Airfoil blade and method of assembly
AssigneeMestek, Inc.
InventorsJohn Bannish, Jim Monahan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airfoil blade assembly includes a first shell member having a body having a first lock seam formed at one end thereof and a free distal end opposite the first lock seam, and a second shell member having a body having and a second lock seam formed at one end thereof and an a free distal end opposite the second lock seam. The second shell member is inverted with respect to the first shell member. The free distal end of the first shell member is captured within the second lock seam of the second shell member and the free distal end of the second shell member is captured within the first lock seam of the first shell member to lock the blades to one another.
Claims17
An airfoil blade assembly, comprising:
- an upper shell member having an upper free distal end and an upper lock seam opposite the upper free distal end;
- a lower shell member having a lower free distal end and a lower lock seam opposite the lower free distal end;
- said upper shell member further comprising an upper end seam adjacent to said upper lock seam, and a first sealant bead disposed along a length of said upper shell member within said upper end seam;
- said lower shell member further comprising a lower end seam adjacent to said lower lock seam, and a second sealant bead disposed along a length of said lower shell member within said lower end seam;
- and
- wherein said lower shell member is invertedly disposed and connected to said upper shell member;
- wherein said upper shell member has a first central portion defined by a first long seam and a first short seam, and at least one upper corrugation rib between said first central portion and one end of said upper shell member;
- and said lower shell member has a second central portion defined between a second long seam and a second short seam, and at least one lower corrugation rib between said second central portion and one end of said lower shell member.
A damper assembly, comprising:
- a frame;
- an axle rotatably mounted to said frame;
- and
- an airfoil blade assembly operatively mounted to said axle;
- wherein said airfoil blade assembly includes an upper shell member and a lower shell member;
- wherein said upper shell member has a first central portion defined by a first long seam and a first short seam, and at least one upper corrugation rib between said first central portion and one end of said upper shell member;
- and said lower shell member has a second central portion defined between a second long seam and a second short seam, and at least one lower corrugation rib between said second central portion and one end of said lower shell member;
- and
- wherein said lower shell member is invertedly disposed and connected to said upper shell member.
A method for assembling an airfoil blade for a damper assembly, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming an upper shell member to include an upper free distal end and an upper lock seam;
- forming a lower shell member to include a lower free distal end and a lower lock seam;
- forming an upper end seam in said upper shell member adjacent to said upper lock seam, and forming a lower end seam in said lower shell member adjacent to said lower lock seam,
- disposing a first sealant bead along a length of said upper shell member within said upper end seam, and disposing a second sealant bead along a length of said lower shell member within said lower end seam;
- and
- invertedly disposing said lower shell member with said upper shell member;
- wherein said upper free distal end is received in said lower lock seam and said lower free distal end is received in said upper lock seam;
- wherein said upper shell member has a first central portion defined by a first long seam and a first short seam, and at least one upper corrugation rib between said first central portion and one end of said upper shell member;
- and said lower shell member has a second central portion defined between a second long seam and a second short seam, and at least one lower corrugation rib between said second central portion and one end of said lower shell member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.