CN114645779A - Frame screen for air intake section of machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A screen for an air intake portion of a machine is provided. The screen includes an assembly of screen members forming a plurality of screen units, wherein at least a portion of the screen units define an irregular configuration.

Description

Frame screen for the air intake section of a machine

Related applications

The present application claims priority from polish patent application No. p.436409, filed on 21/12/2020.

Technical Field

The present subject matter relates generally to air intake portions of machines, or more particularly to Foreign Object Damage (FOD) protection screens for air intake portions of turbines and other machinery.

Background

Foreign Object Damage (FOD) protection screens are used to protect machines from foreign objects or ice being drawn into the machine. For example, icing of aircraft and aircraft engines is a long standing problem that must be addressed in most aircraft applications. FOD prevention is needed to prevent drop damage, inlet airflow distortion, and inlet airflow blockage. However, more structures and materials provided with protective screens result in aerodynamic losses, which affect the performance of the machine.

Accordingly, it is desirable to protect the machine from foreign objects while reducing aerodynamic losses.

Disclosure of Invention

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention disclosed herein.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a screen for an air intake portion of a machine is provided. The screen includes an assembly of screen members forming a plurality of screen units, wherein at least a portion of the screen units define an irregular configuration.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the screen includes a barrier screen member that extends into the cavity of the at least one screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the barrier screen member terminates at an open end, and wherein the open end does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the barrier screen members extend orthogonal to a portion of the screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the barrier screen member extends diagonally to a portion of the screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the plurality of screen units comprises a staggered and alternating arrangement of a plurality of barrier screen members.

In certain exemplary embodiments, each screen unit defines an irregular configuration.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a screen for an air intake portion of a machine is provided. The screen comprises a modified grid geometry of screen members forming a plurality of screen units; and a barrier screen member extending into the cavity of each screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, each barrier screen member terminates in an open end, and wherein the open end of each barrier screen member does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, at least one barrier screen member extends orthogonal to a portion of the screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, at least one barrier screen member extends diagonally to a portion of the screen unit.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the plurality of screen units comprises a staggered and alternating arrangement of barrier screen members.

In certain exemplary embodiments, each screen unit includes a second barrier screen member that extends into the cavity of the screen unit and terminates at a second open end, and wherein the second open end of each second barrier screen member does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method for forming a screen for an air intake portion of a machine is provided. The method includes forming an assembly of screening elements, the screening elements forming a plurality of screening units; and eliminating a portion of the screen in each screen unit.

In certain exemplary aspects, each screen unit of the portion of the removed screen extends into a cavity of the screen unit and terminates at an open end, and wherein the open end of each screen unit of the portion of the removed screen does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Drawings

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary machine having a screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a screen having a barrier screen member or screen unit including a portion of a removed screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a screen having a plurality of barrier screen members or a screen unit including a portion of a removed screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a screen having first and second barrier screen members or screen units including portions of a removed screen according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a screen having a barrier screen member or screen unit including a portion of a removed screen according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a screen showing an eliminated portion of the screen.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a screen having first and second barrier screen members or screen units including portions of a removed screen according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is a side view of a screen according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is a side view of a screen having first and second barrier screen members or screen units including portions of a removed screen according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a side view of a screen having first and second barrier screen members or screen units including portions of a removed screen according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the invention.

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the described embodiments, in order to practice the invention. Various modifications, equivalents, changes, and alternatives will, however, remain apparent to those skilled in the art. Any and all such modifications, variations, equivalents, and alternatives are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For purposes of the following description, the terms "above," "below," "right," "left," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "lateral," "longitudinal," and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as it is oriented in the drawing figures. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may assume various alternative variations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the invention. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.

As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another component, and are not intended to denote the position or importance of a single component.

The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to relative directions with respect to fluid flow in a fluid path. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the fluid flows.

The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as "about," "approximately," and "substantially," are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some examples, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of a method or machine for constructing or manufacturing the component and/or system. For example, approximate language may refer to within a 10% margin. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise.

Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are combinable independently of each other.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a screen for an air intake portion of a machine includes an assembly of screen members forming a plurality of screen units, and at least a portion of the screen units define an irregular configuration.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a screen for an air intake portion of a machine includes an assembly of screen members forming a plurality of screen units and a barrier screen member extending into a cavity of each screen unit. Each barrier screen member terminates at an open end, and the open end of each barrier screen member does not contact any portion of the screen unit. In this manner, the screens of the present disclosure eliminate portions of the screen members to reduce aerodynamic losses while maintaining the same foreign object protection. In addition, the screens of the present disclosure also reduce the overall weight of the screen.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an engine 12, the engine 12 including at least one screen 50 disposed in a screen assembly 38 such that the plurality of screens 50 each cover the intake air inlet 34. In an exemplary embodiment, the engine 12 may include a propeller assembly 14, an exhaust 22, and a mounting block 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the engine 12 is a turboprop aircraft engine. In other embodiments, the engine 12 may be configured for marine and industrial applications. Additionally, or alternatively, aspects of the present disclosure may be incorporated into any other suitable gas turbine engine, such as turboshaft engines, turboprop engines, turbojet engines, open rotor or non-ducted turbofan engines, land-based gas turbine engines for power generation, aero-derivative gas turbine engines, and the like. Further, it is contemplated that the screens of the present disclosure may be compatible with any air intake portion of a machine.

Fig. 2-5 illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to fig. 2 and 3, a first configuration of a screen 100 of the present disclosure for an intake portion of a machine, such as the intake inlet 34 (fig. 1) of the engine 12, is shown.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, in the exemplary embodiment, screen 100 includes an assembly of screen members 102 that form a plurality of screen units 104, and each screen unit 104 includes a portion of the screen that is removed as described herein.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a screen 100 for an air intake portion 34 of a machine 12 includes an assembly of screen members 102 forming a plurality of screen units 104, and at least a portion of the screen units define an irregular configuration. As used herein, the term "irregular configuration" with respect to a screen unit refers to an irregular configuration of screen members, irregular cavities formed by screen members, and/or irregular spaces defined or bounded by screen members. As used herein, the term "irregular configuration" with respect to a screen unit may refer to an asymmetric configuration defined by the screen unit 104 of fig. 5. In some exemplary embodiments, the screen units defining the irregular configuration include more than four (4) members. For example, fig. 3 and 4 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in which each screen unit 104 includes six (6) members. Fig. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in which the screen unit 104 includes five (5) members. FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in which the plurality of screen units 104 includes eight (8) members. Fig. 9 and 10 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the screen unit 104 includes five (5) members.

In an exemplary embodiment, the term "irregular configuration" means a configuration or cavity shape that is not triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, or hexagonal (e.g., a non-square cavity as shown in fig. 4, or a non-square cavity having four sides, with barrier screen members 106 extending into cavities 108 as shown in fig. 5). In some exemplary embodiments, an irregular configuration or shape may be considered to refer to at least one cantilevered member 106 extending between members forming an outer perimeter or wall of the cavity 108.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, in the exemplary embodiment, screen 100 includes an assembly of screen members 102 that form a plurality of screen units 104 and a barrier screen member or cantilevered member 106 that extends into a cavity 108 of each screen unit 104. Further, each screen unit 104 of the removed portion of the screen extends into the cavity 108 of the screen unit 104 and terminates in an open end 110.

In an exemplary embodiment, the assembly of screen members 102 includes a modified grid geometry that forms a plurality of screen units 104. For example, each barrier screen member 106 terminates at an open end 110, and the open end 110 of each barrier screen member 106 does not contact any portion of the screen unit 104. In this manner, the screen 100 of the present disclosure eliminates portions of the screen member to reduce aerodynamic losses while maintaining the same foreign object protection. For example, referring to fig. 6, the screen 100 (fig. 2 and 3) of the present disclosure eliminates a portion 200 of the screen member. In an exemplary embodiment, one screen member 200 is eliminated in each screen unit 104. In another exemplary embodiment, two screen members 200 are eliminated in each screen unit 104. In yet another exemplary embodiment, three screen members 200 are eliminated in each screen unit 104. Additionally, the screen 100 of the present disclosure also reduces the overall weight of the screen 100.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, in an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the barrier screen members 106 or at least one of the screen units 104 of a portion of a removed screen extends orthogonal to a portion of the screen units 104. Referring to fig. 2, at least one screen unit 104 of a portion of the screen that has been removed or barrier screen member 106 may extend orthogonally any distance within the cavity 108 of the screen unit 104. In this manner, the screen 100 of the present disclosure is able to maintain the same level of FOD protection as conventional screens. For example, referring to fig. 2, the screen 100 of the present disclosure is capable of preventing foreign objects 202 from passing through the screen units 104 of the screen 100. The further the barrier screen member 106 extends within the cavity 108 of the screen unit 104, the smaller the foreign matter 202 can be prevented from flowing through the screen 100.

