Storage compartment for the nose gear of an aircraft

• US 8,118,259 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Guering, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stehle, Jamie S
• Application Number:
  US12/373,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 244/100.R, 244/102.R, 244/117.R, 244/119, 244/120
• US Class Current: 244/119
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/0683 Nose cones
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0027 arranged one above the other
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/04 Arrangement or disposition on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/14 fore-and-aft

Abstract

A front landing gear storage compartment for an airplane, which includes a set of retractable landing gears including a front gear centered on a longitudinal median plane of the fuselage. The storage compartment forms an impervious partition between a pressurized zone and the housing for the front gear in its retracted position, and includes a reinforced upper face including a substantially flat zone, which is substantially horizontal when the airplane is on the ground, so as to form a floor of a pressurized area of the airplane.

Claims

1. A front landing gear storage compartment for an airplane comprising:

a set of retractable landing gears comprising a front landing gear centered on a longitudinal median plane of the fuselage, the storage compartment forming an impervious partition between a pressurized zone and a housing for the front landing gear in its retracted position; and

a reinforced upper face comprising a first substantially flat zone which is substantially horizontal when the airplane is on the ground, so as to form a first floor for a pressurized area of the airplane, wherein

the first floor of the pressurized area of the airplane comprises two bulging portions placed respectively behind seats configured to accommodate a pilot and a copilot, in which wheels of the front landing gear come to be placed in a drawn-back position.

2. A front landing gear storage compartment according to claim 1, wherein the reinforced upper face has a second substantially flat zone which is at a lower level than the first flat zone so as to form a second floor for a pressurized area of the airplane.

3. A front landing gear storage compartment according to claim 2, wherein the first and second flat zones are connected by stairs integrated into the reinforced upper face of the storage compartment so that the first and second floors are joined by the stairs.

4. A front landing gear storage compartment according to claim 3, wherein the stairs follow a contour of the wheels of the front landing gear when the front landing gear is in the retracted position.

5. A front landing gear storage compartment according to claim 3, wherein, when the front landing gear is in the retracted position, a support arm of the front landing gear which extends to an axis of the wheels is substantially horizontal and parallel with the second floor, and the wheels of the front landing gear are proximate to the first floor.

6. An aircraft front portion comprising:

a fuselage;

a cockpit laid out in a front of the fuselage and including a floor;

a front landing gear centered on a longitudinal median plane of the fuselage;

a front landing gear storage compartment which forms an impervious partition between a pressurized area of the airplane and a housing for the front landing gear in its retracted position; and

a reinforced upper face of the front landing gear storage compartment which has a substantially flat zone which is substantially horizontal when the airplane is on the ground so as to form a floor of a pressurized area of the airplane, wherein

the floor of the cockpit comprises two bulging portions placed respectively behind seats configured to accommodate a pilot and a copilot, in which wheels of the front landing gear come to be placed in a drawn-back position.

7. An aircraft front portion according to claim 6, wherein the reinforced upper face of the front landing gear storage compartment forms at least a part of the floor of the cockpit.

8. An aircraft front portion according to claim 7, further comprising an access aisle for access to the cockpit, wherein the access aisle includes a floor, and the floor of the access aisle is formed, at least in part, by the reinforced upper face of the front landing gear storage compartment.

9. An aircraft front portion according to claim 8, wherein the floor of the cockpit and the floor of the access aisle are at different heights, and wherein at least one step integrated into the reinforced upper face of the front landing gear compartment connects the floors.

10. An aircraft front portion according to claim 9, wherein the at least one step integrated into the reinforced upper face of the front landing gear compartment connecting the two floors follows a contour of the wheels of the front landing gear when the front landing gear is in the retracted position.

11. An aircraft front portion according to claim 6, wherein the front landing gear comprises an axle mounted at the end of a rigid arm articulated around a cross shaft in the rear portion of the front landing gear storage compartment and that is activated by an activation mechanism articulated around a shaft placed at the rear of the front landing gear.

12. An aircraft front portion according to claim 11, wherein the activation mechanism comprises a jack of variable length, forming a pressure brace comprising a front end articulated on the arm and a rear end articulated around the cross shaft.

13. An aircraft front portion according to claim 6, further comprising a bulb-shaped fairing, arranged underneath the fuselage, and comprising a broad front portion in which the wheels of the front landing gear come to be placed and continued toward the rear by a tapering portion gradually connecting with the fuselage.

14. An aircraft front portion according to claim 6, further comprising a technical area in which the system controls for the aircraft are placed behind the cockpit.

15. An aircraft, comprising a front portion according to claim 6.