Abstract:
A system and method for connecting a traditional air chute to an air hose delivering preconditioned air to an aircraft includes an adapter system. The adapter system includes a flexible stage having an exterior surrounding a hollow interior configured to receive air from the air hose and deliver the air to the air chute. The adapter system also includes a rotational stage coupled to the flexible stage and having an exterior surrounding a hollow interior configured to receive air from the air hose and deliver the air to the air chute. The flexible stage is adjustable relative to the rotational stage to selectively move the hollow interior of the flexible stage between extending along a common axis through the air chute and the rotational stage and not extending along the common axis.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/841,057, entitled “Pre-Conditioned Air Hose Adapters and Joints,” filed Aug. 30, 2006, and claims the benefit thereof. 
     
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates generally to a system and method for connecting a source of preconditioned air to a receiver for the preconditioned air, typically an aircraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to a self-aligning system and method for connecting a hose leading from the source of preconditioned air to an aircraft to reduce the potential for placing undue stress on the connection to the aircraft, the hose leading to the aircraft, or the individual creating the connection to the aircraft. 
         [0004]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , when an aircraft  10  is at rest on the ground  12 , the aircraft  10  is often connected to a source of preconditioned air  14 . That is, rather than tax the onboard heating or air-conditioning systems of the aircraft  10 , a connection is made to a ground source  14  that provides heated or air-conditioned air to the aircraft  10 . To facilitate such a connection, a hose  16  is extended from the preconditioned-air ground source  14  to a standardized hatch door  18  located, generally, on the underside of the aircraft  10 . To create a secure connection between the hose  16  and the aircraft  10 , a standard air chute  20  is typically used that mates and locks with the area about the hatch door  18  through a clamping or similar fixed connection system. 
         [0005]    While the hose  16  connecting the preconditioned-air ground source  14  and the aircraft  10  is generally designed to be at least somewhat flexible, the hose  16  may not be able to be arranged in a desired position. As a result, the hose  16  may be unduly stressed during and/or after the connection process. The hose  16  and air chute  20  are joined through a fixed or rigid connection and the hose is often required to twist and turn to arrange the air chute  20  in the proper position to mate with the area around the hatch door  18  of the aircraft  10 . In this regard, the hose  16  may not be able to be positioned as desired and can become kinked and stressed. In some instances, the hose  16  must make multiple turns at various elevations leading from the ground  12  to the underside of the aircraft  10 . To further compound matters, the hose  16  leading from the preconditioned-air ground source  14  is typically of a larger diameter, for example, 14 inches, than the hatch door opening  18 , for example, 8 inches. In this case, a tapered section  22  may be included that extends between the two differing diameters. However, these tapered sections  22  create additional connection points that must be accommodated when making connections between the hose  16  and aircraft  10 . 
         [0006]    Due to the combination of these fixed elements and the requirements of making connections to an aircraft, airflow from the ground source  14  to the aircraft  10  can be degraded and an insufficient supply of air delivered to the aircraft  10 . As such, operators are frequently required to spend a significant amount of time and effort making connections and ensuring that kinks are avoided. In some cases, an operator must revisit poor connections. Even with the best efforts of operators, over time, these stresses and kinks can degrade the lifespan of the equipment used to provide preconditioned air to an aircraft  10 . 
         [0007]    Some systems have been developed that attempt to alleviate these problems by providing a fixed elbow and/or rotary mechanism that allows the fixed elbow to face a desired direction. However, these systems often fail to meet regulatory standards and/or employ proprietary parts and connecting mechanisms. Therefore, to utilize these systems, standardized air chutes must be abandoned in favor of the proprietary elbow/rotary system. Furthermore, such systems often fail to rotate freely when subjected to the significant load presented by connecting the hose, elbow, and rotation mechanism to the aircraft. That is, when not under load (i.e., disconnected from the aircraft), the elbow can be rotated about the rotation mechanism to face in a desired direction. However, once loaded through a connection to an aircraft, the stress placed on the fixed elbow and rotation mechanism causes the elbow to be fixed in one direction unless an operator intervenes to reduce the stress presented by the load and manually rotate the elbow. Accordingly, in many cases, without significant operator intervention, such fixed elbow/rotational systems can present more stress on the hose and various connection points than traditional connection systems. 
         [0008]    Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for allowing a hose leading from the source of preconditioned air to an aircraft to self align. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks by providing an adapter system configured to allow an air-supply hose leading from an air source to an aircraft to self align. Furthermore, the present invention is configured to integrate with a traditional PC air hose and air chute. 
