Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a strut having: a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; and a flap positioned axially aft of the strut, the flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a strut having:
 a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and 
 a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; 
   a flap positioned axially aft of the strut, the flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein.   
     
     
         2 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 1  wherein the flap includes a trunnion extending radially outward from the flap button. 
     
     
         3 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 2  wherein a lug with parallel sides is disposed at an outer end of the trunnion. 
     
     
         4 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 2  wherein a threaded stud extends radially outward from an outer end of the trunnion. 
     
     
         5 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 1  wherein each prong includes: an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls, an inner wall parallel to the outer wall, and an aft wall interconnecting the inner and outer walls. 
     
     
         6 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 1  wherein the flap includes a nose portion adjacent the leading edge, wherein one part of the nose portion has a circular cross-sectional shape, and another part of the nose portion has a noncircular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         7 . A guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 an array of struts, each strut including:
 a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and 
 a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; 
 an arcuate shroud surrounding the tips of the struts; 
 an array of strut extensions extending radially outward from the shroud; 
 an outer band surrounding the strut extensions; 
   a flap positioned axially aft of each strut, each flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs of the respective strut, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein; and   a ring of casing segments surrounding the flaps, each casing segment including an array of stationary outer flaps extending between annular inner and outer bands, each outer flap being aligned with a respective one of the strut extensions.   
     
     
         8 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 7  wherein each flap includes a trunnion extending radially outward from the flap button. 
     
     
         9 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 8  wherein each trunnion is received in the bore of a generally cylindrical trunnion carried by one of the outer flaps. 
     
     
         10 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 9  wherein each bushing cooperatively with an outer flap defines a recess which receives a respective one of the flap buttons. 
     
     
         11 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 8  wherein a lug with parallel sides is disposed at an outer end of the trunnion. 
     
     
         12 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 8  wherein a threaded stud extends radially outward from an outer end of each trunnion. 
     
     
         13 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 7  wherein each prong includes: an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls, an inner wall parallel to the outer wall, and an aft wall interconnecting the inner and outer walls. 
     
     
         14 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 13  wherein the aft walls are angled and face partially inwards toward each other. 
     
     
         15 . The guide vane assembly of  claim 7  wherein each flap includes a nose portion adjacent the leading edge, wherein one part of the nose portion has a circular cross-sectional shape, and another part of the nose portion has a noncircular cross-sectional shape.