Decoupling mechanism for a store
View Patent ↗According to one embodiment, an aircraft pylon system comprises a pylon, a bail bar located within the pylon, an offset bracket assembly, and a lanyard release assembly. The offset bracket assembly comprises an elongated member configured to be placed around the bail bar within the pylon, a bracket coupled to the elongated member, and a lanyard-engaging member coupled to the bracket and offset from a longitudinal axis of the elongated member. The lanyard release assembly comprises a lanyard coupled to the lanyard-engaging member and a lanyard release connector coupled to the lanyard and releasably coupled to the store.
1. An aircraft pylon system, comprising:
a pylon;
a bail bar located within the pylon;
an offset bracket assembly comprising:
an elongated member configured to be placed around the bail bar within the pylon,
a bracket coupled to the elongated member, and
a lanyard-engaging member coupled to the bracket and offset from a longitudinal axis of the elongated member; and
a lanyard release assembly comprising:
a lanyard coupled to the lanyard-engaging member, and
a lanyard release connector coupled to the lanyard and releasably coupled to a store.
2. The aircraft pylon system of claim 1 , wherein the lanyard-engaging member is offset from the longitudinal axis of the elongated member such that the lanyard-engaging member is aligned with a central axis of the lanyard release connector.
3. The aircraft pylon system of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is substantially perpendicular to the elongated member.
4. The aircraft pylon system of claim 1 , further comprising a wiring harness electrically coupling the lanyard release connector to an aircraft.
5. The aircraft pylon system of claim 1 , wherein the lanyard-engaging member comprises a pin releasably coupled to the bracket.
6. The aircraft pylon system of claim 1 , wherein:
the bracket comprises two parallel plates;
each of the two parallel plates is coupled to the elongated member; and
the lanyard-engaging member is coupled to and between the two parallel plates.
7. The aircraft pylon system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one end of the bracket abuts an interior surface of the pylon.
8. An offset bracket assembly for use in an aircraft pylon having a bail bar, comprising:
an elongated member configured to be placed around the bail bar within the aircraft pylon,
a bracket coupled to the elongated member, and
a lanyard-engaging member coupled to the bracket and offset from a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, the lanyard-engaging member being operable to couple to a lanyard release assembly configured to releasably couple a store to the lanyard-engaging member.
9. The offset bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lanyard release assembly comprises:
a lanyard coupled to the lanyard-engaging member, and
a lanyard release connector coupled to the lanyard and releasably coupled to the store.
10. The offset bracket assembly of claim 9 , wherein the lanyard-engaging member is offset from the longitudinal axis of the elongated member such that the lanyard-engaging member is configured to be aligned with a central axis of the lanyard release connector.
11. The offset bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein the bracket is substantially perpendicular to the elongated member.
12. The offset bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lanyard-engaging member comprises a pin releasably coupled to the bracket.
13. The offset bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
the bracket comprises two parallel plates;
each of the two parallel plates is coupled to the elongated member; and
the lanyard-engaging member is coupled to and between the two parallel plates.
14. The offset bracket assembly of claim 8 , wherein the bracket has a length sized such that at least one end of the bracket is configured to abut an interior surface of the aircraft pylon.
15. A method for securing a store connector for a store to an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a pylon, the pylon having an opening through which the store connector may be released from the store and having a bail bar located within the pylon, the method comprising:
hanging the store connector from a point of support, the point of support overlying the opening;
supporting the point of support at least in part by coupling the point of support to the bail bar via a bracket, the point of support being offset from the bail bar; and
coupling the store to the store connector.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the point of support is generally aligned with a central axis of the opening.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising supporting the point of support at least in part from an interior surface of the aircraft pylon.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising electronically coupling the store to the aircraft.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the store is releasably hung from the point of support such that the store may be selectively released from the aircraft.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising coupling the store to the pylon such that the point of support does not carry the weight of the store prior to release of the store.