Aircraft engine nacelle with translating inlet cowl
AssigneeRohr, Inc.
InventorsMichael Patrick McDonough, Keith Towers Brown, Scott Gilzean
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nacelle for a turbofan aircraft engine having a fan case with a fan case forward edge includes an inlet inner barrel having an inner barrel forward edge and an inner barrel aft edge. The inner barrel aft edge is configured to be affixed to the fan case forward edge in a stationary position on the engine. The nacelle also includes a translating inlet cowl having an inlet lip with an aft inlet lip edge and an outer skin with rear edge. The translating inlet cowl is configured to be movably attached to one or more stationary portions of the engine such that the inlet cowl is selectively movable between a stowed flight position and an extended service position.
Claims26
A nacelle for a turbofan aircraft engine having a fan case with a fan case forward edge, the nacelle comprising:
- (a) an inlet inner barrel having an inner barrel forward edge and an inner barrel aft edge, the inner barrel aft edge being configured to be affixed to the fan case forward edge in a stationary position on the engine;
- (b) a translating inlet cowl having an inlet lip with an aft inlet lip edge and an outer skin with rear edge;
- (c) wherein the translating inlet cowl is configured to be movably attached to one or more stationary portions of the engine such that the inlet cowl is selectively movable between a stowed flight position and an extended service position.
A nacelle for an aircraft turbofan engine having a fan case with a fan case forward edge, the nacelle comprising:
- (a) a translating inlet cowl comprising an inlet lip with an inlet lip aft inner edge and an outer skin with a rear edge;
- (b) a stationary aft nacelle portion including a front outer edge;
- (c) an inlet inner barrel having an inlet inner barrel forward edge and an inlet inner barrel aft edge, wherein the inlet inner barrel aft edge is configured to be affixed to the fan case forward edge in a stationary position;
- and
- (d) wherein the translating inlet cowl is movable between a stowed flight position and an extended service position, wherein the inlet lip aft inner edge is adjacent to the inlet inner barrel forward edge when the translating inlet cowl portion is in the stowed flight position, and wherein a service opening is formed between the rear edge of the outer skin and the front edge of the aft nacelle portion when the translating inlet cowl is in the extended service position.
A nacelle for a turbofan aircraft engine having a fan case, the nacelle comprising:
- (a) a translating inlet cowl;
- and
- (b) a support beam affixed to the engine fan case;
- (c) wherein the support beam substantially supports the translating inlet cowl on the engine, and is configured to permit the translating inlet cowl to be selectively translated between a stowed flight position and an extended service position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.