Lift apparatus for an aircraft and an aircraft including the lift apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016167783-A1
Application number	US-201514968241-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lift apparatus for transporting objects between compartments of an aircraft through an aperture in a floor structure separating the compartments and an aircraft in which such lift apparatus is mounted. The lift apparatus includes a conveyor with a retaining portion to selectively retain and release objects to be transported, a guide to which the conveyor is mounted to be linearly movable along a predetermined path of motion defined by the guide, and a moving mechanism for driving the conveyor to linearly move along the predetermined path of motion. The retaining portion and a closing portion of the conveyor are along the path of motion, and the lift apparatus mounts in an aircraft with the path of motion extending through the aperture. The conveyor is selectively movable along the predetermined path of motion between positions.

First claim

1 . A lift apparatus for transporting objects between a first compartment of an aircraft and a second compartment of the aircraft through an aperture in a floor structure separating the first compartment and the second compartment from each other, the lift apparatus comprising:
a conveyor comprising a retaining portion adapted to selectively retain and release objects to be transported; a guide to which the conveyor is mounted such that the conveyor is linearly movable in a guided manner along a predetermined path of motion defined by the guide; and a mover adapted for driving the conveyor to linearly move along the predetermined path of motion; the conveyor further comprising a closing portion, wherein the retaining portion and the closing portion are disposed one after the other along the predetermined path of motion, and wherein the lift apparatus is adapted to be mounted in an aircraft, which comprises a first compartment and a second compartment separated from each other by a floor structure having an aperture, such that the predetermined path of motion extends through the aperture, and the conveyor is selectively movable along the predetermined path of motion between a first position, in which the closing portion is spaced from the floor structure and the aperture and at least part of the retaining portion is disposed between the floor structure and the closing portion, and a second position, in which the closing portion closes the aperture.

2 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the closing portion comprises an annularly closed contact surface, which faces the retaining portion and is adapted to abut, in a mounted condition of the lift apparatus, an annularly closed portion of a floor structure surrounding the aperture when the conveyor is in the second position.

3 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the closing portion is or comprises a plate-shaped element which extends in a plane which is perpendicular to the predetermined path of motion.

4 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining portion comprises a gripping structure which is adapted for selectively gripping and releasing objects to be transported.

5 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the closing portion comprises a sealing arrangement which is adapted to provide an airtight seal and/or a fire barrier when the closing portion closes an aperture in a floor structure.

6 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a frame defining an aperture and adapted to be mounted in an opening in a floor structure separating a first compartment and a second compartment of an aircraft from each other, wherein the aperture of the frame has smaller dimensions than the closing portion such that the closing portion is movable into a position in which the closing portion abuts an annularly closed portion of the floor structure surrounding the aperture, thereby closing the aperture.

7 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a monument comprising a straight elongate cavity open at one of its longitudinal ends towards the exterior of the monument and defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the guide is mounted to the monument, the conveyor is disposed at least partially inside the cavity, and the lift apparatus is adapted for transporting objects from outside the monument along the longitudinal axis of the cavity through its open end into the cavity, wherein the monument is adapted to be mounted on a floor structure of an aircraft separating a first compartment and a second compartment of the aircraft from each other such that the longitudinal axis is oriented perpendicularly to the floor structure and the open end of the cavity is facing the floor structure, wherein the guide and the predetermined path of motion extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity.

8 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mover comprises at least one drive for driving the conveyor and at least one brake adapted for selectively locking the conveyor in its position and releasing it to be movable by the at least one drive, wherein the at least one drive and the at least one brake are adapted such that in the case of loss of power the at least one brake is automatically released and the at least one drive does not resist movement of the conveyor along the guide under influence of gravity.

9 . The lift apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the guide comprises two or more straight guide members which are spaced from each other; and the conveyor comprises two or more conveying members, one for each of the guide members and each mounted to a different one of the guide members such that they are linearly moveable along the respective guide member.

10 . An aircraft comprising:
a first compartment; a second compartment; a floor structure separating the first and second compartments from each other and having an aperture; and a lift apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the lift apparatus is mounted in the aircraft such that the predetermined path of motion extends through the aperture between the first compartment and the second compartment;
the aperture has smaller dimensions than the closing portion, so that the closing portion is able to completely cover and close the aperture, and the conveyor and guide are adapted and arranged to enable transport of objects through the aperture between the first and second compartments while the objects are retained by the retaining portion; and
the conveyor is movable along the predetermined path of motion between a first position, in which the closing portion is spaced from the floor structure and the aperture and at least part of the retaining portion is disposed between the floor structure and the closing portion, and a second position, in which the closing portion closes the aperture.

11 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the first compartment is a passenger compartment and the second compartment is a cargo compartment.

12 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the second position is the lowest possible position of the conveyor along the predetermined path of motion.

13 . The aircraft according to claim 12 , wherein the mover is adapted such that in case of loss of power the conveyor moves into the second position or is maintained in the second position under the influence of gravity.

14 . The aircraft according to claim 13 , wherein the lift apparatus is a lift apparatus according to claim 8 .

15 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the closing portion and the floor structure comprise cooperating locks for selectively mechanically locking the closing portion in the second position.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Roth Ingo
• Boos Sassa Nadine
• Stoldt Arne
• Salvador Sascha-Jay

Classifications

• B64D9/00 Primary

  Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like · CPC title

• B64D11/0007 Primary

  Devices specially adapted for food or beverage distribution services · CPC title

• B64C1/1407

  Doors; surrounding frames · CPC title