Aircraft fuselage and aircraft

Abstract

The invention relates to an aircraft fuselage and an aircraft. The aircraft fuselage comprises a front section, a rear section and a partition wall, and the partition wall defines an opening; a guide rail; a door movable across the partition between an open position in which the door is offset from the opening and a closed position in which the door covers the opening; a first roller and a second roller, each roller being rotatably secured to the door and movable on the guide rail along a respective first path and second path to move the door between an open position and a closed position. The guide rail includes a first ramp configured to engage with the first roller when the first roller moves along the first path, the first ramp configured to guide the first roller toward the partition wall, and a second ramp configured to engage with the second roller when the second roller moves along the second path, the second ramp configured to guide the second roller toward the partition wall. The second ramp is configured to guide the second roller toward the partition wall. The first roller is configured to engage the first ramp when the second roller is engaged with the second ramp to move the door toward the partition wall.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft fuselage and an aircraft comprising such an aircraft fuselage. Background Art

[0002] A bulkhead may be provided adjacent to the cargo section of a cargo aircraft, the bulkhead intended to prevent forward movement of any cargo containers in the event of an emergency landing or other incident. A door provides access through the bulkhead, wherein the door is arranged to provide a tight smoke seal at the door sill while occupying minimal space in the cargo section. The door is arranged to move laterally through the bulkhead between an open position and a closed position.

[0003] Sealing on lateral sliding doors can be achieved by using lip / brush seals that continuously brush against the sealing surface, or by compressing the seal by moving the sliding door in the longitudinal direction. Movement of the door in the longitudinal direction is usually achieved with the help of non-linear guide rails such as S-shaped guide rails and curved end guide rails.

[0004] Generally speaking, lip / brush seals are incompatible if a completely airtight and watertight seal is required through the door threshold. Also, the use of S-rails etc. may increase the required spatial envelope of the door beyond acceptable limits. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides an aircraft fuselage, the aircraft fuselage comprising: a front section and a rear section of the aircraft fuselage and a partition wall separating the front section and the rear section, wherein the partition wall defines an opening between the front section and the rear section; a guide rail attached to the partition wall; a door movable across the partition wall between an open position in which the door deviates from the opening and a closed position in which the door covers the opening; and first and second rollers, each of the first and second rollers being rotatably fixed to the door and being movable on the guide rail along corresponding first and second paths. The second path moves to move the door between the open position and the closed position; wherein the guide rail includes a first ramp and a second ramp, the first ramp being configured to engage with the first roller when the first roller moves along the first path, the first ramp being configured to guide the first roller toward the partition wall, and the second ramp being configured to engage with the second roller when the second roller moves along the second path, the second ramp being configured to guide the second roller toward the partition wall, wherein the first roller is configured to engage the first ramp when the second roller engages the second ramp to move the door toward the partition wall.

[0006] This allows the entire door to be moved towards the partition wall simultaneously so that the seals on the door / partition wall engage simultaneously across the width of the door.

[0007] A portion of the lateral extent of the first roller between the door and the partition wall may overlap with the lateral extent of the second roller.

[0008] The overlapping lateral extent of the rollers helps to minimize the space occupied by the guide rails.

[0009] The first path may be arranged such that the first roller bypasses the second ramp.

[0010] With this arrangement, the door can be held parallel / perpendicular to the partition wall until both rollers engage the respective ramps simultaneously.

[0011] The first roller and the second roller may each be retained between a first wall of the guide rail adjacent to the partition wall and a second wall laterally spaced from the first wall and adjacent to the door.

[0012] With this arrangement, the first wall defines the minimum distance of the roller from the partition wall, and the second wall defines the minimum distance of the roller from the door.

[0013] The first roller and the second roller may be held by a common first wall.

[0014] This arrangement makes better use of the available space.

[0015] The first roller and the second roller may each have a width extending parallel to the rotation axis of the respective roller, wherein the width of the second roller is greater than the width of the first roller.

[0016] With this arrangement, the first roller can be thin enough to go around the second ramp while sharing the first wall with the second roller. This can reduce the space used.

[0017] A width difference between the first roller and the second roller may be substantially the same as a height of the second slope.

[0018] This can minimize the space used by the rollers while providing space for the first roller to pass around the second ramp.

[0019] The diameter of the first roller may be greater than the diameter of the second roller.

[0020] With this arrangement, the protruding portion of the first roller due to its larger diameter can be used to engage the first roller separately from the second roller to provide separate and distinct first and second paths.

[0021] The guide rail may include a first channel defining a first path and a second channel defining a second path, wherein the first channel and the second channel are stepped.

