Patents Assigned to Airbus Operations Ltd.
  • Patent number: 12565329
    Abstract: A liner segment for a frame bay of a fuel tank structure includes a liner segment base body adapted to float on fuel in the fuel tank structure, a liner segment side wall extending from the liner segment base body, a multitude of drainage holes arranged in the liner segment base body, and adapted to provide a bidirectional fluid connection from an upper side to a bottom side of the liner segment facing the fuel tank structure, a valve, arranged in a cut out of the liner segment and adapted to provide an unidirectional fluid connection from the bottom side of the liner segment to the upper side of the liner segment, such that the unidirectional fluid connection is blocked in the opposite direction, such that a remaining portion of fuel within the fuel tank structure is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2026
    Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH, Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefan Wriede, Malte Vollmer, Frederic Gobin, Christopher Slack
  • Publication number: 20240351700
    Abstract: A liner segment for a frame bay of a fuel tank structure includes a liner segment base body adapted to float on fuel in the fuel tank structure, a liner segment side wall extending from the liner segment base body, a multitude of drainage holes arranged in the liner segment base body, and adapted to provide a bidirectional fluid connection from an upper side to a bottom side of the liner segment facing the fuel tank structure, a valve, arranged in a cut out of the liner segment and adapted to provide an unidirectional fluid connection from the bottom side of the liner segment to the upper side of the liner segment, such that the unidirectional fluid connection is blocked in the opposite direction, such that a remaining portion of fuel within the fuel tank structure is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2024
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicants: Airbus Operations GmbH, Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefan Wriede, Malte Vollmer, Frederic Gobin, Christopher Slack
  • Patent number: 11045931
    Abstract: When coupling tubular parts by fitting, the seal interposed between them may roll on itself, be pinched or damaged. Now, a twisted or damaged seal no longer correctly ensures the seal-tightness and it is very difficult to detect this. The present application discloses a tool for installing a seal between two tubular parts, one male and one female, including a compression ring to encircle the male part and exert a compression on the seal before producing the join. The tool also includes a tongue that can be positioned at a chamfered surface of the female tubular part. The tongue makes it possible to offer the pre-compressed seal with the dimensions of the female part a continuous travel making it possible to prevent any twisting or other effect compromising the seal-tightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: Airbus Operations LTD., Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: David Petit, Geneviève Schubetzer, Damien Fraysse, Serge Vernet, Sophie Gourdon, Nicolas Charmes, Mathieu Trindade, Joel Antic
  • Patent number: 10994827
    Abstract: A wing arrangement for an aircraft, comprising a wing having a base section and a tip section pivotably connected to base section such that the tip section is pivotable about a pivot axis between a deployed position and a stowed position. The wing arrangement also comprises a latching arrangement which includes an engagement portion, a latching actuator selectively movable between a first actuator position and a second actuator position, an elastically deformable structure, and a latching element. When the tip section is pivoted from the stowed or deployed position into an engagement position, the elastically deformable structure is initially deformed, and as the tip section pivots further into the deployed or stowed position, the elastic deformation of the elastically deformable structure decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignees: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH, AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD.
    Inventors: Christoph Winkelmann, Wilfried Ellmers, Stephen Briancourt, David Brakes
  • Patent number: 10196124
    Abstract: An external part of an aircraft (such as a fairing) comprising a skin made with flexible materials attached to rigid supporting elements (such as longerons and frames) arranged in, at least, two directions. The skin comprises inner inflatable panels in all bays delimited by the rigid supporting elements and/or an external inflatable panel. The skin is joined to the supporting elements so that its external surface complies with aerodynamic requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignees: Airbus Operations S.L., Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Jesús Javier Vazquez Castro, Fernando Pereira Mosqueira, Juan José Gutierrez Santiago, Anthony Langley, Guy Tothill, Davood Sarchamy, Miguel Marín Muñoz
  • Patent number: 10179644
    Abstract: The present disclosure refers to a method for operating a landing gear system, preferably in a tricycle configuration, wherein main landing gear (MLG) and the nose landing gear (NLG) are operable from a retracted position where they are housed respectively inside landing gear bays, to a fully extended position where they are extended for landing the aircraft. According to the disclosure, the extension of the nose landing gear (NLG) is delayed in time with respect to the extension of the main landing gear (MLG), and the nose landing gear (NLG) is kept retracted during a major part of the time that the main landing gear doors (MLGD) are extended. In this manner, vibrations on the main landing gear doors are reduced and incidents caused by fatigue are also reduced, which in turn implies that the maintenance cost of the aircraft is greatly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignees: AIRBUS OPERATIONS, S.L., AIRBUS OPERATIONS S.A.S., AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD.
