Articulated boom nozzle with torsion cable reel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099799-B2
Application number	US-201514855148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A boom nozzle assembly for use with an aerial refueling boom on an aerial refueling aircraft where a shielded wiring cable from the aerial refueling boom is connected to an articulated boom nozzle through an electrical connection on the wear ring of the articulated boom nozzle and then routed to a solenoid and other devices of the articulated boom nozzle without passing through the universal joint area of the articulated boom nozzle. The boom nozzle assembly may include a torsion cable reel that keeps the shielded wiring cable in tension as the articulated boom nozzle changes its position relative to the boom nozzle assembly. The torsion cable reel may be positioned within a cable reel housing attached at the aft end of the aerial refueling boom.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial refueling system for aerial refueling by an aerial refueling aircraft of a receiving aircraft, the aerial refueling system comprising:
a refueling boom connected to the aerial refueling aircraft;
an articulated boom nozzle assembly connected to an aft end of the refueling boom; and
a torsion cable reel assembly holding a shielded cable assembly in tension, where the torsion cable reel assembly is attached to the aft end of the articulated refueling boom and the shielded cable assembly is attached to an electrical connector on the articulated boom nozzle.

2. The aerial refueling system of claim 1 , wherein the articulated boom nozzle comprises an articulated boom nozzle comprising an independent disconnect system (IDS).

3. The aerial refueling system of claim 1 , wherein the articulated boom nozzle further comprises:
a wear ring;
an electrical connector positioned at the 12 o'clock position of the wear ring configured for connection to the shielded cable assembly.

4. The aerial refueling system of claim 3 , wherein the torsion cable reel assembly comprises:
a helical reel, wherein the shielded cable assembly is wrapped around the helical reel;
a helical spring that provides torsion to the helical reel;
a cable assembly connected to the helical reel, configured to retractably extend from the helical reel;
a spring housing covering the helical reel and the helical spring; and
a reel housing covering the helical reel, the helical spring, the cable assembly, and the spring housing.

5. The aerial refueling system of claim 4 , wherein the reel housing comprises:
a right-hand side;
a left-hand side;
a rear close-out panel; and
a lower close-out panel.

6. The aerial refueling system of claim 5 , wherein the rear close-out panel comprises a plurality of guide rollers configured to support and guide the cable assembly as it extends from and retracts into the reel housing.

7. The aerial refueling system of claim 2 , wherein the aerial refueling aircraft is a Boeing KC-46 military aerial refueling aircraft.

8. The aerial refueling system of claim 7 , wherein the torsion cable reel assembly provides 20 lbs. of tension between the torsion cable reel assembly and the boom nozzle assembly when the shielded cable assembly is fully extended from the torsion cable reel assembly.

9. The aerial refueling system of claim 8 , wherein a length of the shielded cable assembly fully retracted is 6.13″ and a length of the shielded cable assembly fully extended is 14.53″, resulting in a cable assembly delta (Δ cable ) of approximately 8.40″.

10. The aerial refueling system of claim 8 , wherein the shielded cable assembly further comprises a metal braided shielded electrical wiring cable containing twisted pairs for the IDS and a Voice Coil for interphone communication between the aerial refueling aircraft and the receiving aircraft.

11. The aerial refueling system of claim 10 , wherein the shielded cable assembly further comprises a nozzle plug at a first end of the shielded cable assembly configured to be connected to an electrical connection on the articulated boom nozzle and a housing plug at a second end of the cable assembly configured to be connected to a bulkhead receptacle positioned at the aft end of the aerial refueling boom.

12. The aerial refueling system of claim 11 , wherein the aft end of the aerial refueling boom bulkhead comprises a bulkhead having a connector interface configured for connection with the housing plug.

13. A torsion cable reel assembly adapted to connect electrical wiring from an aerial refueling boom of an aerial refueling aircraft to an electrical connector on an articulated boom nozzle of the aerial refueling boom and provide tension to the articulated boom nozzle, the assembly comprising:
a helical reel having a groove adapted to receive a shielded wiring cable;
a helical spring that provides torsion to the helical reel;
a cable assembly wrapped around the helical reel and configured to be retractably extended from the helical reel;
a spring housing covering the helical reel and the helical spring; and
a reel housing covering the helical reel, the helical spring, the cable assembly, and the spring housing.

14. The torsion cable reel assembly of claim 13 , where the cable assembly comprises a metal braided shielded wiring cable having a nozzle plug at a first end of the cable assembly configured to be connected to an electrical connection on the articulated boom nozzle and a housing plug at a second end of the cable assembly configured to be connected to a bulkhead receptacle positioned at the aft end of the aerial refueling boom.

15. The torsion cable reel assembly of claim 14 , wherein the cable assembly further comprises a shielded electrical wiring cable containing twisted pairs for an independent disconnect system (IDS) and a Voice Coil for interphone communication between the aerial refueling aircraft and a receiving aircraft.

16. The torsion cable reel assembly of claim 13 , wherein the reel housing comprises:
a right-hand side;
a left-hand side;
a rear close-out panel; and
a lower close-out panel.

17. The torsion cable reel assembly of claim 16 , wherein the rear close-out panel comprises a plurality of guide rollers configured to support and guide the cable assembly as it extends from and retracts into the reel housing.

18. The torsion cable reel assembly of claim 13 , wherein the helical spring provides tension to the cable assembly whenever the articulated boom nozzle moves from its neutral position.

19. The torsion cable reel assembly of claim 18 , wherein maximum tension is provided by the helical spring to the cable assembly when the articulated boom nozzle has moved farthest from its neutral position.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hughes Truman
• Stinson Glenn E

Classifications

• H01B11/1033

  composed of a wire-braided conductor · CPC title

• B65H75/486

  Arrangements or adaptations of the spring motor · CPC title

• H01R13/60

  Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged · CPC title

• B64D39/06 Primary

  Connecting hose to aircraft; Disconnecting hose therefrom · CPC title

• B65H2701/34

  electric cords or electric power cables · CPC title