Aircraft turbo-jet engine computer carrier

An assembly of an electronic computer apparatus and a carrier therefor which includes a computer apparatus casing which includes at least one side wall a front wall, a rear wall, an upper wall and, a lower wall electrical connector mechanism mounted on the side wall, coupling mechanism by which the carrier can be coupled to the computer apparatus, the carrier including a rear wall, at least one side wall, an upper wall, a lower wall, an electrical connector mechanism mounted on the side wall corresponding to the side wall of the computer apparatus on which the corresponding connector mechanism is mounted, and a coupling mechanism carried by one of the upper wall and one of the lower wall and the rear wall and arranged to couple the carrier and the computer apparatus, the coupling mechanism of the carrier including a first part enabling coupling motion of the computer apparatus to the carrier in a direction from the front to the rear of the carrier until the connector mechanism of the computer apparatus are aligned with the connector mechanism of the carrier, and a second part enabling coupling motion of the computer apparatus in a direction orthogonal to the motion permitted by the first part until the connector mechanism of the computer apparatus and of the carrier are in operative relationship.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to carrier means for an electronic apparatus such, 
for example, as computers or other electronic control apparatus of 
aircraft gas turbines. 
2. Summary of the Prior Art 
It is frequently the case that electronic apparatuses incorporating 
computers are integrated within independent boxes which are located in 
control bays where various computers are interconnected and connected to 
various equipment units through the intermediary of connectors disposed at 
the rear of boxes cooperating with and belonging to the control bay. Such 
apparatuses are used in aerospatial electronics material principally for 
computers or recorders disposed within the engine housing of the aircraft. 
French patent specification No. 2 344 201 illustrates a framework of this 
kind used for carrying a "black box". 
Such apparatus has only achieved resolution of the problems of "packaging" 
of the computer in its control bay, because the conditions of use such as 
temperature, vibrations and the available space are not very critical. 
However, in the environment of aircraft gas turbines the situation is quite 
different. The latter are frequently equipped with electronic controls and 
a current tendency is to mount these computers on the same wall as the 
turbo-jet engine so as to reduce the length of the electrical connections. 
Another current tendency is to provide as soon as possible a modular 
apparatus which can be assembled and disassembled in order to reduce the 
disturbance time during maintainence of the engines. In order to 
facilitate mounting and dismounting of a computer, attempts have been made 
to regroup the assembly of cables in a limited number of connectors and to 
arrange the regrouped cables in bundles which are often voluminous. Next 
the connectors are disposed on the electronic computer while movable 
connectors are integrated with the bundles and manually detachable in 
order to enable mounting and demounting of the computer. The problem 
arises in the mechanical strength of the cables and their location. In 
practice, the more the electrical connections are assembled together in 
large bundles, the more these become difficult to manipulate and difficult 
to repair. Furthermore, it is not possible, because of lack of space, to 
locate the fixed connectors on the wall of the computer which faces that 
of the gas turbine engine and the movable connectors on a corresponding 
wall of the carrier, because in this position which would otherwise be of 
interest, such would lead to mating of the connectors by the rectilinear 
motion of the approach of the computer towards its carrier means, as is 
effected in a traditional electronic bay. In practice, in the case of 
aircraft gas turbines, the radial space available around the turbo-reactor 
is of modest dimensions and a rear arrangement of the connectors and of 
the bundles of cables will exaggerate the lack of space radially which 
will be not acceptable. 
Another problem to overcome is that of the susceptibility of the electronic 
components to vibrations which are substantial and continual in the 
environment close to a turbo-jet engine, and this necessitates the 
arrangements of the computer on a carrier comprising damping means. 
The proximity of the engine causes the computer to be subjected to 
substantial heat flow which it is essential to reduce as far as possible 
in order that the components should remain within their thermal tolerance 
during use. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One object of the present invention is to provide carrier means for a 
computer used with an aircraft turbo-jet engine which enables mounting on 
the wall of the turbo-jet engine. 
A further object of the invention is to provide carrier means which enable 
the location of the computer in a space of restricted thickness while 
maintaining the advantages of an electrical connection between the 
computer and the associated equipment by multi-pin connectors but at the 
same time avoiding the disadvantages of large bundles of cables connected 
to traditional multi-pin connectors. 
A further object of the invention is to enable the use of wires of small 
diameter, and thus lighter, while at the same time having an improved 
versatility in exploitation by avoiding frequent and sometimes dangerous 
handling of these wires. 
A still further object is to enable the mounting and dismounting of the 
computer without handling the external cabling and in the case of twin 
computers one of which is redundant when the other is operative, so as to 
permit the mounting or demounting of one only of the computer lines 
independently of the other line or lines. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier for a turbo-jet 
engine computer which provides for cooling of the computer and suppresses 
or substantially reduces vibrations resulting from the proximity of the 
engine. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention there is provided in an assembly of 
electronic computer apparatus and a carrier therefor a computer apparatus 
casing comprising at least one side wall, a front wall, and a rear wall, 
electrical connector means mounted to said side wall, coupling means by 
which the computer can be coupled to the computer apparatus, said carrier 
comprising a rear wall, two side walls, an upper wall, a lower wall, 
electrical connector means mounted to a said side wall corresponding to 
the side wall of the computer apparatus on which the corresponding 
connector means is mounted, coupling means carried by one of said upper 
wall and said lower wall and arranged to couple the carrier and the 
computer, the coupling means of the carrier including a first part 
enabling coupling motion of the computer apparatus and the carrier in a 
direction from the front to the rear of the carrier until the connector 
means of the computer apparatus are aligned with the connector means of 
the carrier, and a second part enabling coupling motion of the computer 
apparatus in a direction orthogonal to the motion permitted by the first 
part until the connector means of the computer apparatus and of the 
carrier are in operative relationship. 
In a preferred embodiment the connector means connected to the carrier is 
carried by an auxiliary junction box detachably secured to one side wall 
of the carrier, the auxiliary box comprising a distribution circuit 
providing for the connection of the connector with the bundles of cables 
provided for the various equipment of the turbo-jet engine associated with 
the computer and the pins of the connector means carried by the auxiliary 
box coacting with the pins of the corresponding connector means of the 
computer thourgh an opening in the side wall of the carrier. 
According to one characteristic of a preferred embodiment of the invention, 
when it is applied to a twin computer of which one is redundant while the 
other is operative, the computer being formed by two lines of separate 
circuits disposed in two separate boxes each comprising at least one 
connector means, the two boxes can be superposed within the carrier and 
each carries a second coupling means cooperating with the first coupling 
means supported by the carrier, the connector means of each line of 
circuits cooperating with the corresponding connector means carried by the 
auxiliary box of the connector means. In this case a distribution circuit 
of the auxiliary box may provide connections of the two computers between 
themselves and from each of the computers to the equipment of the 
turbo-jet engine with which they are associated. 
According to one embodiment of an auxiliary box, the distribution circuit 
is constituted by a printed circuit plate supporting the connector means 
providing for the connection with the computer or computers and connecting 
pins connected to the bundles of cables associated with a turbo-jet 
engine, the distribution circuit providing for the electrical connection 
between the multi-pin connector or connectors and said coupling pins. 
In a modification intended for use within further reduced space limits, the 
auxiliary junction box can be disposed separately from the carrier, the 
latter comprising a fixed connector connected to the auxiliary box by a 
bundle of intermediate cables. 
According to another characteristic of one preferred embodiment, the rear 
face of the carrier is traversed by an internal passages connected to a 
fresh pressurized fluid distribution circuit for fuel or air, the 
circulation of this fluid within the rear face of the carrier providing 
for the cooling thereof and of the associated computer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 1, where an aircraft turbo-jet engine 1 is illustrated 
highly diagrammatically, it will be seen that the latter comprises a fan 
2, a compressor 3, a combustion zone 4 and a turbine. Carrier means 5 in 
accordance with the invention is secured on the outer wall of the casing 
of the fan 2. It will be apparent that if the turbo-jet engine is not a 
twin flow type as illustrated in FIG. 1, carrier means in accordance with 
the invention will be disposed on the outer wall of the compressor casing, 
preferably the low pressure compressor which forms one of the cooler zones 
of the turbo-jet engine. 
The carrier means 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3) comprises a rear wall 6 and upper and 
lower walls 7 and 8. The walls 7 and 8 include lugs 9 provided with bores 
10 enabling them to be secured by means of bolts (not shown) and by 
vibration damping pads 11 on the wall of the casing of the engine. The 
rear wall 6 comprises within its thickness internal passages 12 including 
parts thereof parallel to one another 12a, 12b and so on, so that the 
passages provide for cooling over the whole of the area of the rear wall 
6. The passages 12 are connected to the outlet of a pump 13 (FIG. 1) 
through a pressurized fuel distribution circuit 14 so that the fuel is 
utilized as a cooling fluid so as to cool down the carrier and thus to 
cool the computer which will be carried by the carrier means. The passage 
arrangement 12 can be connected to a fresh air distribution circuit air 
for which is bled from one of the first stages of the compressor of the 
turbo-jet engine, so that the air will serve as a coolant. 
The computer is contained within a casing 15 provided on its front wall 
with handle members 16 and on one of the lateral walls 17 with connector 
means 18a connected to the computer circuit and intended to place in 
electrical connection the latter with corresponding connector means 18b 
mounted by the carrier. The connector means are disposed laterally of the 
computer casing so that the volume which they occupy will be disposed in 
the same radial space as the computer so that the latter will be mounted 
on its carrier and be contained within a radially limited space which is 
as small as possible. 
The connector means 18a, 18b are interconnected through an opening 40 
provided in a side wall 22 of the carrier 5 (see FIGS. 5a, 6, 7, 8). The 
lateral arrangement of the connector means necessitates, for placing the 
computer in its location within its carrier, a lateral movement from the 
left to the right in the examples illustrated. In order to ensure no 
damage to the connector pins 18a occur during the mounting and successive 
dismounting of the computer during maintenance in accordance with the 
invention coupling means of the computer are provided on its carrier which 
necessitate during the mounting, a first approach movement by the computer 
from the front towards the rear in order to align the axes of the two 
connectors 18a, 18b; this alignment is achieved when the rear face of the 
computer is in abutment against the rear face of the carrier. In a second 
phase of lateral movement, here from left to right, engagement of the two 
connectors takes place. This double movement enables the simultaneous 
provision of adequate cooling of the computer by contact of its rear wall 
with the cooled wall 6 of the carrier and the electrical connection of the 
computer with equipment with which it is associated. 
To enable this two-part coupling movement, the apparatus according to the 
invention comprises in a first embodiment (such as illustrated in FIGS. 2 
and 3) first means carried by the upper and lower walls of the carrier in 
the form of two-part slots 19 with one slot at right angles to the other 
in the manner of a bayonet fitting. The computer comprises on its upper 
and lower walls pegs 20 which form the second coupling means. Each double 
slot 19 includes a first part having a length L1 orthogonal to the base 
wall 6 of the carrier and the second part of length L2 parallel to the 
base wall, the position of the pegs 20 on the computer and the lengths L1 
and L2 being so calculated that the length L1 corresponds to the contact 
position between the computer and the base and so that the length L2 will 
be at least equal to the length of the pins of the connector means 18a. 
In a second construction (FIG. 5), the coupling means are formed by button 
hole slots in the base 6 of the carrier including a circular opening of 
diameter d1 extending into an oblong hole of width d2 less than d1 and 
orientated in the direction of engagement of the connector. The slots 
cooperate with pins 120 on the base of the computer, the pins having a 
diameter d2 and having at their free ends enlarged heads of diameter d1, 
the length of the cylindrical bearing portion of diameter d2 being equal 
to the thickness of the base of the carrier. 
In a third construction (FIG. 6), the coupling means are in the form of a 
casing incorporating a dovetail formation, the base 6 of the carrier 
comprising slide means cooperating with a groove 220 in the base of the 
computer. The means 219, 220 each comprise at least one slot opening 
respectively 221, 222 offset with respect to one another in order to 
enable the introduction of the computer to the carrier by a two part 
front/rear movement and then lateral movement. 
In the construction of FIG. 7, provision may be made, at the front edges of 
the upper and lower walls of the carrier of a slide arrangement 319 
enabling guidance of the computer, while in the construction of FIG. 8, 
the carrier may comprise a front panel 21 so that a part of its width 
defines a recess in which the computer will be received. 