[0022] With this arrangement, different paths can be defined by the steps between the channels. The guide rail may include: a first channel defining a direction of a first path, the first channel having a width substantially the same as a width of the first roller; and a second channel defining a direction of a second path, the second channel having a width substantially the same as a width of the second roller.

[0023] Each roller can thus be fixed in position relative to the partition wall and the door.

[0024] The guide rail may be an upper guide rail located proximate an upper end of the door.

[0025] The aircraft fuselage may include a lower rail positioned proximate a lower end of the door.

[0026] Each slope may be smoothly curved.

[0027] Each slope may include an inflection point, thereby being generally "S" shaped.

[0028] The first path and the second path may each include linear sections on both sides of a slope section where the corresponding first slope or second slope is located.

[0029] A door seal may extend around the periphery of the door and / or a partition wall seal may extend around the periphery of the opening in the partition wall for sealing the door against the partition wall.

[0030] The door can be located on the rear side of the partition wall.

[0031] The rear side of the fuselage may be a cargo section comprising one or more containers.

[0032] Partition walls may be attached to the fuselage frame.

[0033] Another aspect of the present invention provides an aircraft, comprising the aircraft fuselage according to the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 An aircraft is shown;

[0036] Figure 2 A partition wall is shown attached to the fuselage frame of an aircraft;

[0037] Figure 3 A door adjacent to a partition wall is shown in an open position;

[0038] Figure 4 The door is shown in a closed position, sealed in the opening in the partition wall;

[0039] Figure 5 Shown are the roller and seal attached to the door;

[0040] Figure 6 The upper guide rail is shown, on which the rollers of the door can move;

[0041] Figure 7 The lower guide rail is shown, on which the rollers of the door can move;

[0042] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the rollers positioned on the upper rail when the door is in the open position;

[0043] Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing the roller being located on the upper rail when the door is in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position of the door;

[0044] Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing the rollers positioned on the upper rail when the door is in the closed position;

[0045] Figure 11 An example of the profile of one of the slopes that the roller engages is shown;

[0046] Figure 12 shows a view of the upper rail viewed in the direction of travel from the open position to the closed position of the door;

[0047] Figure 13 shows a view of the upper rail viewed in the direction of travel from the closed position to the open position of the door;

[0048] Figure 14 A view showing the rollers of the lower rail;

[0049] Figure 15 showing a view of the lower rail with rollers mounted thereon;

[0050] Figure 16 A schematic diagram showing the rollers positioned on the lower rail when the door is in the open position;

[0051] Figure 17 Schematic diagram showing the rollers on the lower rail when the door is in the closed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Figure 1 An aircraft 1 is shown having a port wing 2 and a starboard wing 3. Each wing 2, 3 has a cantilever structure, the length of which extends in a generally spanwise direction from a root to a tip, the root being joined to a fuselage 4 of the aircraft.

[0053] The fuselage 4 has a longitudinal axis 19 extending in the fore-aft direction. Along the longitudinal axis 19, the fuselage 4 is defined into two or more sections 4a, 4b, 4c. Figure 1 The example shown in FIG includes a cockpit section 4a, an express section 4b (also known as an express area or an additional compartment), and a cargo section 4c. The cargo section 4c is separated from the cockpit section 4a and the express section 4b by a partition wall 20 (also known as a rigid cargo barrier - RCB), and includes one or more cargo containers 8. The partition wall 20 is a structural wall arranged to prevent the cargo container 8 from moving forward toward the partition wall 20 in the event of an emergency landing or other operational event that may cause the cargo container 8 to accelerate forward. The partition wall 20 can be formed of metal or other suitable materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP).

[0054] Figure 2 An example of a bulkhead 20 is shown. The bulkhead 20 is attached to the aircraft structure via fuselage frames 10. The fuselage frames 10 are cross members that lie in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 19 of the fuselage 4 and are arranged to support an aircraft skin (not shown) to define the cross-section of the fuselage 4. The fuselage 4 may include a plurality of fuselage frames 10 spaced apart along the longitudinal axis 19 of the fuselage 4. The fuselage frames 10 may be formed of metal or other suitable materials.

[0055] The bulkhead 20 extends across an upper portion of the fuselage frame 10. The bulkhead 20 may extend from floor level (generally represented by the longerons 11 and transverse beams 12) to the uppermost inner edge 10a of the fuselage frame 10, but it will be appreciated that the bulkhead 20 may extend across any suitable portion of the fuselage frame 10.

[0056] The partition wall 20 defines an opening 21 (see Figure 3 ), specifically defining an opening 21 between the express section 4b and the cargo section 4c. A door 25 is attached to the partition wall 20 via upper and lower rails 30a, 30b, wherein the door 25 is movable on the rails 30a, 30b. The door 25 moves in a straight line across the partition wall 20 between an open position, in which the door 25 is offset from the opening 21, and a closed position, in which the door 25 covers the opening 21.

[0057] The door 25 is arranged to seal the opening 21 in the closed position so as to prevent smoke from spreading through the opening 21 in the event of a fire in the cargo section 4c.

[0058] Figure 3 The door 25 is shown in an open position in which it is offset from the opening 21. The door 25 is preferably fully offset from the opening when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 19 of the fuselage 4, although in some examples it may be partially offset from the opening.

[0059] Figure 4The door 25 is shown in a closed position in which it completely covers the opening 21 , sealing against the partition wall 20 to prevent smoke from passing through the partition wall 20 .

[0060] The space allowed within cargo section 4c for door 25 and its mechanism (in this case, guide rails 30a, 30b) is limited in order to maximize the space available for cargo containers 8 and other similar items. For example, the available space within cargo section 4c may be less than 100 mm in the direction of longitudinal axis 19 of fuselage 4. Therefore, a system is needed that allows door 25 to adequately seal against opening 21 in bulkhead 20 while minimizing the required space and ensuring the longevity of the seals on bulkhead 20 and door 25.

[0061] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown in FIG, a partition seal 22 extends around the periphery of the opening 21 and is configured to seal against a door seal 26 extending around the periphery of the door 25 when the door 25 is in the closed position.

[0062] Figure 5 Shown is a set of fixed parts, such as Figure 6 The connecting bracket 37a shown in FIG is rotatably fixed to the roller of the door 25. The first roller 41 and the second roller 42 are arranged to move along the upper guide rail 30a, wherein the roller guard 31a helps to keep the rollers 41, 42 on the guide rail 30a (see FIG. Figure 6 ). Each roller 41, 42 is arranged to move along a respective path defined within the upper rail 30a. These paths can be considered to define the swept volume of the respective rollers 41, 42 as the door 25 moves between the open position and the closed position. Similarly, the third roller 43 and the fourth roller 44 are arranged to move along the lower rail 30b, wherein the roller guard 31b helps to retain the rollers 43, 44 on the rail 30b (see Figure 7 ).

[0063] The upper rail 30a includes a first ramp 51 configured to engage with the first roller 41 when the first roller 41 moves along the first path to change the direction of the first roller 41. Similarly, the upper rail 30a includes a second ramp 52 configured to engage with the second roller 42 when the second roller 42 moves along the second path to change the direction of the second roller 42.

[0064] In this way, when the first and second rollers 41, 42 engage the respective ramps 51, 52, the first and second ramps 51, 52 guide the door 25 towards the partition wall 20. The door seal 26 thereby seals against the partition wall seal 22.

[0065] To reduce wear on the seals 22, 26, the first and second paths are arranged to ensure that the door 25 translates perpendicularly to the partition wall 20 without rotating, thereby minimizing lateral contact between the seals 22, 26. This can be achieved by spacing the first and second rollers 41, 42 the same distance from the ramps 51, 52, so that when the second roller 42 engages the second ramp 52, the first roller 41 engages the first ramp 51. The first and second ramps 51, 52 will generally have the same profile in terms of height and slope.

[0066] Figures 8 to 10 An example is schematically shown in which rollers 41 and 42 are configured to engage corresponding ramps 51 and 52 simultaneously, while ensuring that first roller 41 bypasses second ramp 52 without contacting it. This arrangement ensures that the maximum travel of door 25 between the open and closed positions is not limited by the distance between ramps 51 and 52, while also ensuring that door 25 only translates perpendicularly to partition wall 20 and does not rotate. In other words, while moving up and down ramps 51 and 52, the plane of door 25 remains parallel to the plane of partition wall 20.

[0067] like Figure 8 As shown above, first roller 41 has a first width W1. Similarly, second roller 42 has a second width W2. Widths W1 and W2 are defined as the extent of the respective rollers 41 and 42 extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the respective rollers 41 and 42. The axis of rotation of rollers 41 and 42 is perpendicular to door 25 and partition wall 20.

