Device and method for moving cargo

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016368606-A1
Application number	US-201615185474-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device and method for moving cargo above a floor inside an aircraft comprises a rigid under-floor. The device comprises a body part for supporting the weight of the cargo, lifting means and for lowering the body part from its lifted position into a retracted position, and a drive unit for moving the body part . The method comprises the steps of providing at least two devices in an aircraft, positioning the devices beneath the cargo, wherein the body parts of the devices are in their retracted positions. The body parts are lifted such that the weight of the cargo is supported by the body parts and the cargo is lifted above the floor. The cargo is then moved to a desired position and lowered into their retracted positions such that the cargo is lowered and the devices are moved away vertically from the cargo.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for moving cargo along a floor inside of an aircraft, comprising:
a body part which is designed for supporting the weight of the cargo, lifting means which are arranged for lifting the body part into a lifted position and for lowering the body part from its lifted position into a retracted position, and a drive unit which is arranged for moving the body part.

2 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit is arranged for moving the body part in two perpendicular directions.

3 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the body part comprises a cuboid shape and is dimensioned to fit in a U-shaped indentation of an aircraft floor structure.

4 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the body part comprises a cover part which can be lifted and lowered by the lifting means such that the body part is lifted into its lifted position and lowered from its lifted position into its retracted position.

5 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit comprises a belt drive ( 20 ).

6 . Device according to claim 5 , wherein said belt drive comprises a gear.

7 . A system for moving cargo above a floor inside of an aircraft, comprising at least two devices for moving cargo along a floor inside of an aircraft, each device comprising:
a body part which is designed for supporting the weight of the cargo, lifting means which are arranged for lifting the body part into a lifted position and for lowering the body part from its lifted position into a retracted position, and a drive unit which is arranged for moving the body part, wherein the system is arranged to synchronize a moving of the devices and lifting of the body parts of the devices.

8 . An aircraft comprising a system according to claim 7 , wherein the aircraft comprises one guiding unit for each device, wherein the guiding is arranged to guide the device beneath the cargo.

9 . A method for moving cargo above a floor inside of an aircraft, comprising the steps of:
a) providing at least two devices for moving cargo along a floor inside of an aircraft, each device comprising: a body part which is designed for supporting the weight of the cargo, lifting means which are arranged for lifting the body part into a lifted position and for lowering the body part from its lifted position into a retracted position, and a drive unit which is arranged for moving the body part, b) positioning the devices beneath the cargo, wherein the body parts of the devices are in their retracted positions, c) lifting the body parts into their lifted positions by the lifting means of the devices such that the weight of the cargo is supported by the body parts and the cargo is lifted above the floor inside of the aircraft, d) moving the cargo to a desired position by moving each of the devices to a desired position, and e) lowering the body parts into their retracted positions by the lifting means of the devices such that the cargo is lowered and the devices are moved away vertically from the cargo.

10 . Method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of:
f) moving each of the devices ( 8 ) to another desired position and repeating steps a) to b).

11 . Method according to claim 9 , wherein the moving of the devices and the lifting of the body parts of the devices are synchronized.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh
• Airbus Operations Sas
• Airbus Sas

Inventors

• Lampe Dietrich
• Christensen Kai
• Cuiller Claude
• Dereux Pierre-Eric
• Feest Frank
• Kim Hyung-Jo
• Niemeck Knut
• Waidelich Kathryn

Classifications

• B64D2009/006

  Rollers or drives for pallets of freight containers, e.g. PDU · CPC title

• B64D9/00 Primary

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

• B64C1/22

  Other structures integral with fuselages to facilitate loading {, e.g. cargo bays, cranes} · CPC title

• B64C1/20 Primary

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title