Floor panel for forming a loading area in a cargo hold of an aircraft

• US 20080173755A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Benthien, Herrmann
• Granted Patent: US 8,408,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/118.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/0807 Attachment points
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/003 Devices for retaining pallets or freight containers securing freight containers on vehicles B60P7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Disclosed is a floor panel, in particular for covering floors of cargo holds of aircraft. The floor panel is formed by a plurality of milled profiles, which are friction stir welded in each case along their longitudinal edges, with preference continuously to form longitudinal (butt) seams. The milled profiles each form a beam “of equal stress”, with an upper flange and a lower flange which are spaced apart from one another along their extent. The milled profiles have in each case a double-T-shaped cross-sectional profile, the upper flanges and the lower flanges being respectively connected by webs. With preference, the milled profiles are milled out in one piece from solid material of a sufficiently tough aluminium alloy. The joining together of the floor panel including a plurality of milled profiles that are arranged in parallel and friction stir welded allows a high mechanical load-bearing capacity of the floor panel in comparison with conventional sandwich floor panels along with a comparatively low weight.

Claims

1. A floor panel for forming a continuous loading area in a cargo hold of an aircraft, the floor panel comprising a plurality of beams that are arranged next to one another and connected to one another, the beams being formed by milled profiles that are firmly joined together at least at certain portions along their longitudinal edges.

2. The floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal edges of the milled profiles are joined together by means of friction stir welding.

3. The floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the milled profiles are formed in one piece by an aluminium alloy material.

4. The floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the milled profiles each form a beam of equal stress.

5. The floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the milled profiles each have a substantially double-T-shaped cross-sectional geometry.

6. The floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the milled profiles each comprise an upper flange and a lower flange, which are connected to one another by a plurality of webs.

7. The floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the upper flanges extend in a straight line and the lower flanges extend in a curved line.