Blanking cover for closing aircraft interface

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a blanking cap for closing an aircraft interface during aircraft maintenance, the blanking cap having a profile capable of forming an interference fit with the aircraft interface, comprising a main body having a solid structure, at least two through holes formed in the interior of the main body substantially in the extension direction of the main body, and at least one handle, the main body is provided with a first end face and a second end face which are oppositely arranged in the extending direction of the main body, the through holes are opened in the first end face and the second end face respectively, and the handle is formed in the mode that a pull rope sequentially penetrates through the two through holes to form a closed ring. The blanking cap can be widely applied to aircrafts of various models, is wide in application range, high in adaptability, convenient to use, good in effect and diversified in selectable materials, facilitates cost reduction and efficiency improvement, effectively solves the problem that the blanking cap is prone to damage and failure, and effectively prolongs the service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of aircraft assembly and manufacturing, and more particularly to a protective device used during aircraft maintenance and repair, and in particular to a plugging cover used to seal an aircraft interface during aircraft maintenance and repair. Background Art

[0002] According to the parking procedures in the aircraft maintenance manual, when the aircraft is parked or undergoing maintenance on the ground, all open aircraft interfaces need to be closed using various protective devices such as plugs to prevent foreign objects from entering the interior of the aircraft interfaces and posing a safety hazard.

[0003] Existing plugging covers can be divided into silicone plugging covers with smaller compression and sponge plugging covers with larger compression according to the amount of compression. Silicone plugging covers age quickly, are heavy, and require mold opening during manufacturing, so the cost is relatively high. At the same time, most plugging covers lack protective covers on the outside, which makes it easy for debris to fall off. Moreover, the handle of the plugging cover is usually fixed to one end of the plugging cover body. During use, the handle is easily damaged and detached from the plugging cover body, making the plugging cover unusable. In addition, some plugging covers have a small interference fit margin, and the handle falling off and damaging will make it more difficult to disassemble the plugging cover, which can easily cause damage to the plugging cover. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to at least partially avoid or solve the above technical problems.

[0005] Specifically, the utility model provides a plug cover for closing an aircraft interface during aircraft maintenance and repair, the plug cover having an outer profile capable of forming an interference fit with the aircraft interface, and comprising:

[0006] a main body having a solid structure and having a first end face and a second end face disposed opposite to each other along an extension direction thereof, wherein the first end face is located on an upstream side along an insertion direction of the plugging cover into the aircraft interface;

[0007] at least two through holes formed in the interior of the main body substantially along an extension direction of the main body, the through holes opening on the first end surface and the second end surface respectively; and

[0008] At least one handle is formed by sequentially passing a drawstring through two through holes to form a closed loop.

[0009] The present invention designs the handle as a pull cord structure that passes through the entire body of the plug cover and forms a closed loop. The pull cord's force point is set on the first end face of the plug cover body, located upstream along the insertion direction of the plug cover into the aircraft interface. This makes it easier to remove the plug cover from the aircraft interface during use, and increases the firmness and stability of the handle, preventing the plug cover from becoming unusable due to the handle falling off. Furthermore, because the through-holes in the body are open on both the first and second end faces, the user can pull the pull cord on the plug cover at both ends during operation.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the plugging cover further includes a reinforcing sheet disposed on the outer surface of the first end face. The surface area of ​​the reinforcing sheet is designed to be smaller than or substantially equal to the surface area of ​​the first end face of the plugging cover. The reinforcing sheet is further provided with an opening for allowing the pull cord to pass through at a position corresponding to the position of the through hole. The provision of the reinforcing sheet prevents damage to the main body due to the force applied within the through hole, thereby protecting the main body of the plugging cover from force.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the reinforcing sheet is made of metal or plastic. Since the reinforcing sheet has a certain hardness, the reinforcing sheet can ensure the force protection effect of the reinforcing sheet on the blocking cover body.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a protective sleeve is provided on the outer side of the main body, which is wrapped around the outer side of the plug cover to prevent debris from falling from the main body. In addition, the protective sleeve is also formed with a hole for allowing the pull rope to pass through at a position corresponding to the position of the through hole.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the plugging cover further includes a pressure ring disposed at the location of the hole in the protective sleeve and configured to provide edge sealing protection. The pressure ring can seal the rough edges around the hole, thereby preventing the protective sleeve around the hole from being damaged during long-term use due to factors such as the reciprocating pulling and friction of the pull cord. Preferably, the pressure ring is made of metal to achieve better edge sealing protection.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure ring includes an inner pressure ring arranged between the protective sleeve and the main body and an outer pressure ring arranged outside the protective sleeve. The inner pressure ring can be placed in the inner ring of the outer pressure ring and flattened and fixed by using appropriate tools, thereby forming a fixed connection between the two.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the protective cover is made of a textile material, and the size of the protective cover is set to match the size of the main body, so as to achieve a close-fitting covering of the main body. The textile material is preferably a fabric with high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and UV resistance, preferably Oxford fabric, and the count of Oxford fabric is preferably 420D or above to ensure the tensile strength of the protective cover.

[0016] Alternatively, the protective cover may be made of materials other than textile materials, such as plastic, synthetic materials or other materials, provided that the protective cover has good adhesion to the main body and has good tensile strength, corrosion resistance and UV resistance.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the spacing between the two through-holes in the main body gradually increases along the extension direction of the main body from the upstream side of the insertion direction to the downstream side of the insertion direction. This facilitates uniform pulling of the entire plug cover by the tension of the pull cord, thereby facilitating the removal of the plug cover from the aircraft interface. Furthermore, when the plug cover is small, a handle of appropriate size is formed, making it easier for personnel to pull the handle.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, folded edges are formed at both ends of the drawstring, and the two folded edges are stitched together by sutures after being overlapped in a cross-interlocking manner. After tensile strength testing, the above-mentioned stitching process has a high tensile resistance effect.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the blocking cover is selected from any one of a truncated cone, a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped or a special-shaped structure.

[0020] The positive effects of this utility model are:

[0021] The plugging cover used to seal the aircraft interface during aircraft maintenance and repair according to the utility model can be widely used in interfaces of various types of aircraft. It has a wide range of uses, high adaptability, is easy to use and has good effects. In addition, the optional materials are diversified, which facilitates cost reduction and efficiency improvement. It can also effectively solve the problem that the plugging cover is easily damaged and fails, thereby effectively extending the service life of the plugging cover.

[0022] Furthermore, in the plugging cover for closing an aircraft interface according to the present invention, the handle is designed as a pull rope that runs through the entire plugging cover body and forms a closed loop. The force point of the handle is set on the first end face of the plugging cover body, which is located on the upstream side along the insertion direction of the plugging cover into the aircraft interface. This makes it easier to pull the plugging cover out of the aircraft interface during use, and also prevents the plugging cover from becoming unusable due to the handle falling off. By providing a reinforcing sheet on the outer surface of the first end face, the main body can be effectively prevented from being damaged by the force applied in the through hole; and by providing a protective cover on the outer side of the main body, the main body can be effectively prevented from dropping debris. Furthermore, a wide range of materials are available for the main body, handle, and protective cover, and the resulting plugging cover has a high cost-effectiveness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 Schematically showing a side perspective view of a plug cover for closing an aircraft interface according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 Schematically showing a perspective view of another side of a plug cover for closing an aircraft interface according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 For the Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of line AA in FIG;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing how the ends of the drawstring are sewn together;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the hole of the protective sleeve with a pressure ring installed.

[0028] The description of the accompanying drawings is as follows:

[0029] 1. Plug cover; 10. Main body; 11. First end face; 12. Second end face; 13. Through hole; 20. Handle; 21. Drawstring; 211. Folding edge; 22. Suture; 30. Reinforcement sheet; 40. Protective cover; 41. Hole; 42. Pressure ring; 421. Inner pressure ring; 422. Outer pressure ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following description, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0031] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the word "comprise" and variations such as "include" and "have" should be construed as having an open, inclusive meaning, that is, to mean "including, but not limited to."

[0032] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of "in one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any manner in one or more embodiments.

[0033] Furthermore, terms such as "first" and "second" used in the specification and claims are used solely to distinguish between objects for clarity of description and do not limit the size, quantity, or other order of the objects they describe. Directional terms indicate orientations or positional relationships based on those shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are intended solely to facilitate the description of this application and do not indicate or imply that the objects referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0034] The utility model provides a plugging cover 1 for closing an aircraft interface when the aircraft is parked on the ground or undergoing maintenance. The plugging cover 1 serves as a protective device and can temporarily close an aircraft interface that is in an open state when the aircraft is parked on the ground or undergoing maintenance, so as to prevent foreign objects from entering the interior of the aircraft interface and forming a safety hazard.

[0035] As attached Figure 1-3 As shown, the plug cap 1 according to the present invention has an outer profile capable of forming an interference fit with an aircraft interface, and includes a solid body 10 having a first end face 11 and a second end face 12 disposed opposite each other along its extension direction. The first end face 11 is located upstream along the insertion direction of the plug cap into the aircraft interface, while the second end face 12 is located downstream along the insertion direction of the plug cap into the aircraft interface. At least two through-holes 13 are formed within the body 10, extending substantially along the extension direction of the body 10. The through-holes 13 open on the first end face 11 and the second end face 12, respectively, so that the through-holes 13 are exposed from the body 10 through the first end face 11 and the second end face 12.

[0036] The cover 1 also includes at least one handle 20. The handle 20 is formed by passing a drawstring 21 through the two through-holes 13 and then fixing the ends of the drawstring 21 together to form a closed loop. In this way, the drawstring 21 constituting the handle 20 can be exposed outside the main body 10 through the first end surface 11 and the second end surface 12.

[0037] By adopting a handle 20 with this design, the force point of the handle 20 can be set on the first end surface 11 of the plug cover body 10. This makes it easier to pull the plug cover 1 from the aircraft interface during use, and increases the firmness and stability of the handle 20, preventing the plug cover 1 from becoming unusable due to the handle 20 falling off. In addition, because the through hole 13 on the body 10 is open on both the first end surface 11 and the second end surface 12, the user can pull the pull cord 21 on the plug cover 1 from both ends during operation, thereby facilitating operation.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The hole spacing between the two through holes 13 formed inside the main body 10 gradually increases from the first end face 11 to the second end face 12 along the extension direction of the main body 10. In this way, on the one hand, it is convenient to achieve uniform pulling of the entire plug cover by pulling the pull rope 21, so that the plug cover is easily pulled out from the aircraft interface; on the other hand, when the size of the plug cover is small, it is convenient to form a handle 20 of appropriate size, so that it is convenient for the staff to pull the handle 20.

[0039] In another embodiment according to the present invention, as shown in the attached Figure 4 As shown, folding edges 211 are formed at both ends of the drawstring 21, and the two folding edges 211 are stacked together in a cross-interlocking manner and then sewn together by sutures 22. According to the tensile strength test, this arrangement and suturing process have a high tensile resistance. Furthermore, the suture 22 includes a first suture and a second suture arranged in parallel, and the spacing L1 between the first suture and the second suture is at least 6 mm. This arrangement can increase the tensile resistance that the drawstring 21 can withstand. In addition, the distance L2 between the first suture, the second suture and the folding line of the corresponding folding edge 211 is at least 3 mm, which can avoid affecting the reduction in strength of the drawstring 21 at the suture needle hole.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The outer side of the main body 10 is covered with a protective cover 40, which is wrapped around the outer side of the plug cover 1 to prevent debris from falling from the main body 10. In addition, a hole 41 is formed in the protective cover 40 at a position corresponding to the position of the through hole 13, thereby allowing the pull rope 21 to pass through the protective cover 40 through the hole 41, so that the user can pull the pull rope 21 from both ends of the plug cover 1 during operation.

[0041] In accordance with specific usage scenarios, before installing the plug cover 1 on the aircraft interface, the drawstring 21 can be pulled from the first end face 11 of the plug cover 1 so that the drawstring 21 on the second end face 12 is against the main body 10 of the plug cover. The plug cover 1 can then be inserted into the aircraft interface. This prevents the handle 20 from being exposed outside the aircraft interface after the plug cover 1 is installed, thereby achieving the effect of hiding the handle 20. When the plug cover 1 needs to be removed, the drawstring 21 can be directly pulled from the second end face 12 of the plug cover 1 to remove the plug cover 1 from the aircraft interface.

[0042] The protective cover 40 is preferably made of a textile material, and the size of the protective cover 40 matches the size of the main body 10 so that the protective cover 40 can be snugly wrapped around the main body 10. The textile material is preferably a fabric with high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and UV resistance, and more preferably, Oxford fabric, wherein the count of Oxford fabric is preferably 420D or above, thereby ensuring the tensile strength of the protective cover 40.

[0043] It should be noted that, as long as the protective cover 40 fits snugly around the main body 10 and has sufficient tensile strength and is corrosion-resistant and UV-resistant, the protective cover 40 may also be made of materials other than textile materials, such as plastic, synthetic materials or other materials.

[0044] In another embodiment of the present invention, the plug cover 1 further includes a pressure ring 42 positioned at the location of the hole 41 of the protective cover 40. This pressure ring 42 seals the rough edges around the hole 41, preventing damage to the protective cover 40 surrounding the hole 41 due to factors such as the reciprocating pulling and friction of the pull cord 21 during long-term use, thereby achieving edge sealing protection. The pressure ring 42 is generally annular in shape, with an inner diameter equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 13, to facilitate the pull cord 21 passing through the pressure ring 42 and reduce the pull cord 21 from strongly scratching the pressure ring 42.

[0045] Preferably, the pressure ring 42 is made of metal, which can reduce the damage of the pressure ring 42, thereby achieving better edge sealing protection.

[0046] In another embodiment according to the present invention, as shown in the attached Figure 5 As shown, the pressure ring 42 includes an inner pressure ring 421 disposed between the protective sleeve 40 and the main body 10 and an outer pressure ring 422 disposed outside the protective sleeve 40. The inner pressure ring 421 can be placed in the inner circle of the outer pressure ring 422, and then the two can be flattened and fixed by a tool to fix the two together.

[0047] It should be noted that the fixing connection method of the inner pressure ring 421 and the outer pressure ring 422 is not limited to the above-mentioned method of flattening and fixing by a tool, and other methods can also be used, which are not specifically limited here.

[0048] In another embodiment according to the present invention, see the attached Figure 3 The plugging cover 1 further includes a reinforcing sheet 30 disposed on the first end surface 11. The surface area of ​​the reinforcing sheet 30 is designed to be smaller than or substantially equal to the surface area of ​​the first end surface 11 of the plugging cover. The reinforcing sheet 30 can cover the opening on the first end surface 11 corresponding to the position of the through-hole 13, thereby preventing the main body 10 from being damaged by the force applied within the through-hole 13, thereby providing force protection for the plugging cover main body 10. Furthermore, an opening is also provided at a position on the reinforcing sheet 30 corresponding to the position of the through-hole 13, thereby allowing the drawstring 21 to pass through the reinforcing sheet 30 through the opening, thereby enabling the user to pull the drawstring 21 from both ends of the plugging cover 1 during operation.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the reinforcing sheet 30 is designed to have a surface area smaller than the surface area of ​​the first end face 11 of the plugging cover. This can, on the one hand, achieve force protection for the plugging cover body 10. On the other hand, after the plugging cover is inserted into the aircraft interface, since the surface size of the reinforcing sheet 30 is smaller than or substantially equal to the surface area of ​​the first end face 11 of the plugging cover after compression, damage to the protective cover 40 by the surrounding areas of the reinforcing sheet 30 can be avoided.

[0050] The reinforcement sheet 30 is made of metal or plastic. It is required to have a certain hardness to protect the main body 10 from stress. When the reinforcement sheet 30 is made of metal, the hardness of the metal is preferably 30-40 HB. When the reinforcement sheet 30 is made of plastic, the hardness of the plastic is preferably 70-120 HB.

[0051] In another embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the plug cover is selected from any one of a truncated cone, a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped, or a special-shaped structure. Depending on the shape and size of the aircraft interface, the plug cover can be designed in different shapes and sizes to achieve the sealing and protective effect of the plug cover on the aircraft interface.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the outer diameter of the plugging cover on the upstream side of the insertion direction along its extension direction is smaller than the outer diameter on the downstream side of the insertion direction, that is, the plugging cover 1 has a size that decreases along the insertion direction, thereby making it convenient for the staff to easily insert the plugging cover into the interface of the aircraft, thereby facilitating the interference fit between the plugging cover and the aircraft interface.

[0053] The main body 10 of the plug cover can be made of materials with compression properties such as self-extinguishing polyurethane foam, sponge silicone rubber, EVA, silicone rubber, etc. Preferably, the density of the above materials is 30-45 kg / m 3 , thereby achieving better sealing and protection effect of the plugging cover.

[0054] It should be noted that the main body 10 of the plugging cover can also be made of other materials with compression properties according to the actual sealing requirements of the aircraft interface, such as silicone materials with smaller compression or sponge materials with larger compression, and is not limited to the self-extinguishing polyurethane foam, sponge silicone rubber, EVA, and silicone rubber materials mentioned above.

[0055] The material, size and cross-sectional shape of the handle 20 can be designed according to the size and weight of the plug cover 1. The handle 20 can be made of tensile-resistant brocade ribbon, nylon multifilament rope or the same material as the protective cover 40. Moreover, the cross-section of the handle 20 can be any one of rectangular, circular, square, elliptical and other shapes. The cross-section of the through hole 13 formed in the main body 10 corresponds to the cross-section of the handle 20, and can also be any one of rectangular, circular, square, elliptical and other shapes. Preferably, the cross-sectional size of the through hole 13 is larger than the cross-sectional size of the drawstring 21 of the handle 20, thereby facilitating the pulling of the drawstring 21 back and forth and reducing the friction between the two, thereby reducing the destructive effect of the drawstring 21 on the through hole 13.

[0056] In another embodiment of the present invention, the plug cover 1 has a profile capable of forming an interference fit with an aircraft interface and includes a solid body 10. Four through-holes 13 are formed within the body 10, extending substantially along the direction of its extension. Two pull cords 21 are each threaded through two adjacent through-holes 13 and then fixedly connected end to end, thereby forming a closed loop handle 20. In other words, two handles 20 are provided in this embodiment.

[0057] It should be noted that the number and combination of the through holes 13 and the handles 20 in the plug cover provided by the present invention for closing the aircraft interface during aircraft maintenance and repair are not limited to the above-mentioned ones. Depending on the shape and size of the aircraft interface and the requirements of the use environment, it can also be designed into any other combination, such as six through holes and three handles, three through holes and two handles, etc.

[0058] The plugging cover provided by the utility model is used to seal the aircraft interface during aircraft maintenance and repair, and can be widely used in interfaces of various types of aircraft. It has a wide range of uses, high adaptability, is easy to use and has good effects. In addition, the optional materials are diverse, and the manufactured plugging cover has a high cost performance, which is convenient for cost reduction and efficiency improvement, and effectively solves the problem that the plugging cover is easily damaged and fails, thereby effectively extending the service life of the plugging cover.

[0059] It should be noted that the features or feature combinations according to the present invention described above and the features and feature combinations mentioned in the drawings and / or only shown in the drawings can be used not only in the corresponding combinations given, but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0060] The present invention has been described through the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative and illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention to the scope of the described embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made based on the teachings of the present invention, and such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface, characterized in that: The plug cover (1) has an outer profile capable of forming an interference fit with the aircraft interface, and comprises: A main body (10) having a solid structure and having a first end face (11) and a second end face (12) disposed opposite to each other along an extension direction thereof, wherein the first end face (11) is located on an upstream side along an insertion direction of the plugging cover (1) into the aircraft interface; at least two through holes (13) formed in the interior of the main body (10) substantially along the extension direction of the main body (10), the through holes (13) opening on the first end surface (11) and the second end surface (12) respectively; and At least one handle (20) is formed by passing a pull cord (21) through two through holes (13) in sequence to form a closed loop.

2. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blocking cover (1) further comprises a reinforcing sheet (30) provided on the outer surface of the first end face (11), the reinforcing sheet (30) being designed to have a surface area smaller than or substantially equal to the surface area of ​​the first end face (11) of the blocking cover (1), and the reinforcing sheet (30) is provided with an opening for allowing the pull rope (21) to pass through at a position corresponding to the position of the through hole (13).

3. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reinforcing sheet (30) is made of metal material or plastic material.

4. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the main body (10) is provided with a protective cover (40), and a hole (41) for allowing the pull rope (21) to pass through is formed on the protective cover (40) at a position corresponding to the position of the through hole (13).

5. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 4, characterized in that: The blocking cover (1) further comprises a pressure ring (42) which is arranged at the location of the hole (41) of the protective sleeve (40) and is configured to achieve edge sealing protection.

6. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pressure ring (42) includes an inner pressure ring (421) arranged between the protective sleeve (40) and the main body (10) and an outer pressure ring (422) arranged outside the protective sleeve (40), wherein the inner pressure ring (421) is configured to be placed in the outer pressure ring (422) and fixed by being pressed flat with the outer pressure ring (422) by a tool.

7. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 4, characterized in that: The protective cover (40) is made of textile material.

8. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hole spacing between the two through holes (13) on the main body (10) gradually increases from the upstream side of the insertion direction to the downstream side of the insertion direction along the extension direction of the main body (10).

9. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the drawstring (21) are respectively formed with folded edges (211), and the two folded edges (211) are sewed together by stitches (22) after being overlapped in a cross-interlocking manner.

10. The plug cover for sealing an aircraft interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape of the blocking cover (1) is selected from any one of a truncated cone, a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped or a special-shaped structure.

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