A drip pan apparatus for a “M” model BLACK HAWK® helicopter and the like includes an expanded corner structure for accommodating an access port also positioned further outwardly in the corner than in prior drip pan apparatuses, facilitating filter viewing while retaining peripheral o-ring seal. An e
A drip pan apparatus for a “M” model BLACK HAWK® helicopter and the like includes an expanded corner structure for accommodating an access port also positioned further outwardly in the corner than in prior drip pan apparatuses, facilitating filter viewing while retaining peripheral o-ring seal. An expanded corner of the airframe skirt is accommodated by the expanded corresponding corner of a frame, which also defines a small radius internal curve. The removable pan has a small radius curve cooperating with the small radius curve of the frame and is sealed thereto by the peripheral o-ring seal sealing the entire pan to the frame. Physical access to the filter is enhanced.
대표청구항▼
1. A drip pan for cooperation with a frame secured to a depending skirt, which defines an access opening for access to a rotor transmission of a helicopter, the frame having an inwardly-facing peripheral surface, said drip pan comprising: a member having an outwardly-facing peripheral surface, said
1. A drip pan for cooperation with a frame secured to a depending skirt, which defines an access opening for access to a rotor transmission of a helicopter, the frame having an inwardly-facing peripheral surface, said drip pan comprising: a member having an outwardly-facing peripheral surface, said outwardly-facing peripheral surface being adapted to cooperate with the inwardly-facing peripheral surface of the frame and defining a first pan corner and at least one other pan corner, wherein said first pan corner differs in curvature to said at least one other pan corner. 2. The drip pan of claim 1 wherein said member is removably received within the frame in a single orientation. 3. The drip pan of claim 1 wherein said first pan corner is defined by a first pan corner radius and said at least one other pan corner is defined by a pan corner radius that is larger than said first pan corner radius. 4. The drip pan of claim 1 wherein said outwardly-facing peripheral surface defines a second pan corner having a second pan corner radius and a third pan corner having a third pan corner radius, said second pan corner radius being substantially the same as said third pan corner radius. 5. The drip pan of claim 1 wherein an oil filter is attached to the rotor transmission and wherein said member defines an access port for permitting access to the oil filter. 6. A drip pan apparatus for a helicopter having an access opening defined by a depending skirt having at least two straight sides connected by a corner, wherein the corner is defined by an inwardly oriented concave curve such that an extension of the concave curve intersects an extension of at least one straight side at an angle greater than zero degrees, said drip pan apparatus comprising: a frame configured to cooperate with the skirt, including the inwardly oriented concave curve, said frame comprising: an inwardly-facing first frame corner defined by a first frame corner radius, andat least one other inwardly-facing frame corner defined by a frame corner radius that is greater than said first frame corner radius; anda drip pan for cooperating with said frame, said drip pan comprising: a first pan corner defined by a first pan corner radius and configured to cooperate with said first frame corner; andat least one other corner defined by a pan corner radius that is greater than said first pan corner radius, said at least one other pan corner being configured to cooperate with said at least one other inwardly-facing frame corner. 7. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said drip pan has an outwardly-facing peripheral groove extending around said drip pan, including around said first pan corner, and said drip pan apparatus further includes: an o-ring seal disposed in said outwardly-facing peripheral groove for sealingly engaging said frame. 8. A drip pan apparatus for covering and sealing a helicopter transmission access opening in a helicopter, the drip pan apparatus comprising: a frame adapted to mount to the helicopter transmission access opening, said frame having an inwardly-facing peripheral surface extending around said frame, said inwardly-facing peripheral surface having a first frame corner defined by a first frame corner shape and at least one other frame corner defined by a frame corner shape that differs from said first frame corner shape;a drip pan having an outwardly-facing peripheral surface extending around said drip pan, said outwardly-facing peripheral surface having a first pan corner defined by a first pan corner shape and at least one other drip pan corner defined by a drip pan corner shape that differs from said first pan corner shape, wherein said first pan corner cooperates with said first frame corner and said drip pan is configured to be selectively affixed to said frame; anda seal member operably disposed between said outwardly-facing peripheral surface and said inwardly-facing peripheral surface when said drip pan is affixed to said frame. 9. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said drip pan defines an access port and the drip pan apparatus further comprises: an access cover removably disposed within said access port. 10. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said access port is disposed proximate a corner that is of a shape different from said other corners. 11. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said access port is positioned in said drip pan to permit visual viewing of an oil filter through said access port. 12. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said access cover has a viewing window to permit visual inspection of an oil filter without removal of said access cover. 13. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said first frame corner shape is defined by a first frame corner radius and said first pan corner is defined by a first pan corner radius. 14. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the drip pan further includes: a peripheral groove in said outwardly-facing peripheral surface, including around said first pan corner, and said o-ring seal is disposed within said peripheral groove. 15. In combination: a multipassenger helicopter comprising: a flight deck;a cabin section rearwardly of said flight deck;a rotor transmission oriented at least in part above said cabin section; anda transmission access opening within said cabin section for providing access to said rotor transmission; anda drip pan apparatus for covering said transmission access opening, said drip pan apparatus comprising: a frame adapted to mount to said transmission access opening, said frame having an inwardly-facing peripheral surface extending around said frame,said inwardly-facing peripheral surface having a first frame corner defined by a first frame corner shape and at least one other frame corner defined by a frame corner shape that is different than said first frame corner shape;a drip pan having an outwardly-facing peripheral surface extending around said drip pan, said outwardly-facing peripheral surface having a first pan corner defined by a first pan corner shape and at least one other drip pan corner defined by a drip pan corner shape that is different than said first pan corner shape,wherein said first pan corner cooperates with said first frame corner and said drip pan is configured to be selectively affixed to said frame; andan o-ring seal disposed between said inwardly-facing peripheral surface and said outwardly-facing peripheral surface. 