    Inventors: Ramon Abarca Lopez, Marcus Barth, Norman Wood
  • Patent number: 9555874
    Abstract: A fixed wing of an aircraft, having a main wing extending over a half-span with a wing box including spars extending along the spanwise direction of the main wing, ribs arranged one in back of the other viewed in the spanwise direction, and an outer skin. The wing box includes a wing box base section (K10) and a wing box adapter section, that forms the outer end area of the wing box, as viewed from the wing root, and is designed to secure a wing tip device. In its nominal state of construction, the dihedral angle of the wing box adapter section referring to the respective local spanwise direction continuously increases by at most 60 degrees from the outer rib of the wing box base section (K10) up to the outermost rib of the wing box adapter section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH, Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerd Heller, Alexander Buescher, Frank Theurich, Tom Gibson, Michael Karwin, Stephen Powell
  • Patent number: 9056671
    Abstract: A fixed wing of an aircraft, having a main wing extending over a half-span with a wing box including spars extending along the spanwise direction of the main wing, ribs arranged one in back of the other viewed in the spanwise direction, and an outer skin. The wing box includes a wing box base section (K10) and a wing box adapter section, that forms the outer end area of the wing box, as viewed from the wing root, and is designed to secure a wing tip device. In its nominal state of construction, the dihedral angle of the wing box adapter section referring to the respective local spanwise direction continuously increases by at most 60 degrees from the outer rib of the wing box base section (K10) up to the outermost rib of the wing box adapter section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH, Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerd Heller, Alexander Buescher, Frank Theurich, Tom Gibson, Michael Karwin, Stephen Powell
  • Patent number: 9011062
    Abstract: An assembly comprising at least two non-metal components which are fixed to each other using at least one fixing system. The fixing system includes a fixing device with a fixing element which is provided with a head and a rod, and a crimping ring which is in contact with one of the components. A protection device is a part of the fixing system which delimits a cavity for confining gas around a portion of the device comprising the crimping ring. In order to improve the repeatability of the operation for positioning the protection device, a guiding device is provided which includes an assembly element on the portion of the fixing device, and an element for guiding the protection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignees: Airbus Operations SAS, Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Clement Chirol, Philip Cresswell, Florian Dapot
  • Patent number: 8826942
    Abstract: An aircraft includes a hose that makes it possible to channel the pressurized air that is used in a sleeve (52) that delimits an annular chamber with the hose, with the sleeve (52) including at least one opening (54) that is delimited by an edge (58) that makes it possible to link the annular chamber and the outside of the sleeve (52), and a leak detection system that includes at least one loop (A) in the form of a threadlike element (56), characterized in that it includes a connecting device that includes a ring (60) that is connected at at least one connecting point (64) with a loop (A), and a flexible wall that delimits a hose (68) for channeling the air that extends from the edge (58) of the opening (54) up to the ring (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignees: Airbus Operations (SAS), Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Gérard Millet, Terence J Burt, Xavier Bernard
  • Publication number: 20140230993
    Abstract: An apparatus for fabricating a fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite structure is described. The apparatus comprises a localised heat source arranged to heat a portion of a stack of fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers and an ultrasonic transducer arranged to locally introduce ultrasonic energy waves to the heated portion of the fibre reinforced thermoplastic material layers. The apparatus makes it possible to achieve ultrasonic consolidation of the layers occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD.
    Inventor: David INSTON
  • Patent number: 8474749
    Abstract: The aircraft includes at least one engine suitable for propelling the aircraft in flight, at least one motor of an undercarriage, and automatic means arranged to cause the aircraft to taxi under drive directly from the engine, while simultaneously using the motor for taxiing, other than during takeoff or landing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignees: Airbus (S.A.S.), Airbus Operations SAS, Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Christophe Cros, Pierre Henri Brousse, Jeremy Bedarrides
  • Patent number: 8371524
    Abstract: An aircraft landing gear (10) includes a torque link set (12) comprising a first fairing (12a) rotatably connected at a first end (18) to a first end (19) of a second fairing (12b). The fairings (12a), (12b) may be arranged to act as first and second torque links. The fairings may be in the form of noise reduction fairings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventors: Leung Choi Chow, Philip Campbell, Christopher Neil Wood
  • Patent number: 8211339
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for curing a thermosetting material. The method comprises heating the material with a liquid heating medium; measuring an electrical or optical property of the material with a cure sensor; and regulating the temperature of the liquid heating medium in accordance with the measured property of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Ltd.
    Inventor: David Graham Inston
  • Publication number: 20120043415
    Abstract: A bonding lead comprising a core; and a sheath bonded to the core. The core comprises a substrate of fibres coated with nano-objects with at least one dimension between 1 nm and 200 nm. The nano-objects form a continuous electrically conductive network from one end of the bonding lead to the other with some of the nano-objects coating the fibres and others forming bridges between adjacent fibres. The nano-objects may be carbon nanotubes and the core may be woven or knitted. A conductive connector is provided at each end of the bonding lead, for instance a tab formed from an electrically conductive polymer. The lead can be used to dissipate static charge and/or lightning current between components, typically within an aircraft fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD.
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Limmack, David Alistair Sutton, Colin John West
  • Publication number: 20110290933
    Abstract: The aircraft includes at least one engine suitable for propelling the aircraft in flight, at least one motor of an undercarriage, and automatic means arranged to cause the aircraft to taxi under drive directly from the engine, while simultaneously using the motor for taxiing, other than during takeoff or landing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicants: AIRBUS (S.A.S.), AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD., AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventors: Christophe CROS, Pierre Henri BROUSSE, Jeremy BEDARRIDES
  • Publication number: 20100206081
    Abstract: Ultrasonic testing apparatus comprising a base member having an aperture formed therein and a search member arranged to be rotatably received in the aperture of the base member and having at least one array aperture arranged to receive an ultrasonic array holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD.
    Inventor: Terence Jones
  • Publication number: 20100012778
    Abstract: An aircraft landing gear (10) includes a torque link set (12) comprising a first fairing (12a) rotatably connected at a first end (18) to a first end (19) of a second fairing (12b). The fairings (12a), (12b) may be arranged to act as first and second torque links. The fairings may be in the form of noise reduction fairings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD.
    Inventors: Leung Choi Chow, Philip Campbell, Christopher Neil Wood
  • Publication number: 20100006696
    Abstract: An aircraft noise reduction apparatus including an aircraft landing gear assembly (10) and a noise reduction fairing (12) is described. The landing gear assembly comprises (10) a landing gear bay having an aperture (14), a landing gear moveable between a stowed position and a fully deployed position, and at least one landing gear bay door (16) moveable to close and open the aperture. The noise reduction fairing (12) is positioned fore of the landing gear bay door assembly. The noise reduction fairing (12) is moveable between a stowed position and a fully deployed position such that in the fully deployed position, the noise reduction fairing (12) acts to reduce noise that would otherwise be generated by the interaction of the landing gear assembly when deployed and the air flowing past it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD.
    Inventors: Leung Choi Chow, Philip Campbell, Christopher Neil Wood