ELECTRICAL HARNESS EQUIPPED WITH A PROTECTIVE SLEEVE TO RELEASE CONSTRAINTS

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical harness (11) comprising: - at least one electrical cable (23), - at least one electrical connector (10), - a shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17) comprising at least one braided portion (17.1) and at least one unstressed portion (17.2) arranged on the side of the electrical connector (10), - at least one protective sleeve (25) arranged around the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid 17, said protective sleeve 25 comprising at least one braided portion (25.1) covering at least the unstressed portion (17.2) of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17). Figure for abstract: Figure 4d

Description

Title of the invention: ELECTRICAL HARNESS EQUIPPED WITH A PROTECTIVE SLEEVE RELEASING CONSTRAINTS

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical harness provided with a protective sleeve releasing constraints. The invention finds an application in the field of transport (land, aeronautical, space, nautical), construction (Buildings and public works - BTP), or medical for the transmission of electrical power or data between at least two electrical devices.

[0002] In a manner known per se, the function of transmitting electrical power or data between electrical equipment is provided by electrical harnesses. An electrical harness comprises at least one electrical cable which may contain one or more electrical conductors as well as connectors arranged at the ends of the cable(s) to establish electrical connections with one or more electrical equipment. Several branches may make up a harness. The harness may optionally comprise an electrical and / or mechanical protective sheath which may take the form of a textile or metal braid. The harness is said to be "shielded" when the protective sheath is conductive, as is the case for example with a metal braid.

[0003] [Fig. 1] shows a connection between a connector 10 of a harness 11 and a base 12 associated with electrical equipment 13. In this case, the connector 10 is screwed onto the base 12. The body of the base 12 is electrically connected to a structure of the electrical equipment 13 constituting an electrical ground. The connector 10 comprises electrical contacts intended to cooperate with electrical contacts of complementary shape of the base 12. A rear connection 15 is screwed onto the connector 10 by means of a screwing ring 16.

[0004] An electrical protective sheath 17 in the form of a shielding braid is electrically connected to the rear connection 15 in a connection zone in order to ensure optimal operation of the electrical systems with respect to lightning, partial discharges or even electromagnetic compatibility. For this purpose, a clamping system 18 clamps the shielding braid 17 on a connection zone of the rear connection 15.

[0005] In order not to reverse functions on electrical equipment or the redundancy of electrical systems, a connector 10 and a corresponding base 12 are coupled by means of a keying system 21, as shown in [Fig.2].

[0006] This keying system 21 comprises a reference lug 22.1 corresponding to the angular reference of the connector 10. Additional lugs 22.2, 22.3, 22.4, 22.5 are arranged for example according to predefined angles A, B, C, D for the connector standard EN2997.

[0007] If the different lugs of the base 12 and of the connector 10 are not arranged face to face with respect to each other, it is impossible to connect the two elements 10, 12 together.

[0008] For applications in which harnesses 11 are made up of small cables having a diameter of a few millimeters, the harnesses 11 are considered to be "flexible". As illustrated in Figures 3a and 3b, these harnesses 11 allow a twist allowing the connector 10 to pivot along the arrow F1 and to align itself to match the keying of the connector 10 and the base 12. It is then possible to establish the connection between the connector 10 and the base 12 along the arrow F2.

[0009] However, to meet the increased need for electrical power inside new generation aircraft, the harnesses 11 comprise single-wire cables having a large diameter conductor (of the order of ten millimeters or more) which are covered by a shielding braid 17.

[0010] This type of harness 11 is very rigid and poses problems in connecting the harness 11 to electrical equipment. Indeed, during installation on an aircraft, one end of the harness 11 provided with a connector 10 is connected to a first piece of electrical equipment. The harness 11 is then unwound and fixed by clamps to the structure of the aircraft. The opposite end must then be able to be connected to a second piece of electrical equipment. However, it has been found that it is impossible to connect the harness 11 to the second piece of electrical equipment due to the difficulty in turning the connector 10, which prevents the alignment of the keying pins of the connector 10 and the base 12 fixed to the electrical equipment. Furthermore, in the case where significant torsional stresses are applied to the harness 11 to allow the alignment of the keying pins of the connector 10 and the base 12, this damages the shielding braid 17.

[0011] In order to solve this problem, it is possible to make the connections of the shielding braid 17 directly on the electrical equipment 13. However, this requires an operator to make a braid connection on the aircraft for each aircraft, which results in additional cost and great complexity of implementation. This solution is therefore not feasible in the context of industrial mass production. In addition, quality controls on the products cannot be traced in production in the factories.

