Aircraft, actuation system for cargo door of aircraft, and method of opening cargo door of aircraft

Abstract

The invention relates to an aircraft, an actuation system for a cargo door of an aircraft and a method of opening a cargo door of an aircraft. The aircraft comprises: a body having an opening to a cargo compartment; and a cargo door covering the opening when it is in the closed position. The cargo door is rotated outwardly from a closed position to a first open position with a first actuator. Then, in a first open position, the actuator rod is mounted by coupling a first end of the actuator rod to the body and a second end of the actuator rod to the cargo door. Then, by increasing the distance between the first end and the second end of the actuator rod, the cargo door is rotated outwardly from the first open position to the second open position with the actuator rod.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an actuation system for a cargo door of an aircraft, a method for opening a cargo door of an aircraft, and an aircraft having a cargo door and an associated actuation system. Background Art

[0002] US6457675B1 discloses a door actuation system for an outwardly opening cargo door. The cargo door is operable to open to two positions: a canopy position in which the cargo door is generally open, thereby providing an overhang above the door opening; and a fully open position in which the cargo door is substantially vertical to maximize the cargo opening. Summary of the invention

[0003] A first aspect of the present invention provides an aircraft, which includes: a body having an opening leading to a cargo compartment; a cargo door configured to rotate about a hinge line; a first actuator connected to the cargo door at a first position, wherein the first actuator is configured to rotate the cargo door outward from a closed position to a first open position, in which the cargo door covers the opening; a first rod connection feature, which is located in the body and configured to connect a first end of an actuator rod to the body; and a second rod connection feature, which is positioned at a second position in the cargo door, wherein the second rod connection feature is configured to connect a second end of the actuator rod to the cargo door at the second position, and the second position is positioned farther away from the hinge line than the first position.

[0004] Optionally, the aircraft further comprises a footrest, on which a person can step when the cargo door is in the first open position.

[0005] Optionally, the footrest is movable relative to the body between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.

[0006] Optionally, the first rod coupling feature comprises one or more fastener holes in the body.

[0007] Optionally, the second rod coupling feature comprises one or more fastener holes in the cargo door.

[0008] Optionally, the aircraft further includes an actuator rod configured to rotate the cargo door outward from the first open position to the second open position by increasing a distance between a first end and a second end of the actuator rod, wherein the actuator rod has a first end configured to couple to the first rod coupling feature and a second end configured to couple to the second rod coupling feature.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention provides an actuation system for a cargo door of an aircraft, wherein the cargo door covers an opening to a cargo compartment when the cargo door is in a closed position and is configured to rotate about a hinge line, the actuation system comprising: a first actuator configured to rotate the cargo door outward from a closed position to a first open position, wherein the first actuator is connected to the cargo door at the first position; and an actuator rod configured to rotate the cargo door outward from the first open position to a second open position by increasing the distance between a first end and a second end of the actuator rod, wherein the actuator rod is connected to the cargo door at a second position and the second position is positioned farther away from the hinge line than the first position.

[0010] Optionally, the first actuator is configured to receive power from a first power source, the first actuator can use the first power source to rotate the cargo door, and the actuator rod is configured to receive power from a second power source, the actuator rod can use the second power source to rotate the cargo door.

[0011] Optionally, the first actuator is configured to rotate the cargo door outwardly more than 40 degrees, more than 50 degrees, or more than 60 degrees from the closed position to the first open position.

[0012] Optionally, the cargo door rotates more than 30 degrees or more than 40 degrees from the first open position to the second open position.

[0013] Optionally, the total rotation from the closed position to the second open position exceeds 100 degrees or exceeds 110 degrees.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for opening a cargo door of an aircraft, the aircraft comprising: a body having an opening leading to a cargo compartment; and a cargo door covering the opening when the cargo door is in a closed position, the method comprising: rotating the cargo door outward from a closed position to a first open position using a first actuator; then installing an actuator rod by connecting a first end of the actuator rod to the body and connecting a second end of the actuator rod to the cargo door in the first open position; and then rotating the cargo door outward from the first open position to a second open position using the actuator rod by increasing a distance between the first end and the second end of the actuator rod.

