U.S. patent application number 09/954259 was filed with the patent office on 2002-02-07 for preconditioned air adapter chute.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hall Industries , Inc.. Invention is credited to Curry, S. Mason, Kehrer, Karoly, Shumaker, Wesley A..
Application Number | 20020014279 09/954259 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24249849 |
Filed Date | 2002-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020014279 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shumaker, Wesley A. ; et
al. |
February 7, 2002 |
Preconditioned air adapter chute
Abstract
A preconditioned air adapter chute for attachment to a ring
connector of an aircraft has a body adapted at a first end to
attach a hose for transmitting the preconditioned air. The body is
provided at a second end with a flange for connecting to the ring
connector. A compressive gasket is affixed to a surface of the
flange which faces the ring connector. At least one clamp assembly,
affixed to the body, has a handle and a clamp pivotably mounted in
a housing. The handle and clamp are pivoted about separate pivot
points, so that a cam action is obtained as the handle is moved
from an open to a closed position. The clamp of each clamp assembly
passes through a slot-like opening in the flange to allow
engagement of the clamp in the connector.
Inventors: |
Shumaker, Wesley A.;
(Washington, PA) ; Curry, S. Mason; (Pittsburgh,
PA) ; Kehrer, Karoly; (Midland, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Hahn Loeser + Parks, LLP
Twin Oaks Estate
1225 west Market Street
Akron
OH
44313-7188
US
|
Assignee: |
Hall Industries , Inc.
|
Family ID: |
24249849 |
Appl. No.: |
09/954259 |
Filed: |
September 17, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09954259 |
Sep 17, 2001 |
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09563277 |
May 3, 2000 |
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6289949 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
141/386 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64F 1/34 20130101; F16L
37/127 20130101; F24F 13/0209 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/386 |
International
Class: |
B67C 003/00; B65B
003/00; B65B 001/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An adapter chute for connecting an aircraft with a connector
having slots to a preconditioned air unit external to the aircraft,
the adapter chute comprising: a cylindrical body with first and
second ends, the second end having a radially extending flange, at
least one slot-like opening formed through the flange; a gasket
fastened to the flange, the gasket having an axially facing channel
defined by a pair of upstanding sides; and at least one clamp
assembly, each said clamp assembly having a housing, a handle and a
clamp, the handle and clamp pivoting in the housing about separate
pivot points to provide a cam action, the clamp of each clamp
assembly positioned to pass through one of the at least one
slot-like openings in the flange.
2. A clamp assembly for connecting an adapter chute to an aircraft
having a ring connector with slots, said assembly comprising: a
housing provided with means for attaching the clamp assembly to the
adapter chute; a handle; and a clamp, wherein the handle and clamp
pivot in the housing about separate first and second pivot points
to provide a cam action.
3. The clamp assembly of claim 2 wherein the housing comprises a
latch body and a back plate, the latch body and back plate mating
together to define a handle slot through which the handle extends
and a clamp slot through which the clamp extends.
4. The clamp assembly of claim 2 wherein the cam action is provided
by a contact between an arcuate surface at a first end of the
handle and an arcuate surface at a first end of the clamp internal
to the housing.
5. The clamp assembly of claim 4 wherein the handle end arcuate
surface is convex and the clamp end arcuate surface is concave.
6. The clamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the contact between the
handle end and the clamp end is direct.
7. The clamp assembly of claim 3, wherein the first pivot point
pivots about a bushing held in place by the latch body and the back
plate.
8. The clamp assembly of claim 3, wherein the second pivot point
pivots about a bushing held in place by the latch body and the back
plate.
9. The clamp assembly of claim 2, wherein the first end of the
handle and the first end of the clamp are coplanarly aligned.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/563,277,
filed May 3, 2000. The present invention relates to a device for
connecting a source of preconditioned air to a receiver for the
preconditioned air, typically an aircraft. The device has cam
action clamps which permit easy connection and disconnection to the
airliner.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
[0002] It is common practice in the air transport industry to
provide preconditioned air to an aircraft parked at a jetway from a
ground source, rather than to use the craft's onboard heating or
air-conditioning systems. For this reason, aircraft are typically
provided with a standard hatch door and connector. When the hatch
door is opened, a ground-based source of preconditioned air is
connected to the connector through a length of hose, the distal end
of which is attached to an adapter chute designed to mate with a
standard ring connector on the aircraft. As explained in one of the
prior art references, the standard for the ring connector is set by
Military Standard MS 33562(ASG) entitled "Connection, Aircraft
Ground Air Conditioning, 8 inch, minimum requirements."
