Thrust deflecting device and aircraft engine

Abstract

A thrust deflecting device for deflecting a thrust stream is disclosed, which includes a flap system having a plurality of deflecting flaps, each of which is pivotable around its yaw axis, the flap system being situated between parallel control surfaces such as baffle plates which, together with the flap system, form a box structure, which is pivotable around a pivot axis running in the direction of the transverse axis for the purpose of deflecting the thrust stream in the pitch direction, an aircraft engine also being disclosed.

Claims

1. A thrust deflecting device for deflecting a thrust stream of an aircraft engine, the thrust deflecting device comprising: a housing of the aircraft engine; a flap system having a plurality of deflecting flaps, each deflecting flap pivotable around a yaw axis extending orthogonally with respect to a transverse axis of the thrust deflecting device; and two parallel baffle plates extending downstream from the housing, the flap system situated between the two parallel baffle plates, the two parallel baffle plates together with the flap system being pivotable around a pivot axis running in the direction of the transverse axis for the purpose of deflecting the thrust stream in a pitch direction.

2. The thrust deflecting device as recited in wherein the housing has a transition from a circular cross section to an angular outlet cross section.

3. The thrust deflecting device as recited in claim 1 wherein the deflecting flaps are situated evenly distributed on both sides of a longitudinal axis of the thrust deflecting device, and the deflecting flaps on one side are pivotable in the opposite direction from the deflecting flaps on the other side.

4. The thrust deflecting device as recited in claim 3 wherein adjustment of the deflecting flaps in the opposite direction takes place via a translational movement of an actuator.

5. The thrust deflecting device as recited in claim 4 wherein an adjustment of the deflecting flaps in the same direction takes place via a translational transverse movement of an actuating housing accommodating the actuator.

6. The thrust deflecting device as recited in claim 4 wherein the actuator is linked to a sliding plate movable in the actuating housing in the longitudinal direction and operatively connected to each of the deflecting flaps on one side via a lever mechanism, the lever mechanisms each including a pivot body pivotable around a vertical axis extending parallel to the yaw axis of the deflecting flaps, joint rods extending from the pivot body to each of the deflecting flaps.

7. The thrust deflecting device as recited in claim 6 wherein the joint rods are linked to arms extending downstream from a front area of the deflecting flaps.

8. An aircraft engine comprising the thrust deflecting device as recited in claim 1.

9. The thrust deflecting device as recited in claim 1 wherein the two parallel baffles plates are perpendicular to the plurality of deflecting flaps.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) One preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of schematic representations.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of an aircraft engine according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective detailed representation of a thrust deflecting device according to the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a top view of a flap system of the thrust deflecting device according to the present invention in a rest position; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a top view of the flap system in a working position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) According to the representation in FIG. 1, an aircraft engine 1 according to the present invention has a jacket housing 2, in which, for example, a fan 4 is situated on the inlet side, and a thrust deflecting device 6 according to the present invention for deflecting a thrust stream exiting aircraft engine 1 is situated on the outlet side. Thrust deflecting device 6 is located on an engine center axis m with its longitudinal axis x and is actuated with the aid of a motor drive, which is not shown.

(7) According to the individual representation in FIG. 2, the thrust deflecting device has a housing 8, including a front cylindrical housing section 10 and a rear rectangular housing section 12. Thrust deflecting device 6 is fastened to jacket housing 2 with the aid of front housing section 10, so that the thrust stream entering housing 8 is transferred from a circular cross section to an angular outlet cross section and, in particular, to a rectangular outlet cross section. Rear housing section 12 has a larger extension in the direction of a transverse axis y of thrust deflecting device 6 than in the direction of a yaw axis z of thrust deflecting device 6, so that rectangular or rear housing section 12 has a recumbent design in the horizontal orientation of the aircraft engine.

(8) In addition, thrust deflecting device 6 has two parallel baffle plates 14, 16. Baffle plates 14, 16 extend downstream from rear housing section 12 and have the same extension in the transverse direction as rear housing section 12. Baffle plates 14, 16 are spaced a distance apart in the vertical direction of thrust deflecting device 6.

(9) Thrust deflecting device 6 furthermore has a flap system 18. Flap system 18 is situated between baffle plates 14, 16 and, together with them, forms a box-like structure or rectangular nozzle. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, flap system 18 has five deflecting flaps 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b, which are spaced evenly apart in the transverse direction. Deflecting flaps 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b preferably do not project beyond baffle plates 14, 16 in the longitudinal direction but are situated entirely therebetween.

(10) As shown in FIG. 3, deflecting flaps 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b are each mounted between baffle plates 14, 16 and are pivotable around a yaw axis or rotation axis d extending in the vertical direction. In particular, flap system 18 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment has one inner deflecting flap 20 recumbently on longitudinal axis x, two lateral outer deflecting flaps 22a, 22b as well as two lateral middle deflecting flaps 24a, 24b situated between inner deflecting flap 20 and outer deflecting flaps 22a, 22b. Deflecting flaps 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b are spaced evenly apart in the transverse direction, the two outer deflecting flaps 22a, 22b effectively forming side walls of the box-like structure (see FIG. 2). Deflecting flaps 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b each have a wing-like profile having a leading edge or front edge 25 and a trailing edge or rear edge 26. Two adjacent deflecting flaps 20, 24a or 20, 24b or 24a, 22a or 24b, 22b each delimit a rectangular outlet partial cross section. The sum of the outlet partial cross sections forms the aforementioned rectangular outlet cross section of thrust deflecting device 6 or aircraft engine 1.

