Self-gripping bracket for an instrument component

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly, particularly for a blower module used with a test bench, comprising: - a support (10) intended to be subjected to centrifugal forces, - at least one instrumentation element (19), - a removable fastening device (30) for removably attaching the instrumentation element (19) to the support (10) while resisting centrifugal forces, - said removable fastening device (30) comprising: - a fixed hook-and-loop fastener (31) having a fastening face (31.1) fixed to the support (10) and a hook-and-loop face (31.2) provided with hook-and-loop fasteners (33), and - at least one removable hook-and-loop fastener (34) having a fastening face (34.1) fixed to the instrumentation element (19) and a hook-and-loop face (34.2) provided with hook-and-loop fasteners (33) intended to removably cooperate with the self-gripping fasteners (33) on the self-gripping face (31.2) of the fixed self-gripping tape (31). Figure 4

Description

Title of the invention: SELF-GRIPPING SUPPORT FOR AN INSTRUMENTATION ELEMENT

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-gripping support for an instrumentation element. The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the field of aeronautics, in particular with test machines for a turbomachine test bench.

[0002] The operating principle of a turbomachine fan is to compress the air entering the engine. Part of this air constitutes the primary flow delimited by a primary vein and another part of this air constitutes the secondary flow delimited by a secondary vein. The primary flow passes through a low-pressure compressor integral with the fan, through a high-pressure compressor, through the combustion chamber, through the high-pressure turbine and, finally, through the low-pressure turbine before being ejected.

[0003] [Fig.l] shows a test machine 1 for a test bench comprising from upstream to downstream, an upstream flow vein 2, a fan 3 having a rotor module 4 with moving blades and a rectifier module 5 with fixed blades called OGV (for "Outlet Guide Vane" in English), as well as a downstream flow vein 6. An inlet cone 7 is mounted at the upstream end of the rotor module 4 to deflect part of the air flow which enters the interior of the turbojet engine towards the blades of the fan 2. The turbojet engine is centered on the axis of revolution X.

[0004] The rotor module 4 comprises a plurality of blades 9 mounted on an annular hub 10 called a "fan disc" driven in rotation by a pressure turbine. The rotor module 4 provides acceleration to the air particles, by deflecting them relative to the X axis of the engine. The rectifier module 5 slows down the air particles and transforms part of their speed into pressure. The rectifier module 5 brings the air flow, accelerated by the rotor module 4, back into the X axis of the engine.

[0005] As can be seen in [Fig.2], the rotor module 4 comprises an annular hub 10 formed by an upstream disc 11 and a downstream disc 12. The upstream disc 11 and the downstream disc 12 delimit a plurality of housings 13 in each of which is arranged a blade root 15 belonging to a blade 9.

[0006] Fixing members 16 ensure fixing of the annular hub 10 on a thrust balance 17. The thrust balance 17 makes it possible in particular to measure the axial forces, the radial forces as well as the moments undergone by the rotor module 4 during a test of the turbomachine.

[0007] Pressure sensors 18.1, 18.2 are arranged respectively on the upstream disc 11 and the downstream disc 12. A strain gauge 20 is arranged on a blade 9. The pressure sensors 18.1, 18.2 and the strain gauge 20 are associated with connectors 19. The electrical wires connected to the connectors 19 run inside a passage provided in the hub 10.

[0008] The pressure sensors 18.1, 18.2 and the strain gauge 20 are connected to a high electrical relay 23.1 integrated into the thrust balance 17. The high electrical relay 23.1 is connected to a low electrical relay 23.2 arranged upstream of the thrust balance 17. The connection between the high electrical relay 23.1 and the low electrical relay 23.2 is made by means of 24 relay-to-relay wirings embedded in the thrust balance 17.

[0009] The low electrical relay 23.2 is electrically connected to a rotating telemetry connector 25 intended to cooperate with a fixed telemetry connector via electrical tracks (not shown). The fixed telemetry connector is connected to a measurement data acquisition system (not shown).

[0010] Currently, the connectors 19 are held by means of screws on the hub 10 subjected to significant centrifugal forces. [Fig. 3] shows the fixing of a male connector 19.1 and a female connector 19.2 on the upstream disc 11 by means of four mounting screws 27.

