Joint assembly and a method of using the same

Abstract

A joint assembly includes a first end portion of a first hollow component, a second end portion of a second hollow component, and a first and second resilient connection member. First end portion interconnects with second end portion. First end portion includes a first and second location feature on an outwardly facing surface and axially distally facing surface respectively. Second end portion includes a third and fourth location feature on an inwardly facing surface and axially distally facing surface respectively. First end portion is slidably received inwardly of second end portion, with first location feature being aligned with third location feature to form a first annular cavity, and second location feature being aligned with fourth location feature to form a second annular cavity. First connection member is receivable within first annular cavity, and second connection member is receivable within second annular cavity, to interlock first component to second component.

Claims

1. A joint assembly comprising: a first end portion of a first hollow component, the first end portion including a first location groove recessed into an outwardly facing surface, and a second location groove recessed into an axially distally facing surface; a second end portion of a second hollow component, the second end portion including a third location groove recessed into an inwardly facing surface, and a fourth location groove recessed into an axially distally facing surface, the first end portion interconnects with the second end portion; a first resilient connection member; and a second resilient connection member, wherein: the first end portion is slidably located inwardly of the second end portion, where the first location groove is aligned with the third location groove to form a first annular cavity, and the second location groove is aligned with the fourth location groove to form a second annular cavity, and the first connection member is disposed in the first annular cavity, and the second connection member is disposed in the second annular cavity, interlocking 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, are located in a plane parallel with 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, are located in a plane normal to an axis of the joint assembly.

4. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connection member and the second connection member are each helical.

5. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outwardly facing surface of the first end portion and the inwardly facing surface of the second end portion overlap one another by an axial overlap length, the axial overlap length being approximately four to eight times a radial cross-sectional diameter of the first annular cavity.

6. The joint assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axially distally facing surface of the first end portion and the axially distally facing surface of the second end portion overlap one another by an radial length, the radial length being approximately two to five times a radial cross-sectional diameter of the first annular cavity.

7. A gas turbine engine fan casing comprising the joint assembly as claimed in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) There now follows a description of an embodiment of the disclosure, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a partial sectional view of the interconnected first and second end portions of a joint assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a partial sectional view of the interconnected first and second end portions of a joint assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention;

(4) It is noted that the drawing may not be to scale. The drawing is intended to depict only a typical aspect of the disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) Referring to FIG. 1, a joint assembly according to a first embodiment of the disclosure is designated generally by the reference numeral 100. The joint assembly 100 comprises an annular first end portion 112 of a first component 110, an annular second end portion of a second component 140, a first resilient connection member 170, and a second resilient connection member 172.

(6) In the embodiment shown in the figures, the first component 110 and the second component 140 form part of a fan casing (not shown) of an aircraft turbofan engine (also not shown). In this arrangement, each of the first component 110 and the second component 140 is formed as a revolute component. In other arrangements, the first component 110 and the second component 140 may have an alternate cross-sectional geometry such as, for example, an elliptical geometry.

(7) In the present embodiment, each of the first component 110 and the second component 140 is formed from a titanium alloy forging. In other embodiments the first component 110 and/or the second component 140 may be formed from another material such as a steel, alloy, an aluminium alloy or a fibre-reinforced composite material.

(8) The connection member 170 is formed from helical flat spring steel wire. In other arrangements, the connection member 170 may be formed from spring steel wire having a circular cross-section.

(9) The first end portion 112 interconnects with the second end portion 142, with the first end portion 112 being accommodated within the second end portion 142.

(10) Each first end portion 112 comprises a first location feature 122 on a radially outwardly facing surface 114 of the first end portion 112, and a second location feature 132 on an axially distally facing surface 116 of the first end portion 112.

(11) The first location feature 122 is formed as a curved hemispherical groove on the radially outwardly facing surface 114 of the first end portion 112. The second location feature 132 is formed as a curved hemispherical groove on the axially distally facing surface 116 of the first end portion 112.

(12) Each second end portion 142 comprises a third location feature 152 on a radially inwardly facing surface 144 of the second end portion 142, and a fourth location feature 162 on an axially distally facing surface 146 of the second end portion 142.

(13) The third location feature 152 is formed as a curved hemispherical groove on the radially inwardly facing surface 144 of the second end portion 142. The fourth location feature 162 is formed as a curved hemispherical groove on the axially distally facing surface 146 of the second end portion 142.

(14) In this embodiment, each of the radially outwardly facing surface 114 and the radially inwardly facing surface 144 lie in a circumferential plane that is parallel to an axis 104 of the joint assembly 100. Similarly, in this embodiment, each of the axially distal surface 116 and the axially distal surface 146 lie in a plane normal to an axis 104 of the joint assembly 100

(15) In this embodiment, the first component 110 has a first wall portion 111 having a thickness of 5 mm. This wall thickness is maintained across the axial extent of the first end portion 112. Similarly, the second component 140 has a second wall portion 141 having a thickness of 5 mm. An axial overlap 124 between each first end portion 112 and the corresponding second end portion 142 is 30 mm.

(16) At the first end portion 112, the thickness of the first end portion 112 increases from that of the first wall portion 111 (i.e. 5 mm in the present embodiment) to 15 mm at the distal end of the first end portion 112. Correspondingly, at the second end portion 142 the thickness of the second end portion 142 increases from that of the second wall portion 111 (i.e. 5 mm in the present embodiment) to a radial length 154 having a value of 20 mm at the fourth connection portion 130.

(17) In other arrangements, the thickness of the first and second wall portions 111,141, and the first and second end portions 112,142, together with the axial and radial overlaps 124,154 may take alternative values dependent upon loading and structural constraints.

(18) In use, the first end portion 110 of the first component 110 is aligned with the second end portion 142 of the second component 140.

(19) The first end portion 112 is slidably received radially inwardly of the second end portion 142, with the axially distal surface 116 of the first end portion 112 abutting against the axially distal surface 146 of the second end portion 142.

(20) In this configuration, the first location feature 122 is aligned with the third location feature 152 to form a first annular cavity 174, and the second location feature 132 is aligned with the fourth location feature 162 to form a second annular cavity 176.

(21) The first connection member 170 is receivable within the first annular cavity 174, and the second connection member 172 is receivable within the second annular cavity 176, to interlock the first component 110 to the second component 140.

(22) Referring to FIG. 2, a joint assembly according to a second embodiment of the disclosure is designated generally by the reference numeral 200. Features of the joint assembly 200 which correspond to those of the joint assembly 100 have been given corresponding reference numerals for ease of reference.

(23) The joint assembly 200 comprises an annular first end portion 212 of a first component 210, an annular second end portion 242 of a second component 240 a first resilient connection member 170, and a second resilient connection member 172.

(24) The first end portion 212 interconnects with the second end portion 242 in the same manner as that described above in respect of the first embodiment.

(25) Each first end portion 212 comprises a first location feature 222 on a radially outwardly facing surface 214 of the first end portion 212, and a second location feature 232 on an axially distally facing surface 216 of the first end portion 212.

(26) Each second end portion 242 comprises a third location feature 252 on a radially inwardly facing surface 244 of the second end portion 242, and a fourth location feature 262 on an axially distally facing surface 246 of the second end portion 242.

(27) In this embodiment, each of the radially outwardly facing surface 214 and the radially inwardly facing surface 244 lie in a circumferential plane that is inclined at an acute angle to an axis 104 of the joint assembly 200. The inclination of the circumferential plane may be selected dependent upon the applied loading to which the joint assembly 200 is to be subjected.

(28) In this embodiment, each of the axially distal surface 216 and the axially distal surface 246 are inclined at an acute angle to a plane normal to an axis 104 of the joint assembly 200. The selection of the angle of inclination of the axially distal surfaces 216,246 may be dependent upon the applied loading to which the joint assembly 200 is to be subjected.

(29) The foregoing description of various aspects of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person of skill in the art are included within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims.