ASSEMBLY HAVING A STRUCTURE AND A RESERVOIR FASTENED TO THE STRUCTURE AND CONTAINING AN EXTINGUISHING FLUID

An assembly having a chassis, two supports with a plate and a guide, a nesting system with a bore, a reservoir containing an extinguishing fluid and with two fastening tabs, two bearing tabs and a peg, and a fastener. The reservoir is able to move in translation between a premounting position in which each fastening and bearing tab rests on a plate and each guide guides the fastening and bearing tabs to align the peg and the bore, and a mounting position in which each fastening tab rests on the plate, the peg is introduced into the bore, the bearing tabs no longer rest on the plates and the fastener fastens each fastening tab to the plate. Such an assembly allows the reservoir to be withdrawn and put in place quickly and easily.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to French patent application number 2107205 filed on Jul. 2, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure herein relates to an assembly having a structure and a reservoir containing an extinguishing fluid and fastened to the structure, and also to an aircraft having at least one such assembly.

BACKGROUND

An aircraft conventionally has at least one nacelle inside which an engine, for example of the jet engine type, is disposed. The nacelle and the engine are fastened to the structure of the aircraft by a pylon fastened beneath the wing of the aircraft.

In order to avoid the structure of the aircraft becoming damaged in the event of the engine catching fire, the aircraft is equipped with a fire-fighting system that conventionally has two reservoirs.

Currently, the extinguishing fluid contained in the reservoirs is a product called “halon”. For environmental protection reasons, new products will gradually replace halon, but in order to obtain the same result in terms of extinguishing power, it is necessary to use a greater volume of these new products, and this also leads to reservoirs with larger dimensions and a greater mass.

Reservoirs are conventionally mounted in a pylon that holds the nacelle and the inside of such a pylon is a relatively cluttered location. The enlargement of the reservoirs does not make it easier to mount them inside the pylon, and it is therefore necessary to find an arrangement that allows easier mounting of each reservoir.

SUMMARY

An object of the disclosure herein is an assembly for an aircraft, wherein the assembly has a structure that is fastened to a structure of the aircraft and a reservoir containing an extinguishing fluid, and wherein the installation of the reservoir on the structure is made easier.

To this end, an assembly comprises:a structure having a chassis, two supports and a nesting system fastened to the chassis and having a bore with an opening and of which the axis is parallel to a direction of introduction, wherein each support has a plate fastened to the chassis and a guide as one with the plate,a reservoir containing an extinguishing fluid, and having two fastening tabs, two bearing tabs distinct from the fastening tabs, and a peg of which the axis is parallel to the direction of introduction, anda fastener,

wherein the reservoir is arranged so as to be able to move in translation parallel to the direction of introduction between a premounting position in which each fastening tab and each bearing tab rest on one of the plates and each guide guides the fastening tab and the bearing tab that are associated with the plate transversely with respect to the direction of introduction so as to align the peg and the opening of the bore of the nesting system, and a mounting position in which each fastening tab rests on the associated plate, the peg is introduced into the opening of the bore of the nesting system, the bearing tabs no longer rest on the plates, and the fastener fastens each fastening tab to the associated plate.

Such an assembly allows the reservoir to be withdrawn and put in place quickly and easily.

Advantageously, each plate is fastened to the chassis by at least one damping system.

Advantageously, each damping system has:a screw with a head and a threaded shank,a nut,a first ring made of elastomer that has a first shoulder,a second ring made of elastomer that has a second shoulder,an outer bearing as one with the plate,

wherein the first ring is threaded onto the threaded shank with the first shoulder against the head, the outer bearing is threaded onto the threaded shank and is fitted onto the first ring, the second ring is threaded onto the threaded shank, being fitted beneath the outer bearing and with the second shoulder away from the first shoulder and bearing against the chassis, the threaded shank is introduced into a bore of the chassis and the nut is tightened on the threaded shank on the other side of the chassis with respect to the head.

Advantageously, the damping system has an inner bearing threaded onto the threaded shank and on which the two rings are fitted.

Advantageously, the damping system has a washer beneath the head of the screw.

Advantageously, the nesting system has:an inner tube of which the bore forms the bore for housing the peg,an outer tube coaxial with the inner tube, disposed outside the inner tube, and fastened to the chassis, andan intermediate tube made of elastomer that is fastened between the inner tube and the outer tube.

The disclosure herein also proposes an aircraft having a pylon of which one wall has a window, an assembly according to one of the preceding variants, wherein the chassis is fastened inside the pylon and wherein the opening of the bore is oriented towards the window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, terms relating to a position are considered in relation to an aircraft in a normal flight position, i.e. as shown inFIG.1.

In the following description, and by convention, the X direction is the longitudinal direction of the jet engine, which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the Y direction is the transverse direction, which is horizontal when the aircraft is on the ground, and the Z direction is the vertical direction, which is vertical when the aircraft is on the ground, these three directions X, Y and Z being mutually orthogonal.

FIG.1shows an aircraft10that has a fuselage11to each side of which is fastened a wing13that bears an engine14such as a turbofan, for example.

For each engine14, the aircraft10also has a pylon12that fastens the engine14beneath the wing13.

For each engine14, the aircraft10has a fire-fighting system100that has at least one reservoir102and, for each reservoir102, a discharge pipe104that extends between the reservoir102and the engine14supported by the pylon12.

FIG.2shows an assembly150according to the disclosure herein that has a structure152and a reservoir102fastened to the structure152. The assembly150is housed inside the pylon12that is depicted here by way of dot-dashed lines. Conventionally the reservoir102is filled with an extinguishing fluid and is equipped with a discharge head that has a disc that closes the reservoir102and an explosive cartridge, and wherein the neck is fluidically connected to the discharge pipe104via the discharge head. When necessary, an activation order is sent to the explosive cartridge so that this explodes so as to destroy the disc and thus release the extinguishing fluid that flows in the discharge pipe104. In the embodiment of the disclosure herein that is presented here, there is a single assembly150, but depending on the quantity of extinguishing fluid required, it is possible to put in place a plurality of assemblies150.

The structure152is fastened inside the pylon12by any appropriate securing mechanism such as bolts, for example. The pylon12has a wall with a window60passing through it that alternately allows the reservoir102to be introduced or withdrawn, in particular when it needs to be replaced. The reservoir102is introduced or withdrawn in a direction of introduction T that passes through the window60and in this case is parallel to the transverse direction Y.

FIGS.6and7show design details of the disclosure herein and in particular of the reservoir102.

In this case, the reservoir102takes the form of a sphere and it has two fastening tabs602and two bearing tabs604distinct from the fastening tabs602. The reservoir102also has a peg160of which the axis is parallel to the direction of introduction T.

There is one fastening tab602and one bearing tab604on each side of the reservoir102, and in this case they are disposed symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane of symmetry of the reservoir102.

FIGS.3and4show design details of the disclosure herein and in particular of the structure152.

The structure152has a chassis154fastened inside the pylon12to a structure of the pylon12, two supports156fastened to the chassis154and a nesting system158also fastened to the chassis154that has a bore159of which the axis is parallel to the direction of introduction T and of which an opening is oriented towards the window60.

Each support156has a plate162fastened to the chassis154and a guide164fastened to the plate162. The two supports156are disposed on either side of the reservoir102, in this case on either side of the vertical plane of symmetry of the reservoir102.

When the reservoir102is put in place, it passes through the window60and passes successively from a premounting position to a mounting position. The reservoir102is thus able to move in translation parallel to the direction of introduction T between the premounting position and the mounting position when it is put in place and vice versa when it is withdrawn.

FIG.6shows the premounting position in which each fastening tab602and each bearing tab604rest on one of the plates162and each guide164guides the fastening tab602and the bearing tab604that are associated with the plate162transversely with respect to the direction of introduction T, i.e. in this case parallel to the longitudinal direction X. Bearing on four tabs during the premounting makes it possible to ensure a stable position of the reservoir102and such guiding makes it possible to align the peg160and the opening of the bore159of the nesting system158, even without visibility for the technician performing the placement.

FIG.7shows the mounting position in which each fastening tab602rests on the associated plate162and the peg160is introduced into the opening of the bore159of the nesting system158. Each fastening tab602is fastened to the associated plate162by any appropriate securing mechanism such as bolts606, for example. In this mounting position, the bearing tabs604no longer rest on the plates162. The reservoir102is then fastened to the structure152by the two fastening tabs602and the peg160. Such an arrangement makes it easier to put the reservoir102in place even when is has large dimensions.

In the embodiment of the disclosure herein that is presented inFIG.2, the chassis154has two parallel frames166disposed in this case on either side of the plane of symmetry of the reservoir102and a crossmember168that connects the two frames166to each other.

Each plate162is fastened to one of the frames166and two plates, and the crossmember168bears the nesting system158, i.e. the crossmember168is on the opposite side with respect to the window60.

In order to limit the transfer of the surrounding vibrations to the reservoir102, each plate162is fastened to the chassis154by at least one damping system170of which there are in this case six per plate162and of which an example is shown in greater detail in cross section inFIG.5.

The damping system170has:a screw172with a head and a threaded shank of which the axis is in this case transverse with respect to the direction of introduction T,a nut174,a first ring176made of elastomer that has a first shoulder178,a second ring180made of elastomer that has a second shoulder182,an outer bearing184as one with the plate162.

The first ring176is threaded onto the threaded shank with the first shoulder178against the head of the screw172, the outer bearing184is threaded onto the threaded shank and is fitted onto the first ring176, the second ring180is threaded onto the threaded shank, being fitted beneath the outer bearing184and with the second shoulder182away from the first shoulder178so as to bear against the chassis154, in this case the frame166, the threaded shank is introduced into a bore186of the chassis154, in this case of the frame166, and the nut174is tightened on the threaded shank on the other side of the chassis154with respect to the head.

After mounting, the damping system170successively comprises the head of the screw172, the first shoulder178, the outer bearing184fitted onto the first ring176and the second ring180, the second shoulder182, the chassis154and the nut174.

The outer bearing184is thus sandwiched between the first shoulder178and the second shoulder182.

By the presence of the two rings176and180that surround the outer bearing184, preventing direct contact with the chassis154, the vibrations transmitted to the plate162and therefore to the reservoir102are very effectively attenuated.

Furthermore, the use of a guide and fastenings made of elastomer material makes it possible, by virtue of the relative elasticity conferred on the interfaces, to absorb the manufacturing and assembly tolerances and thus to ensure that it is possible to mount the assembly on the structure of a pylon under any circumstances.

In the embodiment of the disclosure herein that is presented here, the damping system170also has an inner bearing188that is threaded onto the threaded shank and on which the two rings176and180are fitted, and a washer190that comes beneath the head so as to enlarge the area of contact with the first shoulder178. Contact between the first shoulder178and the head is then made via the washer190. The inner bearing188makes it possible to limit the compression of the shoulders of the elastomer rings to a predefined value, which is realized during the nominal torque tightening of the bolt. Since elastomers are known to flow under continuous load, this ring thus ensures that the tightening is carried out on a stack of rigid components and therefore the absence of subsequent loosening of the assembly.

In order to limit the transfer of the vibrations, the nesting system158also has damping. The nesting system158has:an inner tube402of which the bore forms the bore159for housing the peg160, i.e. the axis of the inner tube402is parallel to the direction of introduction T,an outer tube404coaxial with the inner tube402, disposed outside the inner tube402, and fastened to the chassis154, in this case to the crossmember168, andan intermediate tube406made of elastomer that is fastened between the inner tube402and the outer tube404.