Patent Description:
Gas turbine engine systems for modern aircraft often include a nacelle. The nacelle provides various functionalities such as reducing engine noise, providing a smooth surface for airflow through and around a gas turbine engine, thrust reversing capabilities, and the like. In certain situations, it may be desirable for two panels of the nacelle to be capable of relative rotation. For example, this may facilitate opening of a thrust reverser, opening of a fan cowl, or the like.

<CIT> discloses a guided fan cowl hinge. In various embodiments, the hinge assembly includes a forward hinge; an aft hinge spaced a distance in a longitudinal direction from the forward hinge; and a first intermediate hinge disposed between the forward hinge and the aft hinge, the first intermediate hinge including a first aperture and a first pin member extending in the longitudinal direction, the first aperture configured to receive the first pin member when the fan cowl is translated in the longitudinal direction with respect to the inboard fan cowl section.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gooseneck hinge assembly in accordance with claim <NUM> and a nacelle in accordance with claim <NUM>.

The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise and insofar as they fall within the scope of the appended claims. It should be understood, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting, the invention being defined exclusively by the appended claims.

The detailed description of various embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various embodiments by way of illustration. While these various embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventions, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical, chemical and mechanical changes may be made. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented.

Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option.

In various embodiments and with reference to <FIG>, an aircraft <NUM> may comprise a fuselage <NUM> and a pair of wings <NUM>. A propulsion system <NUM> (e.g., a turbofan gas turbine engine with a nacelle assembly) may be coupled to the aircraft <NUM> (e.g., mounted on the underside of a wing <NUM>). The propulsion system <NUM> may be configured to provide at least one of forward thrust or propulsion for the aircraft <NUM>.

In various embodiments, the propulsion system <NUM> may comprise an engine including a fan <NUM> and an engine core <NUM>, housed within a nacelle assembly <NUM>. With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the typical nacelle assembly, or more simply a nacelle assembly <NUM>, may comprise an inlet <NUM>, a fan cowl <NUM>, a thrust reverser <NUM>, and an exhaust system. The nacelle assembly <NUM> surrounds the engine core <NUM> providing smooth aerodynamic surfaces for airflow around and into the engine. The nacelle also helps define a bypass air duct through the propulsion system <NUM>.

The inlet <NUM> has a center <NUM> and a diameter <NUM> that extends through the center. The diameter of the inlet <NUM> may be, for example, between <NUM> inches (<NUM> meters (m)) and <NUM> inches (<NUM>), between <NUM> inches (<NUM>) and <NUM> inches (<NUM>), or about <NUM> inches (<NUM>). However, one skilled in the art will realize that any diameter <NUM> may be present without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments, the fan <NUM> may draw and direct a flow of air into and through the propulsion system <NUM>. After the fan <NUM>, the air is divided into two principal flow paths, one flow path through engine core <NUM> (i.e., a "core airflow"), and another flow path through a bypass air duct (i.e., a "bypass airflow"). The engine core flow path is directed into the engine core <NUM> and initially passes through a compressor that increases the air flow pressure, and then through a combustor where the air is mixed with fuel and ignited. The combustion of the fuel and air mixture causes a series of turbine blades at the rear of the engine core <NUM> to rotate, and to drive the engine's compressor and fan <NUM>. The highpressure exhaust gases from the combustion of the fuel and air mixture are thereafter directed through an exhaust system aft of the engine for thrust.

In various embodiments and with reference to <FIG>, a thrust reverser system <NUM> of the aircraft <NUM> may be included in the nacelle assembly <NUM> and may include a translating sleeve <NUM> and a cascade, or cascade array, <NUM>. The nacelle assembly <NUM> may include an axis <NUM>. The thrust reverser system <NUM> may also comprise an air diversion system that is configured to direct airflow in the bypass duct through the cascade to create reverse thrust. The air diversion system may be any suitable system including, for example, blocker doors, diversion doors, and/or the like.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG>, a gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> may be used between two panels (e.g., a first panel <NUM> and a second panel <NUM>) of a portion of the nacelle assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, such as the fan cowl <NUM> of <FIG> to allow rotation of a first panel relative to a second panel. In various embodiments, the gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> may be used between any two surfaces to facilitate rotation of a first surface relative to a second surface. Unlike conventional hinges, the gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> provides redundancy should a portion of the gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> become inoperable, as described below.

The gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> includes a first gooseneck hinge portion <NUM> and a second gooseneck hinge portion <NUM> which is a mirror image of the first gooseneck hinge portion <NUM>. Each of the portions <NUM>, <NUM> have a first end <NUM> and a second end <NUM> with a gooseneck curve <NUM> therebetween. The second end <NUM> defines an aperture <NUM> for receiving a pin <NUM>. The portions <NUM>, <NUM> may further define or include a flange <NUM> designed to be coupled to a surface. In various embodiments, the flange <NUM> may be located closer to the first end <NUM> than the second end <NUM>.

In various embodiments, the portions <NUM>, <NUM> may be coupled together. For example, the portions <NUM>, <NUM> may be coupled together via fasteners <NUM>, an adhesive, or any other fastening means capable of permanently or removably coupling the portions <NUM>, <NUM> together.

The gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> further includes a receiving attachment <NUM> that defines a U-shaped slot <NUM> extending along at least a portion thereof in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the portions <NUM>, <NUM>. The receiving attachment <NUM> may further include a flange <NUM> designed to be coupled to a surface.

