Patents Assigned to Airbus Operations Limited
  • Patent number: 11873855
    Abstract: A barrel nut retainer for retaining a barrel nut in a bore of a component is disclosed having a body adapted to fit within a bore and extending between a first end and a second end, and wherein the body has an aperture between the first end and second end configured to receive a barrel nut, and a head portion at the first end of the body, the head portion adapted to sit over an open end of the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: William Tulloch, Paul Dean
  • Patent number: 11867206
    Abstract: A method of removing hydraulic fluid from an aircraft hydraulic system is disclosed including a hydraulically actuated mechanism that is actuated by an electrohydraulic servo valve, a hydraulic fluid port through which hydraulic fluid can escape, and a hydraulic fuse with a closed state and an open state between the electrohydraulic servo valve and the hydraulic fluid port. The hydraulic fluid port is opened, and then the activation of the electrohydraulic servo valve is controlled to force hydraulic fluid to escape from the hydraulic system via the hydraulic fluid port, the control being so that the hydraulic fuse does not enter and remain in the closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Ashley Bidmead, Alexander Hayes
  • Patent number: 11866157
    Abstract: An aircraft landing gear support (1) including: a support member (such as a landing gear rib (2)) and a plurality of pintle supports (5, 7, 8) (typically in the form of lugs) which form a pintle support arrangement for holding a pintle on which a landing gear assembly may be rotatably supported. The lugs are removably attached to the gear rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Andrew McMAHON, Saif Rafique
  • Patent number: 11851164
    Abstract: A wing tip device for fixing to the outboard end of a wing, the wing defining a wing plane, the wing tip device comprising: an upper wing-like element projecting upwardly with respect to the wing plane and having a trailing edge; and a lower wing-like element fixed with respect to the upper wing-like element and having a root chord and a trailing edge, the lower wing-like element root chord intersecting with the upper wing-like element, and the lower wing-like element projecting downwardly from the intersection, wherein the upper wing-like element is larger than the lower wing-like element and the trailing edge of the lower wing-like element is adjacent the trailing edge of the upper wing-like element at the intersection, and wherein an included angle between the upper and lower wing-like elements at the intersection is less than, or equal to, 160 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignees: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED, AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Christopher Wright, James K. Chu, Jan Himisch
  • Patent number: 11845161
    Abstract: A method of installing a plurality of nut and bolt fasteners upon a structure is disclosed. The method includes placing a jig around the nut of a first fastener and the nut of a second fastener, securing the jig to the first fastener, and then using a power tool to tighten the nut of the second fastener to a target torque. The step of tightening the nut comprises engaging a socket portion of the power tool with the nut, securing the power tool to the jig such that a handle portion of the power tool is prevented from rotating about an axis of rotation of a socket portion of the power tool when the nut is being rotated by the socket portion. A jig, jig fasteners for securing a jig to a fastener, and a fastening head for a power tool are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Richard Bestwick, Guillaume Le Mevel, Anthony Ripoll
  • Patent number: 11845539
    Abstract: A stall trigger system is disclosed having an aircraft wing tip or aircraft wing tip device, a plurality of sets of stall triggers distributed along a span of the aircraft wing tip or aircraft wing tip device. Each set of stall triggers comprises one or more stall triggers which can be activated to trigger local separation of air flow over the aircraft wing tip or aircraft wing tip device, and each set of stall triggers has a different activation threshold. A control system configured to monitor a parameter, and activate each set of stall triggers in response to the parameter reaching its respective activation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventor: Ben Commis
  • Patent number: 11846374
    Abstract: A pipe joint with a socket, and a pipe fitted into the socket. An annular seal is compressed between the socket and the pipe. The seal is electrically conductive and resiliently flexible. The socket or the pipe has a recess which houses the seal. The recess has a ridge in a base of the recess and the seal has a groove which extends around a radial periphery of the seal. The ridge fits into the groove to fool proof the installation, such that a standard non-conductive O-ring seal is more difficult to install in error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Peachey, Anthony Bryant, Eric Bonte, Sergio Campos Diez
  • Patent number: 11845549
    Abstract: An aircraft wing including a wingbox with an upper cover, a lower cover, a forward spar and a rear spar. A leading edge of a trailing edge panel is attached to the wingbox. A support structure is attached to the wingbox and a connector is movably mounted to the trailing edge panel on a bearing. A first end of a link is attached to the connector, and a second end of the link is attached to the support structure. During assembly, the connector is moved on the bearing from a first position to a second position where the connector is aligned with the first end of the link, then the connector at the second position is attached to the first end of the link. The connector may be moved by a rack-and-pinion mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: William Tulloch
  • Patent number: 11845540
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining tire pressure of an aircraft tire. The apparatus includes a processing system configured to: obtain a first set and a second set of tire measurement data for an aircraft, wherein the first set is from a start of a flight cycle and the second set is from a time before the first set; and determine a steady state tire pressure based on the first and second sets of measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Michael Robertson
  • Patent number: 11845542
    Abstract: An aircraft wing having a fixed wing and a wing tip device rotatable about a hinge at the tip of the fixed wing is disclosed. The wing further includes an actuation assembly for rotating the wing tip device about the hinge. The upper cover of the wing tip device includes an offset region extending inboard of the hinge axis, such that when the wing tip device is rotated to the ground configuration, the offset region extends into a space previously-occupied by the actuation assembly, but is outside the space occupied by the actuation assembly in the ground configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Jack Horwood, Paul Morrell, Matt Harding
  • Patent number: 11845306
    Abstract: A tire pressure sensor device (122) for a wheel (112) of an aircraft (102) including a pressure sensor (124) for measuring the internal pressure of a tire, a temperature sensor (126) for measuring a temperature local to the tire (116), a memory unit (131) local to the tire for storing data, and a control unit (128) local to the tire arranged to record in the memory unit (131) data of the readings taken at intervals of time. The data recorded for each reading includes an indication of the time of the reading, the tire pressure and the temperature local to the tire. Measurements may be taken and recorded over time, both when the aircraft is on the ground and when the aircraft is in flight. Data may be uploaded to a portable handheld device (140) for analysis when maintaining the tires in their correctly inflated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Raymond Bill
  • Patent number: 11840328
    Abstract: An aircraft with wing tip devices, for example, folding wing tips, is disclosed. The folding wing tip may have a flight configuration for use during flight, and a ground configuration for use in ground-based operations. The ground configuration creates a shorter wing span than when the aircraft is in the flight configuration. A hinge arrangement protrudes beyond an outer surface of the fixed wing and wing tip device. In order to reduce the aerodynamic effect of the protruding hinge a fairing may be provided. In the flight configuration the fairing comprises a front portion blended into and extending rearwardly from the leading edge of the fixed wing and the wing tip device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventor: Richard Lowry
  • Patent number: 11840116
    Abstract: A method of communicating configuration data of a tire pressure monitoring device configured to be affixed to a wheel is disclosed. The method includes, at the tire pressure monitoring device, receiving a request to confirm configuration data, and responsive to receipt of the request to confirm configuration data, transmitting a configuration data signal which encodes the configuration data. The configuration data signal is configured to be received and understood by a human.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventor: Andrew Bill
  • Patent number: 11834171
    Abstract: An aircraft wing section assembly is disclosed having a structural spine, a movement mechanism including a support rod extending through the structural spine, a first lever, for connection to and for moving a first moveable control surface, pivotally mounted to the support rod, a second similar lever for connection to and for moving a second moveable control surface, and a connection mechanism for connecting the first and second levers such that pivotal movement of the first lever causes pivotal movement of the second lever, and an actuation mechanism for actuating pivotal movement of the first lever, such that, in use, when the actuation mechanism actuates pivotal movement of the first lever, the second lever also pivotally moves, thus causing movement of both the first and second moveable control surfaces. Also disclosed is an aircraft wing assembly, an aircraft and a method of operating an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Mark Shaun Kelly, Peter Kelly, Stuart Strachan Alexander
  • Patent number: 11834169
    Abstract: An aircraft wingbox assembly is disclosed having a wingbox with an upper cover, a lower cover and a pair of spars; a plurality of ribs in the wingbox. The ribs divide the wingbox into bays. A fuel tank is in a first one of the bays. One of the spars includes a spar hole which is configured to enable the fuel tank to be removed from the first one of the bays through the spar hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventor: William Tulloch
  • Patent number: 11820495
    Abstract: A single acting actuator for an aircraft landing gear assembly is disclosed having a piston mounted in a cavity and moveable relative to a housing between a retracted position and an extended position, the piston dividing the cavity into first and second pressure chambers. At least one of the pressure chambers is associated with first and second outlets, with the actuator being arranged such that, in respect of the relative movement in which the pressure chamber is the decreasing volume pressure chamber, in a first stage of the relative movement the first and second outlets are open thereby allowing actuator fluid to flow out of the pressure chamber through the first and second outlets and in a second stage of the relative movement the second outlet is open but the first outlet is closed, thereby acting to slow the relative movement of the piston with respect to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean Kerr, David Marles, Paul Gordon L'Allier
  • Patent number: 11814024
    Abstract: A braking system and a method for applying one or more aircraft wheel brakes according to at least one of a plurality of wheel brake control functions are disclosed. The method includes receiving an indication of an aircraft speed from an aircraft speed indicator, controlling a wheel braking operation of the aircraft according to at least a first wheel brake control function if the aircraft speed indicated by the aircraft speed indicator exceeds a speed threshold, and controlling the wheel braking operation of the aircraft according to at least a second wheel brake control function if the aircraft speed does not exceed the speed threshold. Also disclosed is an aircraft including one or more aircraft wheel brakes and the disclosed braking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignees: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED, AIRBUS OPÉRATIONS (S.A.S.), AIRBUS (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Andrew Bill, Utsav Oza, Esther Ramirez-Paya, David Joel Clarke
  • Patent number: 11816024
    Abstract: A method of testing a system model is disclosed. The system model includes a system parameter and three or more equipment models, each equipment model includes an equipment parameter which models a parameter of a respective equipment. The method includes (a) making a series of changes of the equipment parameter of one of the equipment models so that the equipment parameter of the one of the equipment models adopts a series of test values of the equipment parameter; (b) operating the system model to determine a series of test values of the system parameter, each test value of the system parameter is determined in accordance with a respective one of the test values of the equipment parameter; (c) determining a weight of the selected one of the equipment models, the weight of the one of the equipment models indicates a sensitivity of the system parameter to the series of changes in the equipment parameter of the one of the equipment models; and (d) outputting the weight of the one of the equipment models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Louis-Emmanuel Romana, George Howell
  • Patent number: 11814189
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a tire and/or a wheel including a sensor system; a wireless communication interface; a processor connected to the sensor system and the wireless communication interface; a power source; and a mounting system for attaching the apparatus to a wheel. The mounting system is configured to allow movement of the sensor system relative to the wheel in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Bill
  • Patent number: 11811200
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for installing an aircraft bulkhead connector with a bulkhead is disclosed where access to only one side of the bulkhead is required. The disclosure is also applicable to installation of bulkhead connectors in aircraft fuel tanks. An aircraft bulkhead connector and installation tool is also disclosed. The bulkhead connector includes a female end portion and the installation tool includes a male end portion. The male end portion of the installation tool is removably engaged with the female end portion of the bulkhead connector, such that the installation tool protrudes beyond the female end portion of the bulkhead connector. The installation tool may be inserted through an aperture in a bulkhead and used to both position and hold the bulkhead connector during the installation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Timothy Sanderson, Stuart Quayle