Patent ID: 9650991
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: F02K,F05D

Claim:
1. An apparatus installed on a turbofan engine, comprising: a support structure; a first petal hinged to said support structure; a first track attached to or integrally formed with said first petal, said first track comprising a first camming surface and a first inverted camming surface; a curved ring segment having first and second ends pivotably coupled to said support structure, said curved ring segment being pivotable back and forth between first and second angular positions; an actuator coupled to said support structure and to said curved ring segment so that said curved ring segment pivots from said first angular position to said second angular position when said actuator changes from a first state to a second state and pivots from said second angular position to said first angular position when said actuator changes from said second state to said first state; a first cam follower carried by said curved ring segment, said first cam follower being arranged to contact said first camming surface to exert an inward force on said first petal as said curved ring segment pivots from said first angular position to said second angular position; and a second cam follower carried by said curved ring segment, said second cam follower being arranged to contact said first inverted camming surface to exert an outward force on said first petal as said ring segment pivots from said second angular position to said first angular position.