US 12,215,632 B2
Aircraft engine
Mark Spruce, Derby (GB)
Assigned to ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, (GB)
Filed by ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/384,640.
Application 18/384,640 is a continuation of application No. 17/980,230, filed on Nov. 3, 2022, granted, now 11,840,965.
Application 17/980,230 is a continuation of application No. 17/378,243, filed on Jul. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,525,408, issued on Dec. 13, 2022.
Application 17/378,243 is a continuation of application No. 17/062,272, filed on Oct. 2, 2020, granted, now 11,098,656, issued on Aug. 24, 2021.
Application 17/062,272 is a continuation of application No. 16/807,362, filed on Mar. 3, 2020, granted, now 10,815,901, issued on Oct. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1917760 (GB), filed on Dec. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0263587 A1, Aug. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. F02C 7/36 (2006.01); F16H 1/28 (2006.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01)
CPC F02C 7/36 (2013.01) [F16H 1/28 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02039 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprising:
an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor,
a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades; and
a gearbox arranged to receive an input from the core shaft and to output drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft, the gearbox being an epicyclic gearbox comprising:
a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the plurality of planet gears are mounted, the gearbox having an overall gear mesh stiffness,
and wherein:
a ratio of an overall gear mesh stiffness of the gearbox divided by a diameter of the gearbox is in a range from 8.75×108 N to 1.45×1010 N, the diameter of the gearbox being defined as the pitch circle diameter of the ring gear.