[0015] Optionally, the method further comprises disconnecting the first actuator from the cargo door after the first actuator has been used to rotate the cargo door outwardly to the first open position and before rotating the cargo door using the actuator rod.

[0016] Optionally, the first actuator and the actuator rod receive power from different and independent power sources.

[0017] Optionally, the first actuator receives power from a first power source and the actuator rod receives power from a second power source.

[0018] Optionally, the first power source is onboard the aircraft and the second power source is not onboard the aircraft.

[0019] Optionally, the cargo door rotates more than 40 degrees from the closed position to the first open position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 It is a plan view of a cargo aircraft;

[0022] Figure 2 is an isometric view showing the cargo door in the canopy position;

[0023] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cargo door in the canopy position;

[0024] Figure 4 The first actuator is shown in detail;

[0025] Figure 5 The footrest is shown in a deployed configuration;

[0026] Figure 6 The footrest is shown in a folded configuration;

[0027] Figure 7 showing the cargo door in a second open position, wherein the gas strut and the actuation lever are shown;

[0028] Figure 8 showing the cargo door in a second open position wherein the gas strut and actuating rod are omitted so that the fastener holes are visible;

[0029] Fig. 9 The fastener holes in the door frame of the fuselage are shown;

[0030] Fig.10 A first bracket is shown attached to the fuselage;

[0031] Fig.11 showing a junction between a first end of the actuator rod and the fuselage;

[0032] Fig.12 The fastener holes in the interior side of the cargo door are shown;

[0033] Fig.13 A second bracket is shown attached to the cargo door;

[0034] Fig.14 showing an engagement between the second end of the actuator rod and the cargo door;

[0035] Fig.15 showing the cargo door in a second open position wherein the cargo is partially removed;

[0036] Fig.16 The cargo door is shown in a second open position, wherein Figure 7 In contrast, the gas strut and the actuation rod are attached in a different manner;

[0037] Fig.17 The fastener holes in the fuselage are shown;

[0038] Fig.18 A first bracket is shown attached to the fuselage;

[0039] Fig.19 showing a junction between a first end of the actuator rod and the fuselage;

[0040] Fig. 20 The fastener holes in the edge of the cargo door are shown;

[0041] Fig.21 A second bracket is shown attached to the cargo door; and

[0042] Fig. 22 The engagement between the second end of the actuator rod and the cargo door is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following embodiments facilitate wide opening of an aircraft cargo door while also reducing stress on the remainder of the aircraft. A first actuator carried by the aircraft in flight is configured to rotate the cargo door outward. The aircraft also has a rod coupling feature, such as a fastener hole, carried by the aircraft in flight. If the cargo door needs to be opened more widely, such as after an emergency landing, the rod coupling feature can be used to couple the actuator rod to the aircraft.

[0044] Figure 1 The cargo aircraft 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a fuselage 2 and a pair of wings 3. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the fuselage 2 has an opening 10 leading to a cargo compartment 11. The cargo door 13 is located in the Figure 1 The closed position shown in FIG. 1 covers the opening 10 .

[0045] The actuation system is configured to open the cargo door so that the cargo 20 (at Figure 2 and Figure 3 ) can be loaded into or unloaded from the cargo hold 11.

[0046] The actuation system includes Figure 4The first actuator 30 is configured to move the cargo door 13 from Figure 1 Rotate outwards to the closed position Figures 2 to 4 In the first open position shown in FIG. 1 , in the closed position, the cargo door 13 covers the opening 10. The cargo door 13 is configured to rotate about a hinge pin that defines a Figure 4 The hinge line 15 is shown in FIG.

[0047] Figures 2 to 4 The first open position of the cargo door is conventionally referred to as a "canopy position" which provides an overhang above the opening 10. The term "canopy position" will be used below to refer to the first open position. Typically, the cargo door is rotated more than 40 degrees, more than 50 degrees, or more than 60 degrees from the closed position to the first open position. By way of example, the cargo door can rotate about 70 degrees between the closed position and the canopy position.

[0048] The first actuator 30 includes Figure 4 The rotary actuator 31 is mounted to the fuselage 2 and has a crank arm 32 pivotally connected to a link 33, which is pivotally coupled to the cargo door 13 at a first position near the hinge line 15 by a pivot pin 34. The rotary actuator 31 is configured to rotate from Figure 4 The first actuator 30 uses the power to rotate the cargo door 13. The power source 35 may be carried by the aircraft or not (e.g., the power source 35 may be a ground power unit). The rotary actuator 31 rotates the crank arm 32, which rotates the cargo door 13 about the hinge line 15.

[0049] The first actuator 30 is controlled by a first control signal from a control unit 36. The control unit 36 ​​may or may not be carried by the aircraft (eg, the control unit 36 ​​may be part of a ground power unit).

[0050] During normal operation of the aircraft 1, the cargo 20 may be loaded or unloaded by dedicated equipment which does not collide with the cargo door 13 when the cargo door 13 is in the canopy position. In an emergency, the aircraft may land at an airport where such dedicated equipment is not available, where a forklift must be used instead. There is a risk that the forklift will collide with the cargo door 13 when the cargo door 13 is in the canopy position.

[0051] A solution to avoid such a collision would be to use a larger actuator capable of opening the cargo door further beyond the canopy position, such as the actuator disclosed in US6457675B1. The disadvantage of this solution is that such an actuator may be heavier and it may be incompatible with the cargo door. Figure 4 The crossbar 36 shown in FIG.

[0052] The following method is used to open the cargo door 13 beyond the canopy position without modifying the first actuator 30 or removing the lintel 36 .

[0053] In a first step, the cargo door 13 is rotated outwardly from the closed position to the canopy position by the first actuator 30 .

[0054] Next, the operator 51 will Figure 7 The gas strut 50 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted at the front edge of the cargo door.

[0055] During the installation process, the operator 51 Figure 2 and Figure 3 The forklift 40 shown in FIG. 1 is lifted to the desired location.

[0056] The aircraft includes a footrest 35 on which the operator 51 can step when the cargo door 13 is in the canopy position. Figure 2 As shown in .

[0057] The footrest 35 can be arranged relative to the fuselage. Figure 2 By way of example, the footrest 35 may have Figure 5 and Figure 6 The footrest 35 has a Z-shaped profile as shown in FIG. 3 , and has three parts 35a, 35b, 35c that can be folded around a hinge. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the footrest 35 is in the extended (expanded) configuration, and in Figure 6 In the embodiment, the footrest 35 is in a retracted (folded) configuration. The footrest 35 may be mounted on a sliding support so that the footrest 35 can slide away from the opening 10 when not in use.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, instead of providing a footrest 35 permanently carried by the aircraft, the operator 51 may bring a separate footrest to the aircraft, the separate footrest being mounted to the fuselage 2 .

[0059] Optionally, the operator 51 can Figure 3 The wiring harness shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the cargo door and forklift 40 to provide a further safety feature.

[0060] The gas strut 50 is a passive device designed to support half of the weight of the cargo door 13 without actively driving the rotation of the cargo door. In other words, the gas strut 50 is not an actuator. The gas strut 50 is installed by coupling a first end of the gas strut to the fuselage 2 and a second end of the gas strut to the cargo door 13. The gas strut 50 is in balance with the weight of the cargo door.

[0061] In the next step, the cargo door 13 is installed by coupling the first (lower) end of the actuator rod 60 to the fuselage 2 and the second (upper) end of the actuator rod 60 to the rear edge of the cargo door 13. Figure 7 The actuator rod 60 is shown in FIG.

