Patents Assigned to Airbus Operations
  • Patent number: 8690487
    Abstract: An arrangement for adapting the transportation behavior of material to be conveyed includes a first container, which is coupleable to a first pressure level; a second container, which is coupleable to a second pressure level; a connecting line for transporting material to be conveyed from the first container to the second container; and a pressure reduction device by which a pressure difference between the first container and the second container is controllably variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Hannes Müller, Frank Schneider, Carsten Ohlfest, Frank Rahn
  • Patent number: 8690107
    Abstract: A high-lift system with a main wing and adjustable flaps as well as guiding devices for holding the adjustable flaps and adjustment devices for adjusting the adjustable flaps, wherein the respective guiding device and/or adjustment device at least in part include/includes a fairing, including a flow influencing device for influencing the flow around the high-lift system, with at least one inlet line with at least one inlet that is situated on or below the bottom of the high-lift system, wherein, furthermore, at least one outlet line for air is provided that includes a fluid-communicating connection to the inlet line and includes at least one outlet situated at the top in the region of at least one adjustable flap of the high-lift system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Burkhard Gölling
  • Patent number: 8694234
    Abstract: An evaluation method and an evaluation system onboard an aircraft in communication with a flight management system to access a flight plan stored in memory of the flight management system, where the flight plan defines a cruising level and a minimum fuel reserve to destination objective. The evaluation system comprises circuitry to calculate a fuel consumption deviation between flight at a selected cruising altitude level and flight at an altitude level initially planned by the flight plan, where the selected altitude level is lower than the altitude level initially planned, and to determine a climb limit point from the selected cruising altitude level as a function of the fuel consumption deviation and the minimum fuel reserve objective, where the climb limit point represents the last climb point respecting the minimum fuel reserve to destination objective; and interface circuitry to provide the climb limit point and anticipative information concerning the climb limit point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Mere, Julien Dramet
  • Publication number: 20140094103
    Abstract: A collapsible partition is provided having a collapsed configuration and an installed configuration in which it is arranged to divide a vehicle compartment into two parts. The partition includes, but is not limited to a ducted portion comprising a duct. The duct extends within the partition from a first opening at a first end of the duct to a second opening at a second end of the duct. The duct is arranged to convey a control fluid for controlling the heat transfer between the partition and at least one of the two parts of the vehicle compartment. There is also disclosed a vehicle compartment control arrangement and a method of partitioning a vehicle compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Airbus Operation GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Dreyhaupt, Benjamin Martens, Jens Schult, Fabian Kraus
  • Publication number: 20140090802
    Abstract: An aircraft thermal control system includes a thermal control unit including an internal circuit, an evaporator and a condenser, the evaporator and the condenser being disposed in the internal circuit. The aircraft thermal control system further includes a cooling circuit which is thermally coupled to the evaporator of the thermal control unit, and a heating circuit which is thermally coupled to the condenser of the thermal control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Airbus Operations GMBH
    Inventor: Airbus Operations GMBH
  • Patent number: 8684301
    Abstract: An aircraft nacelle includes a wave attenuation panel which limits or prevents the propagation of at least one wave produced during the pumping of the power plant and includes a layer that is in contact with the air flow that can allow passage of the at least one wave, at least one alveolar structure, and a reflective or impermeable layer, wherein the wave attenuation panel is inserted between the air intake and the power plant, and the layer that is in contact with the air flow ensures the continuity of the aerodynamic surfaces that are arranged downstream and upstream and the wave attenuation panel includes inserts that can be inserted between the air intake and the power plant so as not to crush the wave attenuation panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Alain Porte, Jacques Lalane
  • Patent number: 8684042
