Adjustable fittings for attaching support members to fluid conduits, including aircraft fuel conduits, and associated systems and methods

• US 7,946,038 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Van Kampen, Benjamin P., Carns, James A., Cutler, Theron L., Shelly, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cigna; Jacob J
• Application Number:
  US12/538,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 298/900.9, 248 49- 93, 248/74.1, 248/67
• US Class Current: 29/890.09
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/06 Connecting hose to aircraft; Disconnecting hose therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/1226 elongated supports, e.g. to support a curved pipe
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/494 Fluidic or fluid actuated device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Adjustable fittings for attaching support members to fluid conduits, including aircraft fuel conduits, are disclosed herein. An aircraft system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a fluid conduit carried by an aircraft and a housing fixedly attached to the fluid conduit. The housing can include a first attachment feature having one of a projection extending outwardly from the housing or an aperture extending at least partially through the housing. The system further includes a support member having an attachment portion positioned proximate to the attachment feature. The attachment portion includes a support member aperture positioned over at least a portion of the first attachment feature. An adjustable fitting couples the support member to the housing. The adjustable fitting can include a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and an engagement portion at the second side positioned within at least a portion of the support member aperture. The fitting can also include a second attachment feature mated with the first attachment feature. The second attachment feature includes the other one of the projection or the aperture. The second attachment feature has a center point eccentrically offset from a center point of the fitting.

Claims

1. A method for installing a support member with a fluid conduit, the method comprising:

positioning a support member proximate to a fluid conduit, the support member including a support member aperture positioned over at least a portion of a first attachment feature carried by the fluid conduit;

inserting at least a portion of an adjustable fitting having a second attachment feature through the support member aperture and mating the first and second attachment features, wherein the second attachment feature is eccentrically offset from a center point of the adjustable fitting; and

rotating the adjustable fitting with respect to the first attachment feature until the second attachment feature fixedly engages at least a portion of the first attachment feature to secure the support member in place with respect to the fluid conduit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) the first attachment feature comprises a projection extending outwardly from a housing fixedly attached to the fluid conduit, the projection including a generally arcuate end portion with a center point defined at least in part by the end portion, and (b) the second attachment feature comprises an aperture extending at least partially through the adjustable fitting and configured to receive the projection, and wherein:

inserting at least a portion of an adjustable fitting having a second attachment feature through the support member aperture and mating the first and second attachment features comprises inserting the aperture of the second attachment feature over at least a portion of the projection; and

rotating the adjustable fitting with respect to the first attachment feature comprises rotating the adjustable fitting such that the aperture maintains a generally eccentric orbit about the center point until the aperture engages at least a portion of the projection to secure the adjustable fitting in place against the support member and fluid conduit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) the second attachment feature comprises a projection extending outwardly from the adjustable fitting, and (b) the first attachment feature comprises an aperture extending through at least a portion of a housing fixedly attached to the conduit, and wherein:

inserting at least a portion of an adjustable fitting having a second attachment feature through the support member aperture and mating the first and second attachment features comprises inserting the projection into at least a portion of the aperture in the housing; and

rotating the adjustable fitting with respect to the first attachment feature comprises rotating the adjustable fitting such that the projection maintains a generally eccentric orbit about the aperture in the housing until the projection engages at least a portion of the aperture to secure the adjustable fitting in place against the support member and fluid conduit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasably attaching the adjustable fitting to the support member with one or more first fasteners extending through the adjustable fitting and at least a portion of the support member; and

releasably coupling the adjustable fitting to the first attachment feature with a second fastener extending through the second attachment feature and at least a portion of the first attachment feature.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein inserting an adjustable fitting through the support member and rotating the adjustable fitting with respect to the first attachment feature comprises using common hand tools to install the adjustable fitting.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring at least approximately all the surge loads and the pressure loads from the fluid conduit to the support member after attachment.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the support member aperture is a first support member aperture and the adjustable fitting is a first adjustable fitting, and wherein the method further comprises:

positioning a second support member aperture over at least a portion of another first attachment feature carried by the fluid conduit;

inserting at least a portion of a second adjustable fitting having a second attachment feature through the second support member aperture and mating the corresponding first and second attachment features, wherein the second attachment feature of the second adjustable fitting is eccentrically offset from a center point of the second adjustable fitting; and

rotating the second adjustable fitting with respect to the corresponding first attachment feature until the second attachment feature fixedly engages at least a portion of the corresponding first attachment feature to secure the support member in place with respect to the fluid conduit, and wherein the first and second adjustable fittings have different eccentric orientations relative to the corresponding first attachment features.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein inserting at least a portion of an adjustable fitting through the support member aperture comprises inserting an adjustable fitting with a first annular portion having a first dimension and a second annular portion having a second dimension less than the first dimension.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein positioning a support member proximate to a fluid conduit comprises positioning a support member proximate to a fluid conduit carried by an aircraft.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein rotating the adjustable fitting with respect to the first attachment feature comprises rotating the adjustable fitting in a generally clockwise and/or counterclockwise direction to secure the adjustable fitting against at least a portion of the first attachment feature.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein positioning a support member proximate to a fluid conduit comprises positioning the support member proximate to a fluid conduit operably coupled to a fuel tank carried by at least one of a fuselage portion and a wing portion of an aircraft.

