Aircraft with a plurality of upper and lower cabins functioning as cargo compartments or passenger cabins and method of loading cargos for aircraft

• US 6,808,142 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Oki, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Semunegus, L.
• Application Number:
  US10/048,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20020148928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 244/137.1, 244/137.2, 244/118.1, 244/118.2, 244/118.5
• US Class Current: 244/118.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/20 specially adapted for freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0027 arranged one above the other
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/04 Galleys
• 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

Abstract

The aircraft with multi-level cabins functioning as a cargo cabin or passenger cabin comprises a first cabin provided with a cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by a cargo door on a fuselage, the cargo door facing towards the cargo cabin; a second cabin which lacks the cargo hatchway, the second cabin being positioned directly above or under the first cabin; and an elevator to convey a cargo item, moved into the first cabin through the cargo hatchway, to the second cabin, and to convey back the conveyed cargo item from the second cabin to the first cabin, thereby the cargo item is moved between the exterior of the aircraft and the second cabin.

Claims

1. A cargo aircraft provided with multi-level cargo cabins each being divided by at least one horizontal partition running along a length of a fuselage of said cargo aircraft, an upper most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a ceiling of the fuselage, and a lower most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a lower cabin floor of the fuselage, said cargo aircraft comprising:

multi-level cargo cabins;

at least one cargo hatchway operable to be opened and closed by a cargo door, said cargo door being provided on the fuselage at the lower most one of said multi-level cargo cabins;

an elevator operable to convey a cargo item vertically between said multi-level cargo cabins through an opening of the at least one horizontal partition, wherein the cargo item can be conveyed into one of said multi-level cargo cabins via said at least one cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by said cargo door; and

a horizontal conveyor provided on a floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins and being operable to convey the cargo item in a horizontal direction, wherein said elevator faces said at least one cargo hatchway and is operable to convey the cargo item vertically to the floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins, and wherein said horizontal conveyor is provided in a proximity of the opening for said elevator;

wherein said elevator comprises;

a cargo stage upon which the cargo item can be loaded and vertically conveyed, said cargo stage being operable to be folded down during a flight of said cargo aircraft so as to form a flat floor which is the same level as a cabin floor;

cross links being connected to a bottom of said cargo stage, and being vertically expandable;

a hydraulic cylinder connected with lower ends of said cross links and being operable to expand or contract said cross links so as to move said cargo stage vertically; and

rollers provided on lower ends of said cross links and which are free to rotate, wherein said rollers are operable to run on rails oriented on a floor of the lower most one of said multi-level cargo cabins to enable said elevator to move length-wise.

2. A cargo aircraft provided with multi-level cargo cabins each being divided by at least one horizontal partition running along a length of a fuselage of said cargo aircraft, an upper most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a ceiling of the fuselage, and a lower most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a lower cabin floor of the fuselage, said cargo aircraft comprising:

multi-level cargo cabins;

at least one cargo hatchway operable to be opened and closed by a cargo door, said cargo door being provided on the fuselage at the lower most one of said multi-level cargo cabins;

an elevator operable to convey a cargo item vertically between said multi-level cargo cabins through an opening of the at least one horizontal partition, wherein the cargo item can be conveyed into one of said multi-level cargo cabins via said at least one cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by said cargo door; and

a horizontal conveyor provided on a floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins and being operable to convey the cargo item in a horizontal direction, wherein said elevator faces said at least one cargo hatchway and is operable to convey the cargo item vertically to the floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins, and wherein said horizontal conveyor is provided in a proximity of the opening for said elevator;

wherein said multi-level cargo cabins comprise said lower-most cargo cabin, a central cargo cabin, and said upper most cargo cabin, and

wherein said elevator comprises;

a cargo stage upon which the cargo item can be loaded and vertically conveyed;

a plurality of ropes connected to said cargo stage and a plurality of pulleys from which said plurality of ropes are hung, said plurality of ropes and pulleys being operable to vertically convey said cargo stage between said multi-level cargo cabins; and

a drive mechanism connected to said plurality of ropes which is operable to vertically convey said cargo stage by winding or letting out said plurality of ropes, said drive mechanism being provided in the central cargo cabin.

3. A cargo aircraft provided with multi-level cabins each being divided by at least one horizontal partition running along a length of a fuselage of said cargo aircraft, an upper most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a ceiling of the fuselage, and a lower most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a lower cabin floor of the fuselage, said cargo aircraft comprising:

multi-level cargo cabins;

at least one cargo hatchway operable to be opened and closed by a cargo door, said cargo door being provided on the fuselage at the lower most one of said multi-level cargo cabins;

an elevator operable to convey a cargo item vertically between said multi-level cargo cabins through an opening of the at least one horizontal partition, wherein the cargo item can be conveyed into one of said multi-level cargo cabins via said at least one cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by said cargo door; and

a horizontal conveyor provided on a floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins and being operable to convey the cargo item in a horizontal direction, wherein said elevator faces said at least one cargo hatchway and is operable to convey the cargo item vertically to the floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins, and wherein said horizontal conveyor is provided in a proximity of the opening for said elevator;

wherein said elevator comprises;

a driving device operable to drive said elevator and a gear to be driven by said driving device;

a plurality of racks which are operable to be interlocked with said gear, said racks being folded in a cabin floor of one of said multi-level cargo cabins and being unfolded upwards from beneath the cabin floor in a vertical direction before said elevator is activated and engaged with said gear; and

guide rails upon which said plurality of racks are provided, said guide rails operable to be stored in the cabin floor and to be taken out to support said plurality of racks.

4. A cargo aircraft provided with multi-level cargo cabins each being divided by at least one horizontal partition running along a length of a fuselage of said cargo aircraft, an under most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a ceiling of the fuselage, and a lower most one of the multi-level cargo cabins being formed by one of the at least one horizontal partition and a lower cabin floor of the fuselage, said cargo aircraft comprising:

multi-level cargo cabins;

at least one cargo hatchway operable to be opened and closed by a cargo door, said cargo door being provided on the fuselage at the lower most one of said multi-level cargo cabins;

an elevator operable to convey a cargo item vertically between said multi-level cargo cabins through an opening of the at least one horizontal partition, wherein the cargo item can be conveyed into one of said multi-level cargo cabins via said at least one cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by said cargo door; and

a horizontal conveyor provided on a floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins and being operable to convey the cargo item in a horizontal direction, wherein said elevator faces said at least one cargo hatchway and is operable to convey the cargo item vertically to the floor of each of said multi-level cargo cabins, and wherein said horizontal conveyor is provided in a proximity of the opening for said elevator;

wherein said aircraft comprises;

a lower most cargo cabin, an upper most cargo cabin, and a central cabin which does not function as a cargo cabin, wherein a galley service space is provided in said central cabin which is used as a passenger cabin, and wherein said elevator is operable to convey wagons, which are to be used in said galley service space, in and out from said at least one cargo door provided on said lower most cargo cabin simultaneously with disembarkation of passengers.