On the side wall 22 of the carrier (FIG. 2) by any known means (for example 
by bolts 23) there is detachably secured an auxiliary junction box 38 
providing for electrical connection between the connector 18b and the 
cables 24 associated with the various equipment items of components of the 
engine. The box 38 comprises (FIGS. 4 and 4a) an electrical distribution 
circuit constituted by a plate printed circuit 25 on which are soldered 
the rear connections of the multi-pin connector 18b. The conductors of the 
printed circuit 25 provide for the distribution of the various circuits to 
the coupling pins 26, each pin being connected to one of the cables 24 
extending from externally of the box through a fluid tight seal 27. The 
number and shape of the cables are optimised so as to assemble together 
the wires in small strands as a function of their destination and to avoid 
excessive size and to prevent the same from becoming too heavy and too 
costly, so as to avoid unduly small numbers of conductors and finally to 
avoid bundles of conductors which are too rigid and too complex. 
At the exit from the box, these cables 24 are arranged so as to occupy a 
space which is as small as possible. 
The cables 24 include within each strand a wire 28 (FIGS. 4 and 4a) of high 
strength but flexible and mechanically clamped for example by an anchor 
bolt 29 within the box, the wire 28 being intended to resist any possible 
tensile force on the cable. Owing to the incorporation of the wire 28 the 
electrical conductors employed in the strands may be of smaller diameter 
and thus less heavy but at the same time having improved effectiveness in 
use. 
The low frequency screening associated with the conductor wires is 
connected to the coupling pins 26 of the box in order to ensure the 
electrical continuity. 
High frequency screening 39 associated with the cables is connected to 
clamping collars 30 which hold the cables at their respective entries to 
the interior of the box and provide for their inclusion in the metal mass 
of the box. 
The auxiliary box (FIGS. 2 and 3) is closed by a cover 31 providing with 
securing screws 33. The auxiliary box 38 can be withdrawn, while remaining 
closed, by withdrawing the screws 23, which must then be withdrawn from 
the exterior of the cover 31. 
Fluid-tightness is provided between the auxiliary box and the carrier by 
seals 32 and 41 (FIGS. 5a) and between the auxiliary box and its cover by 
a seal 42 (FIG. 4). 
A further arrangement enables simplification of encasing of the connectors 
18a and 18b. This arrangement may be formed simply by a system of screws 
34 and tapped bores 35 of the computer, the screw 34 engaging a tapped 
bore 35 through bores 43 of the auxiliary box of the carrier and of the 
cover. This arrangement can also be replaced by any other similar or 
alternative arrangements for example by a hand-operated lever assembly 
enabling reducing the force necessary for mating of the connector pins. 
Furthermore, it is possible to provide a locking means for the computer in 
the active location in the carrier, such as a screw traversing a bore 36 
of the computer and cooperating with a screw thread bore 37 in the 
carrier. 
In the case (FIG. 3) where a twin computer is used including a redundant 
one comprising two lines of computing circuit means in parallel, each line 
of computing circuit means being disposed within an individual box 115,215 
and comprising connector means 118a, 218a, the distribution circuit 25 
provides for connections between the two computers by means of 
corresponding connectors 118b, 218b which it carries, and also between 
each computer and the equipment with which it is associated, by means of 
pins 26. 
In the case where the available space is much reduced around the turbo-jet 
engine, it is possible to separate the carrier and the auxiliary junction 
box, and the connectors 18a and 18b will be interconnected by an 
intermediate cable bundle 45 comprising a connector at each end (FIG. 9). 
The advantage of such a carrier is to enable the disposition of a modular 
computer on the wall of a turbo-jet engine while facilitating maintenance 
operations, for mounting and demounting of the computer or computers while 
at the same time avoiding large bundles of heavy and bulky cables. 
Another advantage is that the inclusion of the auxiliary box facilitates 
specific electrical operations such as measurement, bridging, cutting, 
modification or repair of a given cable strand without having to 
manipulate the other strands. 
In this way the versatility is improved of electrical connections between 
the computer and the corresponding equipment. 
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention 
are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be 
understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may 
be practiced otherwise than specifically described herein.