Fitting for introducing high forces into a fuselage cell of an aircraft

• US 8,220,744 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• 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): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Application Number:
  US12/009,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20080173761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 244/131, 244/132, 244/129.1, 244/133
• US Class Current: 244/131
• 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 fitting for introducing great loads into a fuselage cell of an aircraft, in particular those which emanate from undercarriage components or are introduced into them. The fitting has a shoulder plate for bearing against the inside of the skin of the fuselage cell for example over its full surface area. Arranged underneath the shoulder plate is a vertical lug shackle with a lug for introducing the loads, wherein the lug shackle is led to the outside through a clearance in the skin of the fuselage cell. At least one approximately upright fastening shackle is provided on the upper side of the shoulder plate for connecting the fitting to a frame web. According to the invention, the loads occurring are introduced into the frame, substantially “moment-free” in the region of a neutral fiber, so that the said frame is not exposed to any appreciable flexural stresses and can be of a more lightweight design. The frame becomes the load introducing instrument and distributes the loads uniformly into the skin of the fuselage cell. Radially acting loads are transferred from the shoulder plate directly into the skin of the fuselage cell by way of shearing.

Claims

1. A fitting for introducing high forces into a fuselage cell of an aircraft stiffened with a multiplicity of frames, the fitting comprising:

a lug shackle, arranged in which is a lug for introducing forces emanating from undercarriage components, and

a shoulder plate for bearing against the inside of the skin of the fuselage cell, the shoulder plate being arranged on the inside of the fuselage cell,

at least one approximately vertically upward pointing fastening shackle being arranged on the shoulder plate for the connection to a frame web, and

the lug shackle, which is directed vertically downward, being arranged underneath the shoulder plate and guided to the outside through a clearance in the skin of the fuselage cell;

wherein the forces introduced into the fuselage cell are transferred between the undercarriage and the fuselage cell by way of the fitting;

wherein loads from the skin of the fuselage cell are introduced into the frame web by shearing; and

wherein radial loads are introduced by way of shearing of the shoulder plate into the skin of the fuselage cell.

2. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the lug shackle is arranged underneath the shoulder plate such that it is offset by a distance with respect to the at least one fastening shackle.

3. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the fitting comprises two fastening shackles, the fastening shackles having center lines that intersect at a center point of the lug.

4. Presented) The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the fitting has three fastening shackles, the fastening shackles having center lines that intersect at a center point of the lug.

5. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder plate is formed such that it is curved, at least in certain portions, in order to ensure that it bears against the frame as far as possible with its full surface area.

6. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the fitting is an undercarriage fastening fitting.

7. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening shackle comprises a reinforcing rib.

8. The fitting according to claim 7, wherein further components can be fastened to the at least one reinforcing rib.

9. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening shackle is connected to the frame web and the shoulder plate is connected to the skin of the fuselage cell.

10. The fitting according to claim 9, wherein the at least one fastening shackle and the shoulder plate are connected by at least one of rivets and screws.

11. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the fitting is formed in one piece by a high-strength material.

12. The fitting according to claim 11, wherein the high-strength material is an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy, a high-grade steel alloy or a combination of these.