Aircraft ground power plug force tester
AssigneeInnovative Electrical Design, Inc.
InventorsPreston D. Shultz, Kevin Crowl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure describes various alternative embodiments of plug force testers, in particular devices well-suited for testing aircraft ground power connection plugs. The disclosed plug force testers provide a fixed, well-supported position for test pins on which a plug is inserted, which can be positioned to correspond to a height or orientation of the pins in an actual aircraft. Embodiments described also may include means for preventing excessive force application during testing.
Claims16
An apparatus for testing connection and removal force in an aircraft ground power connector plug, comprising:
- a support structure defining a housing;
- a force sensor mounted within the housing;
- test pins mounted on a pin plate, the pin plate being mounted in the housing and configured to transfer force applied to the test pins to the force sensor;
- and
- a cover plate defining pin holes mounted above the force sensor with said test pins extending through the pin holes, the cover plate positioned relative to the test pins to limit force application to the test pins by an aircraft ground power connector plug when fully seated on the test pins.
A test pin assembly for use in an aircraft ground power plug force test apparatus, the test apparatus including a support structure defining a positive stop to limit travel of an electrical plug being applied to a set of test pins and a force sensor configured to measure force applied to the set of test pins, the test pin assembly comprising:
- a pin plate connectable with the force sensor so as to transmit force applied to the force sensor;
- and
- plural test pins mounted on one side of the pin plate, the test pins configured in an arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of pins in a specific aircraft ground power plug to be tested, the test pins further having a length sufficient to extend beyond the positive stop when installed in the test apparatus by a distance substantially equal to the pin length in a corresponding specific aircraft ground power receptacle.
A kit for use with an aircraft ground power plug force test apparatus including a support structure defining a positive stop to limit travel of an electrical plug being applied to a set of test pins and a force sensor configured to measure force applied to the set of test pins, comprising:
- at least one said test pin assembly comprising a pin plate connectable with the force sensor so as to transmit force applied to the force sensor, and plural test pins mounted on one side of the pin plate, the test pins configured in an arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of pins in a specific aircraft ground power plug to be tested, the test pins further having a length sufficient to extend beyond the positive stop when installed in the test apparatus by a distance substantially equal to the pin length in a corresponding specific aircraft ground power receptacle;
- and
- a cover plate for the support structure providing said positive stop, wherein the cover plate includes holes corresponding to the arrangement of the test pins in the test pin assembly to permit the test pins to pass therethrough and extend beyond the cover plate a distance substantially equal to the pin length in the corresponding specific aircraft ground power receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.