Suspension system for an aircraft auxiliary power unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124905-B2
Application number	US-201515540777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A suspension system for an aircraft auxiliary power unit located in a fuselage structure, the system including: struts ( 10 ), auxiliary power unit attachment brackets ( 51,52 ) for connecting the strut ( 10 ) to the auxiliary power unit ( 30 ), vibration isolators ( 5 ) for joining the struts ( 10 ) and the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket ( 51, 52 ), a cone-bolt ( 1 ) attached to the auxiliary power unit attachment brackets ( 51,52 ) and having a longitudinal threaded hollow, an inner bolt ( 2 ) partially located within the hollow of the cone-bolt ( 1 ) and threaded to it ( 1 ), an outer bolt ( 3 ) having a longitudinal through-hole and partially located within the hollow of the cone-bolt ( 1 ) and including an external thread that engages the thread of the cone-bolt ( 1 ), the inner bolt ( 2 ) extending across the hollow of said outer bolt ( 3 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suspension system for an aircraft auxiliary power unit located in a fuselage structure, the system comprising:
a plurality of struts extending between the auxiliary power unit and the fuselage structure,
a plurality of auxiliary power unit attachment brackets for connecting the struts to the auxiliary power unit,
a plurality of vibration isolators for joining the struts and the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket, the vibration isolators each comprising a housing connected with at least one of the struts and enclosing an elastomeric element in a load path extending through the vibration isolator and for damping vibrations,
wherein at least one of the vibration isolators comprises:
a cone-bolt connected at one end to the housing and, at another end, attached to the auxiliary power unit attachment brackets, wherein the cone bolt includes a longitudinal threaded hollow, wherein said longitudinal hollow is open proximate the auxiliary power unit attachment brackets,
an inner bolt partially located within the hollow of the cone-bolt and threaded to the upper part of the cone-bolt,
an outer bolt having a longitudinal through-hole and partially located within the hollow of the cone-bolt and comprising an external thread that engages the thread of the cone-bolt, the inner bolt extending across the hollow of said outer bolt and configured so that the outer bolt is male with respect to the to the cone-bolt and female with respect to the inner bolt.

2. The suspension system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the auxiliary power unit attachment brackets is divided into at least two parts, a first part wrapping at least a first longitudinal portion of the cone-bolt and connected to the auxiliary power unit and a second part wrapping at least a second longitudinal portion of the cone-bolt and connected to the auxiliary power unit.

3. The suspension system according to claim 1 wherein the elastomeric element fills a void between the housing and a part of the cone-bolt in connection with the housing.

4. The suspension system according to claim 1 further comprising four mounts, each of the four mounts comprising a vibration isolator and an auxiliary power unit attachment bracket.

5. The suspension system according to claim 4 wherein one of the four mounts is connected to three of the struts, two of the four mounts are connected to two of the struts, and one of the four mounts is connected to one of the struts.

6. The suspension system according to claim 5 wherein the strut of the mount is connected to one strut is adjustable in length.

7. The suspension system according to claim 1 wherein the struts are each articulated at both ends of the strut.

8. A suspension system configured to support an auxiliary power unit in a fuselage of an aircraft, the system comprising:
a strut having a first end section configured to connect to the fuselage and a second end section opposite to the first end section;
an auxiliary power unit attachment bracket configured to support the auxiliary power unit within the aircraft;
a vibration isolator configured to connect to the second end section of the strut and to the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket, wherein the vibration isolator includes:
a housing having an internal chamber and an opening in the housing extending to the internal chamber;
a joint extending from the housing and configured to connect to the second end section of the strut;
an elastomeric element in the chamber;
a cone bolt having a first end section and a second end section opposite to the first end section, wherein the first end section is seated in the chamber of the housing and abuts the elastomeric element, and the cone bolt extends through the opening in the housing and to the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket;
the second end section of the cone bolt having an outer surface configured to be seated in an opening of the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket;
an internal passage extending through the cone bolt from the second end section of the cone bolt and towards the first end section of the cone bolt;
an inner bolt having a bolt head and a shaft, wherein the bolt head is configured to be adjacent a side of the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket opposite to the housing and the shaft extends through the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket and through at least a portion of the internal passage of the cone bolt and an end of the shaft engages the first end section of the cone bolt; and
a hollow outer bolt positioned between the inner bolt and the cone bolt such that the inner bolt extends through the hollow outer bolt, wherein the hollow outer bolt has a head between the head of the inner bolt and the side of the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket.

9. The suspension system of claim 8 wherein the hollow outer bolt includes internal threads which engage external threads of the inner bolt and the hollow outer bolt includes external treads which engage internal threads in the second end section of the cone bolt.

10. The suspension system of claim 8 wherein the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket is a first bracket and another auxiliary power unit is a second bracket, wherein each of the brackets includes an opening receiving the cone bolt, and the first bracket has a side facing the housing and the second bracket has a side facing the head on the hollow outer bolt and the head on the inner bolt.

11. The suspension system of claim 10 wherein the first and second brackets each includes a collar around the cone bolt and an arm extending from the collar to the auxiliary power unit, wherein the collar defines the opening in the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket.

12. The suspension system of claim 8 wherein the cone bolt, inner bolt and outer bolt are aligned along a common axis.

13. The suspension system of claim 8 wherein the first end section of the cone bolt includes a cup and the elastomeric element is seated in the cup such that the cup and the elastomeric element substantially fill the chamber.

14. A mount comprising:
an auxiliary power unit attachment bracket configured to connect to and support an auxiliary power unit within a fuselage of an aircraft;
a vibration isolator configured to connect to the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket and connect to a strut which extends between the vibration isolator to the fuselage;
wherein the vibration isolator includes:
a housing having an internal chamber and an opening in the housing extending to the internal chamber;
a joint extending from an outer surface of the housing and configured to connect to the strut;
an elastomeric element in the chamber;
a cone bolt having a first end section and a second end section opposite to the first end section, wherein the first end section is seated in the chamber of the housing and abuts the elastomeric element, and the cone bolt extends through the opening in the housing and to the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket;
the second end section of the cone bolt having an outer surface configured to be seated in an opening of the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket;
an internal passage extending through cone bolt from the second end section of the cone bolt and towards the first end section of the cone bolt;
an inner bolt having a bolt head and a shaft, wherein the head is configured to be adjacent a side of the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket opposite to the housing, wherein the shaft extends through the auxiliary power unit attachment bracket and through at least a portion of the internal passage of the cone bolt and an end of the shaft engage

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sl

Inventors

• Barsali Guilherme

Classifications

• B64D41/00 Primary

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title

• F16B5/0283

  with an externally threaded sleeve around the neck or the head of the screw-threaded element for adjustably fastening a plate or frame or the like to a fixed element · CPC title

• B60K5/1241

  Link-type support (B60K5/125, B60K5/1275 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64D2041/002

  Mounting arrangements for auxiliary power units (APU's) · CPC title

• F16F15/08

  with rubber springs {(grommet- or bushing-type resilient mountings F16F1/3732, F16F1/38); with springs made of rubber and metal (arrangement of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K5/12; mounting of propulsion plants on vessels B63H21/30; mounting of vehicle drivers' cabs B62D33/0604)} · CPC title