Drain mast

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11945566-B2
Application number	US-202217851189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2021
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A drain mast for an aircraft for discharge of water from the aircraft interior with a line which extends in a line direction from a connector end to a discharge end. The connector end can connect to another line in the interior of the aircraft, through which further line water flows into the drain mast. The discharge end can discharge water into a surrounding area of the aircraft. The line includes a plastic, into which a conductive material is embedded, by which the line can be heated electrically, by a heating current being conducted through the conductive material. A proportion of the embedded conductive material in the line increases in the line direction per length unit from the connector end of the line towards the discharge end such that the heating power which is introduced into the line per length unit increases from the connector end towards the discharge end.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drain mast for an aircraft for discharge of water from an interior of the aircraft with a line which extends in a line direction from a connector end to a discharge end and surrounds an interior space,
the connector end being configured for connection to a further line in the interior of the aircraft, through which connector end water flows into the interior space of the line, and the discharge end being configured for the discharge of the water out of the interior space into a surrounding area of the aircraft,
the line comprising a plastic, into which an electrically conductive material is embedded, by which the line can be heated electrically, by a heating current conducted through the electrically conductive material, and
a proportion of the electrically conductive material embedded in the line increasing in the line direction per length unit from the connector end of the line towards the discharge end such that heating power introduced into the line per length unit increases from the connector end towards the discharge end;
wherein the drain mast comprises an aerodynamic cowling with a discharge opening, the discharge end of the line being arranged in the discharge opening, wherein the aerodynamic cowling and the line are configured in one piece.

2. The drain mast according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material has a positive temperature coefficient.

3. The drain mast according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises carbon fibers.

4. The drain mast according to claim 1 , wherein the line comprises a fiber-reinforced plastic.

5. The drain mast according to claim 1 , wherein the line comprises polyetheretherketone, PEEK.

6. The drain mast according to claim 1 , wherein a surface which delimits the interior space of the line is plastic.

7. An aircraft with a drain mast according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Lübbert Tim
• Rempe Michael
• Schneider Frank

Classifications

• B64C1/1453 Primary

  Drain masts · CPC title

• F16L53/38

  using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons · CPC title

• H05B3/48

  heating conductor embedded in insulating material · CPC title

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• B64D11/04

  Galleys · CPC title