Device for fastening a fluid transport circuit to an element of the structure of an aircraft and related aircraft

• US 9,598,181 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Rossato, Robert, Courpet, Alexis
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCHNA, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/688,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20130161940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 285/123.1, 285/123.3, 285/123.6, 285/123.12, 285/123.14, 285/124.1, 285/124.3, 285/136.1, 285/141.1, 285/62, 285/63, 285/123.4, 248/56, 248/58, 361/215
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/005 Accessories not provided for in the groups B64D37/02 - B64D37/28
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/02 Lightning protectors; Static dischargers in general H01T
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/1222 the member having the form of a closed ring, e.g. used for the function of two adjacent pipe sections
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 39/005 for concentric pipes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A fastening device (10) is disclosed for attaching a fluid transport circuit to an element of a structure of an aircraft, with the fluid transport circuit containing two portions (23, 42), each of which is made up of an external tube (22, 44) positioned around an internal tube (21, 43). The fastening device (10) is positioned at a connection (40) between the two portions (23, 42) of the fluid transport circuit, and contains a body (26) with a plate (27) to attach the fastening device (10) to an element (61) of the structure of the aircraft. The body (26) provides at least one sealed connection between the external tubes (22, 44) of the two portions (23, 42) and a support system provides a constant radial clearance between the internal tubes (21, 43) and the external tubes (22, 44) of the two portions (23, 42) of the fluid transport circuit.

Claims

1. A circuit for the transport of a fluid in an aircraft, the circuit comprising:

a first portion including a first internal tube surrounded by a first external tube,

a second portion including a second internal tube surrounded by a second external tube,

a fastening device including a body including a plate and a first cylindrical part attached to the plate,

the first cylindrical part being attached to the first external tube via a sealed connection and to the first internal tube by a connecting system so that the first internal tube extends through and beyond the first cylindrical part up to a connector which mechanically connects together the first and second internal tubes at a location away from the first cylindrical part, the connecting system constituting a support system that establishes a predetermined space between the first and second internal tubes and the first and second external tubes, respectively, of the first and second portions;

the plate including a first mechanical interface to affix the plate to a structure of the aircraft and a second mechanical interface to connect the plate to the connecting system, and

a sleeve including a second cylindrical part, which surrounds the second external tube of the circuit and covers the connector mechanically connecting together the first and second internal tubes, and a flange fastened to the second cylindrical part for fastening to the plate, and

wherein the connecting system includes a ring for clamping the connecting system to the first internal tube of the first portion and a plurality of protrusions to allow fastening of the connecting system to a side of one end of the body.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, in which the first cylindrical part of the body is attached to an end of the first external tube of the first portion.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, in which the fastening device is made of a conductive material.

4. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising an annular seal between the first cylindrical part and the first external tube.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the fastening device is made of a conductive material that provides electrical continuity between the tubes and/or the structure of the aircraft.

6. A device for the transport of a fluid in an aircraft, the device comprising:

a pipe assembly including at least first and second internal pipes within corresponding at least first and second external pipes;

a fastening assembly which fastens the pipe assembly to a structure of the aircraft, the fastening assembly including;

a plate comprising a mechanical interface region fixed to the structure of the aircraft and a pipe interface region which receives the pipe assembly;

an opening in the pipe interface region of the plate having a diameter no smaller than an outside diameter of the at least first and second internal pipes and no greater than an outside diameter of the at least first and second external pipes;

a cylindrical sleeve concentric with the opening and having a diameter greater than the outside diameter of the at least first and second external pipes, wherein the cylindrical sleeve is fixed to the pipe interface region of the plate and which receives one of the at least first and second external pipes, the cylindrical sleeve being attached to a one of the at least first and second internal pipes corresponding to the external pipe received by the cylindrical sleeve by a connecting system so that the corresponding internal pipe extends through and beyond the cylindrical sleeve up to a connector which mechanically connects together the at least first and second internal tubes at a location away from the cylindrical sleeve, and

a mechanical interface bracket abutting the internal pipe and maintaining a radial gap between the internal pipe and the external pipe, wherein the mechanical interface abuts the pipe interface region and only partially blocks an annular region between the internal pipe and the external pipe, and

wherein the connecting system includes a ring for clamping the connecting system to the first internal pipe of the pipe assembly and a plurality of protrusions to allow fastening of the connecting system to a side of one end of the cylindrical sleeve.

7. The device of claim 6 further comprising an annular seal between the cylindrical sleeve and the external pipes.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the fastening assembly is made of a conductive material that provides electrical continuity between the pipes and/or the structure of the aircraft.

9. A circuit for the transport of a fluid in an aircraft, the circuit comprising:

a first portion including a first internal tube surrounded by a first external tube,

a second portion including a second internal tube surrounded by a second external tube,

a fastening device including a body, a connecting system and a sleeve,

the body including a plate and a first cylindrical part attached to the plate,

the first cylindrical part being attached to the first external tube via a sealed connection and to the first internal tube by the connecting system so that the first internal tube extends through and beyond the first cylindrical part up to a connector which mechanically connects together the first and second internal tubes at a location away from the first cylindrical part, the connecting system constituting a support system that establishes a predetermined space between the first and second internal tubes and the first and second external tubes, respectively, of the first and second portions;

the plate including a first mechanical interface to affix the plate to a structure of the aircraft and a second mechanical interface to connect the plate to the connecting system, and

the sleeve including a second cylindrical part, which surrounds the second external tube of the circuit and covers the connector mechanically connecting together the first and second internal tubes, and a flange fastened to the second cylindrical part for fastening to the plate, and

wherein the fastening device body, connecting system and sleeve are made of a conductive material that provides electrical continuity between the tubes and/or the structure of the aircraft.