Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
An injector head of an airblast fuel nozzle, comprising: an outer housing extending along a longitudinal axis of the injector head, a fuel swirler disposed radially inward from and surrounded by said housing, said fuel swirler defining at least a portion of a fuel passage from a fuel inlet orifice in said injector head to a fuel discharge orifice in said injector head; a heat shield assembly disposed radially inward from and surrounded by said fuel swirler; and an inner air flow chamber disposed radially inward from and surrounded by said heat shield assembly; said heat shield assembly including an inner heat shield extending axially along the fuel swirler from an upstream inlet end of the fuel swirler to a downstream discharge end of the fuel swirler to thermally shield the fuel swirler along the inner air flow chamber, and an intermediate heat shield disposed between said inner heat shield and said fuel swirler, said intermediate heat shield connecting said inner heat shield to said fuel swirler to spread out the heat gradient across the interface between said inner heat shield and said fuel swirler.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
185 words
An injector head of an airblast fuel nozzle, comprising: an outer housing extending along a longitudinal axis of the injector head, a fuel swirler disposed radially inward from and surrounded by said housing, said fuel swirler defining at least a portion of a fuel passage from a fuel inlet orifice in said injector head to a fuel discharge orifice in said injector head; a heat shield assembly disposed radially inward from and surrounded by said fuel swirler; and an inner air flow chamber disposed radially inward from and surrounded by said heat shield assembly; said heat shield assembly including an inner heat shield extending axially along the fuel swirler from an upstream inlet end of the fuel swirler to a downstream discharge end of the fuel swirler to thermally shield the fuel swirler along the inner air flow chamber, and an intermediate heat shield disposed between said inner heat shield and said fuel swirler, said intermediate heat shield connecting said inner heat shield to said fuel swirler to spread out the heat gradient across the interface between said inner heat shield and said fuel swirler.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The injector head as in claim 1, wherein said intermediate heat shield connects said inner heat shield to said fuel swirler at a location which is downstream from a midpoint location along the inner heat shield.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The injector head as in claim 2, wherein said intermediate heat shield extends axially along a portion of the inner heat shield.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The injector head as in claim 3, wherein said inner heat shield has an upstream, unattached end which can axially and radially move upon thermal expansion of said inner heat shield.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The injector head as in claim 4, wherein said intermediate heat shield is connected at a downstream end to a downstream discharge end of said inner heat shield.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The injector head as in claim 5, wherein said intermediate heat shield is connected at an upstream end to said fuel swirler at a location spaced from a downstream discharge end of said fuel swirler.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The injector head as in claim 4, wherein said intermediate heat shield is connected at a downstream end to a downstream discharge end of said fuel swirler.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The injector head as in claim 7, wherein said intermediate heat shield is connected at an upstream end to said inner heat shield, at a location spaced from a downstream discharge end of said inner heat shield.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The injector head as in claim 4, wherein said inner heat shield extends axially along the length of the fuel swirler.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
The injector head as in claim 4, wherein said fuel swirler defines a central, annular cavity for said heat shield assembly, said inner heat shield has a cylindrical shape along the length of the fuel swirler, and said intermediate heat shield also has a cylindrical shape intermediate said fuel swirler and said inner heat shield.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The injector head as in claim 1, further including an outer air swirler surrounding said housing which provides an air swirl flow path for the airblast nozzle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The injector head as in claim 1, wherein a first air gap is defined between said intermediate heatshield and said fuel swirler, and a second air gap is defined between said intermediate heatshield and said inner heatshield.