[0062] A first rod coupling feature (in this case, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The fastener holes 70 are configured to couple the first (lower) end of the actuator rod 60 to the fuselage 2, such as a set of four fastener holes 70 shown in FIG. Fig.11 As shown in .

[0063] The actuator rod 60 includes Fig.11 The first end of the actuator rod is connected to the fuselage 2 in the following manner: Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , the bracket 62 is attached to the fuselage using fasteners 65 passing through the bracket 62 and the fastener holes 70; then as shown in FIG. Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 6 , the rod body 61 a is coupled to the bracket 62 by passing a clevis pin 64 through the clevis 63 and the lower end portion of the rod body 61 a.

[0064] Similar means may be provided in the fuselage at the front edge of the opening 10 to couple the first (lower) end of the gas strut 50 to the fuselage 2 .

[0065] Alternatively, bracket 62 may be replaced by an alternative bracket that provides a ball and socket joint rather than a pin joint.

[0066] Optionally, fastener hole 70 may be replaced by a temporary insert such as a HI-LITE TM A temporary insert is provided to seal against a pin, blind rivet or grommet, the temporary insert being removed prior to inserting the fastener 65.

[0067] In this example, the first rod coupling feature is a set of fastener holes 70. In other examples, the first rod coupling feature may take a different form, for example, the first rod coupling feature may include a reinforcing socket into which the first (lower) end of the actuator rod 60 is inserted to couple the actuator rod 60 to the fuselage 2.

[0068] A second rod coupling feature (in this case, Figure 8 and Fig.12 The fastener holes 80 are configured to couple the second (upper) end of the actuator rod 60 to the cargo door 13, such as a set of four fastener holes 80 shown in FIG. Fig.14The actuator rod 60 includes Fig.14 The actuator arm 61b is shown in FIG. 1 and a second bracket 82 having a clevis 83 and a clevis pin 84. The second (upper) end of the actuator rod is coupled to the cargo door 13 in the following manner: Fig.13 As shown in , the bracket 82 is attached to the cargo door using fasteners 85 passing through the bracket 82 and the fastener holes 80; then as Fig.14 As shown in FIG. 8 , the actuator arm 61 b ​​is coupled to the bracket 82 by passing a clevis pin 84 through the clevis 83 and the upper end of the actuator arm 61 b.

[0069] Similar means may be provided in the front edge of the cargo door to couple the second (upper) end of the gas strut 50 to the cargo door.

[0070] Alternatively, bracket 82 may be replaced by an alternative bracket that provides a ball and socket joint rather than a pin joint.

[0071] Optionally, fastener hole 80 may be replaced by a temporary insert such as a HI-LITE TM pin, blind rivet or grommet) seal, the temporary insert being removed prior to inserting the fastener 85.

[0072] In this example, the second rod coupling feature is a set of fastener holes 80. In other examples, the second rod coupling feature may take a different form, for example, the second rod coupling feature may include a reinforced socket into which the second (upper) end of the actuator rod 60 is inserted to couple the actuator rod 60 to the cargo door.

[0073] Figure 7 The symmetrical arrangement shown in FIG. 1 , in which a pair of rods 50 , 60 supports the cargo door 13 at its front and rear edges, avoids twisting of the cargo door 13 .

[0074] In this example, the actuator rod 60 is located at the front edge of the cargo door and the gas strut 50 is located at the rear edge. This arrangement can be reversed if desired.

[0075] like Fig.15 As shown in FIG. 5 , the second lever coupling feature (ie, a set of fastener holes 80) is positioned at a second location 33 that is further away from the hinge line 15 than the first location of the pivot pin 34. This enables the operator 51 to easily access the fastener holes 80.

[0076] Next, the operator 51 disconnects the first actuator 30 from the cargo door 13. The first actuator 30 may be disconnected by removing the pivot pin 34 to disconnect the link 33 from the cargo door 13, or by disconnecting the link 33 from the crank arm 32, or by disconnecting the crank arm 32 from the rotary actuator 31. Both rods 50, 60 now support the full weight of the cargo door.

