Patents by Inventor ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

ROLLS-ROYCE PLC has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130126141
    Abstract: A heat exchanger 302 comprising: an inlet manifold 304; an outlet manifold 306; and a tube matrix 310 comprising a plurality of tubes 308, each tube 308 being connected at one end to the inlet manifold 304 and at the other end to the outlet manifold 306; wherein each tube extends generally along a longitudinal axis defined between the connection of the tube 308 with the inlet manifold 304 and the connection of the tube 308 with the outlet manifold 306; and wherein a single portion 314 of each tube 308 is offset to one side of the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130125994
    Abstract: A swarf extraction device for use with a cutting machine, includes: a body having at least one conduit for receiving a flow of cutting fluid; a connector for connecting the conduit to a source of cutting fluid; a suction tube in fluid communication with the conduit, the suction tube having an suction inlet and a suction outlet; and a swarf outlet through which the swarf is ejected from the device, wherein the conduit is arranged to create a pressure drop at the suction tube inlet using the flow of cutting fluid when in use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130129501
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine having two components attached together via a stud retention arrangement. The stud retention arrangement includes a stud having a shaft and an integral collar that is located between two engagement sections. A recess and a groove are defined in one of the components and an anti-rotation element; the collar defines a retention surface and is located within the collar recess, the anti-rotation element is located within the groove and engages the retention surface to prevent rotation of the stud during assembly of the components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130129516
    Abstract: An aerofoil having a leading edge point within a leading edge region and a pressure surface with a profile wherein within the leading edge region the pressure surface profile has a local minimum. The local minimum reduces the loss which may be caused by high negative incidence on to the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Rolls-Royce PLC
  • Publication number: 20130124114
    Abstract: A method for determining a flow behavior of a medium uses at least one analysis device placed inside the medium. The at least one analysis device is freely moveable in the medium and supplies data characterizing at least one property of the medium flow behavior to a data evaluation device. The at least one property of the medium flow behavior is determined by the data evaluation device on the basis of the data in selected areas or in all areas through which the at least one analysis device flows with the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicants: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG, Rolls-Royce plc
  • Publication number: 20130122594
    Abstract: Determining a temperature experienced by a region of a component comprising the steps of: providing a component with a temperature sensitive detection material in a first state and exhibiting a first chemical characteristic prior to its exposure to a thermal environment; exposing the component to a thermal environment such that the detection material is converted to a different state in which at least one region of the detection material exhibits at least one chemical characteristic different to the first chemical characteristic; identifying at least one region of the component in which the detection material exhibits the at least one chemical characteristic which is different to the first chemical characteristic; and determining the temperature experienced by the component in the or each region by relating the detection material chemical characteristic in the or each region to a temperature value by reference to a correlation of detection material chemical characteristic and temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Rolls-Royce PLC
  • Publication number: 20130118915
    Abstract: This invention relates to a sacrificial anode, comprising: a first layer of a first material; and, a second layer of a second material which is electrically connected to the first layer, wherein the first material is more anodic with respect to a galvanic series than the second material. The invention also relates to a body including the sacrificial anode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130119612
    Abstract: A leaf seal is provided for effecting a seal between two coaxial, relatively rotating components. The leaf seal has a pair of annular packs of stacked leaves. Each pack is mountable to one of the components with its leaves extending towards the other component such that the leaf edges of at least one of the packs are presented for wiping contact with the other component. The packs are axially spaced from each other by a controlled axial clearance. Within each pack the leaves are stacked face-to-face such that neighbouring leaves are separated from each other by interleaf gaps which allow an axial leakage flow through the seal. Further, within each pack the packs are positioned such that, when viewed in the axial direction, the leaves of each pack of the pair substantially obscure the interleaf gaps of the other pack of the pair. The controlled axial clearance is the dominant flow restriction in the seal determining the amount of leakage flow through the seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Rolls-Royce PLC
  • Publication number: 20130119613
    Abstract: A leaf seal is provided for effecting a seal between two coaxial, relatively rotating components. The leaf seal has an annular pack of leaves which are stacked face-to-face within the pack, and which are mountable to one of the components at respective root portions of the leaves such that the leaves extend towards the other component and respective edges of the leaves are presented for wiping contact with the other component. The pack includes a plurality of spacers, each spacer separating the root portions of neighbouring leaves to form therebetween interleaf gaps which allow an axial leakage flow through the pack. The spacers are distributed around the pack such that the leaves are divided into blocks of two or more leaves sandwiched at their root portions between nearest-neighbour spacers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130111922
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine installation is provided that has a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) harness to transfer electrical signals, including electrical power, around a gas turbine engine. The FPCB harness is held to the gas turbine engine installation using clips. The clips have a jaw that has two sets of opposing teeth extending from a base, and a mouth through which the FPCB harness is inserted. The teeth point in a direction that has a component from the mouth to the teeth. This means that the force required to insert the FPCB harness into the clip is lower than the force required to pull the FPCB harness out of the clip in the opposite direction. This means that the FPCB harness can be secured in place whilst aiding ease of assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Rolls-Royce PLC
  • Publication number: 20130114236
