Flexible Aircraft Cargo Container with Loadbearing Structure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional goods containers for aircraft loading spaces, made of hard materials, cannot be placed against the aircraft walls without generating torsion forces, leading to suboptimal use of space and potential wear issues.

Innovation Solution

A goods container with soft sidewalls and a bottom made of non-self-supporting material, supported by a loadbearing structure, allowing it to abut aircraft walls without generating torsion forces and featuring a collapsible design for efficient storage and deployment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If hard material containers are used, then structural strength is improved, but space utilization deteriorates due to required distance from aircraft walls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidloading space utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible sidewalls made of non-self-supporting material that can conform to the aircraft body contours, eliminating the rigid clearance requirements while maintaining structural integrity through the flexible nature of the walls

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The container transitions from a rigid static structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can adapt its shape and position, allowing it to abut against aircraft walls without generating harmful torsion forces while maximizing space utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If soft non-self-supporting material is used for sidewalls, then space utilization and wear resistance are improved, but structural strength deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveloading space utilizationVSAvoidstructural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite structure combining non-self-supporting flexible material with a loadbearing framework, where the flexible material provides wear resistance and space adaptability while the framework provides the necessary structural strength and rigidity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The container is divided into functional segments: the flexible sidewalls made of non-self-supporting material for wear resistance and adaptability, and a separate loadbearing structure for structural support, allowing each component to optimize its specific function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Volume of moving object

If collapsible configuration is implemented, then storage space when not in use is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage space when not in useVSAvoidcontainer structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container incorporates collapsible and expandable mechanisms that allow it to transition between a functional expanded state for cargo storage and a compact collapsed state for storage, with the flexible non-self-supporting material enabling this dynamic transformation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The collapsible design allows the container walls and structure to nest within each other when collapsed, minimizing the storage volume required while maintaining the full functional volume when expanded for cargo transport

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP2137085B1Container for goods
Publication Date: 2014.11.12 CROSSBORDER AERO TECH
  • EP2137085B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2137085B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2137085B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a goods container for loading spaces in vehicles, preferably in aircraft, which goods container comprises at least one goods storage space for the loading, storage, transport and unloading of goods. With a view to achieving a goods container which allows optimum utilisation of the loading space of a vehicle, preferably of an aircraft, the goods container has at least one sidewall (1, 2, 3 and 4), a bottom (5) and a top (6) made of non-self-supporting material which delineate the goods storage space, and also a loadbearing structure (7) which maintains the sidewalls, the bottom and the top made of non-self-supporting material so that they delineate said goods storage space, and the non-self-supporting material is disposed in the bottom (5) of the goods container in at least two, preferably three or four, layers.