Aircraft Cargo Handling Module with Segmented Conveyor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Narrowbody aircraft lack efficient systems for loading and unloading cargo, such as pallets and loose luggage, due to design constraints, leading to manual handling that is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and poses health risks to ground staff, resulting in extended downtimes and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A freight management system comprising a conveyor device outside the cargo hold, a freight transfer module with lightweight components, and an intermediate conveyor device inside the hold, which allows for automated or partially automated loading and unloading of pallets and loose cargo using container-like containers that can release contents during turbulence to prevent damage to the aircraft structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling is used for loading and unloading cargo in narrowbody aircraft, then labor flexibility is maintained, but loading and unloading time increases significantly and ground staff health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo handling system is divided into multiple independent modules: a conveyor device positioned outside the cargo hold, a transfer module with alignment mechanisms at the cargo hold entrance, and an intermediate conveyor inside the cargo hold. This segmentation allows each module to perform a specific function, improving overall loading efficiency while keeping individual components relatively simple and adaptable to narrowbody aircraft constraints.
2Productivity
If automated conveyor systems are installed in narrowbody aircraft cargo holds, then loading and unloading efficiency improves, but the aircraft design complexity and certification requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediate conveyor device that operates within the cargo hold to bridge the gap between the transfer module at the entrance and the final cargo positioning locations. This intermediary component enables automated cargo handling in narrowbody aircraft without requiring fundamental redesign of the aircraft structure, thereby maintaining compatibility with existing aircraft designs while improving loading efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If ground staff manually arrange cargo in the cargo hold, then cargo placement flexibility is achieved, but personnel effort and health burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs alignment mechanisms integrated into the transfer module that automatically orient and position cargo items as they are transferred from the external conveyor to the intermediate conveyor inside the cargo hold. This self-alignment capability reduces the need for manual cargo arrangement while maintaining placement flexibility, thereby decreasing loading time and reducing ground staff effort and health risks.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a cargo management system for loading and unloading cargo (C) into and out of a cargo area of a mobile object (1), wherein loose piece goods can be provided individually or collectively in a container-type receptacle (3). The cargo management system consists of a conveying device (5) arranged outside the cargo area, a cargo transfer module (7) arranged in an inlet region of the cargo area of the mobile object (1), and an intermediate conveying device (9) arranged downstream of the cargo transfer module (7) in the cargo area.