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:
Dec. 12, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1999
Ching-Pang Lee, Cincinnati, OH (US);
George A Durgin, West Chester, OH (US);
James H Laflen, Loveland, OH (US);
Steven R Brassfield, Cincinnati, OH (US);
General Electric Company, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a gas turbine engine blade having a dovetail, a shank extending radially outward from the dovetail, and a platform joined to the shank. An inner surface of the platform faces radially inwardly and an opposite outer surface of the platform faces radially outwardly. An airfoil extends radially outwardly from the platform and has pressure and suction airfoil sides that define pressure and suction blade sides of the blade. The platform extends axially between leading and trailing platform edges and transversely between pressure and suction side platform edges of the platform. At least one transversely extending bracing rib is in a corner of the shank and the platform between one of the blade sides and the inner surface of the platform. The preferred embodiment further includes the bracing rib, the shank, and the platform being integrally cast. The bracing rib is preferably wider along the platform and the shank than at a distal edge of the rib. In one embodiment this may is accomplished with fillets in triangular corners formed by the rib, platform, and shank. The rib, preferably, includes tapered rib sides that are tapered in a radially inwardly direction away from the platform and in the transverse direction away from the shank. The rib is preferably on the pressure side of the blade.