Jet engine to air inlet duct flexible joint aircraft

Abstract

Abstract A FLEXIBLE, SEALED JOINT FOR CONNECTING AN AIR INLET DUCT TO A JET ENGINE OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT COMPRISES AN ADAPTER RING HAVING A FLAT FORWARD FACE SECURED COAXIALLY, AND IN CONFORMING RELATION, ONTO THE FORWARD END OF THE ENGINE CASING. SPRING CLIPS URGE THE FLAT FACE OF THE ADAPTED RING INTO CONFORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FLAT REAR FACE OF A SEAL RING MOUNTED IN SEALED RELATION, AND FOR LIMITED ADJUSTMENT, ON THE AFT END OF THE ENGINE AIR INLET DUCT. AN EXTERNAL FLANGE NEAR THE AFT END OF THE AIR INLET DUCT LIMITS FORWARD DISPLACEMENT OF THE SEAL RINGS, AND THEREBY THE ENGINE, IN THE EVENT OF ENGINE MOUNT FAILURE, WHILE SPRING FINGERS LIMIT AXIAL SEPARATION OF THE SEAL RING AND AIR INLET DUCT. A DOUBLE THICKNESS SLEEVE OF FLEXIBLE, SPRINGY, SHEET METAL IS SLITTED TRANSVERSELY IN ITS AFT PORTION INTO RELATIVELY OVERLAPPING SPRING FINGERS, AND IS FITTED INTO, AND FASTENED AT ITS FORWARD END TO THE AIR INLET DUCT. THE SPRING FINGERS ARE BIASED OUTWARDLY AT THEIR REAR ENDS AND EXTEND PAST THE SEAL RING AND FIT FLUSH INTO THE ADAPTER RING TO MAINTAIN A SMOOTH AIR FLOW SURFACES FROM THE INLET DUCT INTO THE ENGINE CASING, EVEN WHEN THE LATTER TWO ARE DISPLACED FROM THEIR NORMAL, DESIGNED COAXIAL CONDITION, AND RESILIENTLY URGE THE INLET DUCT AND ENGINE CASING TOWARD AXIALLY ALIGNED CONDITION.

Inventors

• 👤 L Holman
• 👤 R Timms

Bibliographic Details