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine installation is provided that has a plurality of flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) harnesses to transfer electrical signals, including electrical power, around a gas turbine engine. The plurality of FPCB harnesses is held to the gas turbine engine installation using clips that have at least two jaws. Each jaw has two sets of opposing teeth that do not intermesh, and cannot intermesh when pushed together. This allows more than one FPCB harness to be held by one clip without the risk of damaging the FPCB harnesses. Preventing the teeth from intermeshing also allows subsequent FPCB harnesses to be inserted into the clip without undue difficulty even after a first FPCB harness has already been inserted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130115126
    Abstract: A hot isostatic pressing tool includes a plurality of canister members and the hot isostatic pressing tool including at least one set of adjacent canister members. The plurality of canister members form a chamber to receive a powder material to be hot isostatically pressed. The at least one set of adjacent canister members have interlocking features forming a U-shaped, or a Z-shaped, leakage flow path between the at least one set of adjacent second canister members. The adjacent canister members are welded together to form a joint and the U-shaped, or Z-shaped, leakage flow path reduces the likelihood of failure of the welded joint during hot isostatic pressing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130115788
    Abstract: A connector is provided for joining two electrical harnesses. Each harness is formed from a flexible printed circuit board which provides a plurality of conductive tracks, and each harness has a substantially planar terminating region at which the conductive tracks of the harness fan out. One or more receiving holes are formed in each terminating region to extend to respective conductive tracks. Each receiving hole extends in a direction substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the respective terminating region. When in use, the connector includes a connection formation between respective terminating regions of the two electrical harnesses. The connector further includes a housing configured to hold the respective terminating regions of the two electrical harnesses in face-to-face relationship with the connection formation. The housing has one or more apertures through which the harnesses can exit the housing as they extend away from their terminating regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130112474
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an electrical harness formed from a flexible printed circuit board which provides a plurality of spaced conductive tracks. The conductive tracks are grouped into plural layers of tracks, the track layers being spaced apart and extending substantially parallel to each other. The tracks of each track layer form respective circuits which all have impedances lying within a respective range for that track layer. The impedances ranges are non-overlapping. The highest voltage differentials between tracks produced during indirect lightning strikes will thus tend to be between tracks of different track layers rather than between tracks of the same track layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130115127
    Abstract: A hot isostatic pressing tool comprises a canister and a support structure. The canister forming an annular chamber to receive a powder material to be hot isostatically pressed, the annular chamber having an annular portion having a predetermined radial dimension and at least one annular sub portion at a predetermined axial position having a radial dimension greater than the predetermined radial dimension. The support structure comprising at least one annular member arranged radially within the canister. The at least one annular member is located radially within the at least one annular sub portion of the annular chamber to support the canister at the predetermined axial position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130111924
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine installation is provided that has a plurality of flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) harnesses to transfer electrical signals, including electrical power, around a gas turbine engine. The plurality of FPCB harnesses is held to the gas turbine engine installation using generally U-shaped clips that have a base from which first and second sidewalls extend. The FPCB harness is held between the tips of base-teeth extending from the base, and side-teeth extending from the first and second sidewalls. In this way, the FPCB harness can be held securely in position by the clip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130114220
    Abstract: An electrical harness is formed from a flexible printed circuit board which provides a plurality of conductive tracks. The harness has one or more harness connectors at respective terminating regions of the flexible printed circuit board for joining the harness to complementary connectors. The or each harness connector includes a back-shell and one or more elongate terminals which are supported at a position within the back-shell such that, in use, when the harness connector joins with a complementary connector, the elongate terminals are presented for electrical connect at first ends thereof with mating terminals of the complementary connector. The or each terminating region of the harness has one or more receiving holes extending to respective conductive tracks of the harness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130111872
    Abstract: An aircraft gas turbine engine has first and second electrical harnesses formed from respective first and second flexible printed circuit boards which each provides a plurality of spaced conductive tracks. The conductive tracks carry signal types which either (i) provide engine control and can cause hazardous engine conditions in the event of their failure, (ii) detect or prevent hazardous conditions of the engine, or (iii) are not of type (i) and/or of type (ii). The first flexible printed circuit board provides all the conductive tracks which carry signals of type (i) or the first flexible printed circuit board provides all the conductive tracks which carry signals of type (ii). The second flexible printed circuit board provides all the remaining conductive tracks. The first electrical harness is fire-resistant for a period of five minutes without any exposure of its conductive tracks so that the conductive tracks can carry their signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130101434
    Abstract: A support ring for a rotary assembly such as a propeller assembly includes support cups for receiving blade roots of propeller blades. The support cups are interconnected by bridging structures. Each bridging structure includes bridging walls which extend radially from a bridging web. The bridging structures thus have a channel-shaped cross-section. The bridging walls have a scalloped configuration at their radially outer edges. As a result of this configuration, the neutral axes of the bridging structures are straight, so that the support ring behaves, in structural terms, as a polygon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
  • Publication number: 20130101392
    Abstract: This invention relates to an aircraft comprising: a first propulsive unit having a first fan with an axis of rotation; and a second propulsive unit local to the first propulsive unit, the second propulsive unit having a second fan with an axis of rotation, wherein the rotational axis of the first fan is proximate to the surface of the aircraft relative to the rotational axis of the second fan such that the first fan ingests boundary layer air when in use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC