Pneumatic deicing device for breaking and removing an ice deposit accumulated on the outer surface of an aircraft
View Patent ↗A pneumatic deicing device ( 1 ) for breaking and removing an ice deposit accumulated on the outer surface ( 2 ) of an aircraft, in particular on an airplane wing. The device ( 1 ) includes an outer layer ( 10 ) intended to withstand the outside environment, an inner interface layer ( 50 ) intended to be bonded to the outer surface of the aircraft, and at least two outer ( 30 ) and inner ( 40 ) intermediate layers connected to one another by a network of stitches ( 36 ) spaced apart to define deicing chambers ( 35 ) that can be inflated using injected pressurized air so as to create an expansion of the device causing a mechanical action to break the ice. The inner interface layer ( 50 ) with the outer surface ( 2 ) of the aircraft includes at least one textile layer ( 54 ) having an inner surface ( 55 ) intended to be in direct contact with an outer surface ( 2 ) of the aircraft.
1. A pneumatic deicing device ( 1 ) for breaking and removing an ice deposit accumulated on the outer surface ( 2 ) of an aircraft, comprising, from the outside in:
an outer layer ( 10 ) defining an outer surface of the deicing device and formed from a material selected to withstand an outside environment,
at least an outer intermediate layer ( 30 ) and an inner intermediate layer ( 40 ) connected to one another by a network of stitches ( 36 ) spaced apart so as to define deicing chambers ( 35 ) that can be inflated quickly using injected pressurized air so as to create an expansion of the device ( 1 ) causing a mechanical action to break the ice, and
an inner interface layer ( 50 ) that includes at least one textile layer ( 54 ) situated farthest toward an inner side of the deicing device ( 1 ) and the at least one textile layer ( 54 ) has an inner surface ( 55 ) for direct contact with the outer surface ( 2 ) of the aircraft, the inner interface layer ( 50 ) being spaced from the stitches ( 36 ).
2. The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) is selected from the group comprising a knit textile, a woven textile, and nonwoven textile obtained mechanically, by gluing or by welding, an inlaid web textile, a grid textile or a unidirectional (UD) fabric.
3. The device ( 1 ) of claim 2 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) is made from polyamide, polyester, rayon, cotton, glass, polyethylene, polypropylene, aramid, para-aramid, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), or carbon, or a combination of these materials.
4. The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) has an outer surface ( 57 ) treated with an adhering solution of the full bath type.
5. The device ( 1 ) of claim 4 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) has an outer surface ( 57 ) treated with a full bath adhering solution of the RFL (Resorcinol, Formol, Latex) type.
6. The device ( 1 ) of claim 4 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) has an outer surface ( 57 ) treated by a full bath adhering solution of the type with solution comprising isocyanates.
7. The device ( 1 ) of claim 4 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) has an outer surface ( 57 ) treated with a full bath adhering solution of the reactive resins type.
8. The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) has an outer surface ( 57 ) opposite the inner surface ( 55 ), at least one of the outer surface ( 57 ) and the inner surface ( 55 ) being treated by a Corona-type electrostatic treatment.
9. The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the inner interface layer ( 50 ) includes, on an outer surface ( 57 ) of the textile layer ( 54 ), a layer of rubber ( 52 ).
10. The device ( 1 ) of claim 9 , wherein the layer of rubber ( 52 ) has a thickness from about 0.10 to 0.30 mm.
11. The device ( 1 ) of claim 10 , wherein the inner intermediate layer ( 40 ) includes an upper textile layer ( 42 ) and a lower elastomer layer ( 44 ) made from a material identical to that of the layer of rubber ( 52 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ).
12. The device ( 1 ) of claim 11 , wherein the inner intermediate layer ( 40 ) and the inner interface layer ( 50 ) are stacked in face-to-face contact with their respective rubber layers ( 52 , 44 ) being connected to one another by co-vulcanization.
13. The device ( 1 ) of claim 9 , wherein the inner surface ( 55 ) of the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) is not treated with an adhering solution.
14. The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) has a surface density below about 400 g/m 2 .
15. The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the textile layer ( 54 ) of the inner interface layer ( 50 ) has an outer surface ( 57 ) opposite the inner surface ( 55 ), at least one of the outer surface ( 57 ) and the inner surface ( 55 ) being treated by an atmospheric plasma type of electrostatic treatment.
16. The device ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the layer of rubber ( 52 ) on the outer surface ( 57 ) of the textile layer ( 54 ) seals the stitches ( 36 ).