Protective components

By using the retardation wall attached to the connecting parts in the cargo hold of the aircraft, the first ear piece and joint bearing structure in the coupling part are used to release the load, the problem of unreasonable load transfer path in the prior art is solved, and the protective components do not participate in the fuselage structure loading is achieved, which improves reliability and maintenance.

CN115556917BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-29COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT CORP OF CHINA LTD +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202211094154.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-09-08
Publication Date
2025-08-29
Estimated Expiration
2042-09-08

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

When the existing aircraft cargo hold protection device is impacted by cargo, the load transmission path is unreasonable, resulting in poor reliability of the fuselage structure and the existing connection structure is vulnerable to damage, affecting maintenance.

Method used

The barrier walls that are attached to the aircraft fuselage structure are adopted to release heading, vertical and lateral loads through the first ear piece and joint bearing structure in the coupling part to prevent the protective components from participating in the main structure of the fuselage, and to transfer the load through a distributed manner, combined with the detachable bolt design, for easy maintenance.

Benefits of technology

It reduces the impact of cargo impact on the fuselage structure, improves the reliability and maintenance of protective components, reduces the risk of damage to the connectors, and meets the freedom requirements of different aircraft models.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention provides a protective assembly for use in an aircraft cargo hold, comprising: a plurality of connectors, each of which is fixedly attached to the aircraft fuselage structure; a barrier wall, the barrier wall being movably connected to at least a portion of the plurality of connectors via couplings on its top and bottom sides; wherein each coupling comprises: a first tab disposed on the top or bottom side of the barrier wall, the first tab having an oblong hole extending vertically therein; a second tab disposed at the connector; a spherical bearing disposed in the second tab; and a bolt member, the bolt member being inserted through the spherical bearing in the second tab and the oblong hole in the first tab and being capable of moving vertically within the oblong hole. The protective assembly of the present invention does not participate in the transmission of loads from the main fuselage structure, is easy to assemble and disassemble, and has good reliability and maintainability.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft arresting protection devices, and in particular to a protection assembly used in an aircraft cargo hold. Background Art

[0002] In conventional civil aircraft, the electronic equipment compartment (EE compartment) is located in front of the rear cargo hold. If a protective device is not installed at the front of the rear cargo hold during a turbulent or emergency landing, the cargo inside may impact the front wall of the hold due to inertia. This could not only block and damage the cargo hold door, but also affect electronic equipment such as the power distribution box in the EE compartment, resulting in the risk of equipment failure and seriously affecting flight safety. According to airworthiness regulations, a 9g arresting protection device must be installed at the front of the cargo hold. This device, capable of withstanding a maximum overload of 9 times gravity along the heading direction, minimizes the impact of cargo on the front wall of the hold and minimizes the risk of failure of the affected power equipment in an emergency. At the same time, to achieve maintainability throughout the aircraft's life cycle, the aircraft cargo hold arresting protection device must be removable to facilitate maintenance of electronic equipment such as the power distribution box in the front of the cargo hold.

[0003] Existing designs often utilize flexible arresting and protective devices, such as arresting nets. These primarily consist of a network of non-metallic flexible strips crisscrossed to form a mesh, which is then secured to the aircraft fuselage structure using metal joints. The arresting net relies on the elastic deformation of the strips to transmit force and achieve movement. Specifically, when subjected to a load, the strips undergo linear and angular displacement, thereby cushioning the impact of the cargo. However, the flexible nature of the strips causes significant deformation of the net when impacted, necessitating a relatively long buffer zone between the cargo door and the arresting net. This can result in wasted space for smaller aircraft.

[0004] There are also rigid arresting and protection devices, such as arresting walls. These primarily use rigid metal sheets to form the wall, which is then secured to the aircraft fuselage structure using connectors. When impacted, the arresting wall disperses the load to the aircraft fuselage structure via several connectors, thereby transferring force and cushioning the impact of the cargo. Compared to arresting nets, arresting walls deform less and require a shorter buffer zone. However, because arresting walls transfer a greater amount of load to the aircraft structure, they must be free of excessive constraints to prevent adverse effects on the force transmission of the fuselage and other structures during normal flight. This requires connectors that provide a certain degree of freedom.

[0005] In a published Chinese invention patent application, application number 201611216925.5, entitled "A Cargo Hold Floor Stringer and Retaining Wall Connection Structure," filed on December 26, 2016, a retaining wall connection structure is proposed. This structure primarily utilizes single and double lugs with oblong holes and spherical bearings to provide a certain degree of freedom. When the connection structure is subjected to azimuth loads along with the retaining wall, the connected cargo hold floor stringers translate within the oblong holes along the direction of their extension, releasing the azimuth loads. When subjected to lateral loads, the connection structure rotates via the spherical bearings, releasing the lateral loads and preventing the floor stringers from deforming along with the connection structure. When subjected to vertical loads, the cargo hold floor rotates within the double lugs, transferring the vertical loads to the retaining wall. This structure leverages the structural characteristics of the oblong holes and spherical bearings to meet the requirements for load release and transmission along the azimuth, lateral, and vertical directions. However, when impacted by cargo, the axial load on the arresting wall is much greater than the lateral and vertical loads. Therefore, the floor stringers using this connection structure will significantly impact the ends of the oblong holes. Over time, this will significantly damage the perimeter of the oblong holes, thereby reducing the reliability of the entire connection. Furthermore, the strong impact force may also cause significant deformation of the connected floor stringers, adversely affecting the force transmission to the fuselage. Furthermore, the connection only secures the floor stringers to the arresting wall, resulting in a single force transmission path. The arresting guard participates in the load transmission of the main fuselage structure, which may still damage the fuselage structure under strong impact. Therefore, the force transmission path of the existing arresting wall and its structure is not reasonable, the reliability of the device is poor, and the problem of cargo impact affecting the fuselage structure still exists.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need to propose an improved aircraft cargo hold protection assembly that can solve the problems and defects in the above-mentioned prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved aircraft cargo hold protection assembly, which improves the load transfer path, avoids the protection assembly from participating in the load transfer of the main fuselage structure, and improves reliability.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a detachable aircraft cargo hold protection assembly that is easy to disassemble and modify, thereby improving maintainability.

