# US 10,309,434 B2 · Thrust reverser honeycomb panel load distribution systems and methods

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,309,434 B2
- Document ID: US10309434B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/087,531
- Filed: 2016-03-31
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31
- Assignees: The Boeing Company
- Applicants: The Boeing Company
- Inventors: Fedor Kleshchev; Kyle Thomas; Billy P. Tung; Michael Maffeo; Robert Shaun Farrell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309434B2

## CPC

- F16B 5/01: by means of fastening elements specially adapted for honeycomb panels
- B64D 27/12: within, or attached to, wings
- B64D 29/06: Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings
- F01D 25/243: {Flange connections; Bolting arrangements (F01D25/265 takes precedence)}
- F02C 7/20: Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep
- F02K 1/54: Nozzles having means for reversing jet thrust (reversing jet thrust using fluid jets F02K1/32)
- F02K 1/605: {the aft end of the engine cowling being movable to uncover openings for the reversed flow}
- F02K 1/766: {with blocking systems or locking devices; Arrangement of locking devices for thrust reversers}
- F16B 5/02: by means of fastening members using screw-thread ({F16B5/0004 takes precedence}; construction of screw-threaded connections F16B25/00 - F16B39/00)
- F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
- F05D 2230/60: Assembly methods
- F05D 2250/283: honeycomb
- F05D 2260/30: Retaining components in desired mutual position
- F05D 2260/31: Retaining bolts or nuts
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Provided is an aircraft propulsor thrust reverser with a fastening system. The fastening system may include a male spool and a female spool configured to be threaded into the male spool. The male spool and the female spool may be coupled to a honeycomb structure and may evenly distribute force to the honeycomb structure to prevent plastic deformation of a honeycomb core of the honeycomb structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An aircraft propulsor comprising:
a core engine; and
a thrust reverser comprising an inner wall located proximate the core engine, the inner wall comprising:
a honeycomb structure comprising a first facesheet, a second facesheet, a honeycomb core disposed between the first facesheet and the second facesheet, and an aperture, and
a fastening system disposed within the aperture, the fastening system comprising:
a male spool comprising:
a male through hole,
a male shank portion comprising an external threaded portion disposed on at least a first end of the male spool,
a male flange portion disposed on a second end of the male spool, coupled to the first facesheet, and configured to distribute load to the honeycomb structure, and
a male shoulder portion disposed between the male shank portion and the male flange portion and contacting a side of the first facesheet to transfer a first bearing load to the first facesheet; and
a female spool comprising:
a female through hole,
a female shank portion comprising an internal threaded portion disposed within the female through hole and on at least a first end of the female spool, wherein the female shank portion is coupled to the external threaded portion to fasten the male spool and the female spool to the honeycomb structure,
a female flange portion disposed on a second end of the female spool, coupled to the second facesheet, and configured to distribute load to the honeycomb structure, and
a female shoulder portion disposed between the female shank portion and the female flange portion and contacting a side of the second facesheet to transfer a second bearing load to the second facesheet.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the male spool and the female spool are mechanically fastened to the honeycomb structure without adhesives.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, the fastening system further comprising:
a bolt comprising a head and a shank and disposed through the male through hole and the female through hole; and
a nut fastened to the shank of the bolt, wherein at least one of the male flange portion and the female flange portion is configured to distribute load received from at least one of the bolt and the nut to the honeycomb structure, wherein at least one of the bolt and the nut is coupled to a portion of the aircraft propulsor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The aircraft propulsor of claim 3, wherein the bolt is not threaded into the male spool and the female spool.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the male spool and the female spool is configured to transfer a first force amount to the honeycomb structure; and
at least one of the male flange portion and the female flange portion is coupled to the honeycomb structure over a first area, wherein the first area is sized to transfer the first force amount such that the honeycomb core is not plastically deformed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An aircraft comprising the aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the aircraft comprises:
a fuselage;
a wing coupled to the fuselage; and
the aircraft propulsor coupled to at least one of the wing and the fuselage.

