FR3117281A1 - Electric cable trunking - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a trunking (1) intended to receive electrical cables (32-34), this trunking (1) comprising a body including a bottom (2) carrying walls (3-6) delimiting with this bottom (2) several compartments (8-10) of electrical cables. Each wall (3-6) is terminated by a lid portion (12-16) covering all or part of one or two of the compartments (8-10) contiguous to this wall, the different lid portions (12-16) covering jointly all compartments (8-10). The cover portions (12-16) are formed in a sufficiently flexible material to allow the engagement of a cable in a compartment (8-10) by deformation of one or two cover portions (12-16) covering this compartment (8-10). Figure for abstract: Figure 2

Description

Electric cable trunking

The invention relates to a trunking for maintaining electrical cables intended to equip an aeronautical or space-type structure.

PRIOR ART

The invention relates to the maintenance of electrical cables in aeronautical or space equipment, in which such cables must generally run along an existing structure, such as for example a fuselage, while being carried by the latter.

As part of a project under development, for example experimental, the routing of the cables is not final and must be modified and adapted over the successive developments of the project.

One solution may be to use strips of fiberglass pre-impregnated with resin to form a sheath covering the cables along their route while fixing them to the load-bearing structure. However, this solution is not ideal because once the resin has set, it is no longer possible to modify the layout without replacing the assembly, i.e. the resin sheath with the cables. which she maintains. In addition, in operation the contiguous cables can collide under the effect of vibrations in the sheath which covers them by holding them.

Another solution consists in using a trunking comprising a base having in section having the shape of the letter U, and comprising a cover to close it, but such a trunking is generally made of rigid plastic so that it is not adaptable to all configurations. In addition, it generally contains several cables which can therefore collide under the effect of vibrations.

Another solution consists in fixing the cables to columns distributed along the path, the fixing of cables to a column being ensured with an attachment member comprising on the one hand a ring or the like engaging around the column, this ring carrying one or more collars each capable of enclosing one or more cables. In practice, this solution proves to occupy a volume that is too large due to the significant height of the columns which gives rise to an arrangement that is generally too thick.

In this context, the invention aims to provide an electrical cable trunking solution that is suitable for aeronautical and space applications.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a trunking intended to receive cables of the optical or fluidic electrical type, comprising a body including a bottom carrying walls defining with this bottom several cable compartments, in which each wall is terminated by a lid portion covering all or part of one or two of the compartments contiguous to this wall, the various lid portions covering all the compartments together, the trunking being formed from a material having sufficient flexibility to allow the engagement of a cable in a compartment by separating the cover portions covering this compartment.

With this arrangement, the trunking can easily accommodate cables in separate compartments so as to prevent them from knocking together under the effect of vibrations.

The invention also relates to a trunking thus defined, comprising several compartments having sections of different sizes to receive cables of different sections.

The invention also relates to a chute thus defined, in which two contiguous lid portions each have an upper face which is inclined with respect to the bottom to jointly delimit a V-shaped portion causing the separation of these two lid portions by exercise on these upper surfaces of a pressure directed towards the bottom.

The invention also relates to a trunking thus defined, in which the portions of lids terminating two walls which are contiguous have contiguous edges.

The invention also relates to a chute thus defined, obtained by additive manufacturing.

The invention also relates to a trunking thus defined, formed in a material of the thermoplastic elastomer type.

There is a perspective view of an example of cable trunking according to the invention;

There is a cross-sectional view of a chute portion according to the invention;

There is a cross-sectional view of an upper part of a chute portion according to the invention;

There is an overall view showing four chutes according to the invention fitted to an internal wall of a fuselage portion.

DETAILED DISCUSSION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

The chute according to the invention which appears on the where it is identified by 1 has a generally parallelepipedal shape extending along a longitudinal cable routing direction denoted AX.

It comprises a generally planar bottom 2 which carries longitudinal dividing walls, here twelve in number, which extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction AX and perpendicular to the bottom 2. Four of these walls are marked respectively by 3- 6.

These walls 3-6 are spaced from each other in the transverse direction, so as to delimit separate cable compartments, here eleven in number. Three of these compartments are marked respectively by 8-10.