Referring to fig. 5, in another exemplary embodiment, at least one of the barrier screen members 106 or at least one of the screen units 104 of a portion of a removed screen extends diagonally to a portion of the screen unit 104. Referring to fig. 5, at least one of the barrier screen members 106 or the screen units 104 of the removed screen portion may extend diagonally any distance within the cavity 108 of the screen unit 104. In this manner, the screen 100 of the present disclosure is able to maintain the same level of FOD protection as conventional screens. For example, the screen 100 of the present disclosure is capable of preventing foreign objects 202 (fig. 2) from passing through the screen units 104 of the screen 100. The further the barrier screen member 106 extends within the cavity 108 of the screen unit 104, the smaller the foreign matter 202 can be prevented from flowing through the screen 100.

Referring to fig. 3, in the exemplary embodiment, plurality of screen units 104 includes a staggered and alternating arrangement of at least one of barrier screen units 104 of a portion of a removed screen or barrier screen member 106. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that the improved grid geometry of screen 100 of the present disclosure may include a staggered and alternating arrangement of at least one screen unit 104 of a portion of a barrier screen member 106 or a removed screen, at least one screen unit 104 of a portion of a barrier screen member 106 or a removed screen extending orthogonal to a portion of some screen units 104, at least one screen unit 104 of a portion of a barrier screen member 106 or a removed screen extending diagonally to a portion of some screen units 104.

Referring to fig. 4, in another exemplary embodiment, each barrier unit 104 includes a second barrier screen member 120, the second barrier screen member 120 extending into the cavity 108 of the screen unit 104 and terminating at a second open end 122. The second open end 122 of each second barrier screen member 120 does not contact any portion of the screen unit 104. Further, each screen unit 104 includes a first portion of a removed screen and a second portion of a removed screen.

Referring to fig. 2-5, in the exemplary embodiment, screen 100 includes an assembly of screen members 102, with screen members 102 forming a plurality of screen units 104 in a rectangular configuration. Referring to fig. 7-10, in other exemplary embodiments, the screen 100 includes an assembly of screen members 102, the screen members 102 forming a plurality of screen units 104 in a triangular, inclined, diamond, parallelogram, quadrilateral, or other configuration. Referring to fig. 2-5 and 7-10, a screen 100 of the present disclosure includes an assembly of screen members 102 forming a plurality of screen units 104 in an asymmetric configuration. Referring to fig. 2-5 and 7-10, a screen 100 of the present disclosure includes an assembly of screen members 102, the screen members 102 forming a plurality of screen units 104 using a continuous material.

In exemplary embodiments, the screen 100 of the present disclosure may be formed of any material having suitable stiffness to provide FOD protection. For example, the screen 100 contemplated by the present disclosure may be formed of metal, wood, plastic, carbon fiber, or other suitable material, although the use of other materials is contemplated.

In an exemplary embodiment, the screen 100 of the present disclosure may be formed using precision casting, advanced machining, or other conventional manufacturing machines or methods. In an exemplary embodiment, the screen 100 of the present disclosure is formed using an additive manufacturing machine or method. As described in detail below, exemplary embodiments of the formation of the screen 100 of the present disclosure may include the use of an additive manufacturing machine or method. As used herein, the term "additive manufacturing" or "additive manufacturing technique or process" generally refers to a manufacturing process in which successive layers of material are provided with each other to "build up" a three-dimensional part layer-by-layer. The successive layers are typically fused together to form a unitary part that can have various integral sub-parts.

While the additive manufacturing techniques described herein enable the manufacture of complex objects by building the object point-by-point, layer-by-layer, particularly in the vertical direction, other manufacturing methods are possible and within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, although the discussion herein refers to the addition of materials to form a continuous layer, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods and structures disclosed herein may be implemented using any additive manufacturing technique or fabrication technique. For example, embodiments of the present invention may use a layer addition process, a layer subtraction process, or a hybrid process.

Suitable additive manufacturing techniques according to the present disclosure include, for example, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), 3D printing (e.g., by inkjet and laser jet), Stereolithography (SLA), Direct Selective Laser Sintering (DSLS), Electron Beam Sintering (EBS), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Laser Engineered Net Shape (LENS), laser net shape fabrication (LNSM), Direct Metal Deposition (DMD), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Direct Selective Laser Melting (DSLM), Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM), and other known processes.

In addition to using a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) or Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) process, where an energy source is used to selectively sinter or melt portions of a powder layer, it should be understood that the additive manufacturing process may be a "binder jetting" process, according to alternative embodiments. In this regard, binder jetting includes successively depositing additive powder layers in a manner similar to that described above. However, rather than using an energy source to generate an energy beam to selectively melt or fuse the additive powders, binder jetting involves selectively depositing a liquid binder onto each layer of powder. The liquid adhesive may be, for example, a photo-curable polymer or other liquid adhesive. Other suitable additive manufacturing methods and variations are intended to be within the scope of the present subject matter.

