DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible tubular hose as defined in the preamble of claim 1, particularly a hose for providing air conditioning to an aircraft parked at an airport.

For simplicity, reference will be particularly made herein, without limitation, to an apparatus for supplying conditioned air conditioning to an aircraft parked at an airport.

Apparatus as set forth above have been widely used to supply conditioned air to an aircraft as passengers get on/off board. In this situation, the aircraft engines are generally off and onboard apparatus cannot be used to produce conditioned air. In this state, the required conditioned air flow rate is produced by ground equipment external to the aircraft, and is conveyed into the aircraft cabin by an appropriate tubular hose.

Aircrafts are generally equipped with standard connections for the free end of said tubular hose, whereas the required length of such hose changes from time to time. In view of the above, the tubular hose is not only required to be flexible but also to be extensible and retractable to be adapted from time to time to the required axial length.

The need that the above apparatus are required to fulfill is to maintain a compact size and a simple construction, thereby allowing easy extension and retraction of the extensible and flexible tubular hose. Such apparatus are also required to provide both proper accommodation to the tubular hose in its axially retracted state and a suitable support for allowing movement of the tubular hose during extension and retraction.

Prior art apparatus, e.g. according to WO 2011/064808, involve the presence of highly complex means for moving the flexible hose which use a large number of rotation axles kinematically coupled by cardan joints. Thus, for proper extension or retraction of the flexible tubular hose, prior art apparatus fully encircle the circumference of the flexible and extensible tubular hose to be moved, which apparently involves an increase of structural complexity and of the size of the apparatus.

The prior art document EP 2085311 teaches to provide a single suitable motor, whose drive shaft directly rotatably drives a first belt drive assembly, as well as further distinct belt drive assemblies with which it is connected by a kinematic transmission that includes a motion transferring chain, such chain being peripherally arranged around a flexible hose to be moved. Here again, the overall structure of the head for extracting the flexible hose is complex and bulky due to the presence of the transfer chain and its peripheral arrangement around the structure that supports the flexible tubular hose.

The problem at the basis of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible hose, that has such structural and functional characteristics as to fulfill the above need, while obviating the above prior art drawbacks.

This problem is solved by an apparatus for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible hose as defined by the features of claim 1.

Further features and advantages of the apparatus for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible hose of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of one preferred embodiment thereof, which is given by way of illustration and without limitation with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

- Figure 1 is a simplified perspective view of the apparatus of the invention with certain cover panels removed;

- Figure 2 is a lateral plan perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1 from a different angle;

- Figure 3 is a lateral plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1;

- Figure 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a front plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1;

- Figure 6 is a sectional plan view taken along the line VI - VI of Figure 3;

- Figure 7 is a simplified perspective view of the apparatus of the invention according to a different embodiment;

- Figure 8 is a perspective view of the front side of the apparatus of Figure 7 with certain cover panels removed;

- Figure 9 is a perspective view of the extraction head of the apparatus of Figure 7;

- Figure 10 is a front plan view of the apparatus of Figure 7;

- Figure 11 is a simplified perspective view of one of the motor and drive assemblies of the apparatus of the invention and

- Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of the motor and drive assemblies of Figure 11.

Referring to the accompanying figures, namely to

Figures 1 to 6, numeral 1 generally designates an apparatus of the invention for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible tubular hose.

According to the embodiment as shown in the figures, said first tubular hose is a spiral hose comprising a cylindrical tubular wall, e.g. made of plastic, which is integrally joined to a helical support structure, preferably made of steel, e.g. stainless steel or steel music steel. As an alternative, the first tubular hose may be consist of a corrugated pipe having a different configuration.

The spiral structure or the corrugations of the first tubular hose are adapted to impart reversible extensibility to the tubular hose.

Therefore, the first tubular hose extends in an axial direction between a front end and an opposite rear end and may be reversibly deployed from an axially retracted configuration to an axially extended configuration. Due to the above mentioned reversibility, the tubular hose is collapsible from said axially extended configuration to the axially retracted configuration.

As more clearly explained hereinbelow, according to particular needs, said first tubular hose may be extended to a partial extent, without reaching the above mentioned extended configuration in which it has the intended maximum axial length, and maintains a first retracted section from the rear end, and a subsequent extended section ending with the front end.

