Releasable Cargo Hold Floor Elements for Gas-Tight Bulk Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft cargo holds face challenges in accommodating both cargo containers and bulk loading without compromising the gas-tight seal, as existing systems either occupy space or require complex modifications.
Innovation Solution
A cargo hold component system featuring releasable floor elements that can be fixed or removed to adapt to different loading configurations, ensuring the hold remains gas-tight during both cargo container loading and bulk loading, with elements like roller conveyors, ball mats, and loading hatch locks that secure cargo and maintain seal integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If floor elements are installed in the cargo hold to support cargo container loading, then cargo container loading capability is improved, but available space for bulk loading is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The floor elements are designed to be releasably fixable to the hold floor, allowing them to be installed when cargo container loading is needed and removed when bulk loading is required. This dynamic configuration enables the cargo hold to adapt between different loading modes, resolving the contradiction between having fixed support structures for containers and maintaining open space for bulk cargo.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor elements are divided into separate, removable components that can be independently installed or removed from the hold floor. This segmentation allows the cargo hold to be reconfigured for different loading types without permanent modifications, enabling both cargo container support and bulk loading capability through selective deployment of floor elements.
2Volume of stationary object
If floor elements are removed from the cargo hold for bulk loading, then available space is improved, but structural support for cargo containers is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The releasable fixing mechanism allows floor elements to be dynamically installed or removed based on loading requirements. When cargo container loading is needed, the floor elements are fixed to provide structural support; when bulk loading is required, they are removed to maximize space. This dynamic system resolves the contradiction between having structural support and maintaining available space.
3Adaptability or versatility
If floor elements are made removable to enable bulk loading, then adaptability is improved, but seal integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The floor elements are designed as separate, removable components with dedicated fixing mechanisms that do not compromise the hold floor's seal integrity. The fixing elements can be attached or detached without affecting the gas-tight sealing of the hold floor itself, allowing flexible configuration while maintaining seal reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing elements act as intermediaries between the floor elements and the hold floor. These intermediaries provide the necessary mechanical attachment for floor elements while preserving the gas-tight seal integrity of the hold floor structure, enabling removable flooring without compromising sealing reliability.
4Strength
If floor elements are fixed permanently to support cargo containers, then structural support is improved, but weight reduction capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The releasable fixing mechanism allows floor elements to be permanently fixed when cargo container loading is required to provide structural support, and removed when not needed to reduce aircraft weight. This dynamic attachment system resolves the contradiction between having permanent structural support and achieving weight reduction for fuel efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor elements can be removed from the aircraft when not needed for cargo container loading, reducing weight during flights dedicated to bulk loading or passenger operations. The same floor elements can be reinstalled when cargo container loading is required, providing a reusable system that alternates between providing structural support and reducing weight.
Data Source
AI summary
A cargo hold component system for a cargo hold of an aircraft, the cargo hold component system including floor elements and fixing elements. The floor elements can at least partially be fixed releasably by the fixing elements to fixing sites provided on or in the hold floor, such that in a state fixed to the fixing sites, the floor elements support a loading of the hold with cargo containers, and that in a state in which a first group of the floor elements has been removed from the fixing sites by release of the fixing elements and a second group of the floor elements has been partially removed from the fixing sites by release of the fixing elements, the hold is sealed gas-tightly.