Abstract:
A pair of mating components that are in very close quarters and which require essentially one-handed installation of a moveable part or component relative to a fixed part having mating linear wedge type ramps. The ramps on the moveable part will permit movement of the moveable part adjacent the fixed part, so that surfaces of the ramps on the movable part overlap ramps on the fixed part. Lateral movement of the moveable, part causes the ramp surfaces to engage to support the moveable part. The moveable part then can be clamped by further lateral movement so that the wedge type ramps urge the two parts to mate and seat.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a mounting arrangement for holding two separable, mating parts securely locked together and permitting one part to be assembled to the other with one hand. A fixed mounting part has linear cam like ramps or wedges oriented so that when mating the parts, mating linear cam like ramps or wedges on a removable part are placed on the linear ramps on the fixed part, and the removable part is slid in a first direction. The linear ramps act to move the parts together to seat the removable part so it is locked in place. Initially a spring provides a force to slide the linear ramps or wedges together and hold the parts in an initial position, and subsequently the removable part is manually tightened into position. 
     In many hard to reach areas, particularly in aircraft, it is necessary to provide removable components such as circuit housings, or transducers, that mate with fixed components. The mating parts must be accurately seated and reliably secured. Because of limited space, access to many areas is so limited that only one hand can be used for installation or removal of the removable part. Because of the need for proper alignment of ports or connections and tight sealing, and because the installation may well be “blind”, screw on connections are not fully satisfactory because the rotational position cannot be easily observed. 
     Reliable, accurate and secure mounting of a removable part or component using only one hand is needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a mounting arrangement for mounting a removable part or component to a mating fixed part using only one hand. Mating linear ramps or wedges are provided on the two parts. In a first position the mating linear ramps or wedges on the removable (or movable) part are positioned so the linear ramps on the two parts will move past each other when the removable part is slid laterally so the ramps are at least partially overlapping. The removable part ramps will be supported on the fixed ramps. As shown, a slide frame is fixed to the removable part and carries the ramps for that part, and the slide frame fits around at least a portion of the fixed part. After initial assembly, a clamp screw on the slide frame acts against a pusher engaging the fixed part to slide the frame and movable ramps or wedges along the fixed ramps or wedges to clamp the two parts together. 
     For initial assembly, if desired, a spring acting between the pusher and slide frame is compressed so the slide frame can be shifted to permit the removable part to be placed in position where the ramps on the removable part can slip by the fixed ramps. The removable part is then moved toward the fixed part so the ramps on the slide frame are at a level to permit overlapping the ramps on the fixed part. When the removable part is released the spring will urge the ramps to slide into registry and when the surfaces of the movable and fixed ramps overlap and engage, the removable part is supported on. the fixed part in a partially assembled position. The removable part is held in position by the spring force, so the one hand holding the removable part, can be moved, while the parts remain in a partially assembled position. The clamp screw is then operated with one hand to pull the movable component or part laterally. The ramps on the slide frame slide along the fixed ramps so that the parts are moved together by the ramping or camming action. The clamp screw is used to clamp and lock the parts together. 
     A user thus can attach a removable component or part to a flange or other fixed component or part with considerable clamping and holding force while using only one hand. The mounting mechanism is useful in many applications where blind or hard to access mounting locations do not allow a person installing the removable component or part to use both hands, and further is useful where high clamping force may be required to hold the parts assembled. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of mating parts or components in an initial position for installation and having the ramp mounting members of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 1 with parts in section and parts broken away; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 showing the parts partially assembled; 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the parts after assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a slide frame and fixed component used for assembly in position corresponding to FIG. 2, at an initial installation position; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view similar to FIG. 5, with the parts partially assembled as shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of the slide frame and parts in a fully installed position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An aircraft instrumentation assembly indicated generally at  10  is a two-part or two component assembly that have the one hand installation features of the present invention. In the showing in FIG. 1, an aircraft body that is illustrated only schematically at  12  has a fixedly mounted component, such as a water tank fitting or manifold  14  for a passenger drinking water tank  17  supported in a position where it is extremely difficult to use two hands for coupling a mating part to the fixed part. The location could be under a cowling, or along an interior side of an aircraft, or under a spar or stringer or the like. The fixed tank, manifold  14  has a port or opening  16  under which a water level sensor  19  mounts. The sensor shown is an ultrasonic sensor that measures water level in tank  17 . The tank manifold  14  couples to a mating, removable manifold section  20  of an instrument package or component  22 . The instrument package or component  22  may include necessary circuitry to provide an electrical signal proportional to water level in the tank. The instrument component  22  has an electrical fitting  24  that would be connected to suitable wiring for carrying signals to signal conditioning equipment or to an onboard indicator  21 . 
     The removable and replaceable part or component  22  (also called the movable part) is supported in an outer slide rail frame assembly  28 , which is slidable relative to an upper end  30  of the removable component or instrumentation package  22 . The slide frame is slidably mounted on a pusher block  50  that is fixed to the part or component  22 , as will be explained. 
     The slide rail frame assembly  28  includes a pair of side rails  32  and  34  which are spaced apart, and which have the mating manifold part  20  positioned between them. In the form shown, the side rails  32  and  34  are held together with an end wall  36  at one end to maintain them spaced, and a reaction cross wall or block  38  is attached to and extends between the side rails  32  and  34  at the other end of the slide frame. 