[0077] In other embodiments, the first actuator 30 may not need to be disconnected from the cargo door 13 .

[0078] In the next step, Fig.15 A ground power unit (GPU) 90 , shown schematically in FIG. 9 , is coupled to the actuator rod 60 .

[0079] The GPU 90 is then operated to provide power to the actuator rod 60, causing the actuator rod 60 to further rotate the cargo door 13 outward from the canopy position to the rear. Figure 7 and Fig.15 , in which the cargo door is generally upright.

[0080] The actuator rod 60 may be controlled by a second control signal from a second control unit 91. The second control unit 91 may or may not be carried by the aircraft (in which case the second control unit 91 is part of the GPU 90).

[0081] In the second open position, the cargo door 13 is raised high enough to avoid any risk of collision with a forklift 40 or a larger forklift with a higher mast that may need to unload the cargo. Typically, the cargo door rotates more than 30 degrees or more than 40 degrees from the first open position to the second open position.

[0082] Typically, the total rotation from the closed position to the second open position is greater than 100 degrees or greater than 110 degrees.

[0083] By way of example, the cargo door may rotate approximately 53 degrees between the canopy position and the second open position, for a total rotation of approximately 123 degrees.

[0084] Optionally, the actuator rod 60 may have a stroke length that is large enough to open the cargo door 13 further than Fig.15 The second position allows access to the cargo hold from above by crane.

[0085] The first actuator 30 is unable to rotate the cargo door to the second open position because the crank arm 32 or the connecting rod 33 may be in contact with the cargo door. Figure 4In this example, the first actuator 30 is actively decoupled from the cargo door before the actuator rod 60 is operated to avoid such a collision.

[0086] The actuator rod 60 is a linear actuator that rotates the cargo door by increasing the distance between the first end and the second end of the actuator rod 60. In this example, the actuator rod 60 is a screw jack powered by electricity from the GPU 90. In other examples, the actuator rod 60 may be a hydraulic jack driven by a hydraulic power source, or the actuator rod 60 may be manually powered by the operator 51.

[0087] The distance of the second position 33 from the hinge line 15 is selected based on the length of the actuator rod 60 and the power that can be transmitted by the GPU 90.

[0088] The actuators 30 , 60 are configured to receive power from different and independent power sources 35 , 90 , although in other embodiments, the actuators 30 , 60 may receive power from the same power source.

[0089] The actuators 30, 60 are configured to be controlled independently of each other. That is, the first actuator 30 is configured to be controlled by a first control signal and the actuator rod 60 is configured to be controlled by a different second control signal. The first control signal and the second control signal can be generated by different control units 36, 91 or by a common control unit.

[0090] The actuator rod 60 is typically powered by a power source not carried by the aircraft, such as the GPU 90. This is beneficial because after an emergency landing, the aircraft may have damaged landing gear and it may be advisable not to use the aircraft systems. In addition, it eliminates the need to design a connection in the aircraft to transfer power to the actuator rod 60 - such a connection adds complexity and weight.

[0091] Neither the gas strut 50 nor the actuator rod 60 are carried by the aircraft in flight. This minimizes the weight of the aircraft in flight. After the emergency landing, the operator 51 travels to the airport carrying the rods 50, 60 and any other equipment required to open the cargo door and remove the cargo.

[0092] Figures 16 to 22 An alternative embodiment is shown in which the fastener holes 70, 80 are in different locations. All other aspects are the same as the previous embodiment and will not be described again.

[0093] exist Fig. 9 In the case of a door frame, a fastener hole 70 is provided in the front face of the door frame at the rear edge of the opening 10. Fig.17 In this case, the fastener hole 70 is provided in the outer face of the fuselage 2 at the rear edge of the opening 10 .

[0094] exist Fig.12 In the case of , the fastener holes 80 are provided in the interior face of the cargo door. Fig. 20 In the case of , the fastener hole 80 is provided in the outer edge of the cargo door 13. Note that Figure 20 to Figure 22 A coupling arrangement is shown at the upper end of a gas strut 50 at the front edge of the cargo door. A similar arrangement may be provided for the actuator rod 60 at the rear edge of the cargo door.