### Claim 7

A fastening system for an aircraft structure, the fastening system comprising:
a male spool comprising:
a male through hole,
a male shank portion comprising an external threaded portion disposed on at least a first end of the male spool,
a male flange portion disposed on a second end of the male spool and configured to couple to a first facesheet of a honeycomb structure and distribute load to the honeycomb structure when the male flange portion is coupled to the first facesheet, and
a male shoulder portion disposed between the male shank portion and the male flange portion and configured to contact a side of the first facesheet to transfer a first bearing load to the first facesheet; and
a female spool comprising:
a female through hole,
a female shank portion comprising an internal threaded portion disposed within the female through hole and on at least a first end of the female spool, wherein the female shank portion is configured to couple to the external threaded portion to fasten the male spool and the female spool to the honeycomb structure,
a female flange portion disposed on a second end of the female spool and configured to couple to a second facesheet of the honeycomb structure and distribute load to the honeycomb structure when the female flange portion is coupled to the second facesheet, and
a female shoulder portion disposed between the female shank portion and the female flange portion and configured to contact a side of the second facesheet to transfer a second bearing load to the second facesheet.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The fastening system of claim 7, wherein the male flange portion is wider than the male shoulder portion and the male shoulder portion is wider than the male shank portion, wherein the female flange portion is wider than the female shoulder portion, and wherein the male through hole comprises a first male through hole end, a second male through hole end, and a chamfer at the first male through hole end.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The fastening system of claim 7, wherein the male spool and the female spool are configured to be mechanically fastened to the honeycomb structure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The fastening system of claim 9, wherein the male spool and the female spool are configured to be mechanically fastened to the honeycomb structure without adhesives.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The fastening system of claim 9, the fastening system further comprising:
a bolt comprising a head and a shank and disposed through the male through hole and the female through hole; and
a nut fastened to the shank of the bolt.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The fastening system of claim 11, wherein the bolt is not threaded into the male spool and the female spool.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The fastening system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the male flange portion and the female flange portion is configured to distribute a clamp load received from at least one of the bolt and the nut to the honeycomb structure.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The fastening system of claim 9, further comprising the honeycomb structure, wherein the honeycomb structure comprises the first facesheet, the second facesheet, and a honeycomb core disposed between the first facesheet and the second facesheet.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The fastening system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the bolt and the nut is configured to couple to a secondary structure of an aircraft comprising the aircraft structure.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The fastening system of claim 7, wherein:
at least one of the male spool and the female spool is configured to transfer a first force amount to the honeycomb structure; and
at least one of the male flange portion and the female flange portion is configured to couple to the honeycomb structure over a first area, wherein the first area is sized to transfer the first force amount such that a honeycomb core of the honeymoon honeycomb structure is not plastically deformed.

### Claim 17 (depends on 7)

The fastening system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the male spool and the female spool comprises a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially similar to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the honeycomb structure and wherein the honeycomb structure comprises a first material, at least one of the male spool or the female spool comprises the first material, and first material comprises a metallic material or a composite material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The fastening system of claim 7, wherein the female spool further comprises a through hole shoulder disposed within the female through hole.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

An aircraft comprising the fastening system of claim 7, wherein the aircraft comprises:
a fuselage;
a wing coupled to the fuselage; and
an aircraft propulsor coupled to at least one of the wing and the fuselage and comprising a core engine and a thrust reverser, wherein the thrust reverser comprises an inner wall located proximate the core engine, the inner wall comprising:
a honeycomb structure comprising a first facesheet, a second facesheet, a honeycomb core disposed between the first facesheet and the second facesheet, and an aperture, and
the fastening system disposed within the aperture, wherein the male flange portion is coupled to the first facesheet and the female flange portion is coupled to the second facesheet, and the internal threaded portion is coupled to the external threaded portion to fasten the male spool and the female spool to the honeycomb structure.

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

A method of assembling the fastening system of claim 7, the method comprising:
coupling the male spool to the first facesheet of the honeycomb structure;
coupling the internal threaded portion and the external threaded portion;
fastening the male spool and the female spool to the honeycomb structure; and
coupling the female spool to the second facesheet of the honeycomb structure.