WALL MEANS AND SAID COMPRESSOR INLET, THE EXPANDED CONFIGURATION OF SAID EXPANSIBLE WALL MEANS AND ITS LOCATION RELATIVE TO SAID COMPRESSOR INLET BEING SUCH THAT EXTRANEOUS MATTER ENTRAINED IN AIR FLOWING ALONG SAID EXPANSIBLE WALL MEANS IN SAID EXPANDED POSITION IS DEFLECTED FROM SAID COMPRESSOR INLET, INTO SAID EXTRANEOUS MATTER RECEIVING MEANS.