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US 8,826,597 B2Granted
Weatherproof surround for safely jettisoning a removable panel
AssigneeAirbus Helicopters
InventorNicolas Raspic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A weatherproof surround, for a jettisonable panel (5) of a vehicle (1) such as a helicopter, possesses four confinement flanges (17-20) integrally formed with a projecting ridge for spring-clipping a corresponding locking strip. Longitudinal foldable shoulders connect the confinement flanges (17-20) to a central trunk (13). Each confinement flange (17-20) can be folded back through pivot angle (31) of at least 90°.
Claims20
A peripheral seal designed for a weatherproof surround for a removable panel that is removable from a bay in a wall of an aircraft, said peripheral seal being of the generally tubular type and extending mainly along a longitudinal axis (X), and comprising at least:
- a central trunk of substantially prismatic shape, mainly elongate along the longitudinal axis (X) so as to form two butt ends, and adaptable by longitudinal shaping to match an inside opening profile of the bay, a top reception slot and a bottom reception slot, which slots extend from one butt end to the other butt end of the central trunk, substantially along a longitudinal elevation midplane (XZ);
- transversely on either side of the top reception slot, respectively an inside top confinement flange and an outside top confinement flange, and transversely on either side of the bottom reception slot, respectively an inside bottom confinement flange and an outside bottom confinement flange;
- defined between the inside top confinement flange and the inside bottom confinement flange, an inside insertion recess for an inside locking strip, and, defined between the outside top confinement flange and the outside bottom confinement flange, an outside insertion recess for an outside locking strip;
- on each confinement flange, a projecting ridge for spring-clipping one of the locking strips, which ridge extends substantially in longitudinal elevation, these projecting ridges being arranged in pairs of mutually facing ridges on either side in elevation of respective ones of the insertion recesses;
- and, connecting each of the four confinement flanges to the central trunk, a respective longitudinal foldable shoulder;
- wherein said peripheral seal provides a pivot angle of at least 95° in a plane (YZ) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X), through which angle one of the confinement flanges can be folded back by the corresponding foldable shoulder deforming towards a concave portion of the corresponding insertion recess, from a normal operating state to a release state for releasing the removable panel while the remaining confinement flanges remain undeformed;
- in the release state, the projecting ridge of the folded-back confinement flange being in abutment against an abutment section of the corresponding insertion recess, which abutment section is situated substantially between the central trunk and the associated confinement flange that is opposite from the folded-back confinement flange.
4 more elements
A peripheral seal designed for a weatherproof surround for a panel that is removable from a bay in a wall of an aircraft, the seal comprising:
- a central trunk extending along a longitudinal axis (X) and having two butt ends, and adapted to correspond with an inside opening profile of the bay,
- an inside top confinement flange and an inside bottom confinement flange extending from the central trunk via inside top and bottom folding shoulders respectively, the inside top and bottom confinement flanges defining an inside insertion recess for an inside locking strip;
- an outside top confinement flange and an outside bottom confinement flange extending from the central trunk via outside top and bottom folding shoulders respectively, the outside top and bottom confinement flanges defining an outside insertion recess for an outside locking strip;
- wherein the inside top confinement flange and the outside top confinement flange define a top reception slot therebetween extending between the butt ends of the central trunk, substantially along a longitudinal elevation midplane (XZ);
- wherein the inside bottom confinement flange and the outside bottom confinement flange define a bottom reception slot therebetween extending between the butt ends of the central trunk, substantially along a longitudinal elevation midplane (XZ);
- wherein each confinement flange has a projecting ridge adapted to spring-clip an associated locking strip, the projecting ridges being arranged in pairs of mutually facing ridges on either side of respective insertion recesses;
- wherein said peripheral seal provides a pivot angle of at least 95° between the trunk and one of the confinement flanges when the corresponding folding shoulder is folded to deform the one of the confinement flange towards a concave portion of the corresponding insertion recess from a normal operating state to a release state for releasing the removable panel such that the corresponding projecting ridge of the folded confinement flange is abutting an abutment section of the opposed folding shoulder of the corresponding insertion recess and the remaining three confinement flanges are undeformed.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.