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US 9,751,616 B1Granted
Methods and apparatus to retain a rotor blade
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAdrian Stanescu, Donald Thomas Powell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus to retain a rotor blade are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a rotor blade coupled to a rotatable hub of an engine system. The rotor blade includes a root, a flange and a blade. The root and the flange are disposed inside a cowling, and the blade is disposed outside of the cowling. The example apparatus also includes a retainer disposed inside the cowling adjacent the flange. The flange is to engage the retainer to retain the rotor blade with the engine system.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a rotor blade including a root having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a flange and a blade coupled to the second end of the root, the first end of the root coupled to a rotatable hub of an engine system via a pitch mechanism, the flange extending from the root between the first end and the second end, the root and the flange disposed inside a cowling, the blade disposed outside of the cowling, the flange including a first hook extending outward from a first side of the root and upward toward the cowling;
- and
- a retainer disposed inside the cowling adjacent the flange, the flange to engage the retainer to retain the rotor blade with the engine system.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a rotor blade to be coupled to an open fan engine system, the rotor blade including a root having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a flange and a blade coupled to the second end of the root, the first end of the root to be coupled to a pitch mechanism of the open fan engine system, a portion of the flange coupled to the root between the first end and the second end and extending away from a longitudinal axis of the rotor blade, the flange including a first hook extending outward from a side of the root and upward toward a cowling, the flange to engage a portion of the open fan engine system if a portion of the rotor blade including the flange moves toward the portion of the open fan engine system.
A method, comprising:
- coupling a first end of a root of a rotor blade to a rotatable hub and a pitch mechanism of an engine system, the root having a second end opposite the first end, the rotor blade including a flange disposed along the root between the first end and the second end, the flange including a first hook extending outward from a first side of the root and upward toward a rotatable cowling of the engine system;
- and
- disposing a retainer adjacent the flange such that if a portion of the rotor blade including the flange moves away from the rotatable hub, the flange engages the retainer to retain the rotor blade with the engine system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.