# US 12,215,654 B2 · Cascade element for a thrust reverser system of an engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,654 B2 - Document ID: US12215654B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/005,344 - Filed: 2021-07-13 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-13 - Assignees: Facc AG - Applicants: Facc AG - Inventors: Ludwig Loretz; Andreas Hoellrigl; Guenter Nelboeck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215654B2 ## CPC - F02K 1/72: the aft end of the fan housing being movable to uncover openings in the fan housing for the reversed flow - 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} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines - F05D 2230/30: with deposition of material - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft - 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) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - 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 A cascade element for a thrust reverser system of an engine, more particularly a jet engine, comprises a number of mutually adjacent deflecting vanes for deflecting an air flow, at least one of the deflecting vanes being twisted about its longitudinal axis at least along a twist longitudinal portion, and an engine having a cascade element of this type and to a method for producing a cascade element of this type, wherein additive manufacturing is carried out. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cascade element for a thrust reverser system of an engine, comprising: a number of adjacently arranged deflecting blades for deflecting an airflow, wherein at least one of the deflecting blades is twisted about its longitudinal axis at least along a twisting longitudinal section, and wherein at least one deflecting blade comprises a bulge on an edge delimiting the deflecting blade in a direction of downward extent, so that a shape of the edge deviates from a straight line or, in the twisting longitudinal section, from a helix. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cascade element according to claim 1, wherein the adjacently arranged deflecting blades are connected to one another by at least two supporting walls, wherein in each case, two adjacent deflecting blades and two supporting walls form a fluid flow deflection channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cascade element according to claim 1, wherein the deflecting blades are curved with respect to an axis, which is defined by a spacing direction of the number of deflecting blades from one another, to adapt to a lateral surface of an engine nacelle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cascade element according to claim 3, wherein at least one deflecting blade comprises a wall thickness which changes in a direction of downward extent. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cascade element according to claim 4, wherein the wall thickness decreases in a direction of an airflow discharge direction of a thrust reverser system or the wall thickness decreases from a longitudinal line in both directions of the downward extent. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cascade element according to claim 1, wherein at least one deflecting blade comprises a curved cross section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cascade element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one deflecting blade is designed to be concave in a region of the bulge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cascade element according to claim 1, wherein the deflecting blade is designed in such a manner that a fluid flow flowing past the deflecting blade is deflected and/or bundled in a direction of a central line of the bulge. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cascade element according to claim 1, wherein at least one guiding rib is provided on at least one deflecting blade. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The cascade element according to claim 1, wherein the engine is a jet engine. ### Claim 11 An engine having a thrust reverser system, wherein the thrust reverser system comprises at least one cascade element, the cascade element comprising: a number of adjacently arranged deflecting blades for deflecting an airflow, wherein at least one of the deflecting blades is twisted about its longitudinal axis at least along a twisting longitudinal section, and wherein at least one deflecting blade comprises a bulge on an edge delimiting the deflecting blade in a direction of downward extent, so that a shape of the edge deviates from a straight line or, in the twisting longitudinal section, from a helix. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The engine according to claim 11, wherein the at least one cascade element comprises at least one first cascade element and one second cascade element, wherein the first and the second cascade element in a circumferential direction with respect to an engine axis are arranged adjacently, wherein at least one of the deflecting blades of the first cascade element is twisted in a first angular direction about a longitudinal axis of the same deflecting blade at least along the twisting longitudinal section, and at least one of the deflecting blades of the second cascade element is twisted in a second angular direction, which is opposite to the first angular direction, about the longitudinal axis of the same deflecting blade at least along the twisting longitudinal section. ### Claim 13 A method for producing a cascade element for a thrust reverser system of an engine, comprising: additive production of a number of adjacently arranged deflecting blades for deflecting an airflow, wherein at least one of the deflecting blades is constructed with a twist with respect to its longitudinal axis along a twisting longitudinal section, and wherein at least one deflecting blade is constructed with a bulge on an edge delimiting the deflecting blade in a direction of downward extent, so that a shape of the edge deviates from a straight line or, in the twisting longitudinal section, from a helix. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises: additive production of at least two supporting walls, using which adjacently arranged deflecting blades are connected to one another, wherein in each case two adjacent deflecting blades and two supporting walls form a fluid flow deflection channel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the additive production of the number of adjacently arranged deflecting blades and the additive production of at least two supporting walls takes place using at least one first print head and one second print head, wherein at least one supporting wall and one deflecting blade, which delimit a certain fluid flow deflection channel, are produced using the first print head, and at least one further supporting wall and one further deflecting blade, which delimit the certain fluid flow deflection channel, are produced using the second print head, wherein fibres used for additive production from the first print head and from the second print head are criss-crossed in an interwoven manner at least at one corner of the certain fluid flow deflection channel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the supporting wall, the deflecting blade, the further supporting wall and the further deflecting blade, which delimit the certain fluid flow deflection channel each comprise two layers, wherein the production of one of the two layers takes place using the first print head and the production of the other of the two layers takes place using the second print head. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the engine is a jet engine.