    Abstract: The aircraft comprises: a fuel valve; an actuator for controlling the valve; and a tank panel extending between the valve and the actuator. It is arranged in such a manner that the bearing point(s) between the panel and a first one of the members selected from the valve and the actuator, and preferably the actuator, is/are provided by means of the second one of these members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Alexis Courpet, Thomas Barre, Matthieu Biteau, Olivier Bourbon, Cedric Sable, Jean-Marc Roques
  • Patent number: 8684299
    Abstract: Device for driving at least one wheel of an aircraft landing gear, which includes at least one turbine machine incorporated into the landing gear of the aircraft. Advantageously, the turbine machine is a pneumatic turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S)
    Inventors: Guillaume Bulin, Christophe Cros, Juluan Gaultier
  • Patent number: 8684309
    Abstract: An integrated bracket assembly for attachment to a convex outer corner surface of a torsion box of an aerofoil structure, the bracket assembly comprising a bracket strip having a plurality of brackets arranged spaced side by side, and connected by an infill rail integrally formed with the bracket strip, wherein the infill rail has a concave surface for mating with the convex surface of the torsion box. The torsion box may be of a “U-box” construction where a front spar and a rear spar are integrally formed with either an upper or lower torsion box cover to form an omega-shaped unitary component, and the other cover is attached to the omega-shaped component to provide an enclosed volume. The bracket strip may be used for attaching a leading/trailing edge structure of the aerofoil to the torsion box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Eric Wildman
  • Patent number: 8686638
    Abstract: A lighting device having a plurality of light sources includes several superimposed layers. The superimposed layers include a first and a second electrically conductive layer, which are designed so as to create an alternating electrical field between the layers. The superimposed layers also have an electrically insulating layer between the electrically conductive layers and a luminescent layer between the electrically conductive layers. Electroluminescent material is arranged within the luminescent layer in several adjacent and spatially separated regions, each region forming a light source. As a result, a simulated starry sky may be provided when the lighting device is used with an aircraft interior trim panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Alexandra Marwede, Ronny Dehmel
  • Patent number: 8685520
    Abstract: A method of joining a first component to a second component, the method comprising forming an array of projections extending from a bond surface of the first component, the projections having a plurality of different profiles; and embedding the array of projections in the second component formed of a plurality of laminate plies, wherein each projection profile is adapted to best transfer load into a respective one of the laminate plies. The resultant joint is able to transfer load more progressively between the two components leading to improved tensile strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Meyer, Daniel Johns
  • Patent number: 8685581
    Abstract: A fuel cell system (10) comprises a fuel cell (14) and an evaporative cooling system (16), which is in thermal contact with the fuel cell (14), in order that heat generated by the fuel cell (14) during operation of the fuel cell (14) is absorbed through evaporation of a cooling medium and is removed from the fuel cell (14). The fuel cell system (10) further comprises a device (22) for sensing the pressure in the evaporative cooling system (16). A control unit (24) is adapted to control the operating temperature of the fuel cell (14) in dependence on signals that are supplied to the control unit (24) from the device (22) for sensing the pressure in the evaporative cooling system (16), in such a way that the cooling medium of the evaporative cooling system (16) is transferred from the liquid to the gaseous state of matter by the heat generated by the fuel cell (14) during operation of the fuel cell (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias Scheibert
  • Patent number: 8688419
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for predicting the reliability of an aircraft system (S) onboard an aircraft, constituted by a plurality of elements. The operation of the aircraft is constituted by a sequence of cycles, each cycle comprising a flight phase and a ground station phase. The method of reliability prediction allows in particular calculation of the breakdown probability of the aircraft system at each cycle of operation of the aircraft. The present invention can also estimate the rate of operational interruption of this system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventor: Laurent Saintis
  • Patent number: 8684300
    Abstract: An aircraft landing gear comprising: a shock-absorbing main leg having a sprung part for attachment to an aircraft and an un-sprung part including a slider and an axle carrying at least one wheel, the wheel having a toothed ring gear; a drive transmission mounted externally on the sprung part, or on the un-sprung part, of the main leg, the drive transmission having at least one motor and a drive pinion for meshing with the toothed ring of the wheel; and an actuator for lifting the drive transmission into and out of driving engagement with the toothed ring and for maintaining the driving engagement as the landing gear deflects during a ground taxiing operation. Also, a method of operating the aircraft landing gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Fraser Wilson, Jeremy Bedarrides, Vladimir Platagea
  • Patent number: 8684308
    Abstract: An arrangement for receiving a curtain rail for a curtain for partitioning at least two regions in a cabin of a vehicle includes a bottom facing the floor of the cabin, and a top facing the ceiling of the cabin. The bottom is essentially planar and is designed to receive the curtain rail. The top is designed to cover the space between a curtain held in the curtain rail and the ceiling of the cabin of the vehicle. The bottom includes means for the variable-position holding of attachment points to which the curtain rail can be fastened. Consequently the curtain rails can be affixed flexibly and so as to be subsequently changeable within the region of the arrangement, thereby contributing to such arrangements so as to be able to be standardized for a multitude of imaginable cabin layouts of a vehicle, to be able to minimize individual customization work and construction expenditure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Warner, Andreas Neumann, Michael Mosler
  • Publication number: 20140087283
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell unit having a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell, a second fuel cell unit having a third fuel cell and a fourth fuel cell, a hydrogen tank coupled to all fuel cells, an oxygen supply unit and an air inlet. Oxidant inlets of the first fuel cell and the fourth fuel cell are couplable with the air inlet. Oxidant inlets of the second fuel cell and the third fuel cell are couplable with the oxidant supply unit couplable with at least one of the oxygen supply unit and the air inlet. Exhaust outlets of the first and fourth fuel cells are couplable with an inert gas outlet. Exhaust outlets of the second and third fuel cells are coupled with an exhaust switching unit couplable with the inert gas outlet and a water outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf-Henning Stolte, Ralf Peck
  • Patent number: 8678318
    Abstract: An insulation arrangement with a holding device that comprises a collar forms an overlapping region between a second insulating package and the collar such that incidental condensation water on a first insulation package drains to the second insulating package along the collar under the influence of the gravitational force and from there into a bilge of the aircraft equipped with the insulation arrangement on a waterproof cover film of the second insulating package. This prevents condensation water from dripping into a passenger cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Redecker
  • Patent number: 8678332
    Abstract: An adhesive holder for holding objects comprises an adhesive layer, an object holder, an adapter with a contact surface and a counter element with a counter surface. The counter surface of the counter element is positionable at a distance from the contact surface of the adapter in order to enclose a section of a structural element. The adhesive layer can be applied onto the contact surface of the adapter or onto the counter surface of the counter element. The adhesive holder according to the invention makes it possible to introduce a force into a structural element by exerting compressive stress and shearing stress only such that the adhesive connection is much more durable and the adhesive holder can be subjected to higher loads than in the state of the art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Benthien, Sheriff Shehata
  • Patent number: 8678314
    Abstract: Aircraft fuselage section (32) subjected to impacts of external bodies, the aircraft fuselage having a curved shape with at least a vertical symmetry plane (A-A) and a central longitudinal axis and comprising a skin (35) and a plurality of frames (37) arranged perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis (33), the aircraft fuselage section also comprising at least an inner reticular structure (51, 53) mounted on a supporting structure (41, 43) comprising longitudinal beams (39) attached to the skin (35) and interconnected with said frames (37), said inner reticular structure (51, 53) being arranged for creating at least one closed cell (75) with the skin (35) for improving its resistance and its damage tolerance to said impacts. Said inner reticular structure (51, 53) can be formed by panels (61), rods (65, 65?), cables (67, 67?) or belts (69, 69?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignees: Airbus Operations S.L., Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Esteban Martino Gonzalez, Eduardo Vinue Santolalla, Diego Folch Cortes, Pablo Goya Abaurrea, Enrique Guinaldo Fernandez, Julien Guillemaut
  • Patent number: D701948
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Schliwa, Maria T. Strasdas, Florian Schüphaus, Christian Seibt