BYPASS DEVICE FOR AN AIRCRAFT CABLE RACEWAY

A bypass device (3) having an electrical harness (4) for an aircraft cable raceway, the device being suitable for steering the trajectory of an electrical harness away from a cable guide channel of an aircraft cable raceway, the bypass device includes: a clip-on support base (5); a pad (13) opposite the support base (5), the pad (13) having a support groove; a central body (15) attached on one side to the support base (5) and on the other side to the pad (13), the central body (15) being suitable for being positioned opposite a cable guide channel when the bypass device (3) is attached to an aircraft cable raceway, the central body (15) having a bypass clamp (17) for the electrical harness; the support base (5) and the pad (13) being suitable for being attached to two side walls (1,2) adjacent to a guide channel of a cable raceway.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of aeronautics and focuses on the arrangement of cable raceways within aircraft electrical architectures.

Aircraft cable raceways define the paths of electrical cable assemblies relative to an aircraft structure, holding them in position and protecting them. Electrical cable assemblies consist of bundles of cables running between various electrical installations on the aircraft.

PRIOR ART

Aircraft cable raceways are generally made up of profile sections extending in the extension of one another. Between some profile sections, a predetermined gap is provided to allow relative movement of the profile sections without damage. This is because aircraft cable raceways may be secured to structural parts of the aircraft which may be flexible. For example, the cable raceways extending along the wings of an aircraft are subjected to a bending movement of relatively large amplitude during the flight of the aircraft.

Within each profile section, the known cable raceways include means for holding in place the electrical cable assemblies running in the cable raceway. For certain particular applications, the known cable raceways also include bypass devices allowing a cable assembly to be rerouted and taken out of the cable raceway, for example in order to connect it to nearby equipment.

Known bypass devices are generally bulky, heavy means secured to the entire structure of the profile sections constituting the cable raceway.

Utility model DE 20 2017 107545U1 and patent JP 2002 218623 describe electrical cable assembly bypass devices for aircraft cable raceways adapted to reroute the path of said cable assembly protruding from a cable guide channel of an aircraft cable raceway toward the outside of the cable raceway. This channel is delimited by a first side wall and a second side wall which are provided with a protruding lateral ledge in which is formed a through hole into which is clipped a support base provided with an attachment foot allowing it to be attached to the cable raceway by means of two elastic tabs each having a tooth. This bypass device further comprises,a block opposite the base and having a support groove the width of which corresponds to the thickness of the second side wall so as to grip said second wall, anda central body connected on one side to the base and on the other side to the block, this central body being adapted to be positioned opposite a cable guide channel when the bypass device is secured to an aircraft cable raceway, this central body comprising a rerouting jaw gripping said electrical cable assembly;the support base and the block being adapted to be secured to two adjacent side walls of a guide channel of a cable raceway.

However, the rerouting jaws described in these documents are not suitable for solving the technical problem addressed by the invention as they are not elastically deformable.

Patent CN 107 208 826 for its part describes an articulated jaw but this also does not include any flexible and/or elastically deformable element.

Recent development programs in the aeronautics sector have centered on the production of latest generation wings integrating new technologies and having the benefit of an accelerated production cycle, the aim being to save time and increase flexibility during aircraft assembly. These objectives go hand in hand with traditional concerns in the sector, namely the never-ending search for ways to save on weight. From this point of view, the known bypass devices are not in line with the desired objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to improve the electrical cable assembly bypass devices for aircraft cable raceways of the prior art, with a view to achieving the production streamlining objectives inherent in the latest generation wing designs.

To this end, the invention relates to a bypass device for an electrical cable assembly for an aircraft cable raceway, this device being adapted to reroute the path of an electrical cable assembly from a cable guide channel of an aircraft cable raceway, toward the outside of the cable raceway. This bypass device comprises:a clip-on support base;a block opposite the support base, this block comprising a support groove;a central body connected on one side to the support base and on the other side to the block, this central body being adapted to be positioned opposite a cable guide channel when the bypass device is secured to an aircraft cable raceway, this central body comprising a rerouting jaw for an electrical cable assembly;the support base and the block being adapted to be secured to two adjacent side walls of a guide channel of a cable raceway.

According to further subject matter, the invention relates to an aircraft cable raceway comprising at least two guide channels each bordered by a first side wall and a second side wall, and which comprises:a lateral ledge protruding from an outer face of the first side wall of a first guide channel, this lateral ledge comprising an attachment hole passing right through it;a bypass device as described above, the support base of which is clipped into the attachment hole in the lateral ledge and the block of which is mounted on the second side wall of the first guide channel, such that the support groove bears on the edge of this second side wall, the central body of the bypass device being positioned opposite the first guide channel, an electrical cable assembly protruding from the first guide channel being gripped in the rerouting jaw.

