Rohr, Inc.

Dennis E Lymons

Michael R Aten

Jeffrey W Moe

Roy E Cariola

Colin Roy Terrey

A cascade type thrust reverser for an air duct of a turbofan engine includes a lock mechanism mounted on a track beam that supports the translating sleeve. A locking portion of a lock member of the lock mechanism is engageable with a slider by which the translating sleeve is supported by the track beam to lock the translating sleeve in the forward, closed position.

Lock for the translating sleeve of a turbofan engine thrust reverser

A novel pivoting door thrust reverser which provides a nozzle for the exhaust of a bypass engine that ensures a smooth continuous flow path for the exhaust without leakage around the pivoted upper and lower reverser doors. The upper reverser door is provided with a pair of biased cooperating crescent shaped kicker members that are biased outwardly in a controlled movement when the doors are deployed to deflect the upper portion of the reversed exhaust efflux forwardly in a predetermined direction to avoid interference with the control surfaces of the aircraft. The lower reverser door is provided with pivoted splitter plates that are biased outwardly when the door is deployed to abut and form a unitary splitter element that divides the lower exhaust efflux into two portions that are directed forwardly and away from the inlet of the engine to preclude foreign object damage to the engine. The thrust reverser is lightweight, uses simple, inexpensive mechanisms, and operates in a very efficient manner when deployed as a thrust reverser and when stowed as an exhaust nozzle for the engine.

Pivoting door type thrust reverser with deployable members for efflux

An actuator and safety lock system for a pivoting door thrust reverser for an aircraft jet engine. An actuator having a plunger upon which an integral carriage is secured is slidably disposed upon a central guide rod which extends from the actuator. An over center link mechanism is pivotally secured to the carriage and to the thrust reverser doors so that upon movement from an extended position that locks the associated reverser doors in a locked position to a retracted position the doors are rotated to an open, deployed position. An actuator is positioned in each side beam of the fixed structure of a thrust reverser and provides a simple mechanism to operate a target type pivoting door thrust reverser and significantly reduces the bulk of such side beam and reduces the weight and aerodynamic drag of such side beam and contained mechanisms. A secondary lock system carried within each side beam provides pivoting latch members that cooperate with lock members provided at each corner of the forward end of each thrust reverser door to securely lock the thrust reverser doors in a stowed position. An actuator drives the latch members to an unlocked position to permit the lock members to be withdrawn when it is desired to deploy the doors. Proximity sensors are provided for each pair of latch members on each side beam to provide electrical signals representative of 'latch engaged' and 'door stowed' positions.

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El Cajon, CA, United States of America

Dennis E Lymons