Insulation package arrangement for insulating the interior of an aircraft fuselage

• US 8,011,619 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Turanski, Peter, Oestereich, Wilko, Reinelt, Thorsten, Mueller, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Green; Richard R
• Application Number:
  US10/596,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20060284014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,435 Days
• Field of Search: 242/97, 244/53, 241/143, 245/811, 24/16.PB, 241/02.T, 524/042, 524/074, 524/044, 525/12, 52D/IG.6, 411/455, 411/508, 411/509, 411/510, 411/487, 411/383, 411/439, 411/903, 411/512, 411/913, 244/121, 244/171.7, 244/119, 244/1.R, 244/1.N, 244/117.A, 244/117.R, 244/159.1, 244/129.2, 244/131
• US Class Current: 244/121
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/06 Physical fire-barriers
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/08 in aircraft A62C3/0207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/40 Sound or heat insulation , e.g. using insulation blankets
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/00 Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for parachutes B64D17/00, B64D19/00; jettisoning of fuel tanks or fuel per se B64D37/00; specially adapted for protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems B64D45/0015 ; safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00; safety belts or body harnesses for land vehicles B60R22/00; jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape B64C

Abstract

The design and attachment of an insulation package near the fuselage structure to protect the cabin region of an aircraft against fire acting on the insulation package from outside the aircraft environment, thus clearly facilitating evacuation of the passengers from the vehicle. The insulation package arrangement may comprise several fuselage insulation packages of an elongated form. These packages may adjoin the aircraft fuselage structure in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. They may be completely enclosed by a burn-through-proof foil which is arranged in a space enclosed by interior paneling and by the panels of the outer skin. The longitudinal end of the fuselage insulation package continues outward with a flat insulation end section is attached which is attached to a rib-attachment region arranged below the respective longitudinal sides of a rib and near the stringer by means of burn-through-proof attachment elements arranged on the inside of the aircraft with respect to the insulation.

Claims

1. An insulation package system for insulating an interior of an aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage, the fuselage including a plurality of stringers stiffening panels of an outer skin of the fuselage and a rib arranged substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction along an axis of the fuselage of the aircraft, the rib being attached to one of the plurality of stringers at a first end of the rib and having a rib carrier integrated into the rib on an unattached end of the rib and a rib attachment region disposed between the first end and the rib carrier, the rib attachment region having a through-hole through the rib attachment region; and

at least two fuselage insulation packages having an elongated package shape, and being situated in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the fuselage, each of the fuselage insulation packages comprising;

a first flat insulation end section integrally extending outwardly from a first end of each of the at least two fuselage insulation packages and having a first length;

a second flat insulation end section integrally extending outwardly from a second end of each of the at least two fuselage insulation packages opposite to the first end of each of the at least two fuselage insulation packages and having a second length shorter than the first length; and

a foil enclosing a burn-through-proof insulation or a burn-through-proof barrier layer or both a burn-through-proof insulation having a first thickness and a burn-through-proof barrier layer having a second thickness less than the first thickness of the burn-through-proof insulation; and

a burn-through-proof first attachment element having a first retainer end at one end of the first attachment element and a second retainer end at an opposite end of the first attachment element, the first attachment element being disposed through the through-hole of the rib attachment region such that the first retainer end is on one side of the rib attachment region and the second retainer end is on an opposite side of the rib attachment region,

wherein the first retainer end of the first attachment element attaches both of the first flat insulation end section of a first of the at least two fuselage insulation packages and the second flat insulation end section of a second of the at least two fuselage insulation packages to one side of the rib attachment region of the rib via a hole in each of the first flat insulation end section of the first of the at last two fuselage insulation packages and the second flat insulation end section of the second of the at least two fuselage insulation packages such that a portion of the first of the at least two fuselage insulation packages overlaps with, or is overlapped by, the second of the at least two fuselage insulation packages, and the first of the at least two fuselage insulation packages is also retained on the opposite side of the rib attachment region by the second retainer end of the attachment element passing through a second hole formed in the first of the at least two fuselage insulation packages,

wherein the first retainer end and the second retainer end are arranged on the inside of the aircraft with respect of the burn-through-proof insulation or the burn-through-proof barrier layer,

the insulation package system further comprising;

a second attachment element,

wherein the second attachment element is shaped as a truncated-cone body and comprises_an insulated disc element and the insulated disc element comprises a disc-shaped core element, defining a hole in the center of the disc and being embedded in a casing such that the insulated disc element is burn through proof.

2. The insulation package system of claim 1, wherein the disc-shaped core element of the second attachment element comprises a hole formed in the middle portion of the disc-shaped core element, the diameter of the hole of the disc-shaped core element being less than the external diameter of a dome-shaped casing of an end region of each of the first retainer end and the second retainer end of the first attachment element such that the second attachment element fits over the dome-shaped casing with a tight fit.

3. The insulation package arrangement of claim 1, wherein the casing is made of plastic and several insulation braces are spaced apart circumferentially and extend radially in a direction outwardly from the hole in the center of the disc-shaped core element.

4. The insulation package system of claim 1, wherein the disc-shaped core element is made from a metal, and the casing comprises a plastic material having a lower thermal conductivity than the metal of the disc-shaped core element.

5. The insulation package system of claim 1, further comprising an additional attachment element, wherein the additional attachment element is a rivet, comprising steel or titanium, or is a screw connection element comprising steel or titanium or plastic.

6. The insulation package system of claim 5, wherein the additional attachment element is a screw connection element and the screw connection element is retained by a nut made from an aramide or a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFK) material.

7. The insulation package system of claim 1, wherein the foil encloses both a burn-through-proof insulation having a first thickness and a burn-through-proof barrier layer having a second thickness less than the first thickness of the burn-through-proof insulation.

8. The insulation package system of claim 1, further comprising a third attachment element shaped as a truncated-cone body comprising an insulated disc or ring element and the insulated disc or ring element comprises a disc-shaped core element embedded in a casing such that the insulated disc or ring element is burn through proof wherein

the second attachment element of claim 1, is attached to the first retainer end, covering the hole in each of the first flat insulation end section of the first of the at last two fuselage insulation packages and the second flat insulation end section of the second of the at least two fuselage insulation packages, and the third attachment element is attached to the second retainer end, covering the second hole formed in the first of the at least two fuselage insulation packages on the opposite side of the rib attachment region.

9. The insulation package system of claim 8, wherein the first attachment element further comprises a burn-through-proof pin, the pin extending from the first retainer end to the second retainer end, the pin having a first retention flange protruding at one end of the pin and a second retention flange protruding at an opposite end of the pin.

10. The insulation package system of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the pin is encased in a plastic casing.

11. The insulation package system of claim 10, wherein the plastic casing includes a central flange disposed between the first retainer end and the second retainer end, the central flange extending outwardly, in a radial direction from the pin.

12. The insulation package system of claim 11, wherein the plastic casing defines a three-dimensional shape having a plurality of pine-tree-shaped elevations on each of the first retainer end and the second retainer end for retaining the the second attachment element and the third attachment element.

13. The insulation package system of claim 12, wherein the second attachment element and the third attachment element are each comprised of the disc-shaped core element of a first burn-through-proof material and the casing is a shaped flange encasing at least a portion of the disc-shaped core element and extending from the disc-shaped core element, the shaped flange being of a second material, different than the first material.

14. The insulation package system of claim 13, wherein a surface of the shaped flange is formed in the shape of a paraboloid.

15. An insulation package arrangement for insulating an interior of a fuselage of an aircraft, the fuselage comprising a plurality of stringers for stiffening of an outer skin of the fuselage and at least two ribs having a portion arranged substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft at a specified distance from one another, the at least two ribs being attached to one of the plurality of stringers, and the at least two ribs each comprise a rib carrier being integrated into said ribs at an unattached end of the at least two ribs, an attachment end attaching each of the at least two ribs to one of the plurality of stringers, and a rib attachment region in the portion arranged substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft being arranged below a longitudinal side of each of the at least two ribs adjacent to the attachment region, the insulation package arrangement comprising:

at least two fuselage insulation packages having an elongated package shape, and being situated in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the fuselage, wherein each of the at least two fuselage insulation packages rest longitudinally against a support surface of one of the plurality of stringers;

wherein each of the at least two fuselage insulation packages are attached to the fuselage or are placed to rest against an inner area of a panel of the outer skin;

wherein each of the at least two fuselage insulation packages are arranged to be completely enclosed by a foil and within a space enclosed by interior paneling and by panels forming the outer skin of the fuselage;

a first burn-through-proof attachment element having a first retainer end at one end of the first attachment element and a second retainer end at an opposite end of the first attachment element, wherein each of the at least two fuselage insulation packages continue outward with a flat insulation end section on an end of the fuselage insulation package such that the at least two fuselage insulation packages are attached overlappingly with the burn-through-proof attachment element to one of the at least two ribs in the rib attachment region of the respective one of the at least two ribs; and

wherein a through hole is drilled through the rib attachment region, and a first hole is formed in a package region of a first one of the at least two fuselage insulation packages, and a second hole is formed in the flat insulation end section of the first one of the at least two fuselage insulation packages, and a third hole is formed in the flat insulation end section of a second one of the at least two fuselage insulation packages, and a fourth hole is formed in a package region of the second one of the at least two fuselage insulation packages, wherein the first hole and the second hole are retained on opposite sides of the rib attachment region by the burn-through-proof attachment element,

wherein the first retainer end and the second retainer end are arranged on the inside of the aircraft with respect of the burn-through-proof insulation or the burn-through-proof barrier layer,

the insulation package system further comprising

a second attachment element,

wherein the second attachment element is shaped as a truncated-cone body and comprises an insulated disc or ring element and the insulated disc element comprises a disc-shaped core element embedded in a casing such that the insulated disc element is burn through proof.

16. The insulation package arrangement of claim 15, wherein the first burn-through-proof attachment element comprises a burn-through-proof insulation pin, and the first burn-through-proof attachment element is fed through the first hole of the first one of the at least two insulation packages, the through hole of a respective one of the rib attachment regions of the at least two ribs, the third hole of the second one of the at least two insulation packages, and the second hole of the first one each of the at least two insulation packages, when arranged so as to be substantially congruently aligned with the through hole of the respective one of the rib attachment regions of the at least two ribs.

17. The insulation package arrangement of claim 16, wherein the insulation pin has an elongated cylindrical core element and a flange-like elevation formed at each end of the core element, and a casing formed around the core element.

18. The insulation package arrangement of claim 17, wherein the core element is embedded in the casing and wherein the casing is made of a plastic material.

19. The insulation package arrangement of claim 17, wherein a flange extends outwardly in a radial direction from a middle portion of the insulation pin, and a plurality of pine-tree-shaped elevations are formed in the casing along the surface of the casing along the length of the insulation pin, such that the ridges formed by the pine-tree-shaped elevations are spaced apart from each other.

20. The insulation package arrangement of claim 17, wherein the pin comprises an axis, wherein the end region of the casing is dome-shaped, wherein the external shape of said end region has the shape of a paraboloid, wherein the parabola comprises at least one branch end, and wherein the branch end is continued by a stepped gradation drawn inward radially in relation to the pin axis.

21. The insulation package arrangement of claim 17, wherein the core element is made from metal, and the casing comprises a plastic having a much lower thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the metal of the core element.