The additive manufacturing processes described herein may be used to form the screen 100 of the present disclosure using any suitable material. For example, the material may be plastic, metal, concrete, ceramic, polymer, epoxy, photopolymer resin, or any other suitable material that may be solid, liquid, powder, sheet, wire, or any other suitable form. More specifically, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter, the additive manufactured components described herein may be partially, entirely, or in any suitable manner including, but not limited to, pure metals, nickel alloys, chromium alloys, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, iron alloys, stainless steel, and nickel or cobalt based superalloys (e.g., as provided by special metal companies in

Those under the name). These materials are examples of materials suitable for use in the additive manufacturing processes described herein, and may be generally referred to as "additive materials.

In addition, one skilled in the art will recognize that a variety of materials and methods for bonding those materials may be used and are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, reference to "melting" may refer to any suitable process for producing a bonding layer of any of the above materials. For example, if the object is made of a polymer, melting may refer to creating a thermoset bond between the polymer materials. If the object is an epoxy, the bond may be formed by a cross-linking process. If the material is ceramic, the bond may be formed by a sintering process. If the material is a powdered metal, the bond may be formed by a melting or sintering process. One skilled in the art will recognize that other methods of manufacturing a component by additive manufacturing of molten material are possible and that the subject matter of the present disclosure may be practiced with these methods.

Further, the additive manufacturing process disclosed herein allows screen 100 to be formed from a variety of materials. Accordingly, the components described herein may be formed from any suitable mixture of the above materials. For example, the components may include multiple layers, segments, or parts formed using different materials, processes, and/or on different additive manufacturing machines. In this manner, components having different materials and material properties to meet the needs of any particular application may be constructed. Additionally, while the components described herein may be constructed entirely through additive manufacturing processes, it should be understood that in alternative embodiments all or a portion of these components may be formed through casting, machining, and/or any other suitable manufacturing process. Indeed, any suitable combination of materials and manufacturing methods may be used to form these components.

An exemplary additive manufacturing process will now be described. Additive manufacturing process components are manufactured using three-dimensional (3D) information (e.g., three-dimensional computer models) of the screen 100 of the present disclosure. Thus, a three-dimensional design model of the component may be defined prior to fabrication. In this regard, a model or prototype of a component may be scanned to determine three-dimensional information for the component. As another example, the screen 100 of the present disclosure may be constructed using a suitable computer-aided design (CAD) program to define a three-dimensional design model of a component.

The design model may include three-dimensional numerical coordinates of the entire construction of the screen 100 of the present disclosure, including the outer and inner surfaces of the component. For example, the design model may define a body, a surface, and/or an internal passage, such as an opening, a support structure, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the three-dimensional design model is converted into a plurality of slices or segments, for example, along a central (e.g., vertical) axis or any other suitable axis of the component. Each slice may define a thin cross-section of the component for a predetermined height of the slice. A plurality of consecutive cross-sectional slices together form a 3D part. The part is then "built up" piece by piece or layer by layer until complete.

In this manner, the screens 100 of the present disclosure described herein may be manufactured using additive processes, or more specifically, each layer may be formed sequentially, for example, by melting or polymerizing plastic using laser energy or heat, or by sintering or melting metal powders. For example, certain types of additive manufacturing processes may use an energy beam, such as an electron beam, or electromagnetic radiation, such as a laser beam, to sinter or melt the powder material. Any suitable laser and laser parameters may be used, including considerations regarding power, laser beam spot size, and scan speed. The build material may be formed of any suitable powder or material to enhance strength, durability, and service life, particularly at elevated temperatures.

Each successive layer may be, for example, between about 10 μm and 200 μm, although the thickness may be selected based on any number of parameters and may be any suitable dimension in accordance with alternative embodiments. Thus, with the above-described additive forming method, the components described herein may have a cross-section that is as thin as one thickness (e.g., 10 μm) of the associated powder layer used during the additive forming process.

Additionally, with the additive process, the surface finish and features of the screen 100 of the present disclosure may vary as desired depending on the application. For example, the surface finish may be adjusted (e.g., made smoother or rougher) by selecting appropriate laser scanning parameters (e.g., laser power, scanning speed, laser focus spot size, etc.) during the additive process, particularly in the periphery of the cross-sectional layer corresponding to the component surface. For example, a rougher finish may be achieved by increasing the laser scanning speed or decreasing the size of the formed melt pool, and a smoother finish may be achieved by decreasing the laser scanning speed or increasing the size of the formed melt pool. The scan pattern and/or laser power may also be varied to change the surface finish in selected areas.

