Methods and apparatus for electronically modeling aircraft engine harnesses
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsPatrick Barrow, Dustin Lee Meyers, James Stephen Hoelle, Kenneth Alvin Jungeberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modeling system that converts a three-dimensionally defined aircraft engine harness in a two-dimensional electronic model, a process known as unfolding, is described. The modeling system electronically unfolds the three-dimensionally defined harness to create a two-dimensional representation, while simultaneously determining a plurality of design parameters. The drawing and the design parameters are displayed in a format that may be used for inspection purposes and manufacturing purposes. More specifically, the modeling system determines branch angles, wire lengths, and a plurality of angles of the three-dimensionally defined harness.
Claims18
A method comprising the steps of:
- generating two-dimensional electronically modeled aircraft engine harnesses from a three-dimensional harness definition that includes a plurality of connector fittings coupled together with wire cables, wherein said three-dimensional harness definition defines a harness, said generating the two-dimensional electronically modeled aircraft engine harnesses comprises:
- defining the three-dimensional harness definition such that each of the plurality of connector fittings includes a plurality of connector fitting ports for orienting the connector fitting with respect to each other of the plurality of connector fittings in a cartesian coordinate system, wherein each of the plurality of connector fittings includes a connector port, a direction port, a free port, and a key port;
- determining design parameters of the harness;
- generating a two-dimensional stick form model of the plurality of connector fittings from the three-dimensional harness definition such that the appearance and orientation of each connector fitting image produced is three-dimensional with respect to each other of the plurality of connector fittings;
- creating, by a processor, a first line that extends from a first one of the plurality of connector fittings to a second one of the plurality of connector fittings;
- and
- producing a second line that extends from said first line to a third one of said plurality of connector fittings.
A modeling system for producing a two-dimensional electronic model of an aircraft engine harness, said system configured to:
- generate a three-dimensional harness definition that includes a plurality of connector fittings coupled together with wire cables, wherein each of the plurality of connector fillings includes a connector port, a direction port, a free port, and a key port such that each of the plurality of connector fittings are oriented with respect to one another in a cartesian coordinate system, wherein said three-dimensional harness definition defines a harness;
- generate a two-dimensional electronic drawing of each of the plurality of connector fittings from the three-dimensional harness definition such that the appearance and orientation of each connector fitting image produced is three-dimensional with respect to each other of the plurality of connector fittings;
- generate a first line that extends from a connector port of a first one of the plurality of connector fittings to a connector port of a second one of the plurality of connector fittings;
- and
- generate a second line that extends from said first line to a connector port of a third one of said plurality of connector fittings to produce the two-dimensional electronic model.
A system for generating a two-dimensional electronic model of an aircraft engine harness from a three-dimensional aircraft engine harness definition that includes a plurality of connector fittings coupled together with wire cables, said system comprising a processor programmed to:
- define said tree-dimensional aircraft engine harness definition, wherein each of the plurality of connector fittings includes a plurality of connector fitting ports for orienting the connector fitting with respect to each other of the plurality of connector fittings in a cartesian coordinate system, wherein said three-dimensional aircraft engine harness definition defines a harness wherein each of the plurality of connector fittings includes a connector port, a direction port, a free port, and a key port;
- determine aircraft engine harness design parameters from the three-dimensional aircraft engine harness definition;
- and
- generate said two-dimensional electronic model of said aircraft engine harness in stick form using said three-dimensional aircraft engine harness definition and said aircraft engine harness design parameters, such that the appearance and orientation of each connector fitting image produced is three-dimensional with respect to each other of the plurality of connector fittings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.