Fuselage nose door

• US 8,459,592 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Pahl, Gnter
• Primary Examiner(s): Alsomiri, Isam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldemaryam, Assres H
• Application Number:
  US12/751,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20100252682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 244/129.4, 244/129.5, 244/118.1, 244/118.2, 244/120, 244/121, 244/137.1, 244/118.3, 296/155
• US Class Current: 244/129.5
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1415 Cargo doors, e.g. incorporating ramps
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/22 Other structures integral with fuselages to facilitate loading , e.g. cargo bays, cranes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuselage nose door for sealing an opening in the hull of an aircraft. In order to make loading and unloading as efficient as possible, a door shell is proposed that is movably held between a closed setting and an open setting by a bearing device, wherein the door shell can be pivoted and shifted in relation to the bearing device. The invention also relates to an aircraft with such fuselage nose door. In addition, the invention also relates to a method for opening and closing an opening in the hull of an aircraft with a fuselage nose door, which has a door shell that is movably held by a bearing device between the closed setting and open setting, wherein the door shell is pivoted and shifted in relation to the bearing device in the opening and closing process.

Claims

1. A fuselage nose door for sealing an opening in a hull of an aircraft, comprising:

a door shell movably held by a bearing device between a closed setting and an open setting,

wherein the door shell is pivotable and shiftable in relation to the bearing device;

wherein the door shell is configured, via the bearing device, to slide along a guiding device extending in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft;

wherein the opening in the hull is defined above a cockpit in a nose area of the aircraft and is configured to provide access to a loading area above the cockpit;

wherein the door shell is configured to initially slide up while being moved from the closed setting to the open setting, whereafter at of the door shell is configured to pivot upward and to simultaneously slide rearward along a fuselage of the aircraft; and

wherein in the fully open setting of the door shell, the door shell is configured to move over the fuselage of the aircraft.

2. The fuselage nose door of claim 1, wherein the door shell is pivotable transversely to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and shiftable in the transverse and longitudinal directions of the aircraft.

3. The fuselage nose door of claim 1, wherein the bearing device comprises first and second lateral bearings, each slidable in the guiding device, wherein the door shell is pivotable around the lateral bearings.

4. The fuselage nose door of claim 3, wherein each lateral bearing has a first holding point and a second holding point.

5. The fuselage nose door of claim 4, wherein the first holding point and the second holding point are guided in at least one guiding rail of the guiding device.

6. The fuselage nose door of claim 4, wherein the first holding point and the second holding point are arranged on the door shell immovably in relation to each other.

7. The fuselage nose door of claim 5, wherein the first holding point is guided in a first guiding rail of the guiding device and the second holding point is guided in a second guiding rail of the guiding device on each side, wherein the first guiding rail and the second guiding rail are vertically offset from one another, and progress at a varying distance from each other.

8. The fuselage nose door of claim 3, further comprising a first actuating means configured to vertically shift the bearings, and a second actuating means configured to horizontally shift the bearings.

9. The fuselage nose door of claim 1, further comprising a supporting device on an interior side of the door shell for supporting the door shell in the open setting on an exterior side of the fuselage of the aircraft.

10. The fuselage nose door of claim 1, wherein the closed setting has a latching position, and latching elements are provided on the door shell, so as to engage the aircraft fuselage with latching counter-pieces in the latching position, wherein the door shell is configured to be shifted toward the front in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft for unlatching purposes, before the door shell shifts upwardly.

15. The fuselage nose door of claim 1, wherein a rear profile of the door shell is configured to move over a profile of the an aircraft fuselage.

16. The fuselage nose door of claim 15, wherein the rear profile of the door shell is configured to move generally parallel to the aircraft fuselage.

11. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage structure, wherein the fuselage structure has a load-bearing structure and a cargo hold within the fuselage structure accessible from an opening in the hull in a front of the aircraft above a cockpit via a nose of the fuselage structure, the opening configured to provide access to a loading area above the cockpit in the cargo hold;

first and second laterally adjoining wings; and

a fuselage nose door for sealing the opening in a hull of the aircraft, comprising a door shell movably held by a bearing device between a closed setting and an open setting,

wherein the door shell is pivotable and shiftable in relation to the bearing device;

wherein the door shell is configured, via the bearing device, to slide along a guiding device extending in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft;

wherein the door shell is configured to initially slide up while being moved from the closed setting to the open setting, whereafter a to of the door shell is configured to pivot upward and to simultaneously slide rearward along the fuselage structure of the aircraft; and

wherein in the fully open setting of the door shell, the door shell is configured to move over the fuselage structure of the aircraft.

12. A method for opening and closing an opening in a hull of an aircraft with a fuselage nose door, the opening in the hull defined above a cockpit in a nose area of the aircraft and configured to provide access to a loading area above the cockpit, wherein the fuselage nose door has a door shell movably held by a bearing device between a closed setting and an open setting, the method comprising:

pivoting and shifting the door shell in relation to the bearing device in the opening and closing process;

wherein the shifting the door shell comprises sliding the door shell, via the bearing device, along a guiding device extending in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft;

wherein the door shell is configured to initially slide up while being moved from the closed setting to the open setting, whereafter a to of the door shell is configured to pivot upward and to simultaneously slide rearward along a fuselage of the aircraft; and

wherein in the fully open setting of the door shell, the door shell is configured to move over the fuselage of the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

upwardly shifting the door shell so that a rear profile of the door shell moves over a fuselage profile of the aircraft; and

shifting and simultaneously pivoting the door shell transverse to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, wherein the door shell is upwardly pivoted in such a way that a front edge of the door shell moves over the fuselage profile of the aircraft.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising shifting the door shell forward in a longitudinal direction prior to vertically shifting the door shell of the aircraft, during which the door shell is unlatched.