Contoured retaining ring

{
  "publication_number": "US10215037B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Contoured retaining ring",
  "abstract": "A retaining ring assembly for a gas turbine engine may include a first engine component and a second engine component. A retaining ring may be disposed between the first engine component and the second engine component. The retaining ring may be circumferentially discontinuous and may include a first terminal portion having at least one of a tapered or a contoured geometry. A thickness of the retaining ring at the first terminal portion may be less than a thickness of the retaining ring away from the first terminal portion.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A retaining ring assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising: a first engine component; a second engine component; and a retaining ring disposed between the first engine component and the second engine component, wherein the retaining ring is circumferentially discontinuous and includes a first terminal portion having at least one of a tapered or a rounded geometry, a second terminal portion having at least one of a tapered or rounded geometry, a first gap between the first terminal portion and the first engine component, a second gap between the second terminal portion and the second engine component, and an opening defined between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion along an entire axial thickness of the retaining ring between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, wherein the first terminal portion is flush with the second engine component and the second terminal portion is flush with the first engine component.",
    "2. The retaining ring assembly of claim 1, wherein an axial thickness of the retaining ring at the first terminal portion is less than an axial thickness of the retaining ring away from the first terminal portion.",
    "3. The retaining ring assembly of claim 1, wherein the first terminal portion includes a rounded terminal edge.",
    "4. The retaining ring assembly of claim 1, wherein an axially inner surface of the retaining ring slopes away from the first engine component and toward a first terminal edge.",
    "5. The retaining ring assembly of claim 1, wherein an axially outer surface of the retaining ring slopes away from the second engine component and toward a second terminal edge.",
    "6. The retaining ring assembly of claim 5, wherein the axially outer surface of the retaining ring includes a curved slope.",
    "7. A rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine, comprising: a rotor disk; a rotor blade coupled to the rotor disk, the rotor disk configured to rotate about an axis; and a retaining ring assembly, comprising: a flange extending axially from the rotor disk, a cover plate disposed between the flange and the rotor disk, and a retaining ring disposed between the flange and the cover plate, wherein the retaining ring is circumferentially discontinuous and includes a first terminal portion having at least one of a tapered or a rounded geometry, a second terminal portion having at least one of a tapered or rounded geometry, a first gap between the first terminal portion and the flange, a second gap between the second terminal portion and the cover plate, and an opening defined between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion along an entire axial thickness of the retaining ring between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, wherein the first terminal portion is flush with the cover plate and the second terminal portion is flush with the flange.",
    "8. The rotor assembly of claim 7, wherein the first terminal portion includes a rounded terminal edge.",
    "9. The rotor assembly of claim 7, wherein an axial thickness of the retaining ring at the first terminal portion is less than an axial thickness of the retaining ring away from the first terminal portion.",
    "10. The rotor assembly of claim 7, wherein an axially inner surface of the retaining ring slopes away from the cover plate and toward a first terminal edge.",
    "11. The rotor assembly of claim 7, wherein an axially outer surface of the retaining ring slopes away from the flange and toward a second terminal edge.",
    "12. The rotor assembly of claim 11, wherein the axially outer surface of the retaining ring includes a curved slope.",
    "13. The rotor assembly of claim 7, wherein the cover plate is disposed circumferentially along a radially outward edge of the rotor disk.",
    "14. The rotor assembly of claim 7, wherein the rotor assembly is a part of a compressor section or a turbine section.",
    "15. A gas turbine engine, comprising: a turbine section including a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly comprising: a rotor disk, a rotor blade coupled to the rotor disk, the rotor disk configured to rotate about an axis, and a retaining ring assembly, the retaining ring assembly comprising: a flange extending axially from the rotor disk, a cover plate disposed between the flange and the rotor disk, and a retaining ring disposed between the flange and the cover plate, wherein the retaining ring is circumferentially discontinuous and includes a first terminal portion having at least one of a tapered or a rounded geometry, a second terminal portion having at least one of a tapered or rounded geometry, a first gap between the first terminal portion and the flange, a second gap between the second terminal portion and the cover plate, and an opening defined between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion along an entire axial thickness of the retaining ring between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, wherein the first terminal portion is flush with the cover plate and the second terminal portion is flush with the flange.",
    "16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein the first terminal portion includes a rounded terminal edge.",
    "17. The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein an axially inner surface of the retaining ring slopes away from the cover plate at the first terminal portion.",
    "18. The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein a thickness of the retaining ring at the first terminal portion is less than a thickness of the retaining ring away from the first terminal portion."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This disclosure was made with government support under contract No. N00019-02-C-3003 awarded by the United States Air Force. The government has certain rights in the disclosure.\n\nThe present disclosure relates to gas turbine engines, and, more specifically, to a retaining ring for a rotor cover plate.\n\nA gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section. In general, during operation, air is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section to generate hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases flow through the turbine section, which extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section and other gas turbine engine loads. The compressor section typically includes low pressure and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low pressure and high pressure turbines.\n\nThe compressor and turbine sections typically include a series of alternating rotors and stators. Turbine and compressor rotors may include a rotor disk and a plurality of circumferentially spaced turbine blades. Rotor disks may include cover plates attached thereto. Rotor disks cover plates may be subject to high radial forces. Further, cover plates may be subject to high stress at the contact surfaces of cover plates, which may reduce the performance and operating life of the cover plates.\n\nA retaining ring assembly for a gas turbine engine is provided. A retaining ring assembly may include a first engine component and a second engine component.",
  "cpc": [
    "F01D 5/3015",
    "F01D 11/006",
    "F05D 2220/32",
    "F05D 2240/20",
    "F05D 2260/30",
    "F05D 2260/941",
    "F16B 21/18"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F01D 11/00",
    "F01D 5/30",
    "F16B 21/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "United Technologies Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Joseph T. Caprario"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-05-13",
  "publication_date": "2019-02-26",
  "grant_date": "2019-02-26",
  "priority_date": "2016-05-13",
  "application_number": "US-201615154351-A",
  "family_id": "58213033",
  "cited_by_count": 4,
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}