Advantageously, the apparatus 1 of the invention comprises a support structure 3 that defines a housing adapted to axially accommodate the whole first tubular hose in its axially retracted configuration.

The support structure 3 comprises an extraction head 9 from which the front end of the first tubular hose extends with a prevailing axial section of the first tubular hose, when the first tubular hose is in said extended configuration.

Conversely, when the first tubular hose is in the above mentioned retracted configuration, the front end of the tubular hose is accommodated in the support structure 3, such that it is flush, or at the most slightly projects out of the front end of said housing, i.e. the extraction head 9.

The apparatus 1 further comprises:

- support and guide means 4, which are associated with and supported by the support structure 3 to support and guide the movements for extension and retraction of the first tubular hose;

- actuation means 5, which are associated with and supported by the support structure 3 to act by driving said first tubular hose to extension from the retracted configuration or to retraction to the retracted configuration and

- motor means 6 for rotatably driving said actuation means 5.

The above mentioned support means 4 include a plurality of blocks arranged around the first tubular hose in circumferentially spaced relation, for circumferentially and slidingly supporting it in the support structure, especially at its outlet, i.e. at the extraction head 9, where the actuation means 5 are located.

Preferably, the guide means 4 are oriented to extend parallel to the axis X-X of the first tubular hose .

It shall be noted that the extraction head 9 comprises a plurality of actuation points, arranged around said first hose in circumferentially spaced relation, with the actuation means 5 acting upon the first tubular hose to move it, at respective actuation points.

Particularly:

- said actuation means 5 comprise a plurality of drive belts 5, which are arranged at said actuation points to act by axially driving the first tubular hose from the outside,

- said motor means 6 for driving said actuation means 5 comprise a respective electric motor at each of said actuation points.

It shall be noted that the drive belt/s of a specific actuation point are actuated by their respective electric motor (6) only, the transmission belts of an actuation point not being kinematically connected by mechanical transmission means to the transmission belts of another actuation point of said plurality of actuation points.

The toothed belts are rotatably supported by respective supports having pulleys, i.e. a drive pulley and a driven pulley.

The drive belts 5 are in such position relative to the first tubular hose, that their branch contacting the outer wall of the tubular hose substantially extends parallel to the axis X-X of the first tubular hose.

Preferably, the first tubular hose is a hose having outer projections, defined by the corrugations of the spiral or by circumferential corrugations, whereas the drive pulleys 5 are toothed belts whose teeth mesh with the outer projections of the first tubular hose, to drive it relative to the extraction head 9 of the support structure 3 during extension or retraction.

Preferably, said drive belts 5 are open belts having respective opposite ends joined together by a removable clip (not shown) to form a loop. This allows each toothed belt to be removed by simply opening the clip to open the loop, without requiring dismantling of the whole belt assembly that rotatably supports the toothed belt, which comprises a drive pulley 11 and a driven pulley.

Each electric motor 6 is kinematically connected to its respective transmission belt 5 or to the transmission belts in its respective actuation point, via mechanical transmission means comprising a drive shaft 10 that rotatably drives said drive pulley 11, which drives the transmission belt 5 into rotation. -{}- Preferably, two of said actuation points and their respective driving belt/s 5 are arranged in the extraction head 9 circumferentially around the first tubular hose to act at opposite side portions of the first tubular hose.

Preferably, one of said actuation points and its respective driving belt/s 5 are arranged in the extraction head 9 to act on the lower portion of the first tubular hose.

According to the illustrated embodiment, in the extraction head 9:

- two of said actuation points and their respective drive belt/s 5 are opposite to each other with respect to a plane of vertical symmetry that passes through the axis of said first tubular hose and

- two of said actuation points and their respective drive belt/s 5 are opposite to each other with respect to a plane of horizontal symmetry that passes through the axis of the first tubular hose, such that, according to the preferred embodiment as shown in Figure 6, the extraction head 9 comprises four distinct actuation points, each having an electric motor 6 actuating its respective drive belt/s in the same actuation point. It shall be noted that each electric motor 6 is part of a gearmotor comprising the electric motor and a mechanical speed reduction unit associated therewith .

