Aircraft Freight Carrier Rollers for Lightweight Cargo Loading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The cargo hold of aircrafts face challenges in loading freight efficiently due to the weight and complexity of existing freight containers and conveying systems, which increase fuel consumption and require additional weight-bearing structures, leading to punctiform overloading and wear issues.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight freight carrier system with a base element featuring rolling elements or annular elements that allow for easy movement across the cargo hold floor, eliminating the need for additional conveying systems by using a conveyor belt that adapts to the freight carrier's design, ensuring secure and efficient loading and unloading without shifting during incline.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional freight containers and conveying systems are used, then cargo loading capability is achieved, but aircraft weight increases and fuel consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the conveying function from fixed cargo hold systems and relocates it to mobile freight carriers equipped with wheels. This removes the need for heavy conveying installations within the cargo hold, reducing aircraft weight while maintaining cargo loading capability. The freight carriers independently provide their own movement mechanism through integrated wheel assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
Freight carriers are designed with self-contained wheel assemblies that enable autonomous movement across the cargo hold floor. This self-service capability eliminates dependence on external conveying systems, allowing freight carriers to be moved without requiring additional aircraft infrastructure, thereby reducing overall system weight.
2Ease of operation
If wheels are added to freight containers for movement, then ease of movement is improved, but mechanical complexity and punctiform overloading increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is segmented into individual wheel assemblies, each independently mounted on the freight carrier. This segmentation allows for simpler individual components rather than a complex integrated mechanism, reducing overall mechanical complexity while maintaining ease of movement through modular, independent wheel units.
3Ease of operation
If supports with blower units are used to lift containers, then movement capability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lifting function from external support systems with blower units and replaces it with passive wheel-based movement. By removing the need for active lifting mechanisms, device complexity is significantly reduced while movement capability is maintained through the wheel assemblies that allow rolling across the cargo hold floor.
4Productivity
If conventional conveying installations are installed in cargo hold, then cargo displacement is enabled, but weight and structural requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Freight carriers perform their own conveying function through integrated wheel assemblies, eliminating the need for separate conveying installations within the cargo hold. This self-service approach enables cargo displacement without requiring additional stationary conveying infrastructure, thereby reducing the weight of stationary objects in the aircraft.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables simple and efficient loading of cargo without additional weight in the aircraft, reducing fuel consumption and minimizing wear, while allowing for easy movement and secure positioning of freight carriers within the cargo hold.
Implementation Method 1
the bearing face is provided with a multiplicity of rolling elements, wherein each of the rolling elements is rotatable about a rotation axis
Data Source
AI summary
A load carrier for an aircraft cargo hold includes a bottom element with a support surface, the load carrier being movable over a floor surface in a floor plane while the support surface faces the floor surface, the bottom element having a base surface. The support surface has rolling elements rotatable about a rotation axis oriented where a parallel to the axis runs parallel to the floor plane, and the rolling elements being retained on the bottom element where the rotation axis of each of the rolling elements can be rotated about a vertical axis running perpendicularly to the floor plane. A load carrier can include a bottom element, the support surface of which has outlet openings, through which air can exit from the support surface to form an air cushion under the support surface. A load carrier can include a bottom element the support surface of which has slider elements.