[0012] Another solution is to manufacture the harness 11 in 3D in the factory so that that it has a morphology identical to its final installation. This induces a significant additional manufacturing cost for the realization of this complex operation which involves specific tools and requires having a physical 3D model of the installation inside the aircraft which is not always available.

[0013] The invention aims to effectively remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing an electrical harness comprising: - at least one electric cable, - at least one electrical connector arranged at one end of the electrical cable, - a shielding and / or mechanical protection braid arranged around the electrical cable, said shielding and / or mechanical protection braid comprising at least one braided part and at least one unstressed part arranged on the side of the electrical connector, - at least one protective sleeve arranged around the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid, said protective sleeve comprising at least one braided part covering at least the unstressed part of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid.

[0014] The invention thus makes it possible, thanks to the unstressed part of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid, to confer flexibility on the harness making it possible to angularly reorient the electrical connector of the harness relative to a base connector associated with electrical equipment by reducing the torsional stresses applied to the braid. The invention avoids any risk of degradation of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid in the rear zone of the electrical connector. The invention makes it possible to use existing standardized and qualified components and does not require modification of the product on the aircraft. The entire implementation can be carried out in factories. The invention also makes it possible to improve the resistance to electromagnetic disturbances of the assembly. The invention also has the advantage of having a low impact on the mass of the entire harness and a limited implementation cost.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, one end of the unstressed part of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid and one end of the protective sleeve are electrically connected to the electrical connector.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the protective sleeve further comprises a stressed portion, the stressed portion of the protective sleeve at least partially covering the braided portion of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, one end of the stressed part of the protective sleeve is electrically connected to the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the end of the stressed part of the sleeve of protection and an intermediate section of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid are mechanically linked to a force-recovery ring placed around the electric cable by means of a clamping system.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the force-recovery ring is made of an electrically insulating material, in particular a rigid material.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the protective sleeve is devoid of a stressed portion and comprises a free end remote from the electrical connector.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, said electrical harness comprises a connection link ensuring an electrical connection between the free end of the protective sleeve remote from the electrical connector and the electrical connector.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid and the protective sleeve are made of an electrically conductive material.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the protective sleeve has an internal diameter greater than an external diameter of the braid.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, said electrical harness comprises a protective sleeve at each end of the electrical cable.

[0025] The invention also relates to a method for producing an electrical harness comprising at least one electrical cable, at least one electrical connector arranged at one end of the electrical cable and a shielding and / or mechanical protection braid arranged around the electrical cable, said method comprising: - a step of unstressing a part of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid, called the unstressed part, arranged on the side of the electrical connector, and - a step of placing a protective sleeve around the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid, so that a braided part of the protective sleeve covers at least the unstressed part of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid.

[0026] According to one implementation, said method further comprises a step of electrically connecting one end of the unstressed part of the shielding and / or protective braid and one end of the protective sleeve to the electrical connector.

[0027] According to one implementation, said method is implemented at each end of the electric cable.

[0028] The present invention will be better understood and other characteristics and advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description which follows, comprising embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the appended figures, presented as non-limiting examples, which may serve to complete the understanding of the present invention and the description of its embodiment and, where appropriate, contribute to its definition, in which:

[0029] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1], already described, is a side view illustrating a connection between an electrical connector of a harness according to the state of the art with a base of electrical equipment;

[0030] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a front view illustrating a keying system on a electrical connector;

[0031] [Fig.3a] [Fig.3b] Figures 3a and 3b are schematic representations illustrating the connection of an electrical connector associated with a flexible harness on a base;

[0032] [Fig.4a][Fig.4b][Fig.4c][Fig.4d][Fig.4e][Fig.4f][Fig.4g] Figures 4a-4g illustrate the different steps for producing an electrical harness according to the invention equipped with a protective sleeve;

[0033] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a side view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a protective sleeve according to the invention.

[0034] It should be noted that in the figures the structural and / or functional elements common to the different embodiments have the same references. Thus, unless otherwise stated, such elements have identical structural, dimensional and material properties.

[0035] Figures 4a-4g show the different steps of producing a method for manufacturing an electrical harness 11 provided with a protective sleeve 25 that releases stress. The electrical harness 11 can be used for transmitting electrical power or data.

[0036] As can be seen in [Fig.4a], the harness 11 comprises at least one electrical cable 23, and at least one connector 10 arranged at one end of the electrical cable 23. The electrical cable 23 may comprise one or more electrical conductors. The connector 10 is provided with a rear connector 15 to which a shielding and / or mechanical protection braid 17 is intended to be fixed. The rear connector 15 may be attached and fixed by screwing onto the connector 10 or be an integral part of the electrical connector 10.

[0037] A force-recovery ring 26 of annular shape is arranged around the electric cable 23. The force-recovery ring 26 is preferably made of an electrically insulating material, in particular a rigid material.

[0038] As can be seen in [Fig.4b], a braid 17 for shielding and / or mechanical protection is arranged around the electric cable 23 and the force-recovery ring 26 shown transparently in broken lines.

[0039] The braid 17 is partly unstressed on the side of the electrical connector 10. The braid 17 thus comprises at least one braided part 17.1 and at least one unstressed part 17.2 arranged on the side of the electrical connector 10. In the braided part 17.1, the braid 17 comprises strands intertwined with each other. In the unstressed part 17.2, the braid 17 comprises strands extending next to each other in a substantially parallel to each other.

[0040] At least one protective sleeve 25 shown in [Fig.4c] is intended to be arranged around the braid 17. The protective sleeve 25 comprises a braided portion 25.1 and a de-stressed portion 25.2 adjacent to the braided portion 25.1. In the braided portion 25.1, the protective sleeve 25 comprises strands intertwined with each other. In the de-stressed portion 25.2, the protective sleeve 25 comprises strands extending next to each other substantially parallel to each other.

[0041] The braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25 are preferably made of an electrically conductive material. The braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25 may, for example, be made of a nickel-plated copper-based material or any other electrically conductive material suitable for the application.

[0042] The braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25 are preferably made of the same material to avoid problems of galvanic coupling between the braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25. Alternatively, the braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25 can be made of two different materials.

[0043] The braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25 may have identical characteristics chosen from: a braiding pitch and a braiding angle. However, the internal diameter of the protective sleeve 25 must be greater than an external diameter of the braid 17 in order to be able to pass over the braid 17. According to certain embodiments, the braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25 may have the same braiding pitch and braiding angle characteristics.

[0044] As can be seen in [Fig.4d], the protective sleeve 25 is arranged around the braid 17, so that the braided part 25.1 covers at least the unstressed part 17.2 of the braid 17. In other words, the braided part 25.1 of the protective sleeve 25 overlaps longitudinally at least with the unstressed part 17.2 of the braid 17. The length of the braided part 25.1 of the sleeve 25 is greater than the length of the unstressed part 17.2 of the braid 17. This makes it possible to limit the electromagnetic leaks linked to the unstressed part of the braid 17, giving a certain flexibility to the electric cable 23.

[0045] The unstressed portion 25.2 of the protective sleeve 25 at least partially covers the braided portion 17.1 of the braid 17.

[0046] As illustrated in [Fig.4e], one end of the unstressed portion 17.2 of the braid 17 and one end of the protective sleeve 25 disposed on the side of the electrical connector 10 are electrically connected to the electrical connector 10. For this purpose, it is possible to use a clamping system 24, such as a clamp, to clamp the end of the braided portion 25.1 of the protective sleeve 25 and the end of the unstressed portion 17.2 of the braid 17 against an outer periphery of the rear connector 15.

[0047] Furthermore, one end of the stressed portion 25.2 of the protective sleeve 25 is electrically connected to the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid 17. For this purpose, as illustrated in [Fig.4f], the end of the stressed portion 25.2 of the protective sleeve 25 and an intermediate section 17.3 of the braid 17 are mechanically connected to the force-recovery ring 26 by means of a clamping system 27, such as a clamp. By "intermediate section" is meant a braided section 17.3 of the braid 17 arranged between two ends of the braid 17.

[0048] The intermediate section 17.3 and the end 25.2 of the stressed part 25.2 of the sleeve 25 being arranged around the force-recovery ring 26, the clamping system 27 clamps said end of the stressed part 25.2 and said intermediate section 17.3 against the force-recovery ring 26 so as to establish an electrical contact between the braid 17 and the protective sleeve 25 as well as a mechanical link of these elements with the force-recovery ring 26.

[0049] The operations are repeated on the side of a second end of the harness 11 so as to obtain a harness 11 comprising a protective sleeve 25 at each end of the electrical cable 23, as shown in [Fig.4g]. The harness 11 is then provided with a braid 17 having two unstressed end portions 17.2 covered by two protective sleeves 25. Two clamping systems 24 are used to establish the electrical connection between the ends of the braid 17, the corresponding ends of the protective sleeves 25, and the electrical connectors 10. Two force-recovery rings 26 associated with two clamping systems 27 make it possible to establish the electrical connection between the ends of the protective sleeves 25 remote from the electrical connectors 10 and the braid 17.Such a configuration makes it possible to provide a certain flexibility to the harness allowing rotation of the electrical connectors 10 in order to ensure their connection with corresponding base connectors.

[0050] In the embodiment of [Fig. 5], the protective sleeve 25 is devoid of a stressed portion 25.2. The protective sleeve 25 comprises only a braided portion 25.1 longitudinally covering at least the stressed portion 17.1 of the braid 17.

[0051] A connection link 30 provides an electrical connection between a free end of the protective sleeve 25 remote from the electrical connector 10 and the electrical connector 10. This ensures grounding of the free end of the protective sleeve 25 to avoid any electromagnetic interference in the electrical signals carried by the harness 11. The connection link 30 may take the form of an electrical wire. The connection link 30 extends between the free end of the protective sleeve 25 and the rear connector 15 of the electrical connector 10.

[0052] On the side of the free end of the protective sleeve 25, the connection link 30 can come from the same material as the protective sleeve 25. On the side of the rear connection 15, the connection link 30 is mechanically linked to the rear connection by means of the clamping system 24 also clamping a de-stressed end 17.2 of the braid 17 and one end of the protective sleeve 25 against an external periphery of the rear connection 15.

[0053] Of course, the various features, variants and / or embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other in various combinations to the extent that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

[0054] Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and provided solely by way of example. It encompasses various modifications, alternative forms and other variants that may be envisaged by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention and in particular all combinations of the different operating modes described above, which may be taken separately or in association.

Claims

Claims

1. Electrical harness (11), characterized in that it comprises: - at least one electrical cable (23), - at least one electrical connector (10) arranged at one end of the electrical cable (23), - a shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17) arranged around the electrical cable (23), said shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17) comprising at least one braided portion (17.1) and at least one unstressed portion (17.2) arranged on the side of the electrical connector (10), - at least one protective sleeve (25) arranged around the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17), said protective sleeve (25) comprising at least one braided portion (25.1) covering at least the unstressed portion (17.2) of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17).

2. Electrical harness according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the unstressed part of the braid (17) of shielding and / or mechanical protection and one end of the protective sleeve (25) are electrically connected to the electrical connector (10).

3. Electrical harness according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protective sleeve (25) further comprises a stressed portion (25.2), the stressed portion (25.2) of the protective sleeve (25) at least partially covering the braided portion (17.1) of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17).

4. Electrical harness according to claim 3, characterized in that one end of the unstressed part (25.2) of the protective sleeve (25) is electrically connected to the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17).

5. Electrical harness according to claim 4, characterized in that the end of the unstressed part (25.2) of the protective sleeve (25) and an intermediate section (17.3) of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17) are mechanically linked to a force-recovery ring (26) arranged around the electric cable (23) by means of a clamping system (27).

6. Electrical harness according to claim 5, characterized in that the force-recovery ring (26) is made of an electrically insulating material, in particular a rigid material.

7. Electrical harness according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protective sleeve (25) is devoid of a stressed portion (25.2) and has a free end remote from the electrical connector (10).

8. Electrical harness according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a connection link (30) ensuring an electrical connection between the free end of the protective sleeve (25) remote from the electrical connector (10) and the electrical connector (10).

9. Electrical harness according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17) and the protective sleeve (25) are made of an electrically conductive material.

10. Electrical harness according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the protective sleeve (25) has an internal diameter greater than an external diameter of the braid (17).

11. Electrical harness according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a protective sleeve (25) at each end of the electrical cable (23).

12. Method for producing an electrical harness (11) comprising at least one electrical cable (23), at least one electrical connector (10) arranged at one end of the electrical cable (23) and a shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17) arranged around the electrical cable (23), characterized in that said method comprises: - a step of unstressing a part of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17), called the unstressed part, arranged on the side of the electrical connector (10), and - a step of placing a protective sleeve (25) around the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17), so that a braided part (25.1) of the protective sleeve (25) covers at least the unstressed part (17.2) of the shielding and / or mechanical protection braid (17).

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises a step of electrically connecting one end of the unstressed part of the shielding and / or protective braid (17) and one end of the protective sleeve (25) to the electrical connector (10).

14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that it is implemented at each end of the electric cable (23).

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