         [0010]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an adapter system is disclosed that is configured to extend between an air hose and an air chute configured to connect the air hose to an aircraft to deliver air from a remote air source. The adapter system includes a flexible stage having an exterior surrounding a hollow interior configured to receive air from the air hose and deliver the air to the air chute. The adapter system also includes a rotational stage coupled to the flexible stage and having an exterior surrounding a hollow interior configured to receive air from the air hose and deliver the air to the air chute. The flexible stage is adjustable relative to the rotational stage to selectively move the hollow interior of the flexible stage between extending along a common axis through the air chute and the rotational stage and not extending along the common axis. 
         [0011]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an adapter is disclosed for coupling an air chute having a hollow interior extending along a first axis to an air hose extending along a second axis to deliver preconditioned (PC) air from a preconditioned-air source to an aircraft. The adapter includes a coupling connected to the air chute and having a hollow interior extending coaxially with the hollow interior of the air chute along the first axis. The adapter also includes a flexible fitting having a hollow interior and an adjustable exterior configured to flex and cause the first axis of the air chute and the second axis of the air hose to extend non-coaxially. Furthermore, the adapter includes a rotational coupling having a hollow interior extending coaxially with one of the first axis of the air chute and the second axis of the air hose and an exterior configured to permit rotation of one of the air hose and the air chute with respect to the other of the air hose and the air chute. 
         [0012]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an adapter system is disclosed that is configured to extend between an air hose and an air chute designed to connect the air hose to an aircraft to deliver air from a remote air source. The adapter system includes a first stage having a hollow interior configured to receive air from the air hose and an exterior configured to engage the air chute and arrange the hollow interior of the first stage to extend along a common axis with a hollow interior of the air chute. The adapter system also includes a second stage engaged with the first stage and having an exterior surrounding a hollow interior configured to receive air from the air hose and deliver the air to the first stage. A first rotational coupling is included to join the first stage and the second stage. The adapter system further includes a third stage having an exterior surrounding a hollow interior configured to receive air from the air hose and deliver the air to the second stage and a second rotational coupling joining the second stage and the third stage. 
         [0013]    Various other features of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a side-elevational view of an aircraft receiving preconditioned air through a traditional air hose, rigid tapered adapter, and air chute coupling; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a side-elevational view of an adapter system in accordance with the present invention for connecting the traditional air chute and tapered adapter of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the adapter system of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the adapter system of  FIGS. 2-3 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of another adapter system in accordance with the present invention for connecting the traditional air chute and tapered adapter of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of yet another adapter system in accordance with the present invention for connecting the traditional air chute and tapered adapter of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of still another adapter system in accordance with the present invention for connecting the traditional air chute and tapered adapter of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a further adapter system in accordance with the present invention for connecting the traditional air chute and tapered adapter of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2-4 , an adapter system  30  for a preconditioned (PC) air hose includes a plurality of stages. In particular, the illustrated configuration of the adapter system  30  includes a first stage  32  that is configured to engage a traditional air chute  34 . The adapter system  30  also includes a second, flexible, stage  36  connected to the first stage  32  and a third, rotatable, stage  38  connected to the second stage  36 . The third stage  38  is configured to engage a PC air hose, such as the air hose  16  described with respect to  FIG. 1 . However, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the third stage  38  is also configured to engage a tapered adapter  40  that connects a PC air hose, which generally has a 14 inch diameter, to the air chute  34 , which generally has an 8 inch diameter. 
         [0024]    In the illustrated configuration, the first stage  32  includes a crown  41  that extends over a portion of the air chute  34 . As will be described, it is contemplated that in some arrangements the first stage  32  may be coupled to the air chute  34  by extending within the air chute  34 . Additionally, it is contemplated that the first stage  32  may be configured to engage a PC air hose or tapered adapter and the third stage  38  configured to engage a traditional air chute  34 . In the illustrated configuration, the first stage  32  of the adapter  30  extends over the air chute  34  and is secured thereto through the crown  41 . In particular, the air chute  34  includes a mounting flange  42  that is designed to be engaged by an air hose, such as described with respect to  FIG. 1 . The crown  41  of the first stage  32  is designed to be secured to the air chute  34  through a compression coupling  43  that causes the crown  41  to engage the mounting flange  42  of the air chute  34 . Thus, the first stage  32  of the adapter  30  is configured to mate with and be coupled to a traditional air chute  34 . As such, proprietary air chutes or other coupling systems can be avoided. 
