US 12,618,499 B2Granted

Gimbals and their manufacture

AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc

InventorsAlok Gupta, Daniel J. Cousins, Andrea L. Ball

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A gimbal for connecting pipes having a core portion and at least one joint shield portion that surrounds the core portion. The core portion, which has a core portion internal surface and a core portion external surface, has at least two pipe engaging portions that are separated by at least one flexible portion, which has a flexible portion internal surface and a flexible portion external surface, and a plurality of joint cover portions. Each joint cover portion extends from the core portion external surface of the core portion to provide a protective cover for the flexible portion external surface of at least one flexible portion of the core portion and is pivotably connected to a least one joint shield portion. The shield portion is configured to provide a protective shield for at least one flexible portion of the core portion.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A gimbal for connecting pipes, the gimbal comprising:

a core portion that comprises (i) at least two pipe engaging portions that are separated by at least one flexible portion, and (ii) a plurality of joint cover portions that each extend from an external surface of the core portion and provide a protective cover for an external surface of the at least one flexible portion;
and
at least one joint shield portion that surrounds the core portion to provide a protective shield for the at least one flexible portion, and includes a plurality of pin portions that are integrally formed therewith as a single piece, wherein
each of the plurality of pin portions interlocks with a respective one of the plurality of joint cover portions to pivotably connect the at least one joint shield portion to the joint cover portions;
and
the core portion, including the joint cover portions, and the at least one joint shield portion, including the plurality of pin portions, are formed as a single unitary component by an additive layer manufacturing process.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/117,812Filed 10 Dec 2020
Priority: GB 191860717 Dec 2019
Published: US 2021/0180733 A117 Jun 2021
Granted: 5 May 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F16L 27/107
Comprising a flexible connection only: the ends of the pipe being interconnected by a flexible sleeve
F16L 27/111
The sleeve having the form of a bellows with multiple corrugations: the bellows being reinforced
B33Y 80/00
Products made by additive manufacturing
F16L 27/02
Adjustable joints; Joints allowing movement: universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes…