IP Library Granted Patent US 11,499,447
Granted Patent B2
US 11,499,447 · App. 16/743,520 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

Bearing support with frangible tabs

Inventors: Guy Lefebvre (St-Bruno-de-Montarville, CA); François Doyon (Ste-Julie, CA)
Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
F01D25/162F16C19/26F16C33/58F16C35/042F16C35/077F16C2360/23
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,499,447
App. No.
16/743,520
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gas turbine engine has: an engine shaft rotatable about a rotation axis; at least two bearings spaced apart from one another along the rotation axis, the at least two bearings having inner races for rotation with the engine shaft, outer races, and rolling elements disposed radially between the inner races and the outer races; a bearing support extending axially along the rotation axis from one of the at least two bearings to the other, the bearing support secured to both of the outer races of the at least two bearings, the bearing support secured to a structural case of the gas turbine engine via frangible tabs.

Claims (16)

1. A gas turbine engine comprising: an engine shaft rotatable about a rotation axis; at least two bearings spaced apart from one another along the rotation axis, the at least two bearings having inner races for rotation with the engine shaft, outer races, and rolling elements disposed radially between the inner races and the outer races; a bearing support extending axially along the rotation axis from one of the at least two bearings to the other, the bearing support secured to both of the outer races of the at least two bearings, the bearing support secured to a structural case of the gas turbine engine via frangible tabs.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the bearing support include at least two support members secured to each other via a web spanning a distance between the at least two bearings, each of the at least two support members secured to a respective one of the outer races of the at least two bearings, a stiffness of the at least two support members beinq greater than a stiffness of the web.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , having a bearing housing defining a bearing cavity therein, the at least two bearings and the frangible tabs located within the bearing cavity and radially inwardly of the bearing housing.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the bearing housing includes a fore section and an aft section, the bearing support defining a wall section, the frangible tabs extending radially from a web of the bearing support to the wall section, the wall section of the bearing support in abutment with both of to the fore and aft sections of the bearing housing.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the frangible tabs protrude radially outwardly from a web of the bearing support, the frangible tabs circumferentially distributed around the rotation axis.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the frangible tabs have stress concentrators.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the stress concentrators is an aperture defined through the frangible tabs.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the stress concentrators is a section of a corresponding one of the frangible tabs defining a local decrease in a dimension taken in a control direction.

9. The bearing support of claim 8 , wherein the control direction is an axial direction relative to the rotation axis.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the bearing support has an annular flange radially outwardly of the frangible tabs, the annular flange welded to a case of the gas turbine engine.

11. A method of decoupling outer races of at least two bearings rotatably supporting a shaft of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

supporting the outer races of the at least two bearings with a bearing support secured to both of the outer races, the at least two bearings having inner races rollingly engaged to the outer races, the inner races rotating with the shaft;

transmitting a load from the outer races to a structural casing the gas turbine engine via frangible tabs of the bearing support; and

upon the load exceeding a load threshold, decoupling the outer races of the at least two bearings by rupturing the frangible tabs of the bearing support.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein rupturing the frangible tabs includes breaking sections of the frangible tabs defining local decreases in a dimension taken in a control direction.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the load includes transmitting the load via an annular flange of the bearing support being welded to the structural casing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2020
From: LEFEBVRE, GUY; DOYON, FRANCOIS
To: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
Reel/Frame 051554/0134 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210215066A1 · Jul 15, 2021
Cited By (2)
US 12,503,960 US 12,624,647