         [0025]    The first stage  32  also includes a rigid exterior  44  that extends away from the crown  41  to form a hollow interior  46 . In this regard, the hollow interior  46  of the first stage  32  extends along a common axis  48  with a hollow interior  50  of the air chute  34 . By arranging the hollow interior  46  of the first stage  32  coaxially with the hollow interior  50  of the air chute  34 , the flow of PC air through the first stage  32  and air chute  34  is facilitated. 
         [0026]    The second stage  36  is secured to and extends away from the first stage  32 . As illustrated, it is contemplated that the second stage  36  may extend partially over the first stage  32  and be secured thereon, for example, by way of a compression fitting  51 , however, other fasting systems, such as a screw or rivet are contemplated. Furthermore, as will be described with respect to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the second stage  36  may extend into the first stage  32  or may be integrated with the first stage  32 . 
         [0027]    In the configuration illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , the second stage  36  includes a hollow interior  52  surrounded by a flexible exterior  54 . In this regard, the flexible exterior  54  is designed to allow the second stage  36  to move relative to the first stage  32  to thereby reposition the hollow interior  52 . Therefore, the hollow interior  52  of the second stage  36  may be moved to extend coaxially or not coaxially with the common axis  48  of the air chute  34  and first stage  32 . Thus, the second stage  36  forms a flexible fitting that is configured to be continuously adjustable in a plurality of directions away from the common axis  48 . 
         [0028]    The flexible fitting may be highly flexible or may include a partially rigid exterior  54 . For example, the second stage  36  may be at least partially formed from cloth, nylon, rubber, plastic, or a similar flexible or semi-flexible material. Furthermore, the exterior  54  of the second stage  36  may be reinforced by, for example, a plurality of rigid ribs  56 . The ribs  56  may be formed by a spiraled or “spring-shaped” rigid material. Accordingly, the second stage  36  may be biased to extend coaxially with the air chute  34  and first stage  32  and deviate therefrom when subjected to a sufficient opposing force. 
         [0029]    The third stage  38  is formed from a plurality of parts that, together, define a hollow interior  58  and a rigid exterior  60 . Specifically, the third stage  38  includes a first portion  62  configured to engage the second stage  36 , for example, by way of another compression fitting  63 , however, other fastening systems, such as screws or rivets are contemplated. The third stage  38  also includes a second portion  64  configured to extend from the first portion  62  to engage a traditional PC air hose or, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a tapered adapter  40 . The first portion  62  and the second portion  64  are not fixed with respect to each other. Rather, a coupling ring  66  is included that is designed to extend over the second portion  64  to mate with and be secured to the first portion  62  through a plurality of screws  68  or other fastening devices. In this regard, the second portion  64  is secured to the first portion  62  by the coupling ring  66  but is free to rotate, for example, in 360 degrees. Therefore, the third stage  38  forms a rotary member that permits rotation of an attached PC air hose with respect to the air chute  34 . 
         [0030]    A seal  70  may be included to stop PC air flowing through the hollow interior  58  from escaping through the coupling formed between the first portion  62 , second portion  64 , and coupling ring  66 . Additionally, it is contemplated that the third stage  38  may be arranged in an inverted orientation where the second portion  64  is engaged with the second stage  36  and the first portion  62  is engaged with the PC air hose or tapered adapter  40  of  FIG. 2 . 
         [0031]    In either case, the hollow interior  58  of the third stage  38  may extend coaxially with the common axis  48  extending through the air chute  34  and the first stage  32  when the hollow interior  52  of the second stage  36  is aligned with the common axis  48 . However, when the second stage  36  is moved or flexed, such that the hollow interior  52  of the second stage  36  does not extend coaxially with the common axis  48  extending through the air chute  34  and the first stage  32 , the hollow interior  58  of the third stage  38  is also moved to not extend coaxially with the common axis  48 . 
         [0032]    The combination of the flexible motion facilitated by the second stage  36  and the rotational motion facilitated by the third stage  38  enables six degrees of freedom. Specifically, the flexible second stage  36  permits heaving, swaying, and surging motion. When combined with the rotatable third stage  38 , pitching, yawing, and rolling motion are achieved. 