(11) To deflect or vectorize the thrust stream in the pitch direction, the box-like structure, which includes baffle plates 14, 16 and flap system 18, is pivotable around a pivot axis s running parallel to transverse axis y, as shown by the double arrow in FIG. 2.

(12) For the purpose of planar adjustment of the thrust stream and thus to change the outlet cross section or outlet partial cross sections and to deflect the thrust stream in the yaw direction, thrust deflecting device 6 has an adjusting device 28 for adjusting deflecting flaps 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b around their rotation axes d.

(13) As shown in FIG. 3, adjusting device 28 has an actuator 30, which is translationally movable in the longitudinal direction, is connected to the motor drive and acts upon a sliding plate 34 via an axial rod 32. Sliding plate 34 is situated in an actuating housing 36 and is mechanically operatively connected to deflecting flaps, 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b via lever mechanisms.

(14) The two lever mechanisms for activating lateral deflecting flaps 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b each include a pivot body 38, 40, which are situated opposite longitudinal axis x and are mounted in actuating housing 36, pivotable around a vertical axis v, which extends parallel to rotation axes d. Pivot bodies 38, 40 each have a triangular shape, including two legs of equal length, of which one leg is situated outside actuating housing 36 (outer leg) and the other leg is situated inside actuating housing 36 (inner leg). Vertical axis v is located at the point of intersection of these two legs.

(15) Two joint rods 42a, 42b, 44a, 44b on the outer legs of pivot bodies 38, 40 each extend to and are linked to one of lateral deflecting flaps 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b. For connecting joint rods 42a, 42b, 44a, 44b, deflecting flaps 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b each have one arm 46, which is fastened to a front deflecting flap area near leading edges 25 and extends downstream. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, arms 46 extend to fulcrums 43 of joint rods 42a, 42b, 44a, 44b.

(16) The inner leg of pivot bodies 38, 40 interacts with a guide pin 48 on the end. Guide pin 48 is guided in a guideway 50, 52 on the actuating housing side and extends through an aperture 54 of sliding plate 34, which is visible in FIG. 4. Guideways 50, 52 have a bow-shaped configuration, their convex sides facing each other.

(17) A lever mechanism for activating inner deflecting flap 20 is not apparent in the illustrated top view. A joint rod gripping arm 46 of inner deflecting flap 20 is thus also not apparent in the illustrated top view.

(18) During a translational movement of actuator 30 in the longitudinal direction, which is indicated by the straight double arrow in FIG. 3, sliding plate 34 is entrained, and pivot bodies 38, 40 are each pivoted around their vertical axis v. Depending on the direction of the translational movement of actuator 30, trailing edges 26 of lateral deflecting flaps 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b are rotated toward longitudinal axis x or rotated away from longitudinal axis x, as indicated by the curved double arrow. During a translational movement of actuator 30, lateral deflecting flaps 22a, 24a on one side are thus pivoted in the opposite direction from deflecting flaps 22b, 24b on the other side. The position of inner deflecting flap 20 remains unchanged. Adjusting trailing edges 26 in the opposite direction toward or away from longitudinal axis x reduces or increases the size of the outlet partial cross sections and thus adjusts the outlet cross section of thrust deflecting device 6.

(19) To deflect or vectorize the thrust stream in the yaw direction, actuating housing 36 is translationally moved in the transverse direction, as indicated by the double arrow in FIG. 4. Due to the translational transverse movement of actuating housing 36, and thus of pivot body 38, 40, trailing edges 26 of all deflecting flaps 20, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b are pivoted around their particular rotation axes d. Actuator 30 is entrained with sliding plate 34, due to its operative connection, a planar adjustment additionally taking place during the superimposition of this transverse movement by an actuator movement in the longitudinal direction.

(20) A thrust deflecting device for deflecting a thrust stream is disclosed, which includes a flap system having a plurality of deflecting flaps, each of which is pivotable around its yaw axis, the flap system being situated between parallel control surfaces which, together with the flap system, form a box structure, which is pivotable around a pivot axis running in the direction of the transverse axis, an aircraft engine also being disclosed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(21) 1 Aircraft engine 2 Jacket housing 4 Fan on the inlet side 6 Thrust deflecting device 8 Housing 10 Front housing section 12 Rear housing section 14 Baffle plate 16 Baffle plate 18 Flap system 20 Inner deflecting flap 22a, b Outer deflecting flap 24a, b Middle deflecting flap 25 Leading edge 26 Trailing edge 28 Adjusting device 30 Actuator 32 Axial rod 34 Sliding plate 36 Actuating housing 38 Pivot body 40 Pivot body 42a, b Joint rods 43 Fulcrums 44a, b Joint rods 46, 46 Arm 48 Guide pin 50 Guideway 52 Guideway 54 Aperture d Rotation axis/yaw axis of the deflection flaps m Aircraft engine center axis s Pivot axis v Vertical axis x Longitudinal axis y Transverse axis z Yaw axis