Fastening of a support for on-board equipment

• US 6,078,428 A
• Filed: 12/11/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Original Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Inventors: Rambert, Thierry, Darrieux, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US09/209,757
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/632, 359/817, 359/822, 345/7
• US Class Current: 359/632
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a removable device for the supporting of equipment in an aircraft, especially to fasten the support of a head-up collimator with its projection system, above the seat of the pilot of the aircraft. To enable the support to be dismounted (for maintenance for example), and to be put back in place at its exact position, the fastening device is made as follows: it is hinged on the aircraft by a hinge and it is fastened by bolts enabling the fastening of the support according to an angle that is variable about a rotation axis. The device furthermore comprises a centering block that cooperates with a centering pawl, one of the two elements being part of the aircraft while the other is part of the support, the pawl being housed in a removable way in a positioning aperture formed in the centering block, the block comprising a cup filled with resin, the resin being used to define and maintain the position of the aperture with respect to the cup.

Claims

1. A device for the fastening of an equipment support to an aircraft comprising a supporting hinge along at least one axis of rotation, at least one fastening means, for fastening the support to the aircraft, enabling the fastening of the support according to an angle that is variable about the rotation axis, wherein the device comprises a first element being a centering block that cooperates with a second element being a centering pawl, one of the two elements being part of the aircraft while the other is part of the support, the pawl being housed in a removable way in a positioning aperture formed in the centering block, the block comprising a cup filled with resin, the resin being used to define and maintain the position of the aperture with respect to the cup.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is a trunnion.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning aperture is a cavity in the resin of the cup.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the centering pawl has an adhesive-proof surface.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a sleeve serving as a positioning aperture for the centering pawl, this sleeve being plunged into the resin.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the sleeve is metallic.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the centering block is part of the support and the centering pawl is part of the aircraft.

8. A claim according to claim 1, wherein the resin is an epoxy resin.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the support is mobile in rotation in the aircraft on three axes, X, Y, Z and comprises means to block the rotational motion of the support on two of these axes, X, Y, the blocking on the remaining axis being achieved by the housing of the centering pawl in the positioning block.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the blocking of the motion on two of its axes is achieved by means of bolts and adjusting shims of the support with the aircraft.

11. A method for the removable fastening of a support for equipment on an aircraft by means of a fastening device according to claim 1 wherein, during a first fastening of the support in a reference position, the initially empty cup is filled with resin which, in hardening around the centering pawl, defines a reference position for the positioning aperture.

12. A method of removable fastening according to claim 11, wherein the resin is poured into the space of the cup left free by the centering pawl.

13. A fastening method according to claim 11, wherein the resin is poured into the space of the cup left free by the centering pawl protected by a sleeve.