As referenced above, the assembly <NUM> may be utilized in a nacelle. In that regard, the gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> may facilitate rotation of a first surface (such as a first panel <NUM>) relative to a second surface (such as a second panel <NUM>). The panels <NUM>, <NUM> may be, for example, composite panels used in a nacelle, such as in a fan cowl. In that regard, the first panel <NUM> may rotate away from the second panel <NUM> to provide access to an interior of the nacelle (e.g., where the assembly <NUM> is located) for various reasons.

The first ends <NUM> of the gooseneck hinge portions <NUM>, <NUM> may be coupled to the first panel <NUM>. For example, the first ends <NUM> may be coupled to the first panel <NUM> at the flanges <NUM>. In various embodiments, the first panel <NUM> may include a bump-up <NUM> onto which the flanges <NUM> are fastened, such as by use of fasteners or the like.

The receiving attachment <NUM> may be coupled to the second panel <NUM>, for example, by coupling the flange <NUM> to the second panel <NUM>. In various embodiments, the second panel <NUM> may include a bump-up <NUM> onto which the flange <NUM> is fastened, such as by use of fasteners or the like. In various embodiments, the bump-ups <NUM>, <NUM> may not be present.

The second ends <NUM> of the gooseneck hinge portions <NUM>, <NUM> are coupled to the receiving attachment <NUM> via the pin <NUM>. The second ends <NUM> of the gooseneck hinge portions <NUM>, <NUM> may be located in the U-shaped slot <NUM> such that the apertures <NUM> of the portions <NUM>, <NUM> align with apertures <NUM> of the receiving attachment <NUM>. The pin <NUM> is then inserted through the apertures <NUM> and <NUM> to rotatably couple the gooseneck hinge portions <NUM>, <NUM> to the receiving attachment <NUM>. Because the receiving attachment <NUM> is fastened to the second panel <NUM> and the gooseneck portions <NUM>, <NUM> are fastened to the first panel <NUM>, this rotatable coupling of the gooseneck portions <NUM>, <NUM> to the receiving attachment <NUM> thus rotatably couples the first panel <NUM> to the second panel <NUM>.

The gooseneck curves <NUM> result in the second ends <NUM> of the gooseneck portions <NUM>, <NUM> being received by the U-shaped slot <NUM> in response to the first panel <NUM> being rotated towards the second panel <NUM>. That is, in response to rotation of the first panel <NUM> towards the second panel <NUM>, a portion of the gooseneck portions <NUM>, <NUM> (e.g., a portion between the second ends <NUM> and the gooseneck curves <NUM>) may be received by the U-shaped slot <NUM>. In that regard, the gooseneck curves <NUM> result in the gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM> facilitating rotation of the first panel <NUM> relative to the second panel <NUM> without any portion of the first panel <NUM> or the second panel <NUM> being cut out to facilitate any hinge portion. This desirably increases surface coverage of the panels <NUM>, <NUM>.

In various embodiments, one or both of the gooseneck portions <NUM>, <NUM> may include a lightening hole <NUM>. The lightening hole <NUM> may extend through a portion or the entire area of the respective gooseneck portion <NUM>, <NUM>. The lightening hole <NUM> may reduce an amount of material present in the respective gooseneck portion <NUM>, <NUM>, thus desirably reducing a total weight of the gooseneck hinge assembly <NUM>.

Because the gooseneck portions <NUM>, <NUM> are provided as two portions rather than a single gooseneck portion, failure of one of the gooseneck portions <NUM>, <NUM> still allows rotation of the first panel <NUM> relative to the second panel <NUM> due to the remaining non-failed gooseneck portion <NUM>, <NUM>. This desirably provides redundancy in the case of a failed gooseneck portion <NUM>, <NUM>.

In the detailed description herein, references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "various embodiments", etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic.

Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent various functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the inventions. The scope of the inventions is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless explicitly so stated, but rather "one or more.

Claim 1:
A gooseneck hinge assembly (<NUM>), comprising:
a first gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>) having a first portion first end (<NUM>) configured to be coupled to a first surface (<NUM>), a first portion second end (<NUM>) having a first portion aperture (<NUM>) configured to receive a pin (<NUM>), and a first gooseneck curve (<NUM>) between the first portion first end (<NUM>) and the first portion second end (<NUM>);
a second gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>) being a mirror image of the first gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>) and having a second portion first end (<NUM>) configured to be coupled to the first surface (<NUM>), a second portion second end (<NUM>) having a second portion aperture (<NUM>) configured to receive the pin (<NUM>), and a second gooseneck curve (<NUM>) between the second portion first end (<NUM>) and the second portion second end (<NUM>); and
a receiving attachment (<NUM>) configured to be coupled to a second surface (<NUM>) and defining a U-shaped slot (<NUM>) for receiving the first portion second end (<NUM>) and the second portion second end (<NUM>) such that the pin (<NUM>) extends through the receiving attachment (<NUM>), the first portion aperture (<NUM>), and the second portion aperture (<NUM>) to rotatably couple the gooseneck hinge portions (<NUM>, <NUM>) to the receiving attachment (<NUM>), thereby rotatably coupling the first surface (<NUM>) to the second surface (<NUM>),
wherein the first gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>) defines a first portion flange (<NUM>) configured to extend parallel to the first surface (<NUM>) and to be coupled to the first surface (<NUM>), and the second gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>) defines a second portion flange (<NUM>) configured to extend away from the first portion flange (<NUM>), to extend parallel to the first surface (<NUM>), and to be coupled to the first surface (<NUM>),
wherein failure of one of the first gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>) and the second gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>) still allows rotation of the first surface (<NUM>) relative to the second surface (<NUM>) due to the remaining non-failed gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>, <NUM>), the remaining non-failed gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) being configured to provide redundancy in a case of a failed gooseneck hinge portion (<NUM>).