The electrical cable assembly bypass devices for aircraft cable raceways according to the invention afford a significant saving in terms of material, and therefore weight, as well as cost, compared to the devices of the prior art.

The cable guide channels are individual and an electrical cable assembly bypass device may be fitted in or removed from each cable guide channel, without affecting the other cable guide channels.

The design of the device according to the invention is considerably simplified compared to the prior art in which these same devices generally comprise bent and shaped aluminum sheets to which adapters are secured, the latter being expensive and heavy, and requiring considerable time for assembly using special tools.

The bypass device according to the invention may be removed without disconnecting the electrical cable assembly which it reroutes. Specifically, all that is required is to open the rerouting jaw of the central body and unclip the bypass device from the aircraft cable raceway to remove it and thus release the electrical cable assembly which was rerouted. The bypass device may also be fitted (or refitted) while keeping in place the electrical cable assembly to be rerouted, without the need to disconnect the latter. The bypass device may therefore be fitted after the cabling has been installed and in particular after the electrical cable assembly to be rerouted has been mounted and connected to the electrical equipment. Compared to the prior art, this possibility does away with a significant constraint which restricted the aircraft assembly process.

The bypass device is put in place by clipping onto the cable raceway and the electrical cable assembly, which is already connected, is then inserted into the rerouting jaw before the latter is closed.

Furthermore, according to a preferred feature, these operations are carried out without tools, quickly, and with a low degree of complexity.

The bypass device according to the invention may include the following additional features, alone or in combination:the support base comprises an attachment foot which includes elastic clipping elements;the attachment foot comprises at least two elastic tabs each comprising a tooth;the attachment foot comprises positioning pins flanking the elastic tabs;the attachment foot comprises stop surfaces opposite the teeth of the elastic tabs;the rerouting jaw comprises a lower jaw articulated to an upper jaw, one of which is provided with a flexible covering while the other is provided with an elastically deformable element;said elastically deformable element is a flexible concave blade;said elastically deformable element is a set of elastically deformable ribs extending coaxially;the block is connected to the central body by an insulating protective wall;the central body includes a protective cup protruding from the rerouting jaw.

The aircraft cable raceway according to the invention may include the following additional feature:the support groove has a width corresponding to the thickness of the second side wall.

Elements which are similar and common to the various embodiments bear the same reference numbers in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1depicts an aircraft cable raceway equipped with electrical cable assembly bypass devices, according to the invention.

The aircraft cable raceway is a classic cable raceway formed for example by a metal profile section, defining several cable guide channels as respective pathways in which electrical cable assemblies to be guided and protected may be arranged.

The cable raceway shown (only a portion of this cable raceway is visible in the upper part ofFIG.1) thus comprises a first side wall1(which forms the outer side wall of the cable raceway) and a second side wall2. These two walls1,2delimit a first guide channel. In the present example, the cable raceway also includes a second guide channel, adjacent to the first (the second side wall2separates the two guide channels).

A bypass device3is mounted on each of the guide channels, in such a way as to reroute the path of an electrical cable assembly from each guide channel, toward the outside of the cable raceway.

Each bypass device3holds the rerouted electrical cable assembly4, positioning it such that it forms a protruding curve relative to the guide channel from which it comes. The electrical cable assemblies4may thus be taken from the cable raceway by the bypass device3, so as to be connected for example to equipment or to join another cable raceway.

In the example illustrated, the rerouted electrical cable assemblies4are bundles of cables shown inFIG.1by an electrical conductor and its sheath. The bypass device3may reroute any other type of electrical cable assembly from the cable raceway.

FIG.2shows in perspective one of the bypass devices3ofFIG.1.

This bypass device3comprises a support base5which is provided with an attachment foot6allowing it to be attached to the cable raceway. The attachment foot6comprises two elastic tabs7each having a tooth8. The elastic tabs7are flanked by two positioning pins9.

The attachment foot6also includes two stop surfaces10opposite the teeth8.

The attachment foot6allows the support base5to be clipped onto the cable raceway. For this purpose, the cable raceway comprises on each of its outer walls (with reference toFIG.1, the first side wall1is one of these outer walls), a lateral ledge11protruding from the outer face of this outer wall.

The first side wall1thus comprises a lateral ledge11protruding from the outer face of this side wall1. This lateral ledge11has, passing right through it, an attachment hole12which is, in the present example, of rectangular section.

The elastic properties of the tabs7allow the attachment foot6to be clipped into the attachment hole12. During this clipping operation, the positioning pins9are inserted into the attachment hole12by being fitted snugly in this attachment hole12, which allows reliable positioning of the attachment foot6.