[0011] During a test campaign, it may be necessary to change the blades 9 of the rotor module 4 many times, which involves dismantling the upstream disk 11 and therefore the connectors 19.1, 19.2. However, since the connectors 19.1, 19.2 are located in a cluttered environment that is difficult to access, the intervention time for removing and then installing the mounting screws 27 of the connectors 19.1, 19.2 during a blade change is relatively long.

[0012] The invention aims to effectively remedy this drawback by proposing an assembly comprising: - a support intended to be subjected to centrifugal forces, - at least one instrumentation element, - a removable fixing device allowing the instrumentation element to be removably fixed to the support while resisting centrifugal forces, - said removable fixing device comprising: - a fixed hook-and-loop tape having a fixing face fixed to the support and a hook-and-loop face provided with hook-and-loop fasteners, and - at least one removable self-gripping tape having a fixing face fixed to the instrumentation element and a self-gripping face provided with self-gripping fasteners intended to cooperate in a removable manner with the self-gripping fasteners of the self-gripping face of the fixed self-gripping tape.

[0013] The invention thus makes it possible to maintain one or more instrumentation elements subjected to centrifugal forces during a test phase while facilitating their assembly and disassembly by simply pressing one self-gripping strip on the other. The invention thus makes it possible to significantly reduce the intervention time when changing blades on a fan rotor module.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the fixing face of the fixed self-gripping tape is fixed to the support by means of an adhesive material.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the fixing face of the removable self-gripping tape is fixed to the instrumentation element by means of an adhesive material.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the self-gripping fasteners comprise a plurality of rods provided with heads intended to be inserted between each other.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, said assembly comprises: - a male connector, - a female connector capable of cooperating in a complementary manner with the male connector, - a first removable hook-and-loop tape having a fixing face fixed to the male connector and a hook-and-loop face provided with hook-and-loop fasteners, - a second removable hook-and-loop tape having a fixing face fixed to the female connector and a hook-and-loop face provided with hook-and-loop fasteners, - the hook-and-loop fasteners of the first removable hook-and-loop tape and the hook-and-loop fasteners of the second removable hook-and-loop tape being intended to cooperate in a removable manner with the hook-and-loop fasteners of the hook-and-loop face of the fixed hook-and-loop tape.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the fixed self-gripping tape is common to the first removable self-gripping tape and to the second removable self-gripping tape.

[0019] The invention also relates to a fan module for an aircraft turbomachine test bench comprising: - an annular hub comprising at least one blade root housing, - at least one blade provided with a blade root arranged in the blade root housing, and - a set as defined previously.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the support is constituted by the annular hub.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the instrumentation element is constituted by at least less one connector.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the annular hub is mounted on a thrust balance.

[0023] 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:

[0024] [Fig-1] [Fig.l], already described, is a longitudinal sectional view of a machine of test for a test bench;

[0025] [Fig.2] [Fig.2], already described, is a detailed longitudinal sectional view illustrating the mounting of instrumentation elements on a hub of a rotor module by means of a screw fixing system according to the state of the art;

[0026] [Fig.3] [Fig.3], already described, is a detailed perspective view of the mounting of connectors on the hub of a rotor module by means of a screw fixing system according to the state of the art;

[0027] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a detailed longitudinal sectional view illustrating the integration of instrumentation elements on a rotor module hub by means of self-gripping tapes according to the invention;

[0028] [Fig.5a] [Fig.5a] is a schematic side view of a set of male and female connectors mounted on a blower module hub by means of hook and loop fasteners according to the invention;

[0029] [Fig.5b] [Fig.5b] is a schematic side view of a set of male and female connectors detached from the blower module hub according to the invention;

[0030] [Fig.5c] [Fig.5c] is a schematic side view of a male and female connector assembly after disconnection;

[0031] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a side view illustrating one form of the hook-and-loop fasteners of the hook-and-loop tapes according to the invention.

[0032] It should be noted that the structural and / or functional elements common to the different embodiments may have the same references. Thus, unless otherwise stated, such elements have identical structural, dimensional and material properties.

[0033] [Fig.4] shows a rotor module 4 comprising an annular hub 10 formed by an upstream disc 11 and a downstream disc 12. The upstream disc 11 and the downstream disc 12 delimit a plurality of housings 13 in each of which is arranged a blade root 15 belonging to a blade 9.

