FLEXIBLE DUCTING SYSTEM INCLUDING AN ARTICULABLE SEALED JOINT
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Accused Products
Abstract
Aircraft including a powerplant mounted on an airframe and a rotor/wing rotatably mounted on the airframe. The rotor/wing has multiple blades extending outward from roots adjacent the airframe to tips opposite the roots and having internal conduits extending between inlets adjacent the roots and downstream outlets. The aircraft also includes multiple intermediate ducts having upstream ends including flanges and downstream ends slidably and pivotally connected to corresponding blade inlets. Moreover, the aircraft includes a manifold having an upstream end in fluid communication with the powerplant and multiple downstream ends including flanges connected to upstream ends of corresponding intermediate ducts. The aircraft further includes multiple covers connected to corresponding manifold flanges and covering corresponding intermediate duct flanges. The aircraft also includes multiple absorbers positioned between corresponding intermediate duct flanges and manifold flanges and between the intermediate duct flanges and corresponding covers to control movement of the intermediate duct flanges.
41 Citations
23 Claims
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1-12. -12. (canceled)
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13. An assembly including an articulable sealed joint connecting a first duct having a first flange extending outward adjacent an edge thereof and a second duct having a second flange extending outward therefrom, the assembly comprising:
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a cover connected to said first flange of the first duct and covering said second flange of the second duct; an absorber positioned between said first flange and said second flange and between said second flange and said cover allowing limited movement of said second flange with respect to the first flange and the cover; and a gasket positioned between said first flange and said absorber and between said first flange and said second flange. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An assembly comprising:
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a manifold having an upstream end and a plurality of downstream ends, each downstream end having a first annular flange; a plurality of ducts, each duct having upstream end with a second annular flange; and a plurality of articulable joints, each jointing connecting an upstream end of a corresponding duct to a corresponding downstream end of the manifold, each joint having a first side that contracts and an opposing second side that expands to allow the corresponding duct to assume a fully pivoted position;
each articulable joint including;a cover connected to the first flange of the corresponding manifold downstream end and covering the second flange of the corresponding duct; and an absorber positioned between the corresponding first and second flanges to cushion movement between the corresponding duct upstream end and manifold downstream end. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification