Tooling assembly for integrating a central part of an aircraft, associated method and aircraft thus integrated

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016304218-A1
Application number	US-201615133766-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tooling assembly for integrating a central part of the fuselage of an aircraft. The tooling assembly comprises a tooling train which comprises a succession of movable carriages arranged behind one another and which are able to carry one or more items of aircraft equipment to be integrated into the central part of the aircraft. Such a tooling train, which extends over at least a length of the central part of the fuselage, makes it possible to integrate, at the same time, items of aircraft equipment produced in the form of elongate modules, thus reducing the time for integrating the items of aircraft equipment.

First claim

1 . A tooling assembly for integrating a central part of the fuselage of an aircraft, comprising a tooling train comprising:
a succession of movable carriages arranged behind one another, aligned along a longitudinal axis corresponding to a direction of movement of the tooling train, and the movable carriages being configured to carry one or more items of aircraft equipment to be integrated into the central part of the aircraft.

2 . The tooling assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the carriages are linked to one another.

3 . The tooling assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the carriages are each equipped with a unit for supporting one or more aircraft equipment items and for positioning said one or more aircraft equipment items at a predetermined location in the central part of the fuselage in order for the one or more aircraft equipment items to be integrated.

4 . The tooling assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the unit for supporting and positioning the one or more aircraft equipment items comprises telescopic arms each provided at their free end with an element comprising a reception surface for the aircraft equipment item or the part of equipment item concerned.

5 . The tooling assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the carriages are autonomous in that each of them is equipped with an energy source and a piloting system enabling said carriage to be moved, to be positioned relative to the other carriages and to maneuver its unit for supporting and positioning the one or more aircraft equipment items automatically and in synchronism with the other carriages.

6 . The tooling assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a set of electromagnetic signal transmitters/receivers carried by the carriages of the tooling train, and a set of targets intended to be fixed to the central part of the fuselage of an aircraft, which are each targeted by the electromagnetic signal emitted and which reflect it to a receiver, said sets of transmitters/receivers and of targets being configured for positioning each carriage relative to its spatial environment.

7 . The tooling assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the number of carriages and the dimensioning of the units for supporting and positioning the one or more aircraft equipment items depends on the aircraft equipment items to be supported and to be positioned in the central part of the fuselage and notably on their weight and on their flexibility.

8 . The tooling assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the tooling train is configured to operate in a programmed manner in carrying out predetermined operations.

9 . The tooling assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the carriages are suitable for rolling on a track.

10 . A method for integrating at least one aircraft equipment item in a central part of the fuselage of an aircraft, comprising the steps:
providing a tooling train comprising:
a succession of movable carriages arranged behind one another, aligned along a longitudinal axis corresponding to a direction of movement of the tooling train, and
the movable carriages being configured to carry one or more items of aircraft equipment to be integrated into the central part of the aircraft, and
integrating the one or more items of aircraft equipment in the central part of the fuselage with the tooling train.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the central part of the fuselage has a cross section with constant geometry.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the central part of the fuselage comprises two opposite ends of which at least one end is open, the method comprises introducing the tooling train into the central part through the open end, to a working position, the tooling train carrying at least one aircraft equipment item to be integrated in the central part.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising automatically positioning said at least one aircraft equipment item at a predetermined location in the central part of the fuselage by the tooling train.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising the step of placing an interface at a bottom of the central part of the fuselage of an interface prior to the introcumention of the tooling train, which interface is suitable for supporting a movement of the carriages of the tooling train and a parking thereof in a working position in the central part.

15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the tooling train has a length corresponding substantially to a length of the central part of the fuselage.

16 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least some of the carriages of which the tooling train is composed carry at least one aircraft equipment item to be integrated in the central part of the fuselage, said at least one equipment item having the form of an elongate module, the length of which corresponds to at least the greatest transverse dimension of the central part of the fuselage and which is to be integrated parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein said at least one aircraft equipment item to be integrated in the central part of the fuselage comprises two lateral floor portions each forming an elongate single-piece module, the two lateral floor portions being conveyed by the train and positioned respectively at two opposite lateral edges of the fuselage facing each other, automatically, thus leaving a central corridor free between the two duly positioned lateral floor portions.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein said at least one aircraft equipment item to be integrated in the central part of the fuselage comprises a first and a second plurality of upper lateral stowage compartments each forming an elongate single-piece module, the first and second pluralities of upper lateral stowage compartments being conveyed by the train and positioned respectively at two opposite lateral edges of the fuselage facing each other, automatically, thus leaving an upper central space free between the two pluralities of compartments.

19 . An aircraft comprising a central fuselage part that is elongate along a longitudinal axis, comprising at least one aircraft equipment item which is integrated in the central fuselage part according to the method in accordance with claim 10 .

20 . The aircraft according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one aircraft equipment item has the form of an elongate module arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis, the elongate module having a length which is at least equal to the greatest transverse dimension of the central part of the fuselage.

21 . The aircraft according to claim 20 , wherein the elongate module has a length which is substantially equal to the length of the central part of the fuselage.

22 . The aircraft according to claim 19 , wherein the central fuselage part has a cross section with constant geometry.

23 . The aircraft according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one aircraft equipment item comprises two lateral floor portions, each forming an elongate single-piece module, the two lateral floor portions being arranged respectively at two opposite lateral edges of the fuselage facing each other, thus leaving a central corridor free between the two lateral floor portions.

24 . The aircraft according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one aircraft equipment item comprises a first and a second plurality of upper lateral stowage compartm

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Guering Bernard
• Saint-Marc Laurent

Classifications

• B64C1/18

  Floors · CPC title

• B64D11/003 Primary

  Stowage devices for passengers' personal luggage · CPC title

• B64F5/0009 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C1/068

  Fuselage sections · CPC title

• B64D11/06

  Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04) · CPC title