         [0033]    Though the second stage  36  has been described as being discrete from the first stage  32  and the third stage  38  and secured thereto through a compression fitting, screw, rivet, or other fastening system, it is contemplated that the stages may be integrated or some stages may be omitted. For example, the second stage  36  may be co-molded with the first stage  32  and/or first portion  62  of the third stage  38 . Similarly, as stated above, it is contemplated that the adapter system  30  may be arranged in an inverted arrangement, such that the third stage  38  includes the crown  41  designed to engage a traditional air chute  34  and the first stage  32  is configured to engage an air hose or tapered adapter  40 . Furthermore, additional motion components may be included to provide varying degrees of freedom. 
         [0034]    For example, referring now to  FIG. 5 , another configuration of the adapter system  30  is shown. In this arrangement, the first stage  32  is configured to extend within the air chute  34  and be fastened therewith through a screw, rivet, or other fastening device  72 . In the illustrated arrangement, the second stage  36  no longer includes a flexible exterior. Rather, a rigid, angled exterior  74  is provided. In a manner similar to that described with respect to  FIGS. 2-4 , the second stage  36  is coupled to the third stage  38  through a rotational coupling  76 . However, in this case, the second stage  36  is illustrated as being integrated with the first portion  62  of the third stage  38 . Beyond the rotational coupling  76  created between the coupling of the second stage  36  and the third stage  38 , a rotational coupling  78  is provided between the first stage  32  and the second stage  36 . The combination of the rotational couplings  76 ,  78  and rigid, angled exterior  74  of the second stage  36  allows the adapter system  30  to rotate at multiple positions to self align. In this case, a PC air hose will be readily positioned in a desired positioned, for example, in a position that alleviates strains and stresses applied to a PC air hose when connected to an aircraft, as described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . For example, even if the rotational coupling  76  created between the coupling of the second stage  36  and the third stage  38  were to become stressed to an extent capable of impeding rotation of the rotational coupling  76 , the rotational coupling  78  provided between the first stage  32  and the second stage  36  will rotate to reposition the second stage  36  and third stage  38  and alleviate the stress due to the fact that the first stage  32  and the second stage  36  are aligned along the common axis  48 . 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , another configuration of the adapter system  30  is shown. In this case, it is further contemplated that the second stage and third stage described above with respect to  FIGS. 2-5  may be permanently coupled. In the illustrated configuration, the first stage  32  is again configured to extend within and be removably affixed to the air chute  34 . However, it is contemplated that the first stage  32  may also be configured to extend over the air chute  34 . The second stage  36  has a substantially spherical exterior  80  extending into the first stage  32 . However, it is likewise contemplated that the substantially spherical exterior may extend from the first stage  32  into the second stage  36 . In either case, the first stage  32  and the second stage  36  form a ball-and-socket joint that allows the second stage  36  and third stage  38  to move relative to the first stage  32  and air chute  34  to extend along the common axis  48  or away from the common axis  48 . As described above, the third stage  38  is fixedly coupled to the second stage  36 . However, it is contemplated that the third stage  38  may be removably coupled with or engaged through a rotational coupling to the second stage  36 . In either case, the ball-and-socket configuration of the adapter system provides three degrees of motion, including pitch, yaw, and roll. 
         [0036]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , it is contemplated that the first portion  32  described above may be removed or omitted. In this case, the second stage  36  may be configured to extend over the air chute  34  and be secured thereto by the compression fitting  43 . This arrangement allows for a potential cost savings by the removal of the first stage  32 , however, it is noted that the second stage  36  may need to be elongated over the above-described configurations in order to provide adequate displacement between the air chute  34  and the third stage  38  so as not to be impeded from flexing by handles extending from the air chute  34 . 
         [0037]    Furthermore referring now to  FIG. 8 , it is contemplated that the second stage  36  may be configured to extend into the first stage  32  and third stage  38 . In this case, biasing rings  82 ,  84  may be arranged within the first stage  32  and the third stage  38 , respectively. The biasing rings  82 ,  84  are designed to secure the second stage  36  against an interior wall of the first stage  32  and the third stage  38 . In this case, the ribs  56  formed by the biasing member within the second stage  36  is used to screw the second stage  36  into the first stage  32  and third stage  38 . 
         [0038]    Therefore, the above-described system and method facilitates self-alignment of a PC air hose. The above-described system is designed to integrate with a traditional PC air hose and air chute. 
         [0039]    The present invention has been described in terms of the various embodiments, and it should be appreciated that many equivalents, alternatives, variations, and modifications, aside from those expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to a particular described embodiment.