Patent ID: 8713910

Claim:
A system comprising: an engine assembly comprising a gas turbine engine having a core cowl, a nacelle structure surrounding the gas turbine engine, and a by-pass duct between the nacelle structure and the core cowl of the gas turbine engine; and an integrated thrust reverser/pylon sub-assembly adapted for mounting the engine assembly to an aircraft, the integrated thrust reverser/pylon assembly comprising: a pylon including opposed sidewalls, opposed integral slider tracks disposed on the opposed sidewalls, opposed guide members disposed on the opposed sidewalls and spaced apart from the integral slider tracks, hinge mounts disposed on the opposed sidewalls between the guide members and the integral slider tracks, at least first forward and aft mounting sites connecting the pylon to the gas turbine engine, at least second forward mounting sites adapted to connect the pylon to the nacelle structure, and at least one mounting site adapted for mounting the pylon to the aircraft; a translatable cowl comprising an arcuate body having radially inner and outer panels defining an internal cavity therebetween, the inner panels of the translatable cowl being supported by the slider tracks of the pylon and the outer panels of the translatable cowl being supported by the guide members of the pylon for translation of the translatable cowl between at least a forward, closed position and a rearward, deployed position; and an openable cascade structure comprising arcuate cascade segments that are each mounted in hinged relationship to the pylon with the hinge mounts, wherein the cascade structure is at least partially disposed within the internal cavity when the translatable cowl is in the closed position and exposed when the translatable cowl is in the deployed position; wherein the core cowl is disposed generally radially inward of the translatable cowl when the translatable cowl is in the forward position, and the core cowl includes at least one movable panel operable to close and open an opening in the core cowl; wherein the sidewalls of the pylon are convergent in a radially inward direction to a lower extremity thereof adjacent the core cowl and thereby provide an upper bifurcation having an inverted triangular cross-section within the by-pass duct of the, as turbine engine; and a track or rail, provided on a cascade support member disposed generally diametrically opposed to the pylon, to support and direct movement of the translatable cowl, wherein the track or rail does not extend into the by-pass duct; and wherein the by-pass duct does not comprise a lower bifurcation.