After the clipping operation, the teeth8and the stop surfaces10grip the thickness of the lateral ledge11between them. The support base5is thus positioned and secured so as to be in interlocking connection with the lateral ledge11. This operation is simple, quick, and requires no tools.

Doubling up on the elastic tab7also allows redundancy in terms of safety, such that breakage of an elastic tab7does not result in failure.

The bypass device3further comprises a block13opposite the support base5. This block13has a support groove14.

The support groove14, which is made in the block13, has a width corresponding to the thickness of the second side wall2of the cable raceway.

The bypass device3is thus mounted on a guide channel by clipping the support base5, via the attachment foot6, onto the lateral ledge11of the first side wall1, and by pushing the block13onto the second side wall2, the support groove14gripping this second side wall2.

The bypass device3further comprises a central body15which is connected on one side to the support base5and on the other side to the block13.

The central body15is connected to the block13via a protective wall16that protects against electric arcs. The protective wall16is made of an insulating material and has sufficient thickness to prevent the occurrence of electric arcs given the voltages used in the application. This is because an electric arc may form between the electrical cable assembly4which is rerouted and other electrical cable assemblies located in the adjacent guide channel. This risk is encountered in particular in recent aircraft where the power cabling and the signal cabling may be installed in the same cable raceways.

In the present example, the central body15, the protective wall16, the block13and the support base5are made in one piece by molding an insulating material.

When the bypass device3is secured to the aircraft cable raceway, the central body15is positioned opposite the corresponding guide channel to make it possible to take hold of the electrical cable assembly4to be rerouted. This electrical cable assembly4is held in the central body15by a rerouting jaw17.

InFIGS.1and2, the jaw17is shown in the closed position whileFIG.3is a perspective view showing the jaw17in the open position.

FIG.4depicts the bypass device3in cross section and shows in particular the profile of the jaw17.FIG.5is a view similar toFIG.4with the jaw17in the open position.

The jaw17comprises two opposing elements intended to clamp the electrical cable assembly4:a lower jaw18provided with a flexible covering19;an upper jaw20provided with a flexible blade21.

The flexible blade21has a concave shape adapted to an electrical cable assembly4of substantially cylindrical outer shape. When the jaw17is clamped on the electrical cable assembly4, the flexible covering19pushes the electrical cable assembly4, without damaging it, against the flexible blade21which deforms to exert a contained, even calibrated, return force on the electrical cable assembly4.

The electrical cable assembly4is thus firmly held in place, without the risk of damage (bearing in mind the level of safety required for cabling in the aeronautical field).

In the present example, the lower jaw18and the upper jaw20are articulated by hinges22formed by complementary shapes of the jaws18,20.

The jaw17further comprises closure means consisting of elastic tabs23located on the lower jaw18, and complementary holes24made in a yoke25which is secured to the protective wall16. These means make it possible to keep the jaw17closed, following a simple clipping operation, and allow it to be opened by an unclipping operation, always without tools.

FIGS.6and7illustrate a second embodiment of the bypass device3.

According to this second embodiment, the flexible blade of the upper jaw17is replaced by elastically deformable ribs26extending concentrically (that is to say they each extend along a radius of the same cylinder). These ribs26play a role in holding the electrical cable assembly4, and as a means for exerting a calibrated force by an elastic element.

The flexible covering19and the elastically deformable ribs26are preferably overmolded directly on the central body15.

FIG.8illustrates a third embodiment of the bypass device3in which the action of the protective wall16is replaced, or supplemented, by a protective cup27extending coaxially with the housing of the jaw17which receives the electrical cable assembly4, that is to say coaxially with the electrical cable assembly4itself when it is in place.

The protective cup27, made of insulating material, provides protection against electric arcs and also provides mechanical protection for the electrical cable assembly4. This protection concerns the entire portion of the electrical cable assembly rerouted, extending between the point where it leaves the cable raceway and the central body15.

As many bypass devices3as electrical cable assemblies4to be rerouted may thus be positioned on a cable raceway. In addition to the advantages relating to the aircraft assembly process, these multiple and independent mechanisms allow localized intervention for maintenance and allow, for example, a particular point of failure to be detected without intervention on the entire arrangement of the cable raceway.

Variant embodiments of the bypass device3may be implemented. For example, the angle of rerouting of the bypass device3may vary to adapt to a particular use. This angle may go as far as a jaw17extending parallel to the direction in which the electrical cable assemblies run in the cable raceway, rerouting then being effected by the curvature of the electrical cable assembly from the point where it leaves the jaw17.