The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1998
Keven G Van Duyn, Bloomfield, CT (US);
United Technologies Corporation, Hartford, CT (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for supporting a rotatable shaft within a gas turbine engine during a high rotor imbalance condition includes a first bearing and a fixed support frame. One of the support frame or shaft includes a one-piece flange that has a first portion, a second portion and a failure region with a predetermined load capacity, which connects the first and second portion together. The bearing is radially disposed between the rotatable shaft and the fixed support frame, and is supported by the second portion of the flange. The bearing provides a load path between the fixed support frame and the rotatable shaft until a high rotor imbalance condition when the failure region fails in response to the application of loads that exceed the load capacity of the failure region. The failure of the failure region then provides for the separation of the first portion of the flange from the second portion and the elimination of the load path through the bearing.