Aircraft fuselage portion comprising movable or detachable under floor struts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11753140-B2
Application number	US-202017123478-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

An aircraft fuselage portion extending in a general longitudinal direction and comprising a fuselage structure comprising annular frames and a flat floor. The fuselage portion also comprises struts perpendicular to the floor in a nominal position and extending from the floor to a frame. Each strut comprises, in the vicinity of at least one of the ends thereof, a detachable link so that the strut can be moved relative to the fuselage structure or separated from the fuselage structure to temporarily grant access to a triangle area located between the frames, the floor and the struts in the nominal position. This allows access to be granted to the area in which the ducts must be installed in the aircraft, in particular, in the form of sets of ducts assembled prior to their installation in the fuselage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft fuselage portion extending in a longitudinal direction, and comprising:
a fuselage structure comprising annular frames and a flat floor,
struts, which extend, in a nominal position perpendicular to the floor, from the floor to a frame, each strut comprising a first end located close to the frame and a second end located close to the floor,
each strut comprising, at the second end, a detachable link so that the strut can be moved relative to the fuselage structure or separated from the fuselage structure from the nominal position of the strut perpendicular to the floor to temporarily grant access to a triangle area space located between the frames,
wherein each strut comprises a pivot at the first end, so that the strut is tiltable from its nominal position to a position in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal direction when the detachable link is released,

a duct support spanning at least a pair of adjacent struts,
wherein the duct support is adapted to translationally move on rails formed by the pair of adjacent struts when the pair of struts is titled from the nominal position, and wherein the duct support is fixed to the pair of struts when the pair of struts is in the nominal position.

2. The fuselage portion according to claim 1 , wherein each strut is connected, at the first end thereof, to a first part rigidly connected to the frame.

3. The fuselage portion according to claim 1 , wherein the second end of each strut is connected, by the detachable link, to a link part connected to the fuselage structure and comprising a first orifice, the strut comprising a second orifice aligned with the first orifice, with a detachable rigid link element, being placed in said first and second orifices to form said detachable link.

4. The fuselage portion according to claim 3 , wherein the detachable rigid link element comprises a pin, a bolt, or a stud.

5. The fuselage portion according claim 1 , further comprising at least one set of ducts extending in the longitudinal direction, said set being installed in the triangle area space, each duct being of an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic type.

6. The fuselage portion according to claim 5 , wherein the set of ducts comprises at least two ducts, and wherein the set of ducts is supported by the duct support, each duct being connected to said duct support.

7. The fuselage portion according to claim 6 , wherein the duct support of the set of ducts comprises a plurality of duct support elements distributed in said longitudinal direction following a spacing of the struts in said longitudinal direction.

8. An aircraft fuselage portion extending in a longitudinal direction, and comprising:
a fuselage structure comprising annular frames and a flat floor,
struts, which extend, in a nominal position perpendicular to the floor, from the floor to a frame, each strut comprising a first end located close to the frame and a second end located close to the floor,
each strut comprising, at the second end, a detachable link so that the strut can be moved relative to the fuselage structure or separated from the fuselage structure from the nominal position of the strut perpendicular to the floor to temporarily grant access to a triangle area space located between the frames,

wherein each strut comprises a pivot at the first end, so that the strut is tiltable from its nominal position to a position in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal direction when the detachable link is released,
at least one set of ducts extending in the longitudinal direction, said set being installed in the triangle area space, each duct being of an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic type,
wherein the set of ducts comprises at least two ducts, and wherein the set of ducts comprises a duct support, each duct being connected to said duct support,
wherein the duct support is fixed to a plurality of the struts of the fuselage portion,
wherein the duct support of the set of ducts comprises a plurality of duct support elements distributed in said longitudinal direction following a spacing of the struts in said longitudinal direction,
wherein the duct support for the set of ducts comprises means adapted to translationally move on rails formed by the struts.

9. The aircraft fuselage portion according to claim 5 , wherein the set of ducts comprises at least two ducts from among:
an air distribution duct for distributing air in a cabin and/or a cockpit;
a hydraulic duct for a hydraulic control system;
a water duct;
a suction duct.

10. An aircraft comprising at least one fuselage portion according to claim 1 .

11. A method for assembling an aircraft fuselage portion according to claim 5 , comprising the following steps:
supplying a fuselage portion extending in a longitudinal direction, and comprising:
a fuselage structure comprising annular frames and a flat floor,
struts, which extend, in a nominal position perpendicular to the floor, from the floor to a frame, each strut comprising a first end located close to the frame and a second end located close to the floor,
each strut comprising, at the second end, a detachable link so that the strut can be moved relative to the fuselage structure or separated from the fuselage structure to temporarily grant access to a triangle area space located between the frames, the floor and said struts in said nominal position,

wherein each strut comprises a pivot at the first end thereof, so that the strut is tiltable from its nominal position to a position in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal direction when the detachable link is released, said struts being in a position granting access to the triangle area space;

forming a set of ducts comprising at least two ducts and a duct support, with each duct being connected to said duct support, said duct support being connected to, or at least partly formed by, a plurality of struts of the fuselage portion;
positioning each strut in the nominal position thereof and immobilizing the struts in this position.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Maurel Jean-Luc
• Borrel Vincent
• Feuillerac Laurent
• Salgues Patrick
• Auriac Vincent

Classifications

• B64C1/061

  Frames · CPC title

• B64C1/18 Primary

  Floors · CPC title

• B64C1/406

  in combination with supports for lines, e.g. for pipes or cables · CPC title