CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING A STACK OF BRAKE DISKS, IN PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT BRAKE DISKS
The invention relates to a container for receiving different types of heat pack, the container comprising a base carrying a central support suitable for receiving equally well one or another of the heat packs, wherein the support includes at least a plurality of respective seats that are staggered so that each receives one of the heat packs, each seat being adapted to co-operate with at least an annular surface portion of the corresponding heat pack.
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The invention relates to a container for receiving a stack of brake disks, in particular aircraft brake disks.
TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUNDThe invention relates more specially to a container receiving the brake disks stacked one on another. The set of brake disks (made up in alternation of rotor disks and stator disks) is commonly referred to as a heat pack, and it is transported as a unit in a suitable container.
Heat packs are transported on several occasions. New heat packs leaving the factory where they are fabricated are delivered to user clients, particularly aircraft manufacturers if the aircraft is being assembled, or if the aircraft is already in service with a company, to that company's storage premises, which may naturally be situated anywhere in the world. Furthermore, the company seeking to replace a worn heat pack with a new heat pack puts the worn heat pack into one of the containers to send it back to the factory where it was fabricated so that the worn disks can be reconditioned in the Applicant's factory or in any other suitable place.
This has caused the Applicant to make use of several thousand containers. At present, the Applicant uses containers that are generally in the form of bodies of revolution, each comprising a base on which the disks are stacked, and a cover fitted onto the base and covering the entire assembly. The heat pack bears against the base and a central pull rod screwed into the base and terminated by a hoist ring enables the container to be handled once it is closed. These containers are adapted to the particular size of the disks, specifically disks having a diameter of 20 inches (″). For other heat packs, made up of 22″ or 23″ disks, the Applicant uses matching containers. Some have a base in the form of a rack in which the disks are inserted vertically, being spaced apart from one another.
The invention seeks to propose a universal container adapted to receive different types of heat pack.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,430 discloses a container comprising a base and a cover with a belt extending between them. The base and the cover receive a threaded pull rod carrying two support cones of concave profile. The disks of the heat pack are placed to rest on the bottom cone so that the bottom cone penetrates into the inside diameter of the heat pack, and then the top cone is moved along the pull rod until the heat pack is held captive between the two cones. The top cone is then prevented from moving relative to the rod.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTIONThe invention seeks to propose a container capable of receiving different types of heat pack, or more generally stacks of brake disks, regardless of whether a stack constitutes a complete heat pack or only a part thereof. The term “various types” means that the heat packs in question differ at least by having different inside diameters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the invention, there is provided a container for receiving different types of heat pack, the container comprising a base carrying a central support suitable for receiving equally well one or another of the heat packs, wherein the support includes at least a plurality of respective seats that are staggered so that each receives one of the heat packs, each seat being adapted to co-operate with at least an annular surface portion of the corresponding heat pack. It will be understood that in the meaning of the invention, “staggered” is used to mean that the seats are disposed at different heights and that they are defined relative to one another and distinct from one another.
Thus, instead of a concave surface as recommended by document U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,430, with the heat pack coming into contact therewith as best via an edge having the diameter of the inside diameter of the bottom disk, the support of the invention presents seats that are adapted to each size of heat pack. Thus, for a heat pack with a bottom disk that presents a chamfered inside diameter, provision can be made for a seat that presents at least one conical surface of slope that matches the slope of the chamfer. For a heat pack having a bottom disk that presents an inside diameter that is not chamfered, provision can be made for a seat presenting a circularly cylindrical surface centered on the bottom disk, together with a plane bearing surface enabling the bottom disk to be supported by the support.
The contact areas between the support and the bottom disk are thus increased, reducing any risk of damage to the portion of the bottom disk that comes into contact with the seat, and providing much better stability for the heat pack in the container, in particular while it is being put into place therein.
The invention can be better understood in the light of the following description of the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:
The container according to the invention described herein is specially adapted to receiving three types of heat pack, namely a 20″ heat pack, a 22″ heat pack, and a 23″ heat pack (the dimensions in inches relating to the outside diameter of the disks). Naturally, the invention is not limited to these examples that are given by way of illustration.
These heat packs are put into place in the container by presenting the rear stator (i.e. the stator disk that faces the force take-up plate at the end of the torsion tube of the brake that receives the heat pack) towards the bottom, such that this disk is referred to below as the bottom disk. Naturally, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and the invention applies equally to a configuration in which the heat pack is presented with the front stator towards the bottom.