Preferably, the apparatus 1 of the invention also comprises an electronic adjustment and control unit for supervising synchronized operation of the electric motors 6 as the first tubular hose moves to extend or retract from or into the support structure 3.

Preferably, the apparatus 1 of the invention further comprises an inner tubular hose supported by the support structure 3.

Such inner tubular hose:

- is supported by the support structure 3,

- has an external bulk smaller than the interior size of the first tubular hose and is inserted in the axial section of the first tubular hose,

- axially extends substantially along the entire length of the housing defined in the support structure 3 until it comes close to the extraction head 9 from a distal end of the support structure 3 and

- has a smooth inner wall.

Preferably, at said distal end of the support structure 3, the inner tubular hose comprises a first conical section converging toward a second cylindrical rectilinear section, said second cylindrical rectilinear section being the inner tubular hose section that is inserted in the portion of the first tubular hose in its axially retracted configuration .

The inner tubular element has the function of preventing the air flow that passes through the first flexible and extensible tubular hose from flowing upon the axially retracted section of such hose, as the presence of corrugations results in turbulent motion and causes considerable pressure drops. Conversely, at the axially retracted section of the first tubular hose, the air flow conveyed into the first tubular conduit flows upon the inner wall of the inner tubular wall, which has a smooth surface and minimizes pressure drops. In such section of the tubular hose.

Particularly referring to Figures 7 to 12, numeral 100 generally designates an apparatus of the invention for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible tubular hose, according to a different embodiment .

For simplicity, parts of the apparatus 100 that are structurally and/or functionally equivalent to those of the apparatus 1 as described hereinbefore will be designated by the same numerals and will not be further described.

Particularly, the apparatus 100 differs from the apparatus 1 in that it provides different and optimized positions of the actuation means 5 associated with and supported by the support structure 3 as well as the motor means 6 that are used to rotatably drive said actuation means 5 via the mechanical transmission means.

Particularly, as clearly shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the extraction head 9 of the apparatus 100 has four actuation points and respective drive belts 5 which, referring to a front plane of the extraction head 9, are disposed in an X arrangement, i.e. along the diagonals of a square that, in such front plane of the extraction head 9, has a side parallel to the support plane (see Figure 10) .

Such arrangement of the four actuation points and their respective drive belts 5 is symmetrical with respect both to a vertical symmetry plane that passes through the axis of the first tubular hose and to a horizontal symmetry plane that passes through the axis of the first tubular hose. Therefore, also in the embodiment of the apparatus 100, the extraction head 9 comprises four distinct actuation points, each having an electric motor 6 for actuating its respective drive belt/s in the same actuation point.

The above mentioned X arrangement along the diagonals of a square advantageously reduces the maximum exterior dimensions of the apparatus 100, assuming the same diameter of the tubular hose, and the use of the same drive means 5, motor means 6 and mechanical transmission means.

Preferably, in both apparatus 1 and 100:

- in at least one of said actuation points of the extraction head 9 (preferably at each of said actuation points) , the respective drive belts 5 and the respective motor means 6 are mounted to a slide that is movable relative to a slide guide integral with the extraction head 9, for position adjustment of the drive belts 5 and the motor means 6 of at least one (preferably the totality) of said actuation points of the extraction head 9 with respect to the first flexible tubular hose.

Also, removable fastener means are operative between the slide and the slide guide to reversibly lock each slide relative to its respective slide guide m the desired position.

Preferably, said guide extends in a substantially radial direction with respect to the axis of said first flexible tubular hose.

Thus, the extraction head 9 may be adapted to the diameter of said first flexible tubular hose, and flexible tubular hoses with different diameters may be used with a common extraction head 9. As clearly shown in the above description, the apparatus for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible hose according to the present invention fulfills the above mentioned need and also obviates prior art drawbacks as set out in the introduction of this disclosure .

Particularly, the presence of a motor, or gearmotor, for each actuation point, provides a simple and functional structure, and avoids the need of using cardan joints or other mechanical return/transmission elements which add weight and complexity to the extraction head structure, and also require registration and maintenance to ensure efficiency.

Those skilled in the art will obviously appreciate that a number of changes and variants may be made to the apparatus for extending and retracting a flexible and extensible hose as described above, in view of fulfilling particular needs, still within the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims .