Brush assembly for a rotating ice protection system

A brush assembly for conducting electrical power from a fixed power system to a rotating ice protection system through a slip ring assembly having a plurality of slip rings, said brush assembly being adapted to attach to a mounting bracket, comprising:

• a plurality of electrically conductive brushes for conducting electrical power to the slip rings with at least on brush per slip ring;
• a plurality of springs with at least one spring per brush for urging each brush against a slip ring;
• a housing having a plurality of apertures for receiving said plurality of springs and for slidably receiving said plurality of brushes in alignment with the slip rings, said housing being adapted to attach to the mounting bracket;
• a plurality of electrical connectors attached to said housing for connection to the power system, at least one electrical connector corresponding to each slip ring, said plurality of electrical connectors having a first electrical connector that connects to power system ground and a second electrical connector that receives electrical power from the power system;
• a plurality of flexible shunts with at least one flexible shunt per brush that electrically connects each brush that aligns with a single slip ring to said electrical connector corresponding to that slip ring;
• and,
• a transient voltage suppressor disposed within said housing electrically connected across said first and second connectors, said transient voltage suppressor functioning as an open switch during normal system operation and as a closed switch when a high electrical potential induced by a lightning strike appears across said first and second electrical connectors.

A brush assembly for conducting electrical power from a fixed power system to a rotating aircraft propeller through a flat slip ring assembly attached to the aircraft propeller and having a plurality of slip rings, the aircraft propeller being attached to an aircraft engine, said brush assembly being adapted to attach to a mounting bracket that is attached to the aircraft engine, comprising:

• a plurality of electrically conductive brushes for conducting electrical power to the slip rings;
• a housing having a brush enclosure with a plurality of apertures for slidably receiving said plurality of brushes and terminating in an attachment leg that extends from said brush enclosure, said attachment leg being adapted to attach to the mounting bracket with said brush enclosure shifted away from the mounting bracket along slip rings parallel to the plane of rotation of the slip ring assembly;
• biasing means for biasing said plurality of brushes against the plurality of slip rings;
• power connection means for electrically connecting said brush assembly to the power supply system;
• and,
• jumper means for transferring electrical power from said power connection means to said plurality of brushes.

A brush assembly for conducting electrical power from a fixed power supply system to a rotating ice protection system through a slip ring assembly having a plurality of slip rings, said brush assembly being adapted to attach to a mounting bracket, comprising:

• a plurality of electrically conductive brushes for conducting electrical power to the slip rings;
• a housing having a plurality of apertures for slidably receiving said plurality of brushes, said housing being adapted to attach to the mounting bracket;
• biasing means for biasing said plurality of brushes against the plurality of slip rings;
• power connection means for electrically connecting said brush assembly to the power supply system, said power connection means having at least one power connector that electrically connects to the power supply system and at least one ground connector;
• jumper means for transferring electrical power from said power connection means to said plurality of brushes;
• and,
• transient voltage suppressor means disposed within said housing electrically connected across said power connector and said ground connector, said transient voltage suppressor functioning as an open switch during normal system operation and as a closed switch when a high electrical potential induced by a lightning strike appears across said power connector and said ground connector.

A brush assembly for conducting electrical power from a fixed power supply system to a rotating ice protection system through a slip ring assembly having a plurality of slip rings, said brush assembly being adapted to attach to a mounting bracket, comprising:

• a plurality of electrically conductive brushes for conducting electrical power to the slip rings;
• a housing having a brush enclosure with a plurality of apertures for slidably receiving said plurality of brushes and an attachment leg extending from said brush enclosure adapted to attach said brush assembly to the mounting bracket with said brush enclosure spaced to one side of the mounting bracket;
• biasing means for biasing said plurality of brushes against the plurality of slip rings;
• power connection means for electrically connecting said brush assembly to the power supply system, said power connection means including at least one power connector that electrically connects to the power supply system and at least one ground connector;
• jumper means for transferring electrical power from said power connection means to said plurality of brushes;
• and,
• transient voltage suppressor means disposed within said housing electrically connected across said power junction and said ground junction, said transient voltage suppressor functioning as an open switch during normal system operation and as a closed switch when a high electrical potential induced by a lightning strike appears across said power connector and said ground connector.

In a combination of an aircraft engine having a drive shaft, a fixed power system, and a propeller assembly attached to the drive shaft that rotates relative to the aircraft engine, comprising:

• (a) a flat slip ring assembly attached to the propeller assembly and having a plurality of slip rings;
• (b) at least one electrothermal de-icer attached to the propeller and electrically connected to at least two of said plurality of slip rings;
• (c) a mounting bracket attached to the aircraft engine;
• and,
• (d) a brush assembly attached to said mounting bracket and including,
• a plurality of springs with at least one spring per brush urging each brush against a slip ring,
• a housing having a brush enclosure with a plurality of apertures for receiving said plurality of springs and for slidably receiving said plurality of brushes in alignment with said slip rings, and terminating in an attachment leg that extends from said brush enclosure, said attachment leg being adapted to attach to said mounting bracket with said brush enclosure shifted away from said mounting bracket along said slip rings parallel to the plane of rotation of said slip ring assembly,
• a plurality of electrical connectors attached to said housing for connection with the power system, at least one electrical connector corresponding to each slip ring, and
• a plurality of flexible shunts with at least one flexible shunt per brush that electrically connects each brush that aligns with a single slip ring to said electrical connector corresponding to that slip ring.