[0009] According to the present invention, a protective assembly for use in an aircraft cargo hold is provided, comprising: a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors being fixedly attached to the aircraft fuselage structure; a barrier wall, the barrier wall being movably connected to at least a portion of the plurality of connectors at its top and bottom sides via coupling portions; wherein each coupling portion comprises: a first lug arranged on the top or bottom side of the barrier wall, the first lug being provided with an oblong hole extending in a vertical direction; a second lug arranged at the connector; a spherical bearing, the spherical bearing being provided in the second lug; and a bolt member, the bolt member being passed through the spherical bearing in the second lug and the oblong hole of the first lug, and being capable of moving in a vertical direction in the oblong hole. Such a structure enables the arresting wall to drive the first lug to rotate around the bolt column to release the load when subjected to a heading load, thereby preventing deformation of the fuselage structure connected thereto; under the full aircraft load, the second lug translates in the vertical direction within the oblong hole of the first lug to release the vertical load, that is, to release the vertical relative deformation of the fuselage structure connected to the arresting wall; under the full aircraft load, the second lug rotates in the first lug with the aid of the spherical bearing to release the lateral load, that is, to release the lateral relative deformation and rotation of the fuselage structure connected to the arresting wall. Because the protective assembly of the present disclosure uses the first tab to rotate about the stud rather than the stud translating within the oblong hole to release the azimuth load, the cargo's impact force on the barrier wall is converted into a force that guides the first tab to rotate about the stud, rather than directing the stud to impact the end of the oblong hole. This significantly reduces the impact force on the periphery of the oblong hole, thereby reducing the impact force on the fuselage structure connected to the barrier wall and preventing deformation along with the barrier wall. Furthermore, to maintain the stability of the fuselage interior, the fuselage structure is designed to minimize deformation when subjected to vertical loads. Therefore, the translational movement of the stud within the oblong hole driven by the second tab to release the vertical load is also minimal and insufficient to generate significant impact force on the end of the oblong hole. Therefore, the load transfer path employed by the protective assembly of the present disclosure reduces the impact of cargo impact on the fuselage structure, reduces the risk of cargo impact damage to the protective assembly itself, and improves the reliability of the protective assembly.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first ear piece is a double ear piece, and the second ear piece is a single ear piece. The single ear piece is inserted into the gap between the double ear pieces, and a movable gap is left between the first and second ear pieces. This movable gap is reserved to ensure that when subjected to a lateral load, the single ear piece can rotate within the internal space of the double ear piece along with the joint bearing, thereby relieving lateral relative deformation and rotation of the fuselage structure connected to the protection assembly.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the connector is simultaneously attached to both the crossbeam and the longitudinal beam of the aircraft floor. This attachment design allows the load acting on the protection assembly to be simultaneously transferred to multiple aircraft fuselage structures, i.e., achieving distributed load transfer. Compared to single-load transfer, this distributed load transfer mode subjects each aircraft fuselage structure connected to the protection assembly to a relatively low load, further preventing deformation of the aircraft fuselage structure caused by the protection assembly and reducing the risk of adverse effects on fuselage force transmission.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the coupling portion further includes a pair of bushings configured to surround the periphery of the oblong hole of the first lug and extend into the oblong hole. The bolt member includes a bolt and a nut, the bolt passing through the spherical bearing in the second lug and the oblong hole of the first lug, and the nut threaded onto the end of the bolt. The bushings further protect the oblong hole from friction and impact, extending the service life of the protective assembly. This design of the bolt member allows the barrier wall to be easily removed from the connector by screwing the nut, thereby enabling replacement of parts such as bushings or maintenance of aircraft electronic equipment in front of the barrier wall or the cargo hold.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, each of the paired bushings is elongated and cylindrical, with a radially outwardly extending flange at one end. The paired bushings are selected from a plurality of pairs having the same outer diameter but different inner diameters. Since the bushings are inserted into the oblong hole of the first tab, bushings of varying inner diameters define oblong hole inner diameters of varying lengths, thereby varying the vertical degrees of freedom of the guard assembly. This allows the oblong hole size to be adjusted to achieve the desired degrees of freedom required by different aircraft models.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the barrier wall is further connected to a portion of the plurality of connectors via an auxiliary coupling portion. The auxiliary coupling portion includes a third tab having a circular hole, a fourth tab having an auxiliary spherical bearing, and a bolt member extending through the auxiliary spherical bearing and the circular hole. The auxiliary coupling portion serves to maintain relative stability of the entire protective assembly during normal aircraft operation. This is because the circular shape of the hole in the third tab prevents the fourth tab from driving the bolt member for translational movement therein, thereby stabilizing the barrier wall connected thereto and preventing undesirable displacement of the entire protective assembly along the oblong hole in the coupling portion.

[0015] Preferably, the auxiliary connecting portion is provided at a middle portion of the bottom side of the retaining wall, wherein the number of the auxiliary connecting portions is not greater than two.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the third ear piece is a double ear piece, the fourth ear piece is a single ear piece, the single ear piece is inserted into the gap between the double ear pieces, and a movable gap is left between the third ear piece and the fourth ear piece.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the retaining wall includes a baffle, a plurality of columns vertically attached to the baffle, and a plurality of transverse reinforcements laterally attached to the baffle, wherein the first tabs are located at ends of the columns; and wherein the columns and the transverse reinforcements are attached to the baffle by bracket nuts.

[0018] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the connecting member is integrally formed with the second ear and is attached to the aircraft fuselage structure by fasteners.

[0019] The protective assembly disclosed herein is connected to the joint bearing structure via vertically arranged oblong hole lugs. This allows the impact force of cargo on the protective assembly and the relative deformation of the aircraft fuselage structure during turbulence or emergency landing to be transferred and released through rotational or translational motion within the joint. This prevents the protective assembly and the connected aircraft fuselage structure from deforming in concert, preventing the protective assembly from participating in load transfer to the main fuselage structure. This reduces the impact of cargo impact on the fuselage structure, as well as the impact of fuselage structure deformation on the protective assembly. Furthermore, by simultaneously attaching the connector to the crossbeam and longitudinal beams of the aircraft floor, the load applied to the protective assembly is distributed across different aircraft fuselage structures, further reducing the risk of deformation of the loaded fuselage structure along with the protective assembly. Furthermore, the protective assembly disclosed herein utilizes easily removable bolts to connect the barrier wall and connector. The barrier wall can be conveniently installed or removed from the connector attached to the fuselage structure by tightening the nuts, facilitating replacement of protective assembly parts or maintenance of aircraft electronic equipment in front of the cargo hold, thereby improving aircraft maintainability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the following description of exemplary embodiments considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments depicted and are not necessarily to scale. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is a front view of a guard assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the protection assembly of FIG. 1 , showing a coupling portion according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A detailed front view of the connection portion;

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A detailed side view of the connection portion;

[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 The connecting edge Figure 3 Cross-sectional view taken along line AA;

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic view showing the connection between a connecting member of a protection assembly and a fuselage structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the protective assembly shows the connection relationship between the various components in the retaining wall;

[0028] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the motion of a protection assembly releasing a heading load according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a motion of a protection assembly releasing a vertical load according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 10 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a movement of a protection assembly releasing a lateral load according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Reference Signs List

[0032] 100 protective components

[0033] 1. Barrier Wall

[0034] 11 columns

[0035] 12 Transverse reinforcement

[0036] 13 Baffle

[0037] 2 Connectors

[0038] 3. Connection

[0039] 31 First ear

[0040] 311 oblong hole

[0041] 32 Second ear

[0042] 33 bolts

[0043] 331 Bolt

[0044] 332 Nut

[0045] 34 Spherical plain bearings

[0046] 35 bushing

[0047] 4 Support plate nut

[0048] 200 Aircraft Floor

[0049] 201 Floor longitudinal beam

[0050] 202 floor beams DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present disclosure is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings. More details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can obviously be implemented in a variety of other ways than described herein. Those skilled in the art can make various interpretations and generalizations of the embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the scope defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the content of this specific embodiment should not limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and detailed descriptions to refer to the same or similar components.

[0052] The directional terms such as "heading", "vertical" and "lateral" used in this article are based on the direction of aircraft movement. The heading direction is along the direction of aircraft movement, the direction perpendicular to the direction of aircraft movement in the vertical plane is the vertical direction, and the direction perpendicular to the direction of aircraft movement in the horizontal plane is the lateral direction. These three directions are orthogonal to each other.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, a protection assembly 100 for use in an aircraft cargo hold according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a barrier wall 1 and a plurality of connectors 2, wherein the barrier wall 1 is movably connected to at least a portion of the connectors 2 at its top and bottom sides via joints 3, and each connector 2 is fixedly attached to an aircraft fuselage structure such as an aircraft floor 200. This configuration enables the protection assembly 100 to be arranged vertically in the aircraft cargo hold.

[0054] like Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, the barrier wall 1 comprises a plurality of columns 11, multiple transverse reinforcements 12, and baffles 13. Each column 11 extends the entire height of the baffle 13 and is vertically attached to the baffle 13 via bracket nuts 4. Multiple transverse reinforcements 12 are transversely attached to the baffle 13 via bracket nuts 4 and are arranged parallel to each other between the columns 11. When the barrier wall 1 is impacted by cargo, the baffles 13 transfer the load to the columns 11. The columns 11 then transfer the load to the aircraft fuselage structure via connectors 2 connected to the top and bottom of the barrier wall. The transverse reinforcements 12 provide additional support for the baffles 13, reducing bending stresses in the baffles 13.

[0055] The connector 2 is attached to the aircraft fuselage structure by fasteners such as rivets, ordinary bolts or high-lock bolts, and is movably connected to the barrier wall 1 at one end via a joint 3. The connector 2 on the top side of the barrier wall 1 is attached to the aircraft cabin floor, while the connector 2 on the bottom side of the barrier wall 1 is attached to the aircraft cargo hold floor. In this exemplary embodiment, Figure 6 As shown, connector 2 is simultaneously attached to floor stringers 201 and floor crossbeams 202 of the aircraft cabin / cargo floor 200. Specifically, connector 2 is disposed within a mesh structure formed by the interlaced floor stringers 201 and floor crossbeams 202, with its sides abutting against the floor stringers 201 and its ends abutting against two adjacent floor crossbeams 202. This design allows the load applied to protection assembly 100 to be distributed across the floor crossbeams and stringers, that is, simultaneously transferred to multiple aircraft fuselage structures. Consequently, each aircraft fuselage structure connected to protection assembly 100 experiences relatively low loads, further preventing deformation of the aircraft fuselage structure due to the protection assembly and reducing the risk of adverse effects on fuselage force transmission.

[0056] The joint 3 connects the retaining wall 1 and the connecting member 2 together, and the joint 3 allows the related parts to move relative to each other to release the load. Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the connecting portion 3 includes: a first ear piece 31 provided on the top side or bottom side of the retaining wall 1, and a long circular hole 311 extending in the vertical direction is provided in the first ear piece 31. In this exemplary embodiment, the first ear piece 31 is a double ear piece and is located at the upper end or lower end of the column 11 of the retaining wall 1; a second ear piece 32 provided at the connecting member 2. In this exemplary embodiment, the second ear piece 32 is a single ear piece integrated with the connecting member 2 and is inserted into the gap in the middle of the first ear piece 31, and the first ear piece 31 and the second ear piece 32 are connected. The second lug 32 has a movable gap between the lugs 32 and the first lug 31. The lug 32 is provided with a spherical bearing 34. The lug 33 comprises a bolt 331 and a nut 332. The bolt 331 has a radially outwardly extending flange at one end and passes through the spherical bearing 34 in the second lug 32 and the oblong hole 311 in the first lug 31. The nut 332 is screwed onto the other end of the bolt 331, allowing the lug 32 to move vertically within the oblong hole 311 in the first lug 31 without falling out of the first lug 31. The movable gap allows the second lug 32 to rotate within the first lug 31 via the spherical bearing 34, thereby relieving lateral loads. The removable bolt and nut design allows for easy installation and removal of the retaining wall 1 from the connector 2, facilitating component replacement and maintenance.

[0057] Furthermore, the coupling portion 3 includes a pair of bushings 35. These bushings 35 are configured to surround the periphery of the oblong hole 311 of the first lug 31 on both sides of the first lug 31 and extend into the oblong hole 311. The flange of the bolt 331 and the nut 332 are pressed against the bushings 35 via washers. Each of the bushings 35 is in the shape of an elongated cylinder and has a radially outwardly extending flange at one end. This protects the oblong hole 311 from direct friction and impact from the bolt member 33, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the oblong hole and extending the service life of the component.

[0058] The connecting portion 3 enables the barrier wall 1 to drive the first ear piece 31 to rotate around the bolt column 33 to release the load when subjected to a heading load; under the load of the entire aircraft, the second ear piece 32 translates in the vertical direction in the oblong hole 311 to release the vertical relative deformation of the fuselage structure connected to the protection component 100, thereby preventing the protection component 100 from being deformed accordingly; under the load of the entire aircraft, the second ear piece 32 rotates in the first ear piece 31 through the joint bearing 34 therein to release the lateral relative deformation and rotation of the fuselage structure connected to the protection component 100, thereby preventing the protection component 100 from being deformed accordingly. According to the present disclosure, the impact force exerted by cargo on the barrier wall 1 is converted into a force that guides the first tab 31 to rotate about the bolt member 33. This reduces the direct impact force on the periphery of the oblong hole 311 and the impact force transmitted to the aircraft fuselage structure via the connector 2, thereby reducing the risk of the fuselage structure deforming along with the barrier wall 1. Furthermore, to maintain the stability of the fuselage interior, the aircraft fuselage structure is typically designed to minimize deformation when subjected to vertical loads. Therefore, the translational movement of the second tab 32 within the oblong hole 311 to relieve the vertical load is also minimal, insufficient to generate a significant impact force on the end of the oblong hole 311. Therefore, the load transfer path employed by the protective assembly of the present disclosure reduces the impact of cargo impact on the fuselage structure and the risk of damage to the protective assembly 100 itself from loads that cause deformation of the barrier wall 1 or the aircraft fuselage structure, thereby improving the reliability of the protective assembly.

[0059] In practice, each aircraft type requires different degrees of freedom for the protective assembly 100. For example, large aircraft have a large cargo capacity and relatively large deformation of the fuselage structure. This requires the protective assembly 100 to have greater degrees of freedom, in this case, a larger oblong hole size, to enable the full release of loads through the translational and rotational movement of the bolt member 33 and the second tab 32 within the oblong hole 311 of the first tab 31. However, small aircraft, compared to large aircraft, have a smaller cargo capacity. Due to their smaller interior space and lower load, the deformation of the fuselage structure under load is also relatively small. In this case, the protective assembly 100 does not require a large degree of freedom. Conversely, if the degrees of freedom are too large, that is, the oblong hole size is too large, the bolt member will rotate relatively within the oblong hole and also translate a long distance when releasing the heading load. This will cause the bolt member to move at a relatively high speed when reaching the perimeter of the oblong hole, causing impact on the perimeter of the oblong hole. Therefore, the protective component of the present invention preferably includes multiple pairs of bushings with the same outer diameter but different inner diameters, so that pairs of bushings of different sizes can be selected according to the freedom requirements of the protective component 100 of different aircraft, and installed on the pivot part 3 to adjust the inner diameter size of the oblong hole 311.

[0060] If all barrier walls 1 are connected to the connector 2 only via the coupling portion 3, that is, all columns 11 are connected to the connector 2 via a double-ear piece with an oblong hole extending in the vertical direction, then the presence of the oblong holes on the top and bottom sides of the barrier wall 1 allows the entire barrier wall 1 to translate along the direction in which the oblong holes extend. Even during normal aircraft operation, the barrier wall 1 may vibrate up and down, which is not conducive to maintaining the stability of the overall structure. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate this undesirable vibration. Therefore, the protective assembly 100 additionally includes an auxiliary coupling portion, which is located on the bottom side of the barrier wall 1 and is preferably arranged as follows: Figure 1 The lower end of the middle column 11 of the barrier wall 1 is shown, with no more than two of them. The auxiliary coupling section has a similar structure to coupling section 3, differing only in that the hole in the third tab (double tab) of the auxiliary coupling section is circular. This circular shape prevents the bolt member from moving the fourth tab (single tab) within it, thereby confining the barrier wall 1 in a relatively fixed position and eliminating undesirable vibrations during normal aircraft operation. Similar to coupling section 3, the third tab of the auxiliary coupling section is located at the end of column 11, while the fourth tab is integrally formed with connector 2.

[0061] Figures 8 to 10 It shows how the protection assembly 100 transfers and releases the loads through rotation and translation when subjected to axial loads, vertical loads and lateral loads.

[0062] like Figure 8As shown, when an aircraft decelerates or makes an emergency landing, the cargo impacts the barrier wall 1 due to inertia, generating a heading load. This heading load is applied to the barrier wall 1 in the direction indicated by the hollow arrow in the figure. At this time, the baffle 13 bends in the heading direction, and the column 11 bends accordingly, causing the tabs at each end of the column 11 to rotate around the bolt member in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in the figure. This partially transfers the heading load to the connector 2, and then to the floor stringers 201 and floor crossbeams 202 of the floor 200 connected to the connector 2.

[0063] like Figure 9 As shown, when the cargo vibrates up and down with the aircraft's turbulence, vertical loads are generated. This vertical load is applied to the aircraft's fuselage structure in the direction indicated by the hollow arrows, causing vertical relative deformation of the cargo floor and passenger cabin floor structures. At this point, the bolt member 33 drives the second tab 32 to translate in the direction indicated by the solid arrows within the oblong hole 311 of the first tab 31, releasing the vertical relative deformation of the cargo floor and passenger cabin floor structures. In other words, the vertical freedom provided by the oblong hole prevents the barrier wall 1 from bending and deforming with the deformation of the aircraft floor structure. Conversely, when the barrier wall 1 itself experiences vertical deformation, the relative movement of the first tab 31 and the second tab 32 can release this deformation, preventing deformation of the aircraft floor structure with the barrier wall.

[0064] like Figure 10 As shown, when an aircraft banks or turns, a lateral load is generated. This lateral load is applied to the aircraft's fuselage structure in the direction indicated by the hollow arrows in the figure, causing lateral relative deformation of the cargo floor and the passenger cabin floor structure. At this point, the fuselage structure tilts the connector 2, which in turn drives the single lug integrally formed with it to rotate within the double lugs via a spherical bearing in the direction indicated by the solid arrows in the figure, releasing the lateral relative deformation of the cargo floor and the passenger cabin floor structure. In other words, the lateral freedom provided by the oblong holes prevents the barrier wall 1 from bending and deforming with the deformation of the aircraft floor structure. When cargo obliquely impacts the barrier wall 1, generating a lateral load, and vice versa, this prevents the lateral load from being transferred to the aircraft fuselage structure to which the protective assembly 100 is connected, thereby preventing it from deforming with the barrier wall 1.

