Patent Description:
In certain aircraft applications, pneumatic de-icers are used to control the build-up of ice on aerodynamic surfaces. The de-icers are thin elastomeric blankets containing an array of fabric-reinforced tubes which inflate periodically to fracture and shed accreted ice. For example, for some turboprop airplanes, de-icers are provided on leading edges of wings and empennage to control the build-up of ice on those leading edges. In these or other cases, the de-icers can operate in one or more manners. In a first manner, the de-icer is commanded by the pilot to inflate and deflate once in order to break up ice. The ice, once fractured, naturally is removed from the surface where the de-icer is deployed by the scavenging effects of the airstream. In a second manner, the de-icer is periodically commanded by a timer on a repeating basis to inflate and deflate in order to break up and remove the ice.

In conventional instances, de-icers are applied and adhered to a surface and include multiple layers that are adhered and sown together. Typically, the perimeter area, which can be referred to as the "non-inflatable area," is adhered together, and the interior area, which can be referred to as the "carcass" or "inflatable area" is sewn to form multiple tubes along a longitudinal length of the de-icer. The non-inflatable area is often provided with a tapered cross section but also may have a uniform thickness along the edge of the de-icer and the tubes are often parallel with one another. This arrangement results in some situations where the non-inflatable area crosses the outermost tubes at an angle and, in so doing, leads to the borders of those outermost tubes having non-uniform loading on the non-inflatable area and variable and potentially unreliable adhesion to the airfoil surface. As a result, the width of the non-inflatable area has to be made relatively large in order to insure that the non-inflatable area can provide a reliable bond to the airfoil for the outermost tubes.

The relatively large width of the non-inflatable area in conventional instances of de-icers leads to either corresponding reduction in the relative sizes of the tubes or reduced operating capabilities when the overall size of the de-icer is limited such as in a recess in the airfoil surface for de-icer installation. In addition, even with the relatively large width, the non-inflatable areas may not provide a reliable bond to the airfoil surface. De-icers are disclosed in <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

Accordingly, a need exists for a de-icer with a non-inflatable area that has a reduced non-inflatable edge width and increased reliability.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a de-icer is provided as defined by claim <NUM>.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the first and second structural layers each have a trapezoidal shape with the non-inflatable edge and an additional non-inflatable edge on opposite sides of the centerline.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the tubes include multiple central tubes which are parallel with the centerline, the outermost tube and an additional outermost tube which is closest to and parallel with the additional non-inflatable edge.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the stitching has a same pattern for each of the tubes and the outermost tube.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the non-inflatable edge area is ~<NUM> to ∼<NUM> inches (-<NUM> to ∼<NUM>) wide.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the non-inflatable edge area is ~<NUM> to ~<NUM> inches (-<NUM> to ∼<NUM>) wide.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the outermost tube is narrower than at least one of the other tubes.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, an aircraft is provided as defined by claim <NUM>.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments, the de-icer remains adhered to the aerodynamic surface during inflation and deflation of the tubes.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method of assembling a de-icer is provided as defined by claim <NUM>.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed technical concept. For a better understanding of the disclosure with the advantages and the features, refer to the description and to the drawings.

As will be described below, a configuration of tubes in a de-icer is provided such that the last or outermost de-icer tube is parallel to an edge of the de-icer instead of the centerline of the de-icer. That last or outermost tube is edge-parallel and in some cases formed with a reduced width as compared to the other tubes. The non-inflatable edge is used to prevent peeling or non-adhesion of the de-icer from the surface of the airfoil. The edge parallel reduced width tube provides for reduced loading on the edge stitchline whereby the non-inflatable edge can maintain better adhesion to the airfoil surface. With reduced loading on the non-inflatable edge offered by the last or outermost tube being edge-parallel with or without the last or outermost tube also having a reduced width, the non-inflatable edge can be narrower as compared to conventional non-inflatable edge widths.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, a de-icer <NUM> is provided and includes a first carcass structural material layer <NUM>, a second carcass structural material layer <NUM>, edge sealing material <NUM>, stitching <NUM>, a bond layer <NUM> (see <FIG>) and an erosion layer <NUM>(see <FIG>). The de-icer <NUM> can further include a manifold <NUM>.

The first carcass structural material layer <NUM> can have a trapezoidal (or, more particularly, rectangular) shape <NUM> with a wide end <NUM>, a narrow end <NUM>, a centerline <NUM> extending between the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM> and a tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM>. The centerline <NUM> is disposed at a normal angle with respect to the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM>. The tapered non-inflatable edge <NUM> is located at a first side of the centerline <NUM> and extends between the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM>. The tapered non-inflatable edge <NUM> is angled with respect to the centerline <NUM>. The first carcass structural material layer <NUM> can further include an additional tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> at a second side of the centerline <NUM>. The additional tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> extends between the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM> and is angled with respect to the centerline <NUM>. The second carcass material layer <NUM> can have a trapezoidal shape <NUM> with a wide end <NUM>, a narrow end <NUM>, a centerline <NUM> extending between the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM> and a tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM>. The centerline <NUM> is disposed at a normal angle with respect to the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM>. The tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> is located at a first side of the centerline <NUM> and extends between the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM>. The tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> is angled with respect to the centerline <NUM>. The second carcass structural material layer <NUM> can further include an additional tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> at a second side of the centerline <NUM>. The additional tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> extends between the wide end <NUM> and the narrow end <NUM> and is angled with respect to the centerline <NUM>.

The edge sealing material <NUM> is disposed to adhere the first and second carcass structural material layers <NUM> and <NUM> together to form a non-inflatable edge area <NUM>. More particularly, the edge sealing material <NUM> is disposed to adhere the wide ends <NUM> and <NUM> together, the narrow ends <NUM> and <NUM> together, the tapered non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> together and the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> together. In this way, the non-inflatable area <NUM> extends along at least the tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> and the additional tapered or non-inflatable edge <NUM> as well as the wide ends <NUM> and <NUM> and the narrow ends <NUM> and <NUM> and surrounds a central area <NUM>.

The stitching <NUM> is disposed to stitch the first and second carcass structural material layers <NUM> and <NUM> together in the central area <NUM> to form tubes <NUM><NUM>-<NUM>. The manifold <NUM> is fluidly communicative with the tubes <NUM><NUM>-<NUM> such that the tubes <NUM><NUM>-<NUM> are inflatable and de-inflatable for de-icing operations. The tubes <NUM><NUM>-<NUM> include an outermost tube <NUM><NUM>, which is closest to and parallel with the tapered non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> and the portion of the non-inflatable area <NUM> extending along the tapered non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM>, and an additional outermost tube <NUM><NUM>, which is closest to and parallel with the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> and the portion of the non-inflatable area <NUM> extending along the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM>. The tubes <NUM><NUM>-<NUM> further include a central interior tube(s) <NUM><NUM>, which is parallel with the centerlines <NUM> and <NUM>, and central intermediate tubes <NUM><NUM>, <NUM> and central intermediate tubes <NUM><NUM>, <NUM>, which are parallel with the centerlines <NUM> and <NUM> and chamfered by the outermost tube <NUM><NUM> and the additional outermost tube <NUM><NUM>, respectively.

In accordance with embodiments, the stitching <NUM> can have a substantially same, repeating pattern <NUM> for defining each of the tubes <NUM><NUM>-<NUM> and for particularly defining the outermost tube <NUM><NUM> and the additional outermost tube <NUM><NUM>.

In accordance with further embodiments, the outermost tube <NUM><NUM> and the additional outermost tube <NUM><NUM> can be smaller (e.g., narrower) than the central interior tube <NUM><NUM>, the central intermediate tubes <NUM><NUM>, <NUM> and the central intermediate tubes <NUM><NUM>, <NUM>.

With the outermost tube <NUM><NUM> being parallel with the tapered non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> and with the additional outermost tube <NUM><NUM> being parallel with the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM>, the de-icer <NUM> exhibits uniform loading on the portions of the non-inflatable area <NUM> extending along the tapered non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> and the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM>. This uniform loading permits the non-inflatable area <NUM> extending along the tapered non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> and the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> to be reduced in width when the parallel edge outermost tube <NUM><NUM> and additional outermost tube <NUM><NUM> are provided as compared to conventional instances of de-icers.

For example, in a conventional instance of a de-icer, the non-inflatable area could have a width of <NUM> inches (<NUM>) or more with <NUM> inches (<NUM>) being an absolute minimum width. By contrast and in accordance with embodiments, the non-inflatable area <NUM> extending along the tapered non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> and the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> can have a constant or substantially constant tube width of about ~<NUM> to about ∼<NUM> inches (-<NUM> to about ∼<NUM>). More particularly, the non-inflatable edge area <NUM> can have a constant or substantially constant width of about ∼<NUM> to about ~<NUM> inches (-<NUM> to about ∼<NUM>).

With reference to <FIG>, the sectional image is a view along the edge of the de-icer <NUM>, showing some of the tubes <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> the first and second carcass structural material layers <NUM> and <NUM>, the edge sealing material <NUM>, the stitching <NUM>, the bond layer <NUM> and the erosion layer <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, an aircraft <NUM> is provided and may be configured as a turboprop aircraft for example. In any case, the aircraft <NUM> includes an aerodynamic surface <NUM>, such as a wing, a de-icer <NUM> as described above operably disposed on the aerodynamic surface <NUM>, and a control system configured to control operations of the de-icer <NUM>.

It is to be understood that the de-icer <NUM> can be adhered or otherwise fastened to the aerodynamic surface <NUM>. In these or other cases, the tubes <NUM><NUM>-<NUM> are inflated and deflated as described above during the operation of the de-icer <NUM> and the de-icer <NUM> remains adhered or otherwise fastened to the aerodynamic surface. This is achieved at least partly by the uniform loading resulting from the configuration of the outermost tube <NUM><NUM> being parallel with the tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM> and the additional outermost tube <NUM><NUM> being parallel with the additional tapered or non-inflatable edges <NUM> and <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, a method of assembling a de-icer as described above is provided. As shown in <FIG>, the method includes forming first and second carcass structural material layers to each include a centerline and an edge angled with respect to the centerline (<NUM>), adhering the first and second carcass structural material layers together to form a non-inflatable edge area extending along at least the edge and surrounding a central area (<NUM>) and stitching the first and second carcass structural material layers together in the central area to form tubes including an outermost tube which is closest to and parallel with the edge (<NUM>).

Technical effects and benefits of the present disclosure are the provision of a last or outermost de-icer tube of a de-icer, which is parallel with the edge of the de-icer and which has a relatively reduced size as compared to the other tubes in the de-icer. This results in loading on the non-inflatable edge of the de-icer being reduced and thus allowing for a relatively narrow non-inflatable edge.

Claim 1:
A de-icer, comprising:
first (<NUM>) and second (<NUM>) structural layers each having a trapezoidal shape and comprising wide and narrow ends, a centerline (<NUM>) which extends between the wide and narrow ends at a normal angle to each, and a tapered non-inflatable edge (<NUM>), which extends between the wide and narrow ends and is angled with respect to the centerline;
edge sealing material (<NUM>) disposed to adhere the first and second structural layers together to form a non-inflatable edge area extending along at least the tapered non-inflatable edge and surrounding a central area; and
stitching (<NUM>) disposed to stitch the first and second structural layers together in the central area to form tubes (<NUM>) comprising an outermost tube (<NUM><NUM>) which is closest to and parallel with the tapered non-inflatable edge.