[0068] The width W1 of the first roller 41 is smaller than the width W2 of the second roller. In this way, the roller assembly can be arranged so that the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 can share the common guide rail 30a, while also being able to engage with separate ramps 51, 52 without engaging with the ramps 51, 52 associated with the other roller 41, 42, i.e., the first roller 41 can bypass the second ramp 52 (e.g., Figure 9 This allows the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 to have overlapping lateral extents (i.e., lateral extents extending in the direction between the door 25 and the partition wall 20) to minimize the lateral space required for the guide rail 30a, as opposed to designs where each roller 41, 42 requires a corresponding guide rail, while also allowing additional space to accommodate the width W2 of the second roller 42, which may be required to ensure structural integrity.

[0069] In the example shown, the width of the ramps 51, 52, and in particular the width of the second ramp 52, is substantially equal to the difference in width between the first roller 41 and the second roller 42, i.e., substantially equal to W2-W1. In this case, "substantially" refers to an additional margin difference for manufacturing tolerances to avoid excessive frictional constraint between the second roller 42 and the surface of the guide rail 30a. This arrangement provides a minimum width for the guide rail 30a to ensure that the first roller 41 passes over the second ramp 52, so that the rollers 41, 42 engage in series with the respective ramps 51, 52 (as compared to FIG. Figure 9 and Figure 10 is obvious).

[0070] It will be understood that Figures 8 to 10 The chamfered profiles of the ramps 51, 52 shown in FIG are merely examples of the slopes that the ramps 51, 52 provide to move the door 25 toward the partition wall 20. Figure 11 , the ramp 51 is smoothly curved, but the same applies to the second ramp 52. In particular, the ramp 51 includes an inflection point to provide a substantially "S"-shaped ramp 51. Thus, the first path is divided into a first straight segment 38a, a second straight segment 38c, and a curved "ramp" segment 38b located between the straight segments 38a, 38c.

[0071] The guide rail 30a includes two channels 32 and 33. The first channel 32 defines a first path along which the first roller 41 can move, and the second channel 33 defines a second path along which the second roller 42 can move. The channels 32 and 33 are arranged to ensure that the rollers 41 and 42 have distinct, separate paths whose lateral extents overlap to optimize utilization of the available space while limiting undesirable lateral movement of the rollers 41 and 42, i.e., lateral movement beyond that caused by the ramps 51 and 52. The width of the first channel 32 is substantially the same as the width of the first roller 41, and the width of the second channel 33 is substantially the same as the width of the second roller 42.

[0072] In order to accommodate the separate paths for limiting the lateral movement of the rollers 41 and 42, the first channel 32 and the second channel 33 are stepped, as shown in FIG. Figure 12 and Figure 13 In particular, the surface on which the first roller 41 rolls is stepped from the surface on which the second roller 42 rolls. In this way, the rollers 41 and 42 can overlap while also independently and individually limiting the lateral movement of the rollers 41 and 42. Note that Figure 12 and Figure 13 The door 25 is shown in a closed position such that the rollers 41 , 42 have engaged with and moved over the ramps 51 , 52 .

[0073] The first channel 32 and the second channel 33 each have respective first and second walls for holding rollers 41 and 42. The first channel 32 has a first wall 34 adjacent to the partition wall 20 and a second wall 35 adjacent to the door 25. The first roller 41 can abut against the first and second walls 34, 35. The first and second walls 34, 35 are laterally offset from each other, such that a first path is defined between the first and second walls 34, 35. The first wall 34 defines the minimum distance between the first roller 41 and the partition wall 20, while the second wall 35 defines the minimum distance between the first roller 41 and the partition wall 20. Similarly, the second channel 33 has a first wall 34 adjacent to the partition wall 20 and a second wall 36 adjacent to the door 25. The second roller 42 can abut against the first and second walls 34, 36. The second roller 42 is held between the first and second walls 34, 36. The first wall 34 and the second wall 36 are laterally offset from each other such that the second path is defined between the first wall 34 and the second wall 36. The first wall 34 defines a minimum distance between the second roller 42 and the partition wall 20, and the second wall 36 defines a minimum distance between the second roller 42 and the partition wall 20. The first channel 32 and the second channel 33 may share a common first wall 34, as this minimizes the space required to accommodate the rollers 41, 42.

[0074] To provide a step 39 between the first and second channels 32, 33 while arranging the rotation axes of the rollers 41, 42 at the same height, the diameter of the first roller 41 may be larger than the diameter of the second roller 42. This allows each roller to use the same connecting bracket 37a.

[0075] It will be appreciated that the third and fourth rollers 43 and 44 and the lower rail 30b may be similarly arranged.

[0076] like Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown in FIG, the third roller 43 and the fourth roller 44 associated with the lower rail 30b can be arranged to mainly bear the lateral force of the rollers 43, 44, rather than the weight of the door 25. Therefore, the weight of the door 25 will be carried by the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 associated with the upper rail 30a.

