Fume tight sock collector/box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10472082-B2
Application number	US-201715463879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

An embodiment fluid recovery structure includes a body having an interior cavity, ports integrally joined to first walls of the body and having port walls that extend away from the body, with each of the ports having a port opening that is contiguous with the interior cavity, and a drain structure integrally joined to a second wall of the body and having a drain hole that extends from the interior cavity through the drain structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid recovery structure, comprising:
a body having an interior cavity, the body including an upper box and a lower box with assembly hole sleeves integrally formed in each of the upper box and lower box, the assembly hole sleeves having assembly holes extending through the assembly hole sleeves, wherein the body further comprises sidewalls that are first walls, the sidewalls extending away from a second wall of the body toward a third wall of the body opposite the second wall, and wherein exterior surfaces of the assembly hole sleeves are spaced apart from the sidewalls and are integrally formed on one of the second wall or the third wall;
ports integrally joined to first walls of the body and having port walls that extend away from the body, each of the ports having a port opening that is contiguous with the interior cavity, and each of the ports having a retaining lip disposed on an outside surface of the respective port and spaced apart from walls of the body, wherein the retaining lip is configured to accept a sock extending over the retaining lip and to retain the sock on the outside surface of the respective port, and wherein each of the ports includes an upper port portion integrally formed as part of the upper box and a lower portion integrally formed as part of the lower box; and
a drain structure integrally joined to the second wall of the body and having a drain hole that extends from the interior cavity through the drain structure.

2. The fluid recovery structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper box and lower box having complementary assembly ridges.

3. The fluid recovery structure of claim 2 , further comprising:
assembly fasteners disposed in the assembly holes, the assembly fasteners affixing the lower box to the upper box.

4. The fluid recovery structure of claim 1 , wherein the drain structure has a drain structure seat integrally formed at an end of the drain structure, and wherein the drain structure has a drain structure fitting integrally formed at an outside surface of the drain structure, wherein the drain structure further has first sidewalls that separate the drain structure seat from the drain structure fitting, and second sidewalls that separate the drain structure fitting from the second wall.

5. The fluid recovery structure of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid tube retainer having a hole aligned with the ports.

6. The fluid recovery structure of claim 5 , wherein the fluid tube retainer is a clamp disposed in the interior cavity and is disposed on a standoff that is integrally formed with the body and extends from the third wall of the body.

7. The fluid recovery structure of claim 5 , wherein the fluid tube retainer is a retaining adapter disposed in the port opening of one of the ports and in direct contact with an interior surface of the port, and wherein the retaining adapter has spokes that are spaced apart from each other by spoke spaces.

8. A fluid system, comprising:
a fluid tube; and
a collector disposed around the fluid tube, the collector having a body with an interior cavity, the body including an upper box and a lower box with assembly hole sleeves integrally formed in each of the upper box and lower box, the assembly hole sleeves having assembly holes extending through the assembly hole sleeves, wherein the body further comprises sidewalls that are first walls, the sidewalls extending away from a second wall of the body toward a third wall of the body opposite the second wall, and wherein exterior surfaces of the assembly hole sleeves are spaced apart from the sidewalls and are integrally formed on one of the second wall or the third wall, the collector further having ports integrally formed at the first walls of the body, wherein each of the ports includes an upper port portion integrally formed as part of the upper box and a lower portion integrally formed as part of the lower box, each of the ports having a port opening that is contiguous with the interior cavity, each of the ports having a retaining lip disposed on an outside surface of the respective port and spaced apart from walls of the body, wherein the retaining lip is configured to accept a sock extending over the retaining lip and to retain the sock on the outside surface of the respective port, wherein the fluid tube extends through the interior cavity and the port opening of each of the ports, wherein the collector further has a drain structure integrally formed in the second wall of the body and wherein the drain structure has a drain hole that extends from the interior cavity through the drain structure.

9. The fluid system of claim 8 , further comprising socks, each of the socks having an end disposed on a respective one of the ports, wherein the fluid tube extends through each of the socks.

10. The fluid system of claim 8 , wherein the upper box and lower box have complementary assembly ridges; and
wherein the drain structure is integrally formed as part of the lower box and is disposed at a bottom wall of the lower box.

11. The fluid system of claim 10 , further comprising a fluid tube retainer having a hole aligned with the ports, wherein the fluid tube is disposed within the hole and is affixed to the collector by the fluid tube retainer such that the fluid tube is spaced apart from interior surfaces of the collector, and wherein the fluid tube is spaced apart from interior surfaces of the socks.

12. The fluid system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid tube retainer is a clamp disposed in the interior cavity.

13. The fluid system of claim 12 , further comprising a standoff integrally formed on an interior surface of a bottom wall of the collector, wherein the clamp is attached to the standoff by a clamp retainer.

14. The fluid system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid tube retainer is a retaining adapter disposed in a port opening of one of the ports.

15. A vehicle, comprising:
an engine;
a fuel tank;
a fluid tube connected to the fuel tank and to the engine and configured to direct fuel from the fuel tank to the engine; and
a collector mounted to a mounting point within the vehicle and disposed around the fluid tube, the collector having a body with an interior cavity, the body including an upper box and a lower box with assembly hole sleeves integrally formed in each of the upper box and lower box, the assembly hole sleeves having assembly holes extending through the assembly hole sleeves, wherein the body further comprises sidewalls that are first walls, the sidewalls extending away from a second wall of the body toward a third wall of the body opposite the second wall, and wherein exterior surfaces of the assembly hole sleeves are spaced apart from the sidewalls and are integrally formed on one of the second wall or the third wall, and the collector further having ports integrally joined to the first walls of the body, each of the ports having a port opening that is contiguous with the interior cavity, each of the ports including an upper port portion integrally formed as part of the upper box and a lower portion integrally formed as part of the lower box, each of the ports having a retaining lip disposed on an outside surface of the respective port and spaced apart from walls of the body, wherein the retaining lip is configured to accept a sock extending over the retaining lip and to retain the sock on the outside surface of the respective port, wherein the fluid tube extends through the interior cavity and the port opening of each of the ports, wherein the collector further has a drain structure integrally joined to the second wall of the body and having a drain hole that extends from

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Leachman Joseph Daniel

Classifications

• F16L23/167

  in connection with the appearance or detection of leaks · CPC title

• B64C27/605

  including swash plate, spider or cam mechanisms · CPC title

• F02M2025/0863

  with means dealing with condensed fuel or water, e.g. having a liquid trap · CPC title

• B64D37/005 Primary

  Accessories not provided for in the groups B64D37/02 - B64D37/28 · CPC title

• Y10T137/5762

  With leakage or drip collecting · CPC title