US 12,078,071 B1
Segmented compressor inner band for variable vanes in gas turbine engines
Joseph Bloom, Jr., Indianapolis, IN (US); Madeleine Eichenberg, Indianapolis, IN (US); and Ethan Counen, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Assigned to Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Feb. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/112,200.
Int. Cl. F01D 17/16 (2006.01); F01D 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 17/16 (2013.01) [F01D 11/005 (2013.01); F05D 2220/32 (2013.01); F05D 2230/60 (2013.01); F05D 2240/11 (2013.01); F05D 2240/128 (2013.01); F05D 2260/60 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A compressor assembly for a gas turbine engine, the compressor assembly comprising
an outer band that extends at least partway circumferentially around a central axis to define an outer boundary of a gas path of the compressor assembly,
a plurality of variable pitch vanes configured to vary a direction of a gas flowing through the gas path of the compressor assembly, each of the plurality of variable pitch vanes extends radially inward from the outer band relative to the central axis, and each of the plurality of variable pitch vanes being configured to rotate about a pitch axis that extends radially outward from the central axis and through the corresponding variable pitch vane included in the plurality of variable pitch vanes, and
an inner band that extends circumferentially at least partway about the central axis and receives a portion of each of the plurality of variable pitch vanes, the inner band including an inner ring segment formed to define a radially outwardly opening channel that extends circumferentially around the inner ring segment and a plurality of vane mount segments interlocked with the inner ring segment in the channel to define an inner boundary of the gas path of the compressor assembly, each vane mount segment included in the plurality of vane mount segments formed to include a bearing aperture that extends radially into the vane mount segment and receives a portion of a corresponding one of the variable pitch vanes included in the plurality of variable pitch vanes,
wherein each vane mount segment included in the plurality of vane mount segments is formed to define a circumferentially extending first groove and the inner ring segment includes a first tongue that extends axially into the first groove to interlock the vane mount segment with the inner ring segment,
wherein an entirety of the bearing aperture of each vane mount segment is located axially forward of an axial midpoint of the inner ring.