Flexible sleeve for adjustable fan duct nozzle

Abstract

A ducted fan housing for directing a duct flow includes an annular cowling and an adjustable fan duct nozzle. The nozzle includes a flexible sleeve having rigid areas arranged circumferentially around the nozzle orifice and connected by flexible areas so as to form a unitary sleeve structure. The rigid areas are radially moveable between a normal configuration in which the orifice is smaller and a dilated configuration in which the orifice is larger. A drive mechanism uses drive elements to move at least some of the rigid areas between the configurations to adjust the size of the orifice. The rigid areas may be constructed from laminated graphite and epoxy, and the flexible areas may be constructed from laminated graphite and soft resin. If the housing includes a thrust reverser, then a flexible joint area extends circumferentially around the housing and connects the flexible sleeve to a thrust reverser cowl.

Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: 
     
         1 . A ducted fan housing for directing a duct flow generated by a fan in a rearward direction, the ducted fan housing comprising:
 an annular cowling having an aft end and surrounding the fan and extending rearwardly of the fan to the aft end, and configured to fluidly engage the duct flow; and   an adjustable fan duct nozzle located at the aft end of the annular cowling and configured to fluidly engage the duct flow from the annular cowling, the adjustable fan duct nozzle including—
 a flexible sleeve including a plurality of rigid areas arranged circumferentially around a nozzle orifice and connected by flexible areas so as to form a unitary sleeve structure, with the rigid areas being radially moveable between a normal configuration in which the nozzle orifice is smaller and a dilated configuration in which the nozzle orifice is larger, and 
 a drive mechanism configured to move at least some of the plurality of rigid areas between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration so as to adjust the nozzle orifice and thereby control the duct flow passing through the adjustable fan duct nozzle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible areas flex so as to remain continuously connected to the rigid areas in both the normal configuration and the dilated configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid areas are constructed at least in part from laminated graphite and epoxy. 
     
     
         4 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible areas are constructed at least in part from laminated graphite and soft resin. 
     
     
         5 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rigid areas include drive areas arranged alternatingly with driven areas, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to move the drive areas, and the drive areas are configured to move the driven areas, between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration so as to adjust the nozzle orifice and thereby control the duct flow passing through the adjustable fan duct nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism includes one or more drive elements attached to the at least some of the plurality of rigid areas and configured to transfer a drive force to move the at least some of the plurality of rigid areas between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 6 , wherein each drive element includes an axially extending lever pivotally attached to a bracket. 
     
     
         8 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 7 , wherein each drive element includes a cam configured to transfer the drive force to the axially extending lever. 
     
     
         9 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 6 , wherein each drive element is constructed at least in part from a shape memory alloy material. 
     
     
         10 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of rigid areas are naturally biased toward the dilated configuration, such that the at least some of the plurality of rigid areas are naturally urged toward the dilated configuration when placed in the normal configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of rigid areas are naturally biased toward the normal configuration, such that the at least some of the plurality of rigid areas are naturally urged toward the normal configuration when placed in the dilated configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 1 , wherein—
 the ducted fan housing further includes a thrust reverser; 
 the annular cowling further includes a rigid inner acoustic panel and a rigid outer thrust reverser cowl; and 
 the flexible sleeve further includes a flexible joint area extending circumferentially around the ducted fan housing and connecting the flexible sleeve to the thrust reverser cowl so as to allow independent deployment of the thrust reverser and adjustment of the nozzle orifice, wherein each of the inner acoustic panel and the thrust reverser cowl includes the rigid areas and the flexible areas which allow for adjusting the nozzle orifice. 
 
     
     
         13 . A ducted fan housing for directing a duct flow generated by a fan of an aircraft engine in a rearward direction, the ducted fan housing comprising:
 an annular cowling having an aft end and surrounding the fan and extending rearwardly of the fan to the aft end, and configured to fluidly engage the duct flow; and   an adjustable fan duct nozzle located at the aft end of the annular cowling and configured to fluidly engage the duct flow from the annular cowling, the adjustable fan duct nozzle including—
 a flexible sleeve including a plurality of rigid areas arranged circumferentially around a nozzle orifice and connected by flexible areas so as to form a unitary sleeve structure, with the rigid areas being radially moveable between a normal configuration in which the nozzle orifice is smaller and a dilated configuration in which the nozzle orifice is larger, wherein the plurality of rigid areas include drive areas arranged alternatingly with driven areas, and wherein the flexible areas flex so as to remain continuously connected to the rigid areas in both the normal configuration and the dilated configuration, and 
 a drive mechanism configured to move the drive areas, and the drive areas are configured to move the driven areas, between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration so as to adjust the nozzle orifice and thereby control the duct flow passing through the adjustable fan duct nozzle. 
   
     
     
         14 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 13 , wherein the rigid areas are constructed at least in part from laminated graphite and epoxy, and the flexible areas are constructed at least in part from laminated graphite and soft resin. 
     
     
         15 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 13 , wherein the drive mechanism includes one or more drive elements attached to the drive areas and configured to transfer a drive force to move the drive areas between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration, wherein each drive element includes an axially extending lever pivotally attached to a bracket, and a configured to transfer the drive force to the axially extending lever. 
     
     
         16 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 13 , wherein the drive mechanism includes one or more drive elements attached to the drive areas and configured to transfer a drive force to move the drive areas between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration, wherein each drive element is constructed at least in part from a shape memory alloy material. 
     
     
         17 . A ducted fan housing for directing a duct flow generated by a fan of an aircraft engine in a rearward direction, the ducted fan housing comprising:
 a thrust reverser;   an annular cowling having an aft end and surrounding the fan and extending rearwardly of the fan to the aft end, and configured to fluidly engage the duct flow, the annular cowling including a rigid inner acoustic panel and a rigid outer thrust reverser cowl; and   an adjustable fan duct nozzle located at the aft end of the annular cowling and configured to fluidly engage the duct flow from the annular cowling, the adjustable fan duct nozzle including—
 a flexible sleeve including—
 a first plurality of rigid areas for the inner acoustic panel and a second plurality of rigid areas for the thrust reverser cowl, with each of the first and second plurality of rigid areas arranged circumferentially around a nozzle orifice and connected by flexible areas so as to form a unitary sleeve structure, with the first and second pluralities of rigid areas being radially moveable between a normal configuration in which the nozzle orifice is smaller and a dilated configuration in which the nozzle orifice is larger, and 
 a flexible joint area extending circumferentially around the ducted fan housing and connecting the flexible sleeve to the thrust reverser cowl so as to allow independent deployment of the thrust reverser and adjustment of the nozzle orifice, and 
 
 a drive mechanism configured to move at least some of the rigid areas of the first and second pluralities of rigid areas between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration so as to adjust the nozzle orifice and thereby control the duct flow passing through the adjustable fan duct nozzle. 
   
     
     
         18 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 17 , wherein the rigid areas are constructed at least in part from laminated graphite and epoxy, and the flexible areas are constructed at least in part from laminated graphite and soft resin. 
     
     
         19 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 17 , wherein the drive mechanism includes one or more drive elements attached to the drive areas and configured to transfer a drive force to move the drive areas between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration, wherein each drive element includes an axially extending lever pivotally attached to a bracket, and a configured to transfer the drive force to the axially extending lever. 
     
     
         20 . The ducted fan housing of  claim 17 , wherein the drive mechanism includes one or more drive elements attached to the drive areas and configured to transfer a drive force to move the drive areas between the normal configuration and the dilated configuration, wherein each drive element is constructed at least in part from a shape memory alloy material.