Torque tube bearing assembly
First Claim
1. A bearing assembly for use in a gas turbine engine to rotatably mount a torque tube in an access hole extending through a fan duct of the engine, said torque tube connecting a variable stator vane bell crank positioned inside the fan duct to an actuator positioned outside the fan duct, said bearing assembly comprising:
- a bearing adapted for mounting on the torque tube having a spherical external engagement surface; and
a housing having a flange adapted for mounting on the fan duct adjacent the access hole and an annular interior surface having an inner edge and an outer edge, said interior surface being sized and shaped for rotatably receiving the spherical external engagement surface of the bearing so the spherical engagement surface and the annular interior surface make contact along an annular contact area centered on a contact plane lying between said inner edge and said outer edge of the interior surface, said contact plane being tilted with respect to the flange at an angle greater than five degrees.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A bearing assembly for use in a gas turbine engine to rotatably mount a torque tube in an access hole extending through a fan duct. The torque tube connects a variable stator vane bell crank positioned inside the fan duct to an actuator positioned outside the fan duct. The bearing assembly includes a bearing having a spherical external engagement surface and a housing having a flange and an annular interior surface having an inner edge and an outer edge. The interior surface is sized and shaped for rotatably receiving the spherical external engagement surface of the bearing so the spherical engagement surface and the annular interior surface make contact along an annular contact area centered on a contact plane lying between the inner and outer edges. The contact plane is tilted with respect to the flange at an angle greater than five degrees.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A bearing assembly for use in a gas turbine engine to rotatably mount a torque tube in an access hole extending through a fan duct of the engine, said torque tube connecting a variable stator vane bell crank positioned inside the fan duct to an actuator positioned outside the fan duct, said bearing assembly comprising:
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a bearing adapted for mounting on the torque tube having a spherical external engagement surface; and
a housing having a flange adapted for mounting on the fan duct adjacent the access hole and an annular interior surface having an inner edge and an outer edge, said interior surface being sized and shaped for rotatably receiving the spherical external engagement surface of the bearing so the spherical engagement surface and the annular interior surface make contact along an annular contact area centered on a contact plane lying between said inner edge and said outer edge of the interior surface, said contact plane being tilted with respect to the flange at an angle greater than five degrees. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A torque tube assembly for use in a gas turbine engine to connect a variable stator vane bell crank positioned inside a fan duct of the engine to of a variable stator vane actuator positioned outside the fan duct, said torque tube assembly comprising:
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an elongate torque tube having an inner end adapted for connection to the variable stator vane bell crank, an outer end adapted for connection to the variable stator vane actuator, and a longitudinal axis extending between said inner end and said outer end;
a bearing mounted on the torque tube having a spherical external engagement surface; and
a housing having a flange adapted for mounting to the fan duct and an annular interior surface having an inner edge and an outer edge, said interior surface being sized and shaped for rotatably receiving the spherical external engagement surface of the bearing so that when the spherical engagement surface and the annular interior surface make contact along an annular contact area centered on a contact plane extending parallel to the outside edge of the interior surface of the housing, the torque tube axis extends at an angle measured from the flange of less than 85 degrees. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification