Crash paddle for reinforcing a primary fuselage structure of an aircraft

• US 7,895,810 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Benthien, Herrmann
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner; Brian E
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEVARSKI, BENJAMIN J
• Application Number:
  US12/009,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20080173758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 528/31, 528/36, 528/37, 528/38, 528/41, 528/47, 526/57, 522/238, 522/231.4, 521/673, 244/117.R, 244/119, 244/124, 244/123.1, 244/123.14, 244/123.7
• US Class Current: 52/831
• 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 crash paddle for reinforcing a primary fuselage structure of an aircraft. The crash paddle may be used for connecting the floor to the primary fuselage structure. The crash paddle includes a beam with in particular an H-shaped cross-sectional geometry, butt straps being arranged at both ends of the beam for connecting the crash paddle. In the region of the ends of the beam, the beam respectively has a resting surface 13, 14, the geometrical shape of which substantially corresponds to a hollow cylinder halved in the longitudinal direction. Placed around both resting surfaces and the longitudinal sides of the beam, in a peripheral groove is at least one endless loop. The endless loops respectively comprise an arrangement of reinforcing fibers, which is formed by a plurality of reinforcing fibers, such as for example carbon fibers, running substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam. The presence of the endless loops allows the crash paddle to absorb safely the tensile forces that are generally relevant in critical flying situations. The beam can therefore be dimensioned lighter for the usually considerably smaller compressive and tensile loads that occur in normal flying operation, so that a considerable weight saving is obtained.

Claims

1. A crash paddle for reinforcing a primary fuselage structure of an aircraft, the crash paddle comprising:

a beam having two ends, the ends of the beam having resting surfaces, the shaping of which respectively corresponds to that of a longitudinally halved hollow cylinder;

butt straps that are arranged respectively at each of the two ends of the beam for connecting the crash paddle to the primary fuselage structure of the aircraft; and

at least one endless loop having at least one of cable form and strip form, the endless loop surrounding the beam and running substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the beam, the at least one endless loop being formed by an arrangement of reinforcing fibers.

2. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein the beam has an H-shaped cross-sectional geometry, at least one continuous groove, in which the arrangement of reinforcing fibers is guided, having respectively been made in both longitudinal sides of the beam and/or both resting surfaces.

3. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the butt straps and the beam is formed by at least one of a metallic material and a fiber reinforced polymer material.

4. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of reinforcing fibers is made of a plurality of reinforcing fibers that run substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam.

5. The crash paddle according to claim 4, wherein the arrangement of reinforcing fibers are carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers, ceramic fibers or a combination of these.

6. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of reinforcing fibers is formed by reinforcing fibers, which are intertwined, twisted together, interwoven or braided together, at least in certain portions.

7. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of reinforcing fibers is substantially formed by at least one reinforcing fiber being wrapped around the beam with a plurality of turns.

8. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of reinforcing fibers is under a mechanical prestress.

9. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of reinforcing fibers has an enclosure to provide protection from external influences.

10. The crash paddle according to claim 1, wherein the butt straps respectively have a pattern of holes, to make riveting and/or screwing possible for the rigid connection to the primary fuselage structure.