Thermal relief slot in sheet metal
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsGeorge J. Kramer, Paul A. Smith, Jr., Kenneth W. Froemming
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal relief slot is formed by including a lateral slot in each of three overlying sheet metal sheets with the upper and lower slots being in overlying position and the middle slot being axially spaced therefrom and the three sheets being bonded into an integral sheet metal sheet assembly except for the area extending over the relief slots. The edge of the upper and/or lower outer edges of adjacent the relief slots may be chamfered to prevent fraying of the edges. A two sheet assembly includes the relief slots axially spaced and two sheet metal sheets are bonded except for the area including and extending between the two relief slots.
Claims19
A sheet metal assembly being exposed to thermal stresses including a top sheet metal sheet, a bottom sheet metal sheet and a middle sheet metal sheet sandwiched between said top sheet and said bottom sheet, at lease one relief slot extending laterally into each of said top sheet, said middle sheet and said bottom sheet, the top relief slot and bottom relief slot being in vertical alignment, the relief slot in said middle sheet being axially spaced therefrom, said top sheet, said middle sheet and said bottom sheet being bonded to each other except in the area of each of the sheet metal sheets extending from the relief slot in said middle sheet and the relief slot in said top sheet and said bottom sheet whereby the portion of sheet metal adjacent each of said relief slots is capable of flexing relative to the remaining portion of the sheet metal and defining a labyrinth leakage path from said bottom sheet to said top sheet.
A sheet metal assembly being exposed to thermal stresses including a top sheet metal sheet and a bottom sheet metal, at lease one relief slots extending laterally into each of said top sheet and said bottom sheet, the top relief slot being axially spaced therefrom, said top sheet and said bottom sheet being bonded to each other except in the area of each of the sheet metal sheets extending from the relief slot in said top sheet to the relief slot in said bottom sheet whereby the portion of sheet metal adjacent each of said relief slots is capable of flexing relative to the remaining portion of the sheet metal and defining a labyrinth leakage path from said bottom sheet to said top sheet.
A sheet metal assembly being exposed to thermal stresses forming a seal in a vectoring nozzle of a gas turbine engine including a top sheet metal sheet, a bottom sheet metal sheet and a middle sheet metal sheet sandwiched between said top sheet and said bottom sheet, said sheet metal assembly being angularly bent to form a sealing surface and a cooling portion, at least one relief slot extending laterally into each of said top sheet, said middle sheet and said bottom sheet of said cooling portion, the top relief slot and bottom relief slot being in vertical alignment, the relief slot in said middle sheet being axially spaced therefrom, said top sheet, said middle sheet and said bottom sheet being bonded to each other except in the area of each of the sheet metal sheets extending from the relief slot in said middle sheet and the relief slot in said top sheet and said bottom sheet whereby the portion of sheet metal adjacent each of said relief slots is capable of flexing relative to the remaining portion of the sheet metal and defining a labyrinth leakage path from said bottom sheet to said top sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.