[0065] Therefore, the barrier wall 1 according to the present disclosure does not participate in the load transmission of the main structure of the aircraft fuselage, and deformation of the fuselage structure does not cause deformation of the barrier wall 1, thereby avoiding excessive constraint of the barrier wall 1 on the fuselage main structure; the load transmitted by the barrier wall 1 to the fuselage structure is also dispersed through a reasonable force transmission path, and will not have a significant impact on the main structure of the fuselage.

[0066] The shield assembly of the present invention, through the provision of improved connectors and a movable coupling, achieves an innovative design in which the shield assembly does not participate in load transmission to the main fuselage structure. This effectively prevents excessive constraint of the shield assembly on the fuselage structure during normal flight, and conversely, prevents deformation of the shield assembly from excessively affecting the aircraft fuselage structure. This improves the reliability of the arresting guard and addresses the prior art issue of loads transmitted by the shield assembly affecting the fuselage structure due to a poor force transmission path. Furthermore, the detachable coupling allows for easy installation and removal of the arresting wall, improving the maintainability of the arresting guard and the aircraft, meeting the prior art requirements for maintainability. Furthermore, the oblong hole within the coupling is resized using bushings of varying sizes, thereby adjusting the shield assembly's degrees of freedom to meet the varying degrees of freedom requirements of the arresting guard on different aircraft, enhancing the shield's versatility.

[0067] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, which are merely illustrative and non-restrictive. Those skilled in the art, guided by the present invention, may make any possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention and the scope of protection of the claims. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent variations, and modifications made to the above-described embodiments in accordance with the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention, shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A protective assembly for use in an aircraft cargo hold, comprising: a plurality of connectors, each of said connectors being fixedly attached to the aircraft fuselage structure; a retaining wall movably connected to at least a portion of the plurality of connecting members via coupling portions at a top side and a bottom side thereof; Wherein, each of the connecting parts comprises: a first lug provided on the top or bottom side of the retaining wall, wherein the first lug is provided with an oblong hole extending in a vertical direction; a second ear piece provided at the connecting member; a spherical plain bearing disposed in the second lug; and A bolt member, which passes through the joint bearing in the second ear piece and the oblong hole of the first ear piece and is capable of moving in the vertical direction in the oblong hole. In which, the retaining wall is also connected to a part of the multiple connecting parts through an auxiliary connecting part arranged on the bottom side of the retaining wall, and the auxiliary connecting part includes a third ear piece with a circular hole, a fourth ear piece with an auxiliary joint bearing, and a bolt member passing through the auxiliary joint bearing and the circular hole.

2. The protective assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The first ear piece is a double ear piece, and the second ear piece is a single ear piece. The single ear piece is inserted into the gap between the double ear pieces, and a movable gap is left between the first ear piece and the second ear piece.

3. The protection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that The connectors are simultaneously attached to the transverse and longitudinal beams of the aircraft floor.

4. The protection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting portion further includes a pair of bushings, each of the pair of bushings being configured to surround the periphery of the oblong hole of the first ear piece and extend into the oblong hole; the bolt component includes a bolt and a nut, the bolt passing through the joint bearing in the second ear piece and the oblong hole of the first ear piece, and the nut being screwed onto the end of the bolt.

5. The protection assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each of the pair of bushings is in the shape of an elongated cylinder and has a flange extending radially outward at one end thereof, wherein the pair of bushings is selected from a plurality of pairs of bushings having the same outer diameter but different inner diameters.

6. The protection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary coupling portion is provided at a middle portion of the bottom side of the retaining wall, wherein the number of the auxiliary coupling portions is no greater than two.

7. The protection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third ear piece is a double ear piece, and the fourth ear piece is a single ear piece. The single ear piece is inserted into the gap between the double ear pieces, and a movable gap is left between the third ear piece and the fourth ear piece.

8. The protection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The retaining wall includes a baffle, a plurality of columns, and a plurality of transverse reinforcements, wherein the plurality of columns are vertically attached to the baffle, and the transverse reinforcements are transversely attached to the baffle. wherein the first ear piece is located at the end of the column; And wherein the uprights and the transverse reinforcements are attached to the apron by means of gusset nuts.

9. The protection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector is integrally formed with the second tab and is attached to the aircraft fuselage structure by fasteners.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Cargo hold floor longitudinal beam and blocking wall connecting structure

    CN106672197A