[0077] In this case, the third roller 43 and the fourth roller 44 may have a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the door 25 and the partition wall 20 and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 .

[0078] While this example may include separate channels, such as those discussed with respect to the upper rail 30b, it will be appreciated that the orientation of the axis of rotation means that the rollers 41, 42 may alternatively or additionally be retained along their respective paths by brackets 37b which bias the rollers 41, 42 against the lower rail 30b (see FIG. Figure 14 ).

[0079] The reduced load on the third roller 43 and the fourth roller 44 means that the third roller 43 and the fourth roller 44 can be smaller than the first roller 41 and the second roller 42, and in particular, the lateral extent extending between the door 25 and the partition wall 20 is reduced. Therefore, the lateral extents of the third roller 43 and the fourth roller 44 may not need to overlap, because the lateral space required to accommodate the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 is sufficient. Figure 16 and Figure 17 As shown in the figure, Figure 16 and Figure 17 As can be seen from the open position of the door 25 ( Figure 16 ) moves to the closed position of door 25 ( Figure 17 ), including when passing over the third ramp 53 and the fourth ramp 54, respectively. It will be appreciated that the third ramp 53 and the fourth ramp 54 are arranged to cause the third roller 43 and the fourth roller 44 to move in conjunction with the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 so that the door 25 remains perpendicular to the partition wall 20 as the door 25 moves between the open position and the closed position.

[0080] When the word "or" appears, this will be understood to mean "and / or" such that the referred items are not necessarily mutually exclusive and can be used in any appropriate combination.

[0081] Although the invention has been described above with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An aircraft fuselage, comprising: a front section and a rear section of the aircraft fuselage and a partition wall separating the front section from the rear section, the partition wall defining an opening between the front section and the rear section; a guide rail attached to the partition wall; a door movable across the partition wall between an open position in which the door is offset from the opening and a closed position in which the door covers the opening; a first roller and a second roller, each of the first roller and the second roller being rotatably fixed to the door and movable along respective first and second paths on the guide rail to move the door between the open position and the closed position; The guide rail includes a first ramp and a second ramp, the first ramp is configured to engage with the first roller when the first roller moves along the first path, the first ramp is configured to guide the first roller toward the partition wall, and the second ramp is configured to engage with the second roller when the second roller moves along the second path, the second ramp is configured to guide the second roller toward the partition wall, Wherein, the first roller is configured to engage the first ramp when the second roller engages the second ramp to move the door toward the partition wall.

2. The aircraft fuselage according to claim 1, wherein: A portion of the lateral extent of the first roller between the door and the partition wall overlaps with the lateral extent of the second roller.

3. An aircraft fuselage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first path is arranged such that the first roller bypasses the second ramp.

4. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The first roller and the second roller are each retained between a first wall of the guide rail adjacent to the partition wall and a second wall laterally spaced from the first wall and adjacent to the door.

5. The aircraft fuselage according to claim 4, wherein: The first roller and the second roller are held by a common first wall.

6. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The first roller and the second roller each have a width extending parallel to the rotation axis of the corresponding roller, wherein the width of the second roller is greater than the width of the first roller.

7. The aircraft fuselage according to claim 6, wherein: A width difference between the first roller and the second roller is substantially the same as a height of the second slope.

8. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The diameter of the first roller is greater than the diameter of the second roller.

9. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The guide rail includes a first channel defining the first path and a second channel defining the second path, wherein the first channel and the second channel are stepped.

10. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The guide rail includes: a first channel, the first channel defines the direction of the first path, the width of the first channel is substantially the same as the width of the first roller; and a second channel, the second channel defines the direction of the second path, the width of the second channel is substantially the same as the width of the second roller.

11. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The guide rail is an upper guide rail located near the upper end of the door.

12. An aircraft fuselage according to claim 11, including a lower rail located proximate a lower end of the door.

13. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: Each slope is smoothly curved.

14. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: Each slope includes an inflection point, thereby generally forming an "S" shape.

15. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The first path and the second path each include linear segments located on both sides of a slope segment where the first slope or the second slope is located.

16. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: A door seal extends around the periphery of the door and / or a partition wall seal extends around the periphery of the opening in the partition wall for sealing the door against the partition wall.

17. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The door is located at the rear side of the partition wall.

18. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The rear side of the fuselage is a cargo section including one or more containers.

19. An aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim, wherein: The partition walls are attached to the fuselage frame.

20. An aircraft comprising an aircraft fuselage according to any preceding claim.

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