Modular pod system for aircraft

• US 9,394,051 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Chun, Craig C. M., Picard, Lyle E., Dugger, Frank, Koehler, Harold A., Wynns, Paul L., Hall, George, Cunningham, Glen W., Rosenwach, Arthur Jules, Kearns, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODZIWICZ, AARON M
• Application Number:
  US13/926,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20150298807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 244/121
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 7/00 Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 7/00 Arrangements of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories, or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00; armaments or mountings therefor per se F41
• 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: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons

Abstract

A mission pod system for an aircraft set to perform a mission includes a fixed portion that is fixedly secured to an exterior surface of the aircraft. The mission pod system also includes a modular portion that is removably secured to the fixed portion and spaced away from the exterior surface of the aircraft via the fixed portion. The modular portion includes an entirety of mission-specific components.

Claims

1. A mission pod system for an aircraft set to perform a mission, comprising:

a fixed portion fixedly secured directly to an exterior surface of the aircraft via at least one first fastener, wherein the fixed portion comprises a sidewall defining an interior cavity with an open end; and

a modular portion removably secured to the fixed portion and spaced away from the exterior surface of the aircraft via the fixed portion, wherein the modular portion comprises an entirety of mission-specific components;

wherein the modular portion comprises an elongate board having a length greater than the fixed portion, a width greater than the fixed portion, and an overall height less than the fixed portion;

wherein the elongate board is removably secured directly to the fixed portion via a plurality of second fasteners;

wherein the elongate board is removably secured to the sidewall of the fixed portion at the open end and the elongate board covers the open end; and

wherein the elongate board comprises an upper surface facing the aircraft and an opposing lower surface facing away from the aircraft, and wherein at least a portion of the mission-specific components are mounted on the upper surface of the elongate board, and wherein when the elongate board is removably secured to the sidewall of the fixed portion, the portion of the mission-specific components mounted on the upper surface of the elongate board are positioned within the interior cavity of the fixed portion.

2. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the sidewall extends substantially transversely away from the exterior surface of the aircraft, the open end extending substantially parallel to the exterior surface of the aircraft to which the fixed portion is fixedly secured.

3. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the entirety of components necessary for performing the mission mounted on the upper surface of the elongate board comprises computer processors for executing functionality of the mission.

4. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the entirety of component necessary for performing the mission is mounted on the lower surface, and wherein when the board is removably secured to the sidewall of the fixed portion, the portion of the entirety of components necessary for performing the mission mounted on the lower surface of the elongate board extends away from the interior cavity of the fixed portion.

5. The mission pod system of claim 4, wherein the portion of the entirety of components necessary for performing the mission mounted on the lower surface of the elongate board comprises at least one of blade antenna, dish antenna, phased array antenna, optical sensors, or data transceivers.

6. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the entirety of components necessary for performing the mission mounted on the upper surface of the elongate board is positioned external to the interior cavity of the fixed portion.

7. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the lower surface of the elongate board is transparent.

8. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the elongate board comprises a first data communication interface, wherein the fixed portion comprises a second data communication interface engageable with the first data communication interface to receive data from the entirety of components necessary for performing the mission, and wherein the fixed portion further comprises a third data communication interface in data receiving communication with the second data communication interface, the third data communication interface being in data providing communication with the aircraft.

9. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fasteners are accessible from a location external to the aircraft.

10. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the upper surface is substantially flat and the lower surface is substantially flat.

11. The mission pod system of claim 1, further comprising a component cooling system positioned within the fixed portion, the component cooling system comprising an air inlet formed in the fixed portion and an air outlet formed in the fixed portion, wherein the component cooling system passively cools at least some of the entirety of mission-specific components of the modular portion.

12. The mission pod system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of modular portions interchangeably and removably securable to the fixed portion, wherein each of the plurality of modular portions comprises an entirety of mission-specific components for a respective one of a plurality of different missions.

13. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the fixed portion comprises at least one of two power inputs in power receiving communication with two separate power source outputs of the aircraft, or two data outputs in data providing communication with two separate data inputs of the aircraft.

14. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the modular portion is removably secured to the fixed portion from below the fixed portion.

15. The mission pod system of claim 1, wherein the fixed portion comprises a top panel with a contoured surface that complements an external surface of the aircraft.

16. An aircraft, comprising:

a body defining an exterior surface;

a base pod fixedly secured directly to the exterior surface of the body via at least one first fastener, wherein the base pod comprises a sidewall defining an interior cavity with an open end; and

a mission pod removably secured to the base pod and spaced away from the exterior surface of the body via the base pod, the mission pod comprising an entirety of components specific to a mission;

wherein the mission pod comprises an elongate board having a length greater than the base pod, a width greater than the base pod, and an overall height less than the base pod;

wherein the elongate board is removably secured directly to the base pod via a plurality of second fasteners;

wherein the elongate board is removably secured to the sidewall of the base pod at the open end and the elongate board covers the open end; and

wherein the elongate board comprises an upper surface facing the body and an opposing lower surface facing away from the body, and wherein at least a portion of the components specific to the mission are mounted on the upper surface of the elongate board, and wherein when the elongate board is removably secured to the sidewall of the base pod, the portion of the components specific to the mission mounted on the upper surface of the elongate board are positioned within the interior cavity of the base pod.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the elongate board comprises substantially flat upper and lower surfaces, the elongate board being external to the body and base pod.

18. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the body comprises external trunnions, and wherein the base pod is fixedly secured to the trunnions of the body.

19. A method for fitting an aircraft for a mission, comprising:

fixedly attaching a base pod to an external surface of the aircraft via at least one first fastener;

selecting a first mission from a plurality of missions;

removably coupling directly to the base pod via a plurality of second fasteners a first mission pod of a plurality of mission pods each associated with a different mission, the first mission pod being associated with the first mission;

selecting a second mission from the plurality of missions;

decoupling the first mission pod from the base pod by removing the plurality of second fasteners;

removably coupling directly to the base pod via the plurality of second fasteners a second mission pod of the plurality of mission pods associated with the second mission; and

passively cooling at least one of a plurality of components disposed within at least one of the first mission pod, second mission pod, and base pod via air ducts in the base pod;

wherein each of the first and second mission pods comprises an elongate board having a length greater than the fixed portion, a width greater than the fixed portion, and an overall height less than the fixed portion.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising interchangeably coupling the first and second mission pods to the base pod, wherein the first mission pod comprises an entirety of mission-specific components for the first mission and the second mission pod comprises an entirety of mission-specific components for the second mission.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first mission pod is removably coupled to the base pod from below the base pod, and the second mission pod is removably coupled to the base pod from below the base pod.