Structure to support equipment in a fuselage of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347437-A1
Application number	US-201615167457-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 28, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A structure for fastening components of interior equipment in the passenger compartment of an airplane. The fastening structure contains a fastener produced on the fuselage; suspension elements ( 2 ) immovably connected to the fastener, and at least one system support ( 1 ) running in the longitudinal direction of the fuselage, connected to the suspension elements ( 2 ). The suspension elements ( 2 ) include at least one first suspension element ( 9 ) and at least one second suspension element ( 10, 11 ), wherein each of the first suspension elements is rigidly connected to the system support, and each of the second suspension elements forms with the system support a sliding connection, so that the system support is able to slide relative to these second suspension elements along the longitudinal axis of the airplane fuselage. The sliding capability of the system support relative to the second suspension elements substantially reduces the load on the bulkhead in the longitudinal direction.

First claim

The invention is:

1 . A prefabricated structure for fastening the components of equipment inside an airplane fuselage, comprising:
an element integral with the fuselage; suspension elements immovably connected to the element integral with the fuselage, and at least one system support running in the longitudinal direction of the fuselage, connected to the suspension elements, wherein the suspension elements include at least one first suspension element and at least one second suspension element, wherein each of the first suspension elements is rigidly connected to the system support, and each of the second suspension elements forms with the system support a sliding connection, so that the system support is able to slide relative to the second suspension elements along the longitudinal direction.

2 . The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the system support is formed from connected segments.

3 . The structure according to claim 2 , further comprising at least two segments of the system support joined together by a sliding connection, while the connections between other segments of the system are rigid connections.

4 . The structure according to claim 3 , wherein at the locations of the sliding connections of the segments of the system support, one of the segments is connected to the first suspension element, while at another of the locations the system support is connected to the second suspension elements.

5 . The structure according to claim 4 , wherein each segment of the system support is made is a channel having a U-shape in cross section.

6 . The structure according to claim 5 , wherein each of the first suspension elements includes a first bracket, one end of which is rigidly connected to the element of or one the fuselage and another end includes two sections, one of which sections is situated between flanges of one of the segments and is rigidly connected to the flanges by a fastener, while another of the two sections is situated between flanges of another of the segments and has a slot through which passes a bolt which passes through corresponding openings in the flanges of the another segment.

7 . The structure according to claim 6 , further comprising a plastic sleeve arranged in the slot of the first bracket.

8 . The structure according to claim 7 , wherein the sleeve comprises two parts, separated from each other along an axis of the bolt, while between the bolt and the plastic sleeve is arranged a rigid sleeve, the length of which rigid sleeve is equal to a distance between outer surfaces of the flanges of the segment.

9 . The structure according to claim 5 , wherein each rigid connection of the segments is formed by two plates, each of which is fastened to corresponding flanges of abutting segments, and in each of the two plates are a longitudinal slot,
wherein the system support in the locations of the rigid connections of the segments is connected to the second suspension element, which includes a second bracket having one end rigidly connected to the element of or on the fuselage and another end including a section between the two plates, and wherein an opening through which passes a bolt, likewise passing through corresponding slots in the plates.

10 . The structure according to claim 9 , further comprising a rigid sleeve seated on the bolt, the length of which rigid sleeve exceeds a distance between outer surfaces of said two plates, and a plastic sleeve in the slots of the two plates, through which plastic sleeve passes the bolt with the rigid sleeve seated thereon.

11 . The structure according to claim 5 , wherein the second suspension elements include third brackets, one end of each being rigidly connected to corresponding fastening means produced on the fuselage, while the other end contains a section situated between the flanges of the corresponding segment, and wherein in this section there is produced a slot through which passes the bolt, likewise passing through corresponding openings in the flanges of said segment.

12 . The structure according to claim 11 , further comprising that a plastic sleeve is arranged in the slot of every third bracket, through which the bolt passes.

13 . The structure according to claim 12 , wherein the sleeve consists of two parts, separated from each other along the axis of the bolt, while between the bolt and the plastic sleeve is arranged a rigid sleeve, the length of which is essentially equal to the distance between the outer surfaces of the flanges of the segment.

14 . The structure according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one pair of parallel-arranged system supports.

15 . The structure according to claim 14 , further comprising two pairs of parallel-arranged system supports, said pairs of system supports being arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal vertical plane of symmetry of the airplane.

16 . The structure according to claim 14 , wherein the system supports in each of the pairs are joined together by means of fittings, each fitting being disposed between parallel segments, the flanges of which are rigidly connected to corresponding sections of the first brackets, and connected by tie rods to elements of the fuselage, the tie rod being connected to the element of the fuselage framework on which is produced the fastening means which is rigidly connected to one end of the first bracket.

17 . An assembly configured to support equipment components within an airplane fuselage, the assembly comprising:
first and second suspension elements fixed to the fuselage and extending into the fuselage; a system support supported by the first and second suspension elements, wherein the system support includes a series of suspension elements extending along a portion of the length of the fuselage, wherein the first suspension element is connected to one of the suspension elements by a fixed connection which fixes the first suspension element at a point of contact on the suspension elements, and wherein the second suspension element is connected to another one of the suspension elements by a sliding connection, wherein the sliding connection includes a slot and a bolt which slides in the slot which allows the second suspension element to slide a length of the slot with respect to the another one of the suspension elements, and the slot is fixed to one of the second suspension element and the another one of the suspension elements and the bolt is fixed to the other one of the second suspension element and the another one of the suspension elements.

18 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein the sliding connection includes a plastic sleeve between the slot and the bolt.

19 . The assembly of claim 18 wherein the sliding connection includes a metal sleeve between the slot and the plastic sleeve.

20 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein the sliding connection is between the another one of the suspension elements and third one of the suspension elements.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Mamushkin Dmitriy
• Bespalov Ivan

Classifications

• B64C1/061 Primary

  Frames · CPC title

• B64C1/066 Primary

  Interior liners · CPC title

• B64D13/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space · CPC title

• F16B7/18

  using screw-thread elements {(F16B7/025 takes precedence; for turnbuckles F16B7/06)} · CPC title

• E04C2003/026

  Braces · CPC title