Wear pad for root of fan blade
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsRobert Andrew Love, Jiayuan Shen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wear pad assembly is provided for a root of a fan blade. The wear pad assembly includes a first tapered side piece including an edge and first and second ends, a second tapered side piece including an edge and first and second ends, a bottom piece extending between the respective edges of the first and second tapered side pieces and including first and second ends and first and second end pieces by which the respective first and second ends of the first and second tapered side pieces are connectable with the first and second ends of the bottom piece, respectively, to form a wear pad having a similar shape as the root.
Claims15
A wear pad assembly for a root of a fan blade, the wear pad assembly comprising prior to assembly to the root:
- an initial unitary component comprising:
- a first tapered side piece comprising an edge and first and second ends;
- a second tapered side piece comprising an edge and first and second ends;
- a bottom piece extending between the respective edges of the first and second tapered side pieces and comprising first and second ends;
- and
- a first end piece by which the first ends of the first and second tapered side pieces are connected with the first end of the bottom piece;
- and
- an additional component separate from the initial unitary component and comprising:
- a second end piece by which the second ends of the first and second tapered side pieces are connectable with the second end of the bottom piece,
- wherein the additional component is connectable with the initial unitary component to form a wear pad having a similar shape as the root.
(canceled)
A method of assembling a wear pad assembly for a root of a fan blade, the method comprising:
- forming a first partial wear pad having an open end and a closed end;
- forming a second partial wear pad;
- sliding the first partial wear pad over the root with the open end leading until the closed end impinges upon a first end of the root and the open end substantially aligns with a second end of the root opposite the first end of the root;
- and
- attaching, at the second end of the root, corresponding edges of the second partial wear pad to corresponding edges of the first partial wear pad to form a wear pad having a similar shape as the root,
- wherein the forming of the first partial wear pad is executed such that the first partial wear pad comprises:
- a first tapered side piece comprising an edge and first and second ends;
- a second tapered side piece comprising an edge and first and second ends;
- a bottom piece extending between the respective edges of the first and second tapered side pieces and comprising first and second ends;
- and
- a first end piece by which the first ends of the first and second tapered side pieces are connected with the first end of the bottom piece, and
- wherein the forming of the second partial wear pad is executed such that the second partial wear pad comprises a second end piece by which the second ends of the first and second tapered side pieces are connectable with the second end of the bottom piece.
(canceled)
15-20. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.