[0095] Note that Fig. 20 In the example of FIG. 1 , there are only two fastener holes 80, rather than Fig.12 The number of holes can vary from 1 to 10 depending on the weight of the cargo door, wind conditions and the availability of standard equipment on the market.

[0096] When the word "or" appears, this will be interpreted as meaning "and / or" such that the referred items are not necessarily mutually exclusive and can be used in any appropriate combination.

[0097] 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, comprising: a body having an opening leading to the cargo compartment; a cargo door configured to rotate about a hinge line; A first actuator, the first actuator being coupled to the cargo door at a first position, wherein the first actuator is configured to rotate the cargo door outward from a closed position to a first open position, in which the cargo door covers the opening; a first rod coupling feature, the first rod coupling feature being located in the body and configured to couple a first end of an actuator rod to the body; and a second rod coupling feature, the second rod coupling feature being located at a second position in the cargo door, wherein the second rod coupling feature is configured to couple a second end of the actuator rod to the cargo door at the second position, and the second position is located further away from the hinge line than the first position. 2 . The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a footrest that is steppable when the cargo door is in the first open position.

3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein: The footrest is movable relative to the body between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration.

4. An aircraft according to any preceding claim, wherein: The first rod coupling feature includes one or more fastener holes in the body.

5. An aircraft according to any preceding claim, wherein: The second rod coupling feature includes one or more fastener holes in the cargo door.

6. The aircraft of any preceding claim, further comprising an actuator rod configured to rotate the cargo door outwardly from the first open position to a second open position by increasing the distance between the first end and the second end of the actuator rod, wherein The actuator stem has a first end configured to couple to the first stem coupling feature and a second end configured to couple to the second stem coupling feature.

7. An aircraft according to any preceding claim, wherein: The first actuator is configured to rotate the cargo door outward more than 40 degrees from the closed position to the first open position.

8. An actuation system for a cargo door of an aircraft, wherein: The cargo door covers an opening to the cargo compartment when the cargo door is in a closed position and the cargo door is configured to rotate about a hinge line, and the actuation system includes: a first actuator, the first actuator being configured to rotate the cargo door outward from the closed position to a first open position, wherein the first actuator is coupled to the cargo door at a first position; and an actuator rod, the actuator rod being configured to rotate the cargo door outward from the first open position to a second open position by increasing a distance between a first end and a second end of the actuator rod, wherein the actuator rod is coupled to the cargo door at a second position and the second position is positioned farther away from the hinge line than the first position.

9. The actuation system according to claim 8, wherein: The first actuator is configured to receive power from a first power source, the first actuator being able to use the first power source to rotate the cargo door, and the actuator rod is configured to receive power from a second power source, the actuator rod being able to use the second power source to rotate the cargo door.

10. A method of opening a cargo door of an aircraft, the aircraft comprising: a body having an opening leading to the cargo compartment; and a cargo door that covers the opening when the cargo door is in a closed position, the method comprising: rotating the cargo door outward from the closed position to a first open position using a first actuator; then installing the actuator rod by coupling a first end of the actuator rod to the body and coupling a second end of the actuator rod to the cargo door in the first open position; and then rotating the cargo door outward from the first open position to a second open position using the actuator rod by increasing a distance between the first end and the second end of the actuator rod.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising disconnecting the first actuator from the cargo door after the first actuator has been used to rotate the cargo door outwardly to the first open position and before rotating the cargo door using the actuator rod.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The first actuator and the actuator rod receive power from different and independent power sources.

13. The method according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein: The first actuator receives power from a first power source and the actuator rod receives power from a second power source.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The first power source is onboard the aircraft and the second power source is not onboard the aircraft.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein: The cargo door rotates more than 40 degrees from the closed position to the first open position.

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