[0034] Fixing members 16 ensure fixing of the annular hub 10 on a thrust balance 17. The thrust balance 17 makes it possible in particular to measure the axial forces, radial forces as well as moments experienced by the rotor module 4 during a test of the turbomachine.

[0035] Pressure sensors 18.1, 18.2 are arranged respectively on the upstream disc 11 and the downstream disc 12. A strain gauge 20 is arranged on the blade 9. The pressure sensors 18.1, 18.2 and the strain gauge 20 are associated with connectors 19. The electrical wires connected to the connectors 19 run inside a passage provided in the hub 10.

[0036] The pressure sensors 18.1, 18.2 and the strain gauge 20 are connected to a high electrical relay 23.1 integrated into the thrust balance 17. The high electrical relay 23.1 is connected to a low electrical relay 23.2 arranged upstream of the thrust balance 17. The connection between the high electrical relay 23.1 and the low electrical relay 23.2 is made by means of 24 relay-to-relay wirings embedded in the thrust balance 17.

[0037] The low electrical relay 23.2 is electrically connected to a rotating telemetry connector 25 intended to cooperate with a fixed telemetry connector via electrical tracks (not shown). The fixed telemetry connector is connected to a measurement data acquisition system (not shown).

[0038] As illustrated in [Fig.5a], a removable fastening device 30 makes it possible to removably fasten a male connector 19.1 and a female connector 19.2 to the hub 10. The female connector 19.2 is able to cooperate in a complementary manner with the male connector 19.1. The removable fastening device 30 can take an assembled state and a disassembled state. In the assembled state, the removable fastening device 30 makes it possible to hold the male connector 19.1 and the female connector 19.2 on the hub 10 while resisting centrifugal forces. In the disassembled state, the male connector 19.1 and the female connector 19.2 are detached from the hub 10. The transition from the disassembled state to the assembled state is effected by simply pressing the self-gripping strips 31, 34 against each other and the transition from the assembled state to the disassembled state is effected by pulling one self-gripping strip 31, 34 relative to the other self-gripping strip 31, 34.

[0039] More precisely, the removable fixing device 30 comprises a fixed self-gripping strip 31 having a fixing face 31.1 fixed to the hub 10, in this case the upstream disc 11, and a self-gripping face 31.2 provided with self-gripping fasteners 33. The fixing face 31.1 of the fixed self-gripping strip 31 is fixed to the upstream disc 11 by means of an adhesive material.

[0040] Furthermore, a first removable hook-and-loop tape 34 comprises a fixing face 34.1 fixed to the male connector 19.1 and a hook-and-loop face 34.2 provided with hook-and-loop fasteners 33. The fixing face 34.1 of the first removable hook-and-loop tape 34 is preferably fixed to the male connector 19.1 by means of an adhesive material.

[0041] A second removable hook-and-loop strip 34 comprises a fixing face 34.1 fixed to the female connector 19.2 and a hook-and-loop face 34.2 provided with hook-and-loop fasteners 33. The fixing face 34.1 of the second removable hook-and-loop strip 34 is preferably fixed to the female connector 19.2 by means of an adhesive material.

[0042] The self-gripping fasteners 33 of the first removable self-gripping tape 34 and the self-gripping fasteners 33 of the second removable self-gripping tape 34 are intended to cooperate in a removably manner with the self-gripping fasteners 33 of the self-gripping face 31.2 of the fixed self-gripping tape 31. The fixed self-gripping tape 31 is common to the first removable self-gripping tape 34 and to the second removable self-gripping tape 34.

[0043] As shown in [Fig. 6], the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the fixed hook-and-loop tape 31 and the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the removable hook-and-loop tape 34 comprise a plurality of rods 36 provided with heads 37, here mushroom-shaped, intended to be inserted between each other. Alternatively, the heads 37 may take a triangular fir-tree shape or any other shape suitable for the application.

[0044] In order to assemble the removable self-gripping tapes 34 with the fixed self-gripping tape 31, the operator exerts pressure on the removable self-gripping tapes 34 on the fixed self-gripping tape 31. Thus, the heads 37 of the self-gripping fasteners 33 of the removable self-gripping tapes 34 are inserted between the heads 37 of the self-gripping fasteners 33 of the fixed tape 31 and vice versa according to the arrows FL

[0045] As illustrated in Figure 5b, in order to detach the connectors 19.1, 19.2, the operator pulls along the arrow F2 on the connector assembly 19.1, 19.2 so as to disengage the heads 37 of the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 from the removable hook-and-loop tapes 34 relative to the heads 37 of the hook-and-loop fasteners from the fixed hook-and-loop tape 31.

