초록 ▼

A bearing plate assembly for a turbine engine fuel injector includes a bearing plate 30, with an opening 80 bordered by a race 82. A swivel ball 90 nests inside the race and is rotatable relative thereto. A lock, which may be a tip bushing 108 resists disengagement of the swivel ball from the race.

A bearing plate assembly for a turbine engine fuel injector includes a bearing plate 30, with an opening 80 bordered by a race 82. A swivel ball 90 nests inside the race and is rotatable relative thereto. A lock, which may be a tip bushing 108 resists disengagement of the swivel ball from the race. A fuel injector nozzle 38 extends through an opening 98 in the swivel ball. During engine operation, the ball can swivel inside the race to accommodate rotational movement of the nozzle about lateral and radial axes.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A bearing plate assembly, comprising: a bearing plate having an opening penetrating therethrough, the opening being bordered by a race having an inner surface with a curved profile;a swivel ball nested inside the race, the swivel ball having a curved profile of the same shape as the inner surface

1. A bearing plate assembly, comprising: a bearing plate having an opening penetrating therethrough, the opening being bordered by a race having an inner surface with a curved profile;a swivel ball nested inside the race, the swivel ball having a curved profile of the same shape as the inner surface of the race; anda lock for resisting disengagement of the swivel ball from the race, wherein the lock defines an inner peripheral surface that is configured to engage an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion of a fuel injector nozzle for a gas turbine engine. 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the curved profiles is spherical. 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the race includes loading slots for receiving the swivel ball during assembly. 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises a bushing circumscribed by the swivel ball. 5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises a ring secured to the bearing plate. 6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing plate includes tabs to facilitate attachment of the bearing plate to an air swirler. 7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the swivel ball is asymmetric. 8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the swivel ball has an opening extending therethrough, the opening circumscribing an axis, the swivel ball also having a forward end, an aft end and a spherical outer surface having a center and wherein the spherical outer surface extends a first axial distance forward of a plane that is perpendicular to the axis and passes through a center of the spherical outer surface and wherein the spherical outer surface extends a second axial distance aft of the plane and wherein the second axial distance exceeds the first axial distance. 9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises a bushing extending from a forward end to an aft end, and wherein the aft end of the bushing comprises a deformed end that grips an aft portion of the swivel ball. 10. A bearing plate assembly, comprising: a bearing plate having an opening penetrating therethrough, the opening being bordered by a race having an inner surface with a curved profile;a swivel ball nested inside the race, the swivel ball having a curved profile of the same shape as the inner surface of the race; anda lock for resisting disengagement of the swivel ball from the race wherein the lock comprises a bushing circumscribed by the swivel ball, and wherein the race includes loading slots, and one end of the bushing has at least one ear residing in one of the loading slots, another end of the bushing being deformed to grasp the swivel ball. 11. A bearing plate for a fuel injector assembly for a gas turbine engine, the bearing plate including an opening extending therethrough and bordered by a race that seats a fuel nozzle swivel ball, the race having a spherical inner surface that comprises a swivel ball engagement surface, and the bearing plate comprising radially projecting tabs. 12. The bearing plate of claim 11 comprising a plate body with an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge that defines the opening, and wherein the opening defines a center axis, and wherein the tabs comprise a plurality of discrete tabs that extend radially outwardly beyond the outer peripheral edge and are circumferentially spaced apart from each other about the center axis, and wherein the tabs are configured to locate the bearing plate relative to a swirler. 13. The bearing plate of claim 11 wherein the radially projecting tabs are circumferentially spaced apart from each other about a center axis of the bearing plate. 14. A bearing plate for a fuel injector assembly for a gas turbine engine, the bearing plate including a loading slot and an opening extending therethrough and bordered by a race to seat a fuel nozzle swivel ball, the race having a spherical inner surface that comprises a swivel ball engagement surface, and the bearing plate comprising radially projecting tabs. 15. The bearing plate of claim 14 wherein the radially projecting tabs are circumferentially spaced apart from each other about a center axis of the bearing plate. 16. A swivel ball for a fuel injector assembly of a gas turbine engine, the swivel ball including a spherical outer surface and an opening extending through the swivel ball, and wherein the swivel ball has an axis and a center and wherein the spherical outer surface is asymmetric about a plane that is perpendicular to the axis and passes through the center, and wherein the swivel ball has a forward end and an aft end with the spherical outer surface extending between the forward end and aft end, and wherein the spherical outer surface extends a first axial distance forward of the plane and extends a second axial distance aft of the plane and wherein the second axial distance exceeds the first axial distance. 17. The swivel ball of claim 16 wherein an inner peripheral surface of the swivel ball is configured to engage a lock bushing that surrounds a fuel injector nozzle for the gas turbine engine. 18. A bearing plate for a fuel injector assembly for a gas turbine engine, the bearing plate including an opening extending therethrough and bordered by a race, the race having a spherical inner surface, and the bearing plate comprising radially projecting tabs, and wherein the bearing plate includes at least one pair of loading slots positioned at a forward end of the race, and wherein each loading slot defines a circumferential width that is greater than an axial length of a swivel ball to be supported by the race. 19. The bearing plate of claim 18 wherein the least one pair of loading slots comprises two pairs of loading slots that are diametrically opposed from each other.