Attachment bracket and support assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539168-B2
Application number	US-201615750928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2015
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A support assembly (10) having a structural element (12) having first and second non-parallel adjoining surfaces (18), a bracket (14) attached to the structural element (12), and a component support (16). The bracket (14) has a first flange (20) including a first attachment surface (24) adhesively bonded to the first surface (18) of the structural element (12), a second flange (20) including a second attachment surface (24) adhesively bonded to the second surface (18) of the structural element (12), and a connection portion (48) interconnecting the first and second flanges (20), the connection portion (48) extending spaced from the structural element (12) such that a gap (52) is defined therebetween. The component support (16) is engaged to the first flange (20). The connection portion (48) may have a lower resistance to rupture than that of the first and second flanges (20). A method of removably securing a component to a structural element is also discussed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A support assembly comprising:
a structural element having first and second surfaces, the first and second surfaces being adjoining and non-parallel to one another;
a bracket attached to the structural element, the bracket comprising:
a first flange including a first attachment surface adhesively bonded to the first surface of the structural element,
a second flange including a second attachment surface adhesively bonded to the second surface of the structural element, and
a connection portion interconnecting the first and second flanges, the connection portion extending spaced from the structural element such that a gap is defined therebetween, the connection portion detachably interconnecting the first and second flanges; and
a component support engaged to the first flange, wherein the component support is removably engaged to the first flange, and removably engageable to the second flange.

2. The support assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the connection portion has a lower resistance to rupture than that of the first and second flanges such that a force required to rupture the connection portion and separate the first and second flanges is lower than a force required to rupture one of the first and second flanges.

3. The support assembly as defined in claim 2 , wherein the connection portion includes a line of perforations defined therethrough, the connection portion being breakable along the line of perforations.

4. The support assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the connection portion biases the first flange toward the first surface of the structural element and the second flange toward the second surface of the structural element.

5. The support assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the connection portion has an arcuate cross-section with a concave side of the cross-section facing the structural element.

6. The support assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bracket is symmetrical about a plane extending through the connection portion.

7. The support assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first flange has an attachment portion including the first attachment surface and a retaining portion extending from the attachment portion opposite the first attachment surface, the retaining portion having a cavity defined therein with outer walls of the retaining portion having first and second openings defined therethrough in communication with the cavity.

8. The support assembly as defined in claim 7 , wherein, the component support includes first and second complementary connection members removably connected to one another, the first connection member removably received in the cavity and being removable from the cavity through the first opening, the second opening being sized such as to prevent the first connection member from passing therethrough, the second connection member connected to the first connection member through the second opening.

9. The support assembly as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first connection member is a nut and the second connection member is a male fastener received through the second opening and threadingly engaged to the nut.

10. The support assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the structural element is part of a structure of an aircraft and the component support is configured to engage an aircraft system.

11. The support assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the first flange includes two spaced apart ridges extending from the first attachment surface in contact with the first surface of the structural element, the first attachment surface being adhesively bonded to the first surface of the structural element by an adhesive received between the two spaced apart ridges.

12. An attachment bracket for removably securing a component to a structural element, the attachment bracket comprising:
a first flange having a first attachment portion and a first retaining portion extending from the first attachment portion, the first retaining portion configured to engage at least part of a component support;
a second flange having a second attachment portion extending non-parallel to the first attachment portion; and
a connection portion interconnecting the first and second flanges, wherein the connection portion has a lower resistance to rupture than that of the first and second flanges such that a force required to rupture the connection portion and separate the first and second flanges is lower than a force required to rupture one of the first and second flanges,
wherein the first flange is removably engageable to the component support and the second flange is removably engageable to the component support.

13. The attachment bracket as defined in claim 12 , wherein the bracket is symmetrical about a plane extending through the connection portion.

14. The attachment bracket as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second flange includes a second retaining portion extending from the second attachment portion, the first and second retaining portions each configured to removably engage the at least part of the component support.

15. The attachment bracket as defined in claim 12 , wherein the connection portion includes a line of perforations defined therethrough, the connection portion being breakable along the line of perforations.

16. The attachment bracket as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first attachment portion includes a first planar attachment surface and the second attachment portion includes a second planar attachment surface, the first and second planar attachment surfaces being non-parallel, each of the first and second planar attachment surfaces includes two spaced apart ridges extending therefrom.

17. The attachment bracket as defined in claim 12 , wherein the connection portion has an arcuate cross-section.

18. An assembly comprising the attachment bracket as defined in claim 12 and the at least part of the component support, wherein the first retaining portion has a cavity defined therein with outer walls of the first retaining portion having first and second openings defined therethrough in communication with the cavity, the at least part of the component support including a fastener removably received in the cavity and being removable from the cavity through the first opening, the second opening being sized such as to prevent the fastener from passing therethrough.

19. The assembly as defined in claim 18 , wherein the fastener is a nut, the at least part of the component support further comprising a second fastener received through the second opening and threadingly engaged to the nut.

Assignees

• Bombardier Inc

Inventors

• Gallien Rene
• Deshaies Martin

Classifications

• F16B7/0433

  for rods or tubes being in parallel relationship · CPC title

• F16B37/048

  Non-releasable devices (F16B37/044, F16B37/045 and F16B37/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16B5/0685

  Joining sheets or plates to strips or bars (F16B5/0692 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02G3/32

  using mounting clamps · CPC title

• F16B11/006 Primary

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title