Each of the twelve dividing walls 3-6 has its free end terminated by a cover portion having the shape of a strip extending over the entire length of the wall of which it extends the free end. Each cover portion extends in an orientation substantially parallel to that of the bottom 2. Four of these cover portions are identified respectively by 12-16.

As visible in Figures 1 and 2, the cover portions 12-16 jointly cover all the cable compartments of the trunking. More particularly, and as visible more clearly on the , the cover portions 12 and 13 terminating the two contiguous dividing walls 3 and 4 have their edges very slightly spaced apart or contiguous to delimit a slot 17, so that these two portions 12 and 13 jointly cover and close the compartment 8 delimited by the walls 3 and 4 that they terminate. Similarly, the cover portions 13 and 14 jointly delimit a slot 18 giving access to the compartment 9, and the portions 14 and 15 delimit a slot 19 for access to the compartment 10.

More generally, the cover portions of each pair of contiguous walls have their edges very close to jointly delimit a slot. Thus, on the one hand these two portions of lids close the compartment they cover, and on the other hand they allow the insertion of an electric cable in this compartment through the slot which separates them.

Each cover portion also has a shape arranged to facilitate the engagement of a cable by pressing it towards the slot 17 separating two contiguous cover portions.

More particularly, and as visible on the , the cover portion 12 comprises a first lateral part 21, extending from one side of the wall 3 which carries it and a second lateral part 22 extending from the other side of this wall 3.

The first lateral part 21 is delimited by a first upper face 23 and by a first lower face 24, and in a similar way the second lateral part 22 is delimited by a second upper face 26 and by a second lower face 27.

The two upper faces 23 and 26 together delimit the entire upper part of the portion 12 by extending in the extension of one another, to constitute at their junction the top 28 of this portion 12. Each upper face 23, 26 is extended by a corresponding lower face 29, 31 which is connected to the side face of the corresponding wall 3.

As seen on the , the cover portion 12 thus has a shape resembling that of an end of an arrow delimited by these four faces: the two upper faces 23 and 26 are inclined towards the bottom 2 from the top 28 towards their respective ends, and these ends are extended by the lower faces 29 and 31 which both extend parallel to the bottom 2. The cover portions have shapes that are identical or similar to that of the portion 12.

The side parts of two contiguous cover portions jointly delimiting a slot thus have their inclined upper faces which constitute two V-shaped inclined planes so as to facilitate the engagement of a cable in this slot.

More particularly, and as visible on the , when a cable must be engaged in a compartment, it is first positioned along the slot corresponding to the compartment in which it be engaged. At this stage, the fact of exerting on this cable a pressure directed towards the bottom 2 causes, thanks to the inclined upper faces, the separation of the two corresponding cover portions to open the compartment in order to allow the cable to engage in housing.

In the example of the , the engagement of the cable 32 in the compartment 10 is ensured by placing it along the slot 19 separating the side parts of the cover portions 14 and 15 which cover this compartment 10. The exercise on this cable 32 of a pressure directed towards the bottom 2 causes the separation of the cover portions 14 and 15, that is to say the opening of the slot 19, and thereby the separation of the walls 5 and 6 carrying these portions 14 and 15 and which delimit compartment 10.

As can be understood, this system is reversible, i.e. the removal of a cable can be obtained by pulling on it to make it cross the corresponding slot again, in the opposite direction.

In the example of the figures, each compartment has a rectangular shape making it possible to successively engage several cables which then find themselves superimposed on each other, like the three cables 33 present in the compartment 9. In addition, a compartment can receive cables of different sections, such as cable 34 on the whose section is slightly larger than that of the other cables.

As it appears from the , the engagement of a cable in a housing is obtained by elastically deforming the cover portions and the walls which carry them and which delimit the corresponding housing, the time that the cable is placed in the housing.

The cables engaged in the trunking, such as cables 32 and 33 of the , can be electrical data or power transmission cables, or even optical data transmission cables, or even fluidic cables, that is to say tubular conduits for the passage of a supply or fluid fluid. control of a receiver.

