Fan blade composite ribs
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael A. Weisse, Kwan Hui
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fan blade has a blade body, a composite rib and a cover. The blade body extends from a blade root to an opposed blade tip along a longitudinal axis. The blade body defines a leading edge and a trailing edge. A first airfoil surface extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge A pocket is defined between the leading edge, the trailing edge, the blade root, and the blade tip. The pocket has a bottom surface that opposes the first airfoil surface across the blade body. The composite rib is disposed in the pocket. The cover is mounted to the composite rib and the blade body to form a second airfoil surface opposed to the first airfoil surface.
Claims15
A fan blade, comprising:
- a blade body extending from a blade root to an opposed blade tip along a longitudinal axis, wherein the blade body defines a leading edge and a trailing edge,
- a first airfoil surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and
- a pocket defined between a plurality of edges including, the leading edge, the trailing edge, a first edge at the blade root and a second edge at the blade tip,
- the pocket having a bottom surface that extends between the plurality of edges and faces an inside of the pocket, wherein the bottom surface opposes the first airfoil surface across the blade body;
- a cover mounted to the blade body to form a second airfoil surface opposed to the first airfoil surface, wherein the cover encloses the pocket, and
- a composite rib disposed in the pocket, wherein the composite rib includes a front surface and a back surface, the front surface being adhered to the bottom surface of the pocket and the back surface being adhered to the cover, and
- wherein the composite rib is cross shaped to define a first pair of edges facing the leading edge of the pocket and a second pair of edges facing the trailing edge of the pocket.
A fan blade, comprising:
- a blade body extending from a blade root to an opposed blade tip along a longitudinal axis, wherein the blade body defines a leading edge and a trailing edge,
- a first airfoil surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and
- a pocket defined between a plurality of edges including the leading edge, the trailing edge, a first edge at the blade root and a second edge at the blade tip,
- the pocket having a bottom surface that extends between the plurality of the edges and faces an inside of the pocket, wherein the bottom surface opposes the first airfoil surface across the blade body,
- a cover mounted to the composite rib and the blade body to form a second airfoil surface opposed to the first airfoil surface, wherein the cover encloses the pocket, and
- a composite rib disposed in the pocket, wherein the composite rib includes a front surface and a back surface, the front surface being adhered to the bottom surface of the pocket and the back surface being adhered to the cover, and
- wherein the composite rib is cross shaped to define a first pair of edges facing the leading edge of the pocket and a second pair of edges facing the trailing edge of the pocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.