[0046] As illustrated in [Fig.5c], the operator can then move the male connector 19.1 away from the female connector 19.2 along the arrow F3 so as to disconnect the connectors 19.1, 19.2 from each other.

[0047] The connectors 19.1, 19.2 can be put back in place once the blade 9 has been changed.

[0048] Alternatively, the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 are chosen from hooks or loops of complementary shape. Thus, in the case where the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the fixed hook-and-loop tape 31 are hooks, the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the removable hook-and-loop tape 34 are loops of complementary shape. In the case where the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the fixed hook-and-loop tape 31 are loops, the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the removable hook-and-loop tape 34 are hooks of complementary shape.

[0049] Alternatively, the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the fixed hook-and-loop tape 31 and the hook-and-loop fasteners 33 of the removable hook-and-loop tape 34 are mixed hook-and-loop fasteners 33 comprising hooks and loops of complementary shape.

[0050] Alternatively, the removable holding device 30 can be used to hold any other instrumentation element. An instrumentation element can be any electronic or electromechanical component involved in a chain for measuring a physical parameter, such as a sensor or an electrical connector or an electrical harness useful for reporting a measurement of a physical parameter.

[0051] Alternatively, the hub 10 can be replaced by any other support intended to be subjected to centrifugal forces.

[0052] 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. 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 various operating modes described above, which may be taken separately or in combination.

Claims

Claims

1. Assembly comprising: - a support (10) intended to be subjected to centrifugal forces, - at least one instrumentation element (19.1, 19.2), - a removable fixing device (30) for removably fixing the instrumentation element (19) on the support (10) while resisting the centrifugal forces, characterized in that said removable fixing device (30) comprises: - a fixed self-gripping tape (31) having a fixing face (31.1) fixed on the support (10) and a self-gripping face (31.2) provided with self-gripping fasteners (33), and - at least one removable self-gripping tape (34) having a fixing face (34.1) fixed on the instrumentation element (19.1, 19.2) and a self-gripping face (34.2) provided with self-gripping fasteners (33) intended to cooperate removably with the hook-and-loop fasteners (33) of the hook-and-loop face (31.2) of the fixed hook-and-loop tape (31).

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing face (31.1) of the fixed self-gripping tape (31) is fixed to the support (10) by means of an adhesive material.

3. Assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fixing face (34.1) of the removable self-gripping tape (34) is fixed to the instrumentation element (19.1, 19.2) by means of an adhesive material.

4. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the self-gripping fasteners (33) comprise a plurality of rods (36) provided with heads (37) intended to be inserted between each other.

5. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises: - a first instrumentation element consisting of a male connector (19.1), - a second instrumentation element consisting of a female connector (19.2) capable of cooperating in a complementary manner with the male connector (19.1), - a first removable hook-and-loop tape (34) having a fixing face (34.1) fixed to the male connector (19.1) and a hook-and-loop face (34.2) provided with hook-and-loop fasteners (33), - a second removable hook-and-loop tape (34) having a fixing face (34.1) fixed to the female connector (19.2) and a hook-and-loop face (34.2) provided with hook-and-loop fasteners (33), - the hook-and-loop fasteners (33) of the first removable hook-and-loop tape (34) and the hook-and-loop fasteners (33) of the second removable hook-and-loop tape (34) being intended to cooperate in a removable manner with the hook-and-loop fasteners (33) of the hook-and-loop face (31.2) of the fixed hook-and-loop tape (31).

6. Assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixed self-gripping tape (31) is common to the first removable self-gripping tape (34) and to the second removable self-gripping tape (34).

7. Fan module for an aircraft turbomachine test bench comprising: - an annular hub (10) comprising at least one blade root housing (13), - at least one blade provided with a blade root (15) arranged in the blade root housing (13), and - an assembly defined according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. Blower module according to claim 7, characterized in that the support is constituted by the annular hub (10).

9. Blower module according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the instrumentation element consists of at least one connector (19.1, 19.2).

10. Blower module according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the annular hub (10) is mounted on a thrust balance (17).