With reference to
The bottom shell 1 includes an annular plane portion P1 that defines a bearing plane via which the container rests on the ground or on any other surface receiving it, or indeed on another similar container, as described in detail below. A support 2 adapted to receive heat packs extends centrally from the annular plane portion P1. The support 2 is generally in the form of a body of revolution, except that in this example it has three notches 3 extending at 120° to one another. The notches 3 are integrally molded with the support 2 and they contribute to stiffening it. In addition, they define a passage under the seat (described in detail below) enabling three claws of a hoist member (as commonly used by the Applicant and also by many of its clients) to be inserted under the heat pack. This hoist member is inserted in the center of the heat pack, and its claws take up positions under the heat pack in the empty spaces defined by the notches 3, thereby enabling the heat pack that is received in the bottom shell 1 to be raised as a unit. The notches 3 can be seen more particularly from beneath in
The bottom shell 1 also has a side wall 4 that is stiffened by regularly distributed stiffeners 5 integrally molded with the side wall 4 and forming setbacks that project inwards into the base 1. These stiffeners thus naturally form centering means that co-operate with the outside surfaces of the larger-diameter disks to prevent them from sliding on one another. Finally, the bottom shell 1 has a peripheral collar 8 forming a bearing plane for receiving the top shell 10.
The top shell or cover 10 has an annular plane portion P2 that defines a bearing plane suitable for receiving another container superposed thereon. Frustoconical centering means 11 extend from the annular plane portion P2 and co-operate with a frustoconical inner wall 7 (visible in
According to the invention, the support 2 has three seats given respective references 30, 40, and 50 for respectively receiving heat packs having diameters of 20″, 22″, and 23″. Each of the seats is adapted to co-operate with an annular surface portion of the bottom disk of the corresponding heat pack. In this example, the bottom disk is made up by the rear stator of the heat pack, which is provided with studs, where appropriate, as can be seen in
In this example, the bottom disks of all three heat packs in question have their inside diameters chamfered, however the slope of each chamfer is different. Each of the seats thus has a slope that is adapted to receive each of the heat packs so that the bottom disk bears against the seat via an annular bearing surface, and not via a single edge.
As shown in
The seats of the invention are defined relative to one another, either because two adjacent seats present different slopes, or because they are spaced apart by a connection zone that presents a slope that is different from that of at least one of the seats it interconnects (and in particular both of them).
Advantageously, the walls of the seats of the central support are plane, and not curved.
By way of illustration,
As shown in
Still according to the invention, the container is used together with a stabilizer 100, shown in exploded view in
In
To improve the packaging of the heat pack in the container, it is appropriate to position a dished plate 120 as shown in
It is then appropriate to put the top shell 10 into place on the bottom shell 1 so as to close the container. In this position, the pull rod 110 passes through the top shell 10, thereby making it possible to fasten a hoist ring on the projecting end of the pull rod 110 thus enabling the container to be hoisted, and also serving to hold the top shell 10 against the bottom shell 1.
The invention is not limited to the above description, but on the contrary covers any variant coming within the scope of the claims. In particular, it is to be understood that the above-mentioned heat packs are mentioned purely by way of illustration. The container of the invention can be adapted to other heat packs, and it may be designed to transport other types of heat pack. In addition, although the container described above is adapted to receive three types of heat pack, the same container could receive other heat packs of the same diameter providing they are compatible with the seats.
Furthermore, although the support in the above example is made integrally with the bottom shell, provision could be made for a removable support to be fitted on the bottom shell. Finally, although the container shown has a bottom shell and a top shell forming respectively a base and a cover of the container, the invention is more generally applicable to any other form of container, e.g. a container comprising a base, a cover, and a belt as described in document U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,430. Under all circumstances, the support is carried by the base, regardless of whether said base is fitted with a side wall so as to constitute a bottom shell as shown herein.
Moreover, although it is stated that the stabilizer of the invention is used in conjunction with a container, it is clear that the stabilizer could be used in other circumstances. For example it could be used to stabilize heat packs stored in a warehouse, not in a container. It could also serve to center stacks of disks in order to prepare a heat pack.
Claims
1. A container for receiving different types of heat pack, the container comprising a base carrying a central support suitable for receiving equally well one or another of the heat packs, wherein the support includes at least a plurality of respective seats that are staggered so that each receives one of the heat packs, each seat being adapted to co-operate with at least an annular surface portion of the corresponding heat pack.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the support presents notches defining a passage under the seats, enabling a hoist tool to be inserted for lifting the heat pack.
3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the support includes a frustoconical inside wall forming a centering member on a frustoconical centering member carried by a cover of a complementary container.
4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the base has a side wall that co-operates with the base to form a bottom shell of the container.
5. A container according to claim 4, wherein the side wall includes stiffeners forming centering members adapted to co-operate with a cylindrical outside surface of a heat pack of corresponding diameter.
6. A container according to claim 4, further including a top shell forming a cover, the two shells resting one on the other via respective peripheral collars that are mutually centering.
7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the staggered seats have different slopes.
8. A container according to claim 1, wherein the staggered seats have the same slope or different slopes, and are interconnected by transition zones.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 20, 2009
Publication Date: May 20, 2010
Applicant: MESSIER-BUGATTI (Velizy Villacoublay)
Inventor: Michel FIORE (Molsheim)
Application Number: 12/623,174
International Classification: B65D 85/02 (20060101);