12. A method for attaching a support member to a fluid conduit carried by an aircraft, the method comprising:

positioning the support member proximate to the fluid conduit, the support member including (a) a first attachment portion having a first aperture proximate to a first load-carrying support fixedly attached to the fluid conduit, and (b) a second attachment portion having a second aperture proximate to a second load-carrying support fixedly attached to the support member and spaced apart from the first housing, wherein each load-carrying support includes a first attachment feature;

releasably coupling the first attachment portion of the support member to the first load-carrying support by—

mating the first attachment feature of the first load-carrying support with a second attachment feature of a first adjustable fitting, wherein the second attachment feature is eccentrically offset from a center point of the first adjustable fitting; and

rotating the first adjustable fitting with respect to the first attachment feature of the first load-carrying support until the second attachment feature fixedly engages at least a portion of the first attachment feature to secure the support member in place with respect to the first load-carrying support of the fluid conduit; and

releasably coupling the second attachment portion of the support member to the second load-carrying support by—

mating the first attachment feature of the second load-carrying support with a third attachment feature of a second adjustable fitting, wherein the third attachment feature is eccentrically offset from a center point of the second adjustable fitting; and

rotating the second adjustable fitting with respect to the corresponding first attachment feature until the third attachment feature fixedly engages at least a portion of the first attachment feature to secure the support member in place with respect to the second load-carrying support of the fluid conduit.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein (a) the individual first attachment features comprise a projection extending outwardly from the respective load-carrying supports fixedly attached to the fluid conduit, the projections including a generally arcuate end portion with a center point defined at least in part by the end portion, and (b) the second attachment feature comprises a first aperture extending at least partially through the first adjustable fitting and configured to receive a corresponding projection of the first load-carrying support, and (c) the third attachment feature comprises a second aperture extending at least partially through the second adjustable fitting and configured to receive a corresponding projection of the second load-carrying support, and wherein:

mating the first attachment feature of the first load-carrying support with a second attachment feature of the first adjustable fitting comprises inserting the first aperture of the first adjustable fitting over at least a portion of the respective projection; and

rotating the first adjustable fitting with respect to the corresponding first attachment feature comprises rotating the first adjustable fitting such that the first aperture maintains a generally eccentric orbit about the center point until the first aperture engages at least a portion of the corresponding projection to secure the first adjustable fitting in place against the support member and the first load-carrying support of the fluid conduit.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein (a) the second and third attachment features each comprise a projection extending outwardly away from the first and second adjustable fittings, respectively, and (b) the individual first attachment features comprise an aperture extending through at least a portion of corresponding first and second load-carrying supports fixedly attached to the fluid conduit, and wherein:

mating the first attachment feature of the first load-carrying support with a second attachment feature of the first adjustable fitting comprises inserting the projection of the first adjustable fitting into at least a portion of the aperture in the first load-carrying support; and

rotating the first adjustable fitting with respect to the corresponding first attachment feature comprises rotating the first adjustable fitting such that the corresponding projection maintains a generally eccentric orbit about the aperture in the first load-carrying support until the projection engages at least a portion of the aperture to secure the first adjustable fitting in place against the support member and the first load-carrying support of the fluid conduit.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising fixedly attaching the first and second adjustable fittings to the first and second load-carrying supports, respectively, with one or more fasteners.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising distributing and/or transferring at least approximately all of the surge loads and the pressure loads from the fluid conduit to appropriate reaction location of the aircraft via the support member.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein:

mating the first attachment feature of the second load-carrying support with a third attachment feature of the second adjustable fitting comprises inserting the second aperture of the second adjustable fitting over at least a portion of the respective projection; and

rotating the second adjustable fitting with respect to the corresponding first attachment feature comprises rotating the second adjustable fitting such that the second aperture maintains a generally eccentric orbit about the center point until the second aperture engages at least a portion of the corresponding projection to secure the second adjustable fitting in place against the support member and the second load-carrying support of the fluid conduit.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein:

mating the first attachment feature of the second load-carrying support with a third attachment feature of the second adjustable fitting comprises inserting the projection of the second adjustable fitting into at least a portion of the aperture in the second load-carrying support; and

rotating the second adjustable fitting with respect to the corresponding first attachment feature comprises rotating the second adjustable fitting such that the corresponding projection maintains a generally eccentric orbit about the aperture in the second load-carrying support until the projection engages at least a portion of the aperture to secure the second adjustable fitting in place against the support member and the second load-carrying support of the fluid conduit.