16. The drip pan apparatus of claim 15 wherein said first frame corner is defined by a first frame corner radius and said at least one other frame corner is defined by a frame corner radius that is greater than said first frame corner radius, and said first pan corner is defined by a first pan corner radius and said at least one other pan corner is defined by a pan corner radius that is greater than said first pan corner radius. 17. A method of installing a drip pan apparatus to a helicopter structure where the helicopter has a rotor transmission and a rotor transmission access opening, the drip pan apparatus comprises a frame having an inwardly-facing peripheral surface having a first frame corner defined by a first frame corner radius, at least one other corner defined by a frame corner radius, and a slot formed therein; a drip pan having an outwardly-facing peripheral surface, the outwardly-facing peripheral surface having a first pan corner defined by a first pan corner radius and at least one other pan corner defined by a pan corner radius that is larger than the first pan corner radius, the outwardly-facing peripheral surface having an outwardly-facing peripheral groove; a resilient member attached to the drip pan and adapted to cooperate with the slot; and a seal member disposed within the outwardly-facing peripheral groove, the method comprising: securing the frame to the rotor transmission access opening;inserting the drip pan into the frame such that the first pan corner aligns with the first frame corner and the seal member sealingly engages the inwardly-facing peripheral surface against fluid leakage therethrough; andengaging the slot with the resilient member to detachably secure the drip pan in sealing engagement with the frame. 18. A method of installing a drip pan apparatus to a helicopter structure where the helicopter has a rotor transmission and a rotor transmission access opening, the method comprising: securing a frame to the helicopter structure to define the rotor transmission access opening, the frame having an inwardly-facing peripheral surface and a plurality of frame corners each defined by a frame corner radius, at least one frame corner radius being smaller than an adjacent frame corner radius; andinserting a drip pan into the frame with a seal member disposed within an outwardly-facing peripheral groove of the drip pan for sealing engagement with the inwardly-facing peripheral surface of the frame,wherein inserting further includes orienting the drip pan having a plurality of pan corners, each pan corner having a pan corner radius with a first pan corner radius being smaller than an adjacent pan corner radius, with respect to the frame so as to align the first pan corner with the first frame corner. 19. The method of installing the drip pan apparatus of claim 18 further comprising: engaging a slot in the frame with a resilient member secured to the drip pan. 20. A method of installing a drip pan in a helicopter structure where the helicopter structure has a rotor transmission, a rotor transmission access opening, and a frame secured to the helicopter structure that defines the rotor transmission access opening, the method comprising: inserting a drip pan into the frame, the drip pan having a plurality of pan corners with a first pan corner having a different shape than an adjacent pan corner, wherein inserting includes aligning the first pan corner with a first frame corner and aligning the remaining pan corners with the remaining frame corners. 21. The method of installing the drip pan of claim 20, wherein the drip pan defines an access port at the first pan corner with an access cover removably disposed within the access port, and inserting the drip pan into the frame covers an oil filter disposed on the rotor transmission, the method further comprising: removing the access port to gain access to the oil filter through the access port. 22. A drip pan for cooperation with a frame secured to a depending skirt, which defines an access opening for access to a rotor transmission of a helicopter, the frame having a surface facing the depending skirt and an inwardly-facing peripheral surface of asymmetrical shape disposed substantially perpendicular to the surface facing the depending skirt, wherein said asymmetrical shape of said inwardly-facing peripheral surface of said frame defines a radius of smaller extent than any other radius of any other portion of said inwardly-facing peripheral surface, said drip pan comprising: a member having an outwardly-facing peripheral surface of asymmetrical shape operably corresponding to the asymmetrical shape of the inwardly-facing peripheral surface of said frame, anda resilient seal disposed between said inwardly-facing peripheral surface and said outwardly-facing peripheral surface, when said member is operably disposed in said frame for sealing said member to said frame, about said peripheral surfaces. 23. The drip pan as in claim 22 wherein said asymmetrical shapes of said frame and said member match when said member is operably disposed in said frame. 24. A drip pan apparatus for a rotor transmission access opening in a helicopter, said drip pan apparatus comprising: a drip pan having a peripheral edge for fitting in said opening, said edge defined in part by a plurality of corners, one of which is developed about a radius of smaller extent than the radii of the other corners in said plurality. 25. The drip pan apparatus as in claim 24 wherein said pan has four elongated sides joined at four corners of which three sides have at least one end extending tangentially into one of three corners having a first radius, and two of said four sides extend tangentially into a corner having a second radius smaller than said first radius. 26. A drip pan for cooperation with a frame secured to a depending skirt, which defines an access opening for access to a rotor transmission of a helicopter, the frame having an inwardly-facing peripheral surface of asymmetrical shape, said drip pan comprising: a member having an outwardly-facing peripheral surface of asymmetrical shape operably corresponding to the asymmetrical shape of the inwardly-facing peripheral surface of said frame, anda resilient seal disposed between said inwardly-facing peripheral surface and said outwardly-facing peripheral surface, when said member is operably disposed in said frame for sealing said member to said frame, about said peripheral surfaces, wherein said asymmetrical shape of said inwardly-facing peripheral surface of said frame defines a radius of smaller extent than any other radius of any other portion of said inwardly-facing peripheral surface.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (14)
Casey Anthony Joseph (5029 Perron St. Pierrefonds ; Quebec CA H8Z 2J2), Cabin heater for helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
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