[0003] In designing an adapter chute for attaching the
preconditioned air hose to the aircraft, considerations which are
considered include the weight and durability of the chute body, the
reliability and ease of use of the clamps and the quality of
air-tight seal obtained between the chute and the connector.
[0004] In attempting to improve the adapter chute, the designer is
obviously constrained by the limitation that the chute must mate
with the standard ring connector. However, the patent art
demonstrates that some variation in design is clearly possible. For
example, one patent notes that the type of chute previously used
(in 1993) was made of metal, was cone-shaped, had no handles and
had a bar-type clamp for clamping the chute to the connector.
Advantages provided by that inventor include the use of
high-density polyethylene instead of metal, use of a conical bottom
and a cylindrical top, as well as the introduction of handles, and
the use of heavy duty clamps featuring TEFLON hooks.
[0005] One type of chute assembly known in the prior art engages
the ring connector by inserting L-shaped hooks through slots in the
ring connector and then rotating the entire chute, while
compressing it against the ring connector to allow the hooks to
engage the end edges of the slots. Another type of chute assembly
known in the prior art has spring-loaded latches which are inserted
through the slots of the ring connector while the chute is
compressed against the ring connector. These spring-loaded latches
then engage the side edges of the slots. One of the patents notes
the relative expense of the ring connector on the aircraft and how
damage to the ring connector.
[0006] It is therefore a desired advantage not found in the prior
art to provide an improved adapter chute which is compatible with
the standard ring connector, but which uses a smooth and simple
rotation of a handle to simultaneously compressively seal the chute
to the ring connector and cause a pair of clamps to engage slots in
the ring connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] This advantage, as well as others, are provided by an
adapter chute for connecting an aircraft having a connector with
slots to a preconditioned air unit external to the aircraft. The
adapter chute comprises a chute body, a gasket affixed to the chute
body, and at least one clamp assembly. The chute body is a
cylindrical body with first and second ends. The second end of the
body has a radially extending flange with a pair of slot-like
openings formed through the flange. The gasket is fastened to the
flange on a surface facing the connector. Each of the at least one
clamp assemblies has a housing, a handle and a clamp, with the
handle and clamp pivoting in the housing about separate pivot
points to provide a cam action.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Better understanding of the present invention will be had
when reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein
identical parts are identified with identical reference numerals,
and wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of an aircraft receiving
preconditioned air through a device as known in the prior art;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a ring connector as known in
the prior art;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adapter chute of the
present invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the body and
gasket of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the gasket of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a portion of the gasket,
taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;
[0015] FIG. 7 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of the
clamp assembly used in the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of the clamp assembly in a
first or closed position;
[0017] FIG. 9 is a front sectional view of the clamp assembly in a
second or intermediate position; and
[0018] FIG. 10 is a front sectional view of the clamp assembly in a
third or closed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The use of the present invention is best understood when
reference is first made to FIGS. 1 and 2, both of which are taken
from U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,846 to Larson (Apr. 21, 1998). FIG. 1
shows a length of flexible hose 10 which extends along the ground
12 from a preconditioned air unit 14 to an aircraft 16. An adapter
chute 20 of the prior art is shown attached to a distal end of the
hose 10, a proximal end of the hose being attached to the
preconditioned air unit 14. The chute 20 is removably attached to
the aircraft 16 through a ring connector 40, which is not shown in
FIG. 1, but is shown in isolation in FIG. 2. The ring connector 40
is mounted in the aircraft 16 inside a removable hatch (not shown)
so that attachment of the adapter chute 20 to the ring connector
communicates the preconditioned air unit 14 to a preconditioned air
distribution system in the aircraft.
[0020] Focusing now on FIG. 2, the ring connector 40 is shown in
bottom plan view, which is the view presented to the adapter chute
(not shown in FIG. 2) as it is removably mated to the connector.
The Larson '846 patent indicates that this connector 40 is commonly
called a "mylo connector." The connector 40 is a annular ring 42
with an internal opening having an eight-inch diameter. The ring 42
is typically one-inch wide. Spaced around the ring 42 are at least
one pair of diametrically opposed slots 44, and the embodiment in
FIG. 2 shows three pairs of such slots. When more than one pair of
opposed slots 44 is provided, the pairs will generally be equally
spaced around the circumference of the ring 42. Each of the slots
44 is about one and one-half inches long, with side edges 45 that
are perpendicular to a diameter of the ring 42 which would run
through the longitudinal center of the slot. In addition to the
side edges 45, each slot also has a pair of end edges 46. When the
ring connector 40 is used with a typical chute of the prior art,
only one pair of slots 44 will be engaged by a pair of opposed
L-shaped clamping members. The unused pairs of slots 44 allow a
chute to be attached quickly and easily with a minimal amount of
rotation of the chute being required to mate the clamping members
with an available pair of slots, although the unmated slots
actually serve no purpose once the chute is affixed to the
connector 40.
[0021] Attention is now directed to FIGS. 3 and 4, where the
adapter chute of the present invention, identified generally as
120, is disclosed. FIG. 3 shows an assembled perspective view of
the chute 120. FIG. 4 shows the body 122 and gasket 130 of the
chute 120, with the clamp assemblies 140 removed. The adapter chute
120 has a body 122. In the embodiment illustrated, the body 122 is
cylindrical. The body 122 is generally hollow to permit easy flow
of air therethrough from a first end 124 to a second end 126. In
one aspect of the invention, the body 122 is spin formed from 0.125
inch thick aluminum plate, thereby providing a light, seamless
body. The first end 124 has a slight enlargement of the diameter,
to provide a collar 125 for attaching the hose (not shown in FIG.
3). At the second end 126, the body 122 is shaped into a radially
extending flange 128. This radially extending flange 128 is
particularly useful for mounting a resilient gasket 130, which will
be compressively interposed between the body 122 and the ring
connector when the chute 120 is mated with the ring connector.
Although some aspects of the invention would benefit from the
placement of a gusset or fillet at the intersection of the flange
128 and the body 122, it has been the inventors' experience that
the spin forming of 0.125 inch thick aluminum provides more than
sufficient strength to the intersection and that the only purpose
of a gusset or fillet would be to add weight, which is certainly
not an object of the invention. The flange 128 is also provided
with a pair of diametrically opposed slot-like openings 132, which
are best viewed in FIG. 4. These slot-like openings 132 are sized
and located to correspond to a pair of the slots 44 in the ring
connector 40. Note that body 122 is not provided with any handles
or the like, the body being a simple, easily formed cylindrical
structure with a flanged second end 126. This is in contrast to
many prior art devices wherein the body 122 has many shapes formed
therein which complicate the fabrication process needlessly,
especially in the formation of handles on the body 122.
[0022] The exterior of the body 122 is adapted to have at least one
clamp assembly 140 removably fastened adjacent the slot-like
openings 132. In the embodiment illustrated, the body has a pair of
fastening holes 142 provided for attaching a pair of clamp
assemblies 140. Standard fastening means 144 will be used to attach
the at least one clamp assembly 140 to the body 122. In the
particular embodiment shown, for example, hex-head bolts 144 are
shown as the fastening means, these bolts being received in a
housing 146 of the clamp assembly 140.
[0023] Certain external features of the clamp assembly 140 are now
noted. Although many of these features are shown in FIG. 3,
reference should also be made to FIG. 7, which shows an exploded
view of the clamp assembly. Each clamp assembly 140 use a two-piece
housing 146 comprising a latch body 148 and a back plate 150. As
viewed in FIG. 3, latch body 148 faces outwardly from the adapter
chute 120 and has the holes for receiving the bolts 144. Latch body
148 and back plate 150 are affixed to each other to form the
housing 146. Latch body 148 is shaped to define two slots. The
first of these, handle slot 152, is on an upper end of the clamp
assembly. This handle slot 152 defines a range of motion for handle
154, which extends upwardly therethrough. The handle 154 pivots
about a first pivot point (not shown in FIG. 3) interior to the
housing 146, and a first end of the handle is contained within the
housing. A second end 156 of handle 154 is located outside of the
housing, and this second end is usually covered with a grip 158,
particularly a polymeric grip with finger receiving ridges 160
along a side thereof. These finger receiving ridges assist in
orienting the assembled adapter chute for the user to make quick
use thereof.
[0024] The second slot or clamp slot 162 (not visible in FIG. 3) in
the latch body 148 extends out of a lower end of the clamp assembly
140. This clamp slot 162 defines a range of motion for clamp 164,
which extends downwardly therethrough. The clamp 164 pivots about a
second pivot point (not shown in FIG. 3) interior to the housing
146. Second pivot point is separated from first pivot point inside
the housing 146, as will be explained further below. A first end of
the clamp 164 is contained within the housing. A second end 166 of
clamp 164 is located outside of the housing. In the aspect of the
invention illustrated, the second end 166 of clamp 164 is a
C-shaped hook for grasping one of the slots 44 in the ring
connector. For this reason, the clamp assembly 140 is mounted onto
the body so that the clamp 164 fits through one of the slot-like
openings 132 in flange 128.
[0025] Attention is now directed to FIGS. 5 and 6 which show an
embodiment of the gasket 130 used in the present invention. FIG. 5
is a top plan view of the gasket 130 and FIG. 6 is an enlarged side
sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5. In one aspect, the
gasket 130 is molded from EPDM with a hardness of about 30, as
measured on the Shore B Durometer scale. In this aspect, the gasket
130 is annular, with an inside and outside diameter sized so that
the gasket may be seated on flange 128 without extending over the
edges of the flange. A distinctive feature of gasket 130 is a pair
of diametrically-opposed notches 134, which are sized and
positioned to correspond to the slot-like openings 132 in flange
128, so that the gasket does not impede movement of the clamp 164
through or in the slot-like opening. The gasket 130 is typically
about one-half inch thick, measured top to bottom, but the
thickness in not uniform in the aspect of the invention
illustrated. In the embodiment shown, the gasket 130 has a solid
base portion which is about 1/4 inch thick, with a pair of
upstanding side edges 136 that form an annular channel 138 which
runs around the circumference of the gasket. These upstanding side
edges assist in forming a compressible but air-tight seal for the
chute to the ring connector. FIG. 6 shows a side sectional view of
the gasket 130 in the vicinity of one of the notches 134. In the
most common embodiment of the invention, the gasket 130 is
adhesively fastened to the flange 128. The appropriate adhesive
will be readily determinable by one of skill in this art. The
embodiment illustrated also shows a series of small holes 139,
which assist in allowing adhesive weepage in the fastening
procedure.
[0026] Attention is now directed to FIGS. 7 and 8 through 10. FIG.
7 shows an exploded view of the clamp assembly 140, from which view
the interaction of the parts may be understood. FIGS. 8 through 10
illustrate the operation of the clamp assembly 140 by showing a
sectional view of the assembly. Specifically, FIG. 8 shows the
clamp assembly 140 in a first or open position; FIG. 9 shows the
assembly in a second or intermediate position; and FIG. 10 shows
the assembly in a third or closed position. It will be understood
that the particular embodiment shown shows a counterclockwise
motion of the handle 154 for closing the clamp 164, but an
alternate embodiment in which a clockwise motion would be used is
certainly within the scope of the invention, although there is no
particular reason why one would want to use such an alternate clamp
assembly in combination with a counterclockwise clamp assembly.
FIGS. 8 through 10 show that handle 154 pivots about a first or
handle pivot point 170, which was not visible in previous views.
Also, the first end 172 of the handle is now visible, so it is
clear that a user causing the second handle end 156 to pivot about
first pivot point 170 causes the first end to also pivot. The first
pivot point 170 pivots about a bushing 171 that is held in place by
the latch body 148 and the back plate 150. The first end 172 has an
arcuate convex outer surface. In a similar fashion, the second or
clamp pivot point 174 is also now visible in FIGS. 8-10. The second
pivot point 174 pivots about a bushing 175 that is held in place by
the latch body 148 and the back plate 150. The clamp 164 has the
second end 166 which has been previously seen, but now the first
end 176 is also visible. Due to the ability to pivot about second
or clamp pivot point 174, motion of the first end 176 causes motion
of the second end 166. The first end 176 of clamp 164 has an
arcuate concave outer surface. The respective first ends 172, 176
of the handle 154 and the clamp 164 are engaged with each other as
shown in FIGS. 8-10. The engagement of the respective arcuate outer
surfaces and the motion of handle 154 causes a cam action in clamp
164, as illustrated by the changing position of a contact point 178
between the two outer surfaces of the respective first ends 172,
176. A tip 180 of the second end 166 of clamp 164 provides a point
of contact of the clamp with the ring connector. As the clamp 164
moves from open to closed in FIGS. 8 through 10, tip 180 moves not
only horizontally, but also vertically, this vertical motion
causing compression of the gasket 130 between the flange 28 and the
ring connector 40.
[0027] Two further aspects of the invention as shown in FIGS. 8
through 10 are notable. First, the cam action of handle 154 and
clamp 164 is such that resistance is encountered by a user in
moving the handle away from either the "open" or the "closed"
position through the intermediate position. As a result, the handle
154 does not act as a simple pivoted lever would act, where a small
push or nudge of the handle could move it out of the closed
position to the open position. The cam action requires that the
natural resistance of the mechanism be overcome at least through
the intermediate position illustrated in FIG. 9. This feature
assists in preventing inadvertent release of the clamping
action.
[0028] The second feature involves the structures in the clamp 164.
To appreciate certain differences from the prior art, it is useful
to compare the clamp 164 as disclosed here to the clamping features
disclosed in the prior art references. For example, the hook
identified as reference numeral 34 in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No.
5,927,355 to Kofflin is a flat L-shaped member in which the tip
runs horizontally and the main body runs vertically, the tip and
main body being effectively perpendicular to each other. The
opposing edges of the tip are effectively parallel to each other,
as are the opposing edges of the main body, although the junction
of the tip and main body is radiused. Since the Kofflin '355 hook
is inserted into the slot and then the adapter chute is rotated to
give positive engagement, the width of the main body is necessarily
smaller than the width of the slot, so no protection is provided by
the hook against being inadvertently dislodged. Similarly, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,740,846 to Larson shows a Kofflin-type hook at FIG. 2
and also shows his latch device at FIG. 7. The Kofflin-type hook in
FIG. 2 is probably taken from an earlier Kofflin patent, U.S. Pat.
No. 5,355,917. In any case, the fact remains that Larson's spring
loaded latch is clearly capable of engaging only one edge of a slot
of the ring connector, since it must be able to maneuver in the
slot. The Larson '846 latch may be dislodged by a strong sudden
downward force on the chute. In both cases, insertion of the hook
or latch onto the slot results in a narrower portion of the hook or
slot residing in the slot after engagement, so that only one end or
edge of the slot is actively engaged. By sharp contrast, the clamp
164 of the present invention has a C-shaped body in which a surface
182, which is opposite tip 180, is arcuate rather than flat. As a
result, the effective width 184 of the clamp 164 residing in the
slot of the ring connector actually increases as the clamp rotates
into engagement with one end edge of the slot. In the aspect of the
invention shown in FIGS. 8 through 10, when tip 180 is inserted and
a notch 186 at the base of the tip abuts on one end edge of the
slot, surface 182 approaches the opposite end edge of the slot so
that the clamp 164 cannot be removed from the slot without rotating
the clamp in the slot. In some cases, the width 184 may even
increase enough that notch 186 and surface 182 each abut on the
opposite slot end edges when the clamp is engaged. This aspect of
the clamp 164 precludes the clamp from being dislodged from the
slot through simple angular rotation of the chute or from a sharp
downward force. The only way that clamp 164 disengages from the
slot, once properly engaged, is through a rotation of the clamp 164
about the second pivot point 174, which, in turn, requires positive
movement of the handle 154 against the cam action resistance
inherent in the design. An example of the effective width 184 of
clamp 164 is shown in FIGS. 8 and 10.
[0029] The operation of the device is best understood with
reference to FIG. 3. To attach the chute 120 to an aircraft, the
user first opens the hatch on the craft in which the ring connector
is housed, exposing the outer face of the connector. The user then
grasps the chute 120 by the grips 158 so that the fingers are
wrapped around the finger-receiving ridges 160. The chute 120 will
have a hose (not shown in FIG. 3) attached at collar 125 on the
first end 124 of the chute. As the user lifts the chute 120, the
handles 154 of the pair of clamp assemblies 140 should be checked
to verify that both are in the "open" position as shown in FIG. 8.
When this is the case, the aspect of the invention illustrated will
have one arm of the user somewhat extended and the other arm
somewhat flexed, since the latch assemblies 140 will both be closed
by counterclockwise motion. Using the grips 158 to maneuver the
chute 120, the user will approach the ring connector and insert the
clamps 164 of the respective clamp assemblies into a pair of the
opposed slots in the ring connector. As soon as the clamps are into
the slots, the user will simultaneously rotate the handles 154 in
the user's hands. The cam action of the clamp assemblies, as
previously described, will pull the chute into engagement with the
ring connector, compressing the gasket 130 through application of
axially-directed force. The user need not actively compress the
gasket 130 as the chute is engaged. The user need not apply any
rotational force, which could stress the adhesion of the gasket 130
to flange 128. Once both handles 154 reach the "closed" position of
FIG. 10, the chute 120 has been securely engaged. Similarly, the
user who intends to disengage the chute 120 needs only to grasp the
handles 154 with the fingers aligned on the finger-receiving ridges
160 on the grips 158, pull or push (as appropriate) the handles to
the "open" position, and pull the chute 120 away from the hatch. In
this manner, it will be understood that the grips 158 provide the
only handles necessary to attach or detach the chute from the
aircraft.
[0030] While the foregoing description provides examples of the
best known mode of operation of the invention, the scope of the
invention is not to be measured by the foregoing description, but
is instead determined from the accompanying claims.
* * * * *