Flexible connection between the floor structure and the hull structure of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046845-B2
Application number	US-201514725551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure herein relates to a part of an aircraft structure including a portion of a floor structure and a portion of a hull structure, connected to one another by a connecting element. In accordance with, the disclosure herein the connecting element includes a flexible cable fixed at one of the ends thereof to the portion of a floor structure and fixed at the other, second of the ends thereof to the portion of a hull structure. When the connection between the portion of a floor structure and the portion of a hull structure is subjected to tensile load, the flexible cable makes it possible to meet the standards of resistance to forward accelerations of the aircraft. When the connection is subjected to compressive load, the flexible cable relaxes and bends, which limits the requirements of withstanding compressive stresses and therefore the weight of the connecting element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A part of an aircraft structure comprising:
a portion of a floor structure and a portion of a hull structure;
a connecting element comprising a flexible cable having a first end fixed to the portion of a floor structure and a second end fixed to the portion of a hull structure; and
a pre-tensioning device configured to continuously tension the flexible cable, wherein the pre-tensioning device comprises:
a first stop element protruding on the flexible cable at one of the ends of the flexible cable;
a second stop element, which is mounted fixedly relative to the portion of a floor structure or the portion of a hull structure, and which is provided with an opening through which the flexible cable extends; and
a pre-tensioning force element disposed between the first stop element and the second stop element,

wherein the portion of a floor structure is connected to the portion of a hull structure by the connecting element, and
wherein the flexible cable extends in a plane substantially horizontal to a direction of flight.

2. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible cable is disposed at an angle between the portion of a floor structure and the portion of a hull structure.

3. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible cable is fixed to an external rail of the portion of a floor structure.

4. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible cable is fixed to a frame and a skin of the portion of a hull structure by a coupling part.

5. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible cable has a rigidity less than 1000 N·m −1 .

6. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-tensioning force element comprises
a compression coil spring mounted concentrically with the flexible cable.

7. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-tensioning force element comprises
a spring washer mounted concentrically with the cable.

8. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first stop element is screwed around the flexible cable, on a thread of the flexible cable, and wherein the pre-tensioning force element comprises
a spacer, a pre-tensioning force applied to the flexible cable being adjustable by an adjustment of the position of the first stop element on the thread of the flexible cable.

9. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-tensioning device is configured to apply to the flexible cable a pre-tensioning force between 1050 N and 1150 N.

10. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the flexible cable is inserted into an opening formed in an intermediate part fixed to one from the portion of a hull structure and the portion of a floor structure, the flexible cable being secured to the intermediate part by two nuts positioned around the flexible cable on either side of the opening.

11. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the flexible cable is pressed against the base of an indentation in an intermediate part by a clip extending transversely to the cable end, the clip being fixed on either side of the flexible cable to one from the portion of a hull structure and the portion of a floor structure.

12. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the flexible cable is pressed against an inner face of an orifice formed in an intermediate part, by a clip extending transversely to the flexible cable, the clip being fixed on one single side of the flexible cable to one from the portion of a hull structure and the portion of a floor structure.

13. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible cable is formed of metal or composite material.

14. The part of a structure according to claim 1 , wherein the second end is located in front of the first end with respect to the direction of flight.

15. An aircraft comprising a plurality of structures according to claim 1 .

16. The aircraft according to claim 15 , wherein each of the structures is configured so that the second end is located in front of the first end with respect to the direction of flight.

17. The aircraft according to claim 16 , wherein each structure is configured to withstand a 9 g deceleration of the aircraft.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Dazet Francis
• Antypas Jérome
• Bel Laurent
• Delorme Philippe
• Brisbart Raphaël

Classifications

• F16G11/12

  Connections or attachments, e.g. turnbuckles, adapted for straining of cables, ropes, or wire (straining wire in general B21F9/00) · CPC title

• B64C1/062 Primary

  specially adapted to absorb crash loads · CPC title

• B64C1/18

  Floors · CPC title

• B64C1/069 Primary

  Joining arrangements therefor · CPC title

• F16G11/06

  with laterally-arranged screws (F16G11/02, F16G11/04 take precedence) · CPC title