     The fixed manifold  14 , as shown, has cam type ramps or wedges  40  and  42  on each side of the manifold. The ramps  40  and  42  are aligned transversely as pairs on the manifold. The ramps  42  are spaced from the ramps  40  a selected distance. The ramps  40  and  42  have inclined linear cam or ramp surfaces  40 A and  42 A that are upwardly facing, as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     The slide frame side rails  32  and  34  are recessed at shown at  32 A and  34 A to provide for side clearance of the fixed ramps  40  and  42  and to provide support track surfaces for the pusher block  50 . A pair of cam type ramps or wedges  44  are fixed to and positioned transversely aligned on the side rails  32  and  34 . The ramps or wedges  44  are of size to fit or pass vertically between the ramps  40  and  42  on the fixed manifold  14 . 
     Additionally, a second pair of cam type ramps or wedges  46  are formed on or fixed to the side rails  32  and  34 , so that there are mating ramps  44  and  46  on the slide frame assembly  28  that will mate with the ramps  40  and  42  on the fixed component or manifold  14 . 
     The pusher block  50  is provided with ears  51  that slidably support the slide frame  28  through upper surfaces of tracks  32 B and  34 B which are formed by recesses  32 A and  34 A in the side slide rails  32  and  34 . The pusher block  50  also has support guide ears  53  that slidably support the lower sides of the side rails  32  and  34 . The pusher block  50  is fixed to the removable component  22  in a suitable manner and the slide frame assembly  28  can thus be slid along the pusher block  50 . It can be seen that when the ramps  44  and  46  are above the ramps  42  and  40 , and the slide frame  28  and ramp  44  and  46  are moved to the right in FIGS. 1-4, the facing ramp surfaces overlap and urge the parts together with a wedge action. 
     Movement of the slide frame  28  relative to pusher block  50  is caused in two ways. A spring  56  is positioned between the pusher block  50  and end wall or block  38  of the slide frame. One end of the spring  56  mounts in a recess  54  in wall  38  and the other end of the spring  56  fits around a boss  58  on pusher block  50 . The spring  56  will urge the end wall  38  of slide frame  28  away from the pusher block  50 . 
     Also, a clamp screw  52  threads through the end wall or block  38 , and can be threaded so the end will bear against the pusher block  50  to load the slide frame in a direction to slide the ramps or wedges together to force the two parts or components to mate. The screw  52  is not attached to the pusher block  50 , but the end of the screw will bear on the boss  58  of the pusher block  50 . 
     For one handed installation, the removable component  22 , the pusher block  50  and slide frame assembly  28 , will be set by retracting the clamp screw  52  to position shown in FIGS. 3,  5  and  6 . This will permit the wall  38 . to be manually moved toward pusher block  50  as the spring  56  is compressed. The slide frame assembly  28  can be moved so wall  38  and block  50  are close, or touching, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 in a ready position. The slide frame  28  and removable part or component  22  are then positioned below the fixed part or manifold  14  and the pusher block  50  and slide frame  28  are gripped with one hand and the parts are held as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The removable part is moved to the position shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  5 , so that the movable ramps or wedges  44  and  46  are offset from the fixed ramps  40  and  42  and the removable part  22  can be lifted to a level so ramps  44  and  46  are above the ramps or wedges  40  and  42 . 
     With the removable part  22  up in a position so that the manifold portion  20  is adjacent the manifold  14 , the leading (small) ends of ramps or wedges  44  and  46  will be above the small ends of ramps or wedges  44  and  40  and as the removable part or component  22  is held in this position, the slide frame  28  is released from its ready position so that the spring  56  will urge the wall  38  to separate from pusher block  50  and move ramps  44  and  46  to position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 partially overlying the fixed ramp or wedges. The removable component or part  22  will thus be supported on the ramps  40  and  42  of the fixed manifold  14 . 
     Then, the same hand that was used for supporting the component or instrument package  22  and holding the slide frame retracted, can be used for threading the clamp screw  52  so it bears on pusher block  50  to urge the slide frame wall  38  away from block  50 . Of course, if desired the other hand can be used for threading clamp screw  52 . The tapered linear cam type surfaces  44 A and  46 A of ramps  44  and  46  will slide along surfaces  42 A and  40 A to move the removable component or part  22  up tightly against the under surface of the manifold  14 . A tight seal can be obtained and the parts will be locked together, as shown in FIG.  7 . By moving the clamp screw  52  until the torque required to rotate the screw is high enough or until the end block or wall  36  of the slide frame rests against the rear side or rear wall surface of the fixed part or manifold  14 , it is known that the removable part is tightly sealed, properly positioned and is locked in position by the force applied to the clamp screw  52 . 
     One-handed installation is easily accomplished, even in very tight places where there is a “blind” opening for installation. Removal of component  22  is a reverse of the process. The clamp screw  52  would be backed off and the slide frame moved to disengage the ramps or wedges, using one hand. 
     Other forms of ramps, wedges or cams can be utilized. It is desired to use camming members that will align or be properly positioned for engagement upon a linear movement of the removable part toward the fixed part or component, and then the two parts will tighten up upon movement laterally to the linear mating movement so that the cams, ramps or wedges tighten the two parts together. 
     Preferably, a final tightening adjustment is made manually with a single hand to hold the parts securely together and locked in position. 
     The present disclosure has shown a connection of an ultrasonic level sensor to a water tank fitting or manifold, but other instruments or components also can be connected using the cam type ramps. External pitot-static pressure sensors, angle-of-attack sensors, and temperature sensors used on aircraft are coupled to manifolds on which instrument components are mounted. One handed installation is beneficial for such instruments as well. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.