DE102010024330A1 - Adaptor for fixing smaller military air freight palette of HCU-6/E type in cargo loading system of e.g. A300/A310 type civilian airplane, has projections arranged such that fixing of palette in loading system is allowed - Google Patents

Abstract

The adaptor has L or U-shaped adaptor parts (101-104) detachably connected with each other to a closed frame at ends, where the frame laterally includes an air freight palette (105). The frame includes length and width external dimensions (L2, B2), which are equal to length and width external dimensions of another air freight palette. Profile projections (106b) are arranged at inner side surfaces facing outer side surfaces of the parts. The projections are arranged so that fixing of the former palette in a cargo loading system, which is compatible connected with the latter palette, is allowed. The L or U-shaped adaptor parts are made of fiber composite material.

Description

The invention relates to an adapter for fixing a first air cargo pallet in a cargo loading system of an aircraft designed for larger second air freight pallets and an air freight pallet with a similar adapter.

The term "air freight pallet" is widely understood in the present case. In particular, it also includes air freight pallets with superstructures, such as transport racks, pallets with side walls and with closed superstructures (so-called containers). Airfreight pallets are loading units, which are referred to in English as "Unit Load Devices" (ULDs). ULDs are used to load cargo, such as luggage, cargo and mail, into aircraft. Airfreight pallets are essentially rectangular plates, mostly of aluminum, with side protrusions mounted on the side surfaces of the pallet, which are designed to be fixed in an air cargo pallet compatible cargo loading system of an aircraft, or locking means provided therein can.

Such cargo loading systems are used for loading and / or unloading of ULDs, wherein roller drive units are provided for transporting the cargo, locking units for locking or fixing the freight and control units for actuating the roller drive units and / or the locking units. Such a cargo loading system is for example the DE 199 61 734 C1 refer to.

Air freight pallets come in different sizes (outside lengths, widths, heights), with different net weights (weight of the air cargo pallet without cargo) and maximum allowed gross weights (maximum allowed weight of the air cargo pallet with cargo). Since air freight pallets are used in the worldwide air freight business on a wide range of aircraft types and by a wide variety of airlines, globally recognized standards have been developed with regard to ULDs in order to ensure the required compatibility and effectiveness during transport.

For civil aviation, in particular civil airfreight, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the central source of industry-standard standardization information on ULDs. So contains that "IATA, ULD Technical Manual, 24th Edition, July 2009", available from: IATA, 2000 Peel Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2R4 , comprehensive specifications for ULDs, codes for the identification of various types of ULD, etc. For example, the specifications of the profile projections can also be found in the ULD Technical Manual.

In addition to the IATA ULD standards, there are other standards in civil aviation, such as ULD standards of the "Air Transport Association of America, ATA" which differ in part, especially in the nomenclature, from the IATA ULD standard. For example, a ULD labeled LD-3 according to the ATA standard is equivalent to an IATA Type 8 ULD.

In addition to civil airfreight standards, military aviation has also developed standards for military air cargo. These military standards were heavily influenced by US Air Force specifications in 1950 and later, which set uniform standards for all US Air Force contracts. Within these standards, standards for military air freight pallets have also been defined. Since then, under the name "463L" is a family of military air freight pallets (for example HCU-6 / E . HCU10 / C . HCU-12 / E ), each of a so-called Standard Military Air Cargo Pallet (HCU-6 / E) derived. A leading manufacturer of 463L air freight pallets is AAR Mobility Systems at 201 Haynes St. Cadillac, MI 49601, USA, whose web site provides more information on the 463L air freight pallets.

1 (Prior art) shows an image of a Standard military air cargo pallet 462L HCU-6 / E , Clearly visible is their rectangular, plate-like shape with an outer length L ₁ and an outer width B ₁ . Furthermore, on the side surfaces of the air freight pallet 105 the profile projections 106 to recognize, at which the air freight pallet 105 in one with the air freight pallet 105 compatible cargo loading system is fixable.

Civil and military ULD standards are known to be different so that military ULDs are typically incompatible with cargo ULDs designed for cargo loading systems, and civilian ULDs are typically incompatible with cargo ULDs designed for cargo loading systems.

With an increasing use of aircraft developed for civil aviation in purely military air operations, for example, the use of Airbus aircraft A310, A330 for purely military tasks (tanker, hospital troop transport or cargo aircraft) and also increasing demand for cargo partly on civil aircraft and subsequently transported on military aircraft and vice versa (for example, in cases of humanitarian relief operations) arises on the one hand a need to transport military ULDs on civilian aircraft that have a civil ULD compatible cargo loading system, and to transport civil ULDs on military aircraft that have a military ULD compatible cargo loading system.

The object of the invention is to increase the versatility of air freight pallets.

The invention results from the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims. Other features, applications and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, as well as the explanation of embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the figures.

The object is achieved with an adapter which serves to fix a first air freight pallet in a cargo loading system of an aircraft designed for larger second air freight pallets, wherein the first air freight pallet has a first length and width outer dimension L ₁ , B ₁ and at its four Side faces arranged first profile projections. The adapter comprises at least two adapter elements which are detachably connected to one another at their ends so as to be able to be connected to a closed frame laterally enclosing the first air freight pallet, the frame having a second longitudinal and a second external width dimension L ₂ , B ₂ which is equal to a length. and a width outer dimension of the second air cargo pallets, inner side surfaces of the frame forming adapter elements have recesses into which the first profile projections in the connected state of the frame and the first air cargo pallet engage, and arranged on the inside surfaces opposite outer side surfaces of the adapter elements second profile projections arranged and arranged in that it allows fixing of a first air cargo pallet connected to the adapter in the cargo loading system compatible with the second air freight pallet.

The invention is thus based on the idea of making available an adapter with which the length and width dimensions L ₁ , B _{1 of} a first air freight pallet compatible with a first compartment loading system can be increased to such an extent that a composite of the first air freight pallet and Adapter has a length and width outer dimension L ₂ , B ₂ , which corresponds to a larger second air freight pallet, which is compatible with a second cargo loading system. The adapter according to the invention also makes it possible, in addition to the corresponding adjustment of the length and Breitenaußenmaßes L ₁ , B _{1 of} the first pallet, and the arranged on the outer side surfaces of the adapter elements second profile projections according to the standards to be laid for the second air cargo pallet standards, ie the shapes of the first and second profile projections may differ from each other. The various known and / or standardized shapes of profile projections can be found, for example, in the abovementioned ULD standards, such as the IATA document "ULD Technical Manual" or corresponding documents relating to the military ULD standards.

According to the invention, the adapter comprises at least two adapter elements, for example two L- or U-shaped adapter elements, which form a frame enclosing the first air cargo pallet on their sides during assembly. However, adapters according to the invention with two or three adapter elements have disadvantages with regard to the handling and storage of the then at least partially bulky adapter elements.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the adapter according to the invention is characterized in that the adapter comprises four substantially rectangular, elongated adapter elements. An adapter consisting of four such adapter elements can be easily handled when not in use or for storage and requires a smaller storage volume than L- or U-shaped adapter elements. In one preferred embodiment, the adapter elements have an identical thickness dimension which is equal to or less than a thickness dimension of the first airfreight pallet. This ensures that the base area of the first airfreight pallet, which is enlarged when the adapter is attached, can be used easily for the application of freight. Furthermore, opposite adapter elements in a preferred development have an identical Breitenaußenmaß in the frame, so that the first air freight pallet is arranged centrally to a longitudinal and a width axis of the composite of the first air cargo pallet and adapter.

In order to allow a simple and quick assembly of the adapter elements, ie a releasably fixed connection of the adapter elements to a frame comprising the first air cargo pallet, the ends of the adapter elements preferably have quick connection means, such as ball lock bolts, quick release screws or bayonet locks. In the state associated with the first air freight pallet, a detachable connection is formed between adapters, ie between the individual adapter elements and the first air freight pallet. For this purpose, the adapter elements are plugged or pushed onto the side surfaces of the first air freight pallet and connected to one another by means of the quick-connection means. The expert is very diverse Embodiments of such quick connect means known.

The adapter elements may be metal, fiber composite, or a combination thereof. In particular, the use of fiber composite materials allows the production of adapter elements with low weight and high strength or high rigidity.

A preferred embodiment of the adapter according to the invention is characterized in that the inner side surfaces of the adapter elements each have open recesses to the inside and to an upper side of the adapter elements, which are designed and arranged along the inner sides of the adapter elements such that in the region of a peripheral edge of the first air freight pallet / the first air cargo container arranged fasteners, such as lashing eyes, are accessible when connected to the first air freight pallet adapter. This makes it possible to continue to use on the first air cargo pallet existing fasteners for lashing cargo. Alternatively or additionally, the adapter elements fastening elements, such as lashing eyes; exhibit. Depending on the arrangement of the fastening elements on the adapter elements (as close as possible to the outer edge of the adapter elements), the latter has the advantage of having a larger base area available for the application of freight, with part of the adapter surface being used for this purpose.

Another particularly preferred embodiment of the adapter according to the invention is characterized in that the adapter is designed and set up so that a first military air cargo pallet of the type HCU-6 / E , having a first length and width (L ₁ , B ₁ ) of L ₁ = 2743 mm / 88 inches and B ₁ = 2235 mm / 108 inches, is fixable in a cargo loading system of an aircraft suitable for larger second air cargo pallets of the type PQP or P6P or PMC according to IATA ULD specification, which has a second length and second external width dimension (L ₂ , B ₂ ) of L ₂ = 3175 mm / 125 inches and / 88 inches and B ₂ = 2438 mm / 96 inches exhibit.

By means of the adapter according to the invention, for example, military air freight pallets can be transported without conversion of a freight loading system in civil aircraft. In particular, the invention enables the transport of military air freight pallets of the type HCU-6 / E in cargo holds of Airbus aircraft: A300 / A310 (Main Deck and Lower Deck), A330 / A340 (Main Deck and Lower Deck), A350 (Main Deck and Lower Deck), A380 (Main Deck, Upper Deck and Lower Deck), as well A320 / A321 (Main Deck).

Another aspect of the invention relates to an air cargo pallet with an adapter according to the preceding embodiments.

Further advantages, features and details emerge from the following description, in which an exemplary embodiment is described in detail. Described and / or illustrated features form the subject of the invention, or independently of the claims, either alone or in any meaningful combination, and in particular may additionally be the subject of one or more separate applications. The same, similar and / or functionally identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

Show it:

1 an illustration of a Standard Military Air Cargo Pallet Type 463L HCU-6 / E (State of the art),

2 a schematic representation of a first air freight pallet 105 with an associated adapter, consisting of the adapter elements 101 - 104 .

3 a cross section (schematically) along the line YY '(see. 2 , and

4 a cross section (schematically) along the line XX '(see. 2 ).

On 1 was already referred to in the introduction to the description. It serves to explain the state of the art, in this respect reference is made to the above statements.

2 shows a schematic representation of a first air freight pallet 105 with an adapter detachably connected thereto, consisting of the adapter elements 101 - 104 , The adapter elements 101 - 104 , which at their ends means of a quick release means 109 each releasably connected to each other firmly, form one the sides of the first air freight pallet 105 enclosing frame. The air freight pallet 105 has a first outer length L ₁ and a first outer width B ₁ . On the side surfaces of the first air freight pallet 105 are first profile projections 106a and fasteners 111 arranged. The adapter elements 101 - 104 are designed substantially rectangular, and each have on their inner surfaces recesses, in the present case, the first profile projections 106a intervention. Furthermore, the 2 be taken that the inside surfaces of the adapter elements 101 - 104 respectively to the inside and to an upper side of the adapter elements 101 - 104 open recesses 107 have, which are designed and along the inner sides of the adapter elements 101 - 104 are arranged, that in the region of a peripheral edge of the first air freight pallet 105 arranged fasteners 111 , with the first air freight range 105 connected adapter are accessible. On the outer side surfaces of the adapter elements 101 - 104 are second profile projections 106b arranged, in contrast to the first profile projections 106a along the adapter elements not interrupted, but are executed continuously. The exterior widths 108a and 108b in the frame opposite adapter elements 101 and 103 are identical. The same applies in the present case for the adapter elements 102 and 104 , Of the 3 Cross-sectional lines X-X 'and YY' are still to be taken for 4 and 5 relevant sin d.

3 shows a cross section (schematically) along the line YY '(see. 3 ). The first air freight pallet is shown on the left side of the picture 105 with a first profile projection arranged on a side surface 106a , This first profile lead 106a engages in the inside of the adapter element 104 arranged recess 110 one. The adapter element 104 has an outer width 120 on. The outside of the adapter element 104 has a second profile projection 106b in terms of its shape from the first profile lead 106a different.

4 shows a cross section (schematically) along the line XX '(see. 3 ). Shown are the ends of the adapter elements 101 and 102 , which are releasably connected by means of a quick connection means. Many concrete embodiments of such a compound are known to the person skilled in the art, so that further explanations on this are dispensed with.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

101-104

Adapter elements,

105

first air freight pallet,

106a

first profile projections,

106b

second profile projections,

107

Recesses in the adapter elements 101 - 1004 for accessing or usability of at the peripheral edge of the first air cargo pallet 105 arranged fasteners, such as lashing eyes,

108a

External width of the adapter element 101 .

108b

External width of the adapter element 103 .

109

Junction between respective adapter elements 101 - 104 .

110

Recess or recess on the inner side surface of the frame forming adapter elements 101 - 104 .

111

Fasteners,

120

External width of the adapter element 104 .

130

Quick connection means,

L ₁ , L ₂

Length External dimensions,

B ₁ , B ₂

Width External dimensions,

X ₁ , X ₂

Cross-section line, and

Y ₁ , Y ₂

Section line.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 19961734 C1 [0003]

Cited non-patent literature

• "IATA, ULD Technical Manual, 24th Edition, July 2009", available from: IATA, 2000 Peel Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2R4 [0005]
• HCU-6 / E [0007]
• HCU10 / C [0007]
• HCU-12 / E [0007]
• Standard Military Air Cargo Pallet (HCU-6 / E) [0007]
• Standard Military Air Freight Pallet 462L HCU-6 / E [0008]
• HCU-6 / E [0020]
• HCU-6 / E [0021]
• Standard Military Air Cargo Pallet Type 463L HCU-6 / E [0025]

Claims (10)

Adapter to a first air freight pallet ( 105 ) in a cargo loading system of an aircraft designed for larger second air freight pallets, the first air freight pallet ( 105 ) a first longitudinal and Breitenaußenmaß (L ₁ , B ₁ ) and arranged at their four side surfaces first profile projections ( 106a ), characterized in that - the adapter has at least two adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) which are releasably secured together at their ends to a first air cargo pallet ( 105 ), the frame having a second length and a second Breitenaußenmaß (L ₂ , B ₂ ), which are equal to a length and a width dimension of the second air freight pallets, - inner side surfaces of the frame forming adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) Recesses ( 110 ) into which the first profile projections ( 106a ) in the connected condition of frame and first air cargo pallet ( 105 ), and - on the inner side surfaces opposite outer side surfaces of the adapter elements ( 105 ) second profile projections ( 106b ) arranged and arranged to fix a first air cargo pallet connected to the adapter ( 105 ) in the cargo loading system compatible with the second air freight pallets. Adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter has two L- or U-shaped adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ). Adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter comprises four substantially rectangular, elongated adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ). Adapter according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) each have an identical thickness dimension that is equal to or less than a thickness dimension of the first air freight pallet ( 105 ). Adapter according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the frame opposite adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) have an identical width outside dimension. Adapter according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at the ends of the adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) for detachably fixed connection of the adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) Quick connection means ( 130 ), such as ball lock pins, quick release screws or bayonet locks are present or used. Adapter according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) made of metal, fiber composite material, or a combination thereof. Adapter according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the adapter is designed and arranged such that a first military air cargo pallet of the type HCU-6 / E, with a first length and first width outside dimension (L ₁ , B ₁ ) of L ₁ = 2743 mm / 88 inches and B ₁ = 2235 mm / 108 inches, can be fixed in a cargo loading system of an aircraft designed for larger second PQP or P6P or P6P or PMC air cargo pallets according to IATA ULD specification, the second one Length and second external width dimensions (L ₂ , B ₂ ) of L ₂ = 3175 mm / 125 inches and / 88 inches and B ₂ = 2438 mm / 96 inches. Adapter according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inner side surfaces of the adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) each to the inside and to an upper side of the adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) open recesses ( 107 ) configured in such a way and along the inner sides of the adapter elements ( 101 - 104 ) are arranged such that in the region of a peripheral edge of the first air freight pallet ( 105 ) arranged fastening elements ( 111 ), with the first air freight pallet ( 105 ) are connected to the connected adapter. Air freight pallet with an adapter according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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