# US 2019/0315489 A1 · Device comprising a drive system for extending and retracting a conditioned air hose

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- Number: US 2019/0315489 A1
- Document ID: US20190315489A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/313,696
- Filed: 2017-06-26
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-30
- Assignees: Lebrun-Nimy SA
- Applicants: Lebrun - Nimy SA
- Inventors: Charles-Etienne GONSETTE; Claudy URBAIN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190315489A1

## CPC

- B64F 1/362: {Installations for supplying conditioned air to parked aircraft}
- F16H 19/06: comprising {flexible members, e.g. an} endless flexible member
- F16L 3/01: for supporting or guiding the pipes, cables or protective tubing, between relatively movable points, e.g. movable channels
- F16H 2019/0613: {the flexible member being a toothed belt or chain engaging a rack}
- Y02T 50/80: Energy efficient operational measures, e.g. ground operations or mission management
- B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F16H: GEARING
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A device for storing and extending a hose for supplying conditioned air to an aircraft on the ground or to any other interior space, includes: a tubular housing (11) extending along a longitudinal axis (Z) and having a free open first end, which tubular housing (11) can store a hose; a hose (1) in fluid communication with a conditioned air unit and having a free downstream end; a drive system (4) that can be used to control the extension and retraction of the hose (1) between a retracted position in which the downstream end of the hose (1) is located in the tubular housing (11), and an extended configuration in which the downstream end of the hose (1) is outside the tubular housing (11) and at a distance from the first end of the tubular housing (11). The drive system (4) has N=4 to 8 drive bearings (6.1-6.6) disposed perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (Z) and connected to one another by N swivel joints (7.1-7.7), thereby forming a closed chain.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for packing and extending a hose for supplying conditioned air to an aircraft (12) on the ground or to any other interior space, said device comprising:
(a) a tubular housing (11) extending along a longitudinal axis, Z, and comprising a free and open first end, said tubular housing allowing packing,
(b) a hose (1) comprising a downstream end which is free and an upstream end which can be fluidically connected with a conditioned air unit and which is away from the first end of the housing,
(c) a drive system (4) comprising N drive bearings distributed around a perimeter of the hose and situated adjacent to the first end of the housing, the rotation of the N drive bearings making it possible to control, in a first direction of rotation, the extension and, in a second direction of rotation, the contraction of the hose between,
(i) a contracted configuration (1C) in which the downstream end of the hose is situated in the housing and adjacent to the first end of the housing, and
(ii) an extended configuration (1E) in which the downstream end of the hose is out of the housing and away from the first end of the housing,
characterized in that, the drive system comprises N=4 to 8 drive bearings (6.1-6.6) arranged around and each at right angles to the longitudinal axis, Z, a first drive bearing (6.1) being linked to a motor (8) capable of controlling its rotation about its axis, said first drive bearing being linked in series to the N−1 other drive bearings by rotation joints (7.1-7.6) allowing the transmission of a rotation from the first drive bearing to the N−1 other drive bearings, the Nth drive bearing being itself linked by a rotation joint to the first drive bearing, thus forming a closed chain of N drive bearings linked to one another by N rotation joints.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, comprising N=4, 6 or 8 drive bearings and in which the rotation joints are universal joints, preferably double universal joints.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, comprising N=4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 drive bearings and in which the rotation joints are selected from among the homokinetic joints, Rzeppa joints, tripod joints or Tracta joints.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the N drive bearings comprises a toothed drive pinion coupled to a return surface by a chain (13) comprising paddles (14) having a flexible free end (140 mounted in such a way that the free ends of a number of paddles are permanently in contact with an outer surface of the hose, and whose translation in one direction or in the other depending on the direction of rotation of the corresponding drive bearing applies a friction to the outer surface of the hose which thus makes it possible to control the extension or the retraction thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device as claimed in claim 4, in which the flexible free surface (14f) of the paddles has the geometry of a square, U-shaped, triangular, trapezoidal or comb-shaped profile comprising several blades.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device as claimed in claim 5, in which the flexible free surface of the paddles forms a contact surface with the outer surface of the hose, said contact surface having a mean width measured in the direction of the longitudinal axis of at least 10 mm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the N drive bearings is coupled to a return bearing by a belt provided with outer protuberances whose translation in one direction or in the other depending on the direction of rotation of the corresponding drive bearing applies a friction to an outer surface of the hose which thus makes it possible to control the extension or the retraction thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The device as claimed in claim 4, in which the hose is reinforced by a spiral coupled to the outer surface of the hose and conferring upon it a radial rigidity, while making it possible to contract the hose into its contracted configuration and to extend it into its extended configuration by varying the opening pitch between two successive turns of the spiral, and in which the drive system comprises at least two paddles or outer protuberances lying between two turns of the spiral in the extended configuration of the hose.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, in which each of the N drive bearings is provided with a drive pinion rigidly mounted on each drive bearing, and comprising a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface in contact with an outer surface of the hose and whose rotation in one direction or in the other applies a friction to said outer surface of the hose which thus makes it possible to control the extension or the retraction thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a rigid tube (2) at least partially clad by a portion of the hose including its upstream end, said rigid tube extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end fluidically connected with a conditioned air source, to a second end which is free, over a length equal to at least 80% of the total length of the hose in its contracted configuration from its upstream end.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device as claimed in claim 10, comprising a fixed ring (9), which is fixed adjacent to the second end of the rigid tube and which forms a bearing surface situated inside the hose for the drive system which is situated outside the hose.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The device as claimed in claim 10, in which the upstream end of the hose is fixed to a coupling ring (3) which encircles the rigid tube to form a seal-tight coupling between the rigid tube and the hose, said coupling ring being mounted on the rigid tube so as to be able to slide.

### Claim 13 (depends on 5)

The device as claimed in claim 5, in which direction of the longitudinal axis of is at least 15 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 5)

The device as claimed in claim 5, in which direction of the longitudinal axis of is at least 20 mm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The device as claimed in claim 8, in which the at least two paddles or outer protuberances lying between two turns of the spiral in the extended configuration of the hose are at least three paddles or outer protuberances.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The device as claimed in claim 10, in which the length is equal to at least 90% of the total length of the hose in its contracted configuration from its upstream end.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The device as claimed in claim 10, in which the length is equal to at least 95% of the total length of the hose in its contracted configuration from its upstream end.