Transparency quick seal system

• US 5,277,384 A
• Filed: 10/08/1992
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Texstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Texstar Incorporated
• Inventors: Webb, Roger M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Focarino, Margaret A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US07/958,484
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 244/129.3, 244/131, 244/132, 244/121, 244/129.4, 49/488, 49/490, 49/498, 277/226, 277/183, 277/184, 296/201, 264/252
• US Class Current: 244/129.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1492 Structure and mounting of the transparent elements in the window or windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/919 Seal including electrical feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/921 Closure or weather strip seal

Abstract

A quick seal system is used to seal between an aircraft frame and a transparency, such as a canopy, a windshield, or a window. The system includes a fairing seal and a pressure seal. The fairing seal seals between the outer surface of the canopy and the fairing, while the pressure seal seals between the inner surface of the canopy and the aircraft frame. The pressure seal is an elongated strip of material, having an area of increased thickness to provide an increase sealing pressure. The fairing seal is also an elongated strip of material. The fairing seal is generally triangular, having a top surface, an inner surface, and an outer surface. The inner surface abuts the outer surface of the canopy. A pair of extensions form a longitudinal slot on the outer surface of the fairing seal. The upper edge of the fairing is secured in the slot with an adhesive. If desired, the fairing seal and the adhesive may be electrically conductive.

Claims

1. A transparency quick seal system for sealing between a substantially rigid transparency having an outer surface and an inner surface and an aircraft frame including a fairing extending between the aircraft frame and the outer surface of the transparency to receive the edge of the transparency in a well defined therebetween, the combination comprising:

fastener means extending through said transparency and said frame for securing said transparency to said frame;

a first pressure seal secured by said fastener means sandwiched between the aircraft frame and the inner surface of the transparency;

said first pressure seal having a substantially L-shaped cross-section including a relatively thin first portion and a contiguously located relatively thicker second portion to increase the seal effect between the inner surface of the transparency and said aircraft frame and including a plurality of apertures at said contiguous location extending partially through each of said first and second portions and through which to receive said fastener means;

a second pressure seal separate and independent of said first pressure seal and comprising an elongated strip of dry silicone elastomeric material attached to a distal edge of the fairing and abutting against the outer surface of the transparency for sealing between the transparency and the fairing;

said second pressure seal being of an integral composition having an inner surface abutting the outer surface of the transparency and an outer surface having a bifurcated extension extending in a substantially lateral relation from said outer surface so as to define a pair of flexible extensions with an intervening longitudinal slot opening into which the distal edge portion of the fairing is received, the longitudinal slot being formed with internal surface contours substantially conforming with the opposite surface contours of the received distal edge portion of the received fairing for oppositely engaging the surfaces of the received fairing to effect a form fit continuous seal therebetween; and

a quantity of adhesive disposed on said internal surface contours for attaching said second seal to the received distal edge portion of the fairing.

2. A transparency quick seal system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive adhesive for securing the second seal to the fairing.

3. A transparency quick seal system as recited in claim 1, further comprising filler material within the second seal, rendering the second seal electrically conductive.

4. A transparency quick seal system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second seal has a triangular bore extending the length of the second seal.

5. In an aircraft vehicle having a frame extending about a crew station opening in the vehicle, a fairing spaced from said frame so as to define an intervening gap therebetween and extending to a distal edge, a transparent canopy received in said gap to overly and enclose said crew station and seal means in said gap to seal the interior surface of said canopy to said frame and to seal the exterior surface of said canopy to said fairing, improved seal means comprising in combination:

fastener means extending through said transparency and said frame for securing said transparency to said frame;

a first pressure seal secured by said fastener means sandwiched between said frame and the inner surface of said canopy;

said first pressure seal having a substantially L-shaped cross-section including a relatively thin first portion and a contiguously located relatively thicker second portion to increase the seal effect between the inner surface of the transparency and said aircraft frame and including a plurality of apertures at said contiguous location extending partially through each of said first and second portions and through which to receive said fastener means;

a second pressure seal separate and independent of said first pressure seal and secured between the outer surface of said canopy and said fairing;

said second pressure seal comprising an elongated strip of dry silicone elastomeric material attached to the distal edge of the fairing and abutting against the outer surface of the canopy for sealing between the canopy and the fairing and being of an integral composition having an inner surface abutting the outer surface of the canopy and an outer surface having a bifurcated extension extending in a substantially lateral relation from said outer surface so as to define a pair of flexible extensions with an intervening longitudinal slot opening into which the distal edge portion of the fairing is received, the longitudinal slot being formed with internal surface contours substantially conforming with the opposite surface contours of the received distal edge portion of the received fairing for oppositely engaging the surfaces of the received fairing to effect a form fit continuous seal therebetween; and

a quantity of adhesive disposed on said internal surface contours for attaching said second seal to the received distal edge portion of the fairing.

6. Improved seal means as recited in claim 5, in which said adhesive is electrically conductive.

7. Improved seal means as recited in claim 5, further comprising filler material within said second seal rendering said second seal electrically conductive.

8. Improved seal means as recited in claim 5, wherein said second seal has a triangular bore extending the length of the seal.

9. Improved seal means as recited in claim 5 in which said frame and said canopy each have a plurality of longitudinally co-spaced apertures positioned substantially coaxially aligned with each other and the plurality of apertures of said first pressure seal are commonly co-spaced with the apertures of said frame and said canopy for coaxial positioning therebetween and said fastener means extend through the coaxial of said apertures for effecting said sandwiched relation.