Gimbals and their manufacture
A gimbal for connecting pipes having a core portion and at least one joint shield portion that surrounds the core portion. The core portion, which has a core portion internal surface and a core portion external surface, has at least two pipe engaging portions that are separated by at least one flexible portion, which has a flexible portion internal surface and a flexible portion external surface, and a plurality of joint cover portions. Each joint cover portion extends from the core portion external surface of the core portion to provide a protective cover for the flexible portion external surface of at least one flexible portion of the core portion and is pivotably connected to a least one joint shield portion. The shield portion is configured to provide a protective shield for at least one flexible portion of the core portion.
1 . A gimbal for connecting pipes, the gimbal comprising:
a core portion that comprises (i) at least two pipe engaging portions that are separated by at least one flexible portion, and (ii) a plurality of joint cover portions that each extend from an external surface of the core portion and provide a protective cover for an external surface of the at least one flexible portion; and
at least one joint shield portion that surrounds the core portion to provide a protective shield for the at least one flexible portion, and includes a plurality of pin portions that are integrally formed therewith as a single piece, wherein
each of the plurality of pin portions interlocks with a respective one of the plurality of joint cover portions to pivotably connect the at least one joint shield portion to the joint cover portions; and
the core portion, including the joint cover portions, and the at least one joint shield portion, including the plurality of pin portions, are formed as a single unitary component by an additive layer manufacturing process.
2 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the core portion, the pipe engaging portions, the at least one flexible portion, and the at least one joint shield portion is cylindrical in cross-section.
3 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the joint cover portions are equally spaced around the core portion.
4 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the core portion further comprises at least one core portion joint guard that provides protective cover for the at least one flexible portion.
5 . The gimbal of claim 4 , wherein the at least one core portion joint guard is configured to complement the configuration of a respective one of the joint cover portions to maximise protective cover for the at least one flexible portion.
6 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the at least one joint shield portion and the plurality of joint cover portions are configured to complement each other in order to maximise protective shielding for the at least one flexible portion of the gimbal.
7 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal has two to six of the joint cover portions and a single one of the joint shield portion.
8 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal has four of the joint cover portions, a single one of the joint shield portion, and the core portion has two of the pipe engaging portions and a single one of the at least one flexible portion.
9 . The gimbal of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the pipe engaging portions is elongated.
10 . The gimbal of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the pipe engaging portions is curved.
11 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal has four of the joint cover portions, a single one of the joint shield portion, and the core portion has three of the pipe engaging portions and a single one of the at least one flexible portion.
12 . The gimbal of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the pipe engaging portions is elongated.
13 . The gimbal of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the pipe engaging portions is curved.
14 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal has six to twelve of the joint cover portions, three of the joint shield portion, and the core portion has three of the pipe engaging portions and three of the flexible portion.
15 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal has at least one compartment containing vibration stress dampening material.
16 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein each of the joint cover portions has an aperture that receives a pin portion that extends inwardly from the joint shield portion so each of the joint cover portions is pivotable with respect to the joint shield portion.
17 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the pin portion extends integrally from an internal surface of the at least one joint shield portion to interlock each of the joint cover portions with the at least one joint shield portion.
18 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal is a one-piece gimbal.
19 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the core portion and the at least one joint shield portion are formed from a material selected from at least one of titanium, a titanium alloy, steel, a steel alloy, aluminium, an aluminium alloy, a nickel-based superalloy, and combinations thereof.
20 . The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pin portions interlocks with the respective one of the plurality of joint cover portions by extending through an aperture that is formed in the respective one of the plurality of joint cover portions.
21 . A gas turbine engine that includes at least one gimbal according to claim 1 .
22 . A method for manufacturing a gimbal, the method comprising forming a gimbal according to claim 1 by additive layer manufacturing.