After completion of the manufacture of the screen 100 of the present disclosure, various post-processing steps may be applied to the components. For example, the post-treatment step may include removing excess powder by, for example, blowing or vacuuming. Other post-processing steps may include stress relief processing. In addition, the component parts may be finished using thermal, mechanical, and/or chemical post-treatment steps to achieve desired strength, surface finish, and other component characteristics or features.

While the present disclosure is not limited to the screens 100 of the present disclosure being formed using additive manufacturing generally, additive manufacturing provides a variety of manufacturing advantages, including ease of manufacture, reduced cost, greater precision, and the like.

Furthermore, the additive manufacturing methods described above enable the formation of more complex and intricate shapes and contours of the screen 100 described herein with very high precision. For example, such components may include thin additive manufacturing layers, cross-sectional features, and component profiles. Additionally, the additive manufacturing process enables the manufacture of screens 100 having different materials such that different portions of the component may exhibit different performance characteristics. The continuous, additional nature of the manufacturing process enables the construction of these novel features. As a result, the screens 100 of the present disclosure formed using the methods described herein may exhibit improved performance and reliability.

In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method for forming a screen for an air intake portion of a machine is provided. The method includes forming an assembly of screen members, the screen members forming a plurality of screen units; and eliminating a portion of the screen within each screen unit.

In certain exemplary aspects, the open end of each barrier screen member does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

Further aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

1. a screen for an air intake portion of a machine, the screen comprising: an assembly of screening elements forming a plurality of screening units; wherein at least a portion of the screen units define an irregular configuration.

2. The screen of any preceding claim, wherein the screen comprises a barrier screen member extending into the cavity of at least one of the screen units.

3. The screen of any of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier screen members terminate at an open end, and wherein the open end does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

4. The screen of any of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier screen members extend orthogonal to a portion of the screen units.

5. The screen of any preceding claim, wherein the barrier screen members extend diagonally to a portion of the screen units.

6. The screen of any of the preceding clauses wherein the plurality of screen units comprise a staggered and alternating arrangement of a plurality of barrier screen members.

7. The screen of any of the preceding clauses wherein each screen unit defines an irregular configuration.

8. A screen for an air intake portion of a machine, the screen comprising: a modified grid geometry of screen members forming a plurality of screen units; and a barrier screen member extending into the cavity of each screen unit.

9. The screen of any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the barrier screen members terminates at an open end, and wherein the open end of each of the barrier screen members does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

10. The screen of any of the preceding clauses wherein at least one of the barrier screen members extends orthogonal to a portion of the screen units.

11. The screen of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the barrier screen members extends diagonally to a portion of the screen unit.

12. The screen of any of the preceding clauses wherein the plurality of screen units comprise a staggered and alternating arrangement of barrier screen members.

13. The screen of any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the screen units comprises a second barrier screen member extending into the cavities of the screen unit and terminating at a second open end, and wherein the second open end of each of the second barrier screen members does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

14. A method for forming a screen for an air intake portion of a machine, the method comprising: forming an assembly of screening elements forming a plurality of screening units; and eliminating a portion of the screen in each screen unit.

15. The method of any of the preceding clauses, wherein each screen unit of the portion of the removed screen extends into a cavity of the screen unit and terminates at an open end, and wherein the open end of each screen unit of the portion of the removed screen does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

This written description uses examples to disclose aspects of the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice aspects of the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

While this disclosure has been described as having an exemplary design, the present disclosure may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A screen for an air intake portion of a machine, the screen comprising:

an assembly of screening elements forming a plurality of screening units;

wherein at least a portion of the screen units define an irregular configuration.

2. The screen of claim 1, wherein the screen includes a barrier screen member that extends into a cavity of at least one of the screen units.

3. The screen of claim 2, wherein the barrier screen member terminates at an open end, and wherein the open end does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

4. The screen of claim 3, wherein the barrier screen member extends orthogonal to a portion of the screen unit.

5. The screen of claim 3, wherein the barrier screen member extends diagonally to a portion of the screen unit.

6. The screen of claim 3, wherein the plurality of screen units comprise a staggered and alternating arrangement of a plurality of barrier screen members.

7. The screen of claim 3, wherein each of the screen units defines an irregular configuration.

8. A screen for an air intake portion of a machine, the screen comprising:

a modified grid geometry of screen members forming a plurality of screen units; and

a barrier screen member extending into the cavity of each of the screen units.

9. The screen of claim 8, wherein each of the barrier screen members terminates at an open end, and wherein the open end of each of the barrier screen members does not contact any portion of the screen unit.

10. The screen of claim 9, wherein at least one of the barrier screen members extends orthogonal to a portion of the screen unit.

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