As will have been understood, the constituent material of the trunking 1 according to the invention has sufficient elasticity to allow these deformations, this material possibly being of the plastic, elastomer or similar type.

The trunking according to the invention is advantageously obtained by additive manufacturing to easily size it according to a parametric design that can be modulated according to need, for example to adapt the size of its compartments. So, in the example of the , the chute comprises a particular compartment, identified by 36 and located along its left edge in the figure, which has a larger section than the other compartments, so as to receive one or more electrical cables having a larger section than the others.

The material used to manufacture this trunking is advantageously a printable material of the TPE or TPU type, that is to say a printable thermoplastic elastomer advantageously having mechanical characteristics approaching those of rubber. Such a material has a flexibility allowing the separation of the cover portions for the passage of cables, and this flexibility also allows a deformation of the trunking as a whole allowing for example to fix it to a slightly curved surface.

It is also possible to print this trunking with other materials such as short-fiber carbon-filled plastic to guarantee higher temperature resistance.

On the , there is shown a pair of chutes according to the invention 1A, 1B, and another pair of chutes 1C, 1D, all four of which are carried by the internal face of a support structure 37 which is here a portion of the fuselage.

Each of these four chutes is fixed to the internal face of the structure 37 by gluing its bottom to this internal face, advantageously by using a double-sided adhesive tape resistant to high temperatures when the service conditions so require.

The trunking 1A receives a set of cables 38 in four of its compartments located on the side of its edge located on the left on the . This chute 1A has here been obtained by additive manufacturing so that its two compartments closest to the left edge are shorter than the others. It thus has a generally rectangular shape but comprising a recess, identified by 39, at one of its vertices.

Thanks to this offset, the cables 41 located in the two shorter compartments have a different path from the other cables: they deviate from the trunking 1A to cross the wall of the fuselage in a region located between the two trunkings 1A and 1B.

The other cables of the cable harness 38, namely the cables 42 are for their part engaged in corresponding compartments of the trunking 1B which extends in the extension of the trunking 1A.

As indicated above, the portions of lids carried by two contiguous walls of the chutes have their edges very close or contiguous to delimit an access slot to the corresponding compartment, the slots 17, 18 and 19 respectively giving access to the compartments 8, 9, 10 in the example of the .

In order to improve the tightness of the assembly, when the various cables have been installed in their respective compartments, all of the cover portions are advantageously covered with an adhesive strip to completely close the slots. This adhesive tape can be made of aluminum and/or of the woven weft type.

Thus, on the , the chutes 1A and 1B are both covered by adhesive strips making it possible to improve their sealing, these adhesive strips being marked 43 and 44 respectively.

In general, the trunking according to the invention makes it possible to ensure a unitary maintenance of the cables over the entire length so that these cables cannot collide under the effect of vibrations. It allows the cables to be protected from their mechanical and thermal environment and also to easily modify the routing of these cables in the case of an installation on a project in progress.

Claims (6)

Trunking (1) intended to receive cables (32-34) of the electrical, optical or fluidic type, comprising a body including a bottom (2) carrying walls (3-6) delimiting with this bottom (2) several compartments (8- 10) cables, wherein each wall (3-6) is terminated by a cover portion (12-16) covering all or part of one or two of the compartments (8-10) adjacent to this wall, the different portions of lids (12-16) covering all the compartments (8-10) together, the trunking (1) being formed from a material having sufficient flexibility to allow the engagement of a cable (32-34) in a compartment (8 -10) by separating the cover portions (12-16) covering this compartment (8-10). Trunking according to claim 1, comprising several compartments (8-10) having sections of different sizes to receive cables (32-34) of different sections. Chute according to Claim 1 or 2, in which two contiguous cover portions (12-16) each have an upper face (23, 26) which is inclined with respect to the bottom (2) to jointly delimit a V-shaped portion causing the separation of these two cover portions (12-16) by exerting pressure on these upper faces directed towards the bottom (2). Chute according to one of the preceding claims, in which the cover portions (12-16) terminating two walls (3, 6) which are contiguous have contiguous edges. Chute according to one of the preceding claims, obtained by additive manufacturing. Chute according to one of the preceding claims, formed from a material of the thermoplastic elastomer type.