Heater for aircraft potable water tank

• US 7,277,628 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Giamati, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Thor S.
• Application Number:
  US11/621,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 392/444
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 1/08 Cooling, heating or ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 3/00 Non-adjustable metal resistors made of wire or ribbon, e.g. coiled, woven or formed as grids
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 3/06 Flexible or folding resistors, whereby such a resistor can be looped or collapsed upon itself
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 3/20 wound on cylindrical or prismatic base H01C3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/36 heating conductor embedded in insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/46 heating conductor mounted on insulating base
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/56 Heating cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/565 flat cables

Abstract

A heater (10) for installation on a potable water tank (12). The heater (10) comprises a blanket (14) including an electrical resistance heating element (16) and a connection pad (18) for electrically connecting the heating element (16) to lead lines (20) to an aircraft power source (22). The water tank (12) is typically positioned under the cabin floor or other locations on an aircraft which are susceptible to cold temperatures, moisture invasion, and pressure drops/rises caused by changing altitudes. The heater (10) maintains the tank (12) at an acceptable temperature range and prevents freezing of the water.

Claims

1. An electrical connection comprising a wire structure, a lead wire, and a crimp joint;

the wire structure comprising an electrically conductive wire, an electrically insulating coating on the wire, and a fiber overwrap surrounding the insulating coating, the wire structure having an unwrapped end section without the fiber overwrap and a bare wire end of the unwrapped end section without the insulating coating;

the lead wire comprising an electrically conductive wire and an insulating coating on the wire;

the lead wire having a bare end without the insulating coating;

the crimp joint comprising a crimp, a first sleeve, and a second sleeve;

the crimp electrically connecting the bare wire end of the lead wire and the bare wire end of the wire structure;

the first sleeve being positioned around the electrically insulating coating of the unwrapped end section of the wire structure;

the second sleeve surrounding the insulating coating of the lead wire, the crimp, the insulating coating of unwrapped end section of the wire structure, and the first sleeve; and

the second sleeve being thermally bonded to the insulating coating of the lead wire and thermally bonded to the insulating coating of the unwrapped end section and/or the first sleeve.

2. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second sleeve has a dual wall construction with an outer wall and an inner wall;

the outer wall is made of a material which shrinks but does not melt when heated; and

the inner wall is made of a material which melts at a temperature near the melting point of the insulating coating on the wire structure.

3. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first sleeve is partially thermally fused to the insulating coating of the end portion of the wire structure.

4. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first sleeve has a dual wall construction with an outer wall and an inner wall;

wherein the outer wall is made of a material which shrinks but does not melt when heated; and

wherein the inner wall is made of a material which melts at a temperature near the melting point of the insulating coating on the wire structure.

5. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting wire of the wire structure is made of a metal.

6. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein the insulating coating of the wire structure is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fiber overwrap of the wire structure comprises a fiber made of nylon, rayon, polyester, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene and/or copolymers thereof.

8. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 7, wherein the overwrap is constructed by spiral wrapping a fiber around the insulating coating.

9. An electrical connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein the conducting wire is made of a metal;

the insulating coating is made of polytetrafluoroethylene; and

the fiber overwrap comprises nylon, rayon, polyester, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene and/or copolymers thereof.

10. A heater comprising a heating element and a carrier layer for the heating element;

wherein the heating element comprises the electrical connection set forth in claim 1; and

wherein the wire structure of the electrical connection is positioned in a pattern in or on the carrier layer to generate required heating.

11. A heater as set forth in claim 10, wherein the carrier layer is made from silicone.

12. A heater as set forth in claim 10, wherein the lead line is connected to a power source.

13. A heater as set forth in claim 10, wherein the lead line is connected to an aircraft power source.

14. A method of making the electrical connection set forth in claim 1, said method comprising the steps of:

trimming the fabric overwrap from the wire structure to form the unwrapped end section;

stripping the insulating coating from the end of the unwrapped section to expose its bare wire end;

assembling the bare wire end of the wire structure and the bare wire end of the lead wire in the crimp;

positioning the first sleeve on the unwrapped section;

positioning the second sleeve around the crimp, over the insulating coating of the lead wire, over the insulating coating of the end portion of the wire structure, and over the first sleeve;

thermally bonding the second sleeve to the insulating coating of the lead wire; and

thermally bonding the second sleeve to the insulating coating of the unwrapped end section of the wire structure and/or the first sleeve.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein said thermally bonding step comprises heating the second sleeve to thermally bond it to the insulating coating of the lead wire and the insulating coating of the unwrapped end section of the wire structure.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said heating step comprises leaving a remote portion of the first sleeve unheated to prevent the insulating coating on the unwrapped end section of the wire structure from being damaged during the heating of the first sleeve.

17. In combination, a heating wire structure, a lead wire for connection to a power source, and a crimp joint electrically connecting the heating wire structure to the lead wire;

the crimp joint comprising a crimp, a first sleeve, and a second sleeve;

the crimp electrically connecting a bare wire end of the lead wire and a bare wire end of the heating wire structure;

the first sleeve being positioned around electrically insulating coating of the heating wire structure, adjacent its bare wire end;

the second sleeve surrounding insulating coating of the lead wire, the crimp, the insulating coating of the heating wire structure, and the first sleeve; and

the second sleeve being thermally bonded to the insulating coating of the lead wire and being thermally bonded to the insulating coating of the heating wire structure and/or the first sleeve.

18. The combination set forth in claim 17, wherein the second sleeve has a wall adjacent the insulating coating on the heating wire structure and wherein this wall is made of material which melts at a temperature near the melting point of this insulating coating.

19. The combination set forth in claim 17, wherein the second sleeve has a dual wall construction with an outer wall and an inner wall;

wherein the outer wall is made of a material which shrinks but does not melt when heated; and

wherein the inner wall is made of a material which melts at a temperature near the melting point of the insulating coating on the wire structure.

20. The combination set forth in claim 17, wherein the first sleeve is partially thermally fused to the insulating coating of the wire structure.