Patents Assigned to Airbus Operations
  • Patent number: 8496438
    Abstract: The invention concerns an aircraft turbomachine propeller comprising a plurality of blades (1) each comprising a root (20) mounted on a hub (2) rotating about the rotation axis of the propeller (I-I), and its purpose is to reduce the risks of loss of the entire blade (1) following an impact by a foreign body. To achieve this, at least one blade (1) comprises a means (30) of retaining the blade in an outwards radial direction, said retaining means (30) being engaged in a housing (5) of said blade (1) opening radially inwards at the root of the blade (20), and fixed in translation in said outwards radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventor: Laurent Lafont
  • Patent number: 8496203
    Abstract: An aircraft includes, but is not limited to a central fuselage body without horizontal stabilizer, at least one high-lift control surface, at least one vertical stabilizer that is arranged on the central fuselage body and at least one extendable compensation control surface. The compensation control surface may be moved independently of the high-lift control surface of the aircraft and generates a positive tail-heavy pitching moment when it is moved into the flow against the aircraft. Due to this measure, a negative pitching moment during the actuation of high-lift control surfaces may be at least partially eliminated without influencing the high lift. Rudder segments that may be moved opposite to one another on two vertical stabilizers that are arranged mirror-symmetrical referred to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft preferably are used for this purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Malte Schwarze, Andreas Westenberger
  • Patent number: 8496207
    Abstract: A connection device for a plurality of cabin components of an aircraft includes a rail extending in a longitudinal direction of an aircraft structure, wherein the plurality of cabin components is disposed on the rail; and a plurality of adjustment devices configured to self-adjust each of the plurality of cabin components in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Alexander Goehlich, Daniel Wenninger
  • Patent number: 8499101
    Abstract: A method and a device for exchanging data between a computer and at least one expansion card of an equipment item having a network interface and at least one expansion card is disclosed. The computer and the network interface are connected by a communication network. The network interface and the at least one expansion card are connected to the same industrial bus. After assignment of a virtual network address in the communication network to the at least one expansion card, the network interface is configured with the virtual network address in order to make it possible to identify the network interface in the communication network as representing the at least one expansion card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Franck Dessertenne, Jean-Francois Copin
  • Patent number: 8496202
    Abstract: This invention relates to a force transmission system (50) between a turboprop and an attachment pylon, comprising: a first and a second force transmission device (52a, 52b) each comprising a first hollow cylinder (54) with an axis (56) that will be made parallel to a first force transmission direction, said first cylinder defining a first space (58) full of a fluid (60) and closed off in a sealed manner at its two opposite ends, by a first damping layer (62) that will bear in contact with a bearing element (66) of the turboprop, and by a second damping layer (64) that will bear in contact with a bearing element (68) of the attachment device, said first and second layers possibly being compressed by the pressure of said fluid; and first means (70) of fluid communication between the two spaces (58, 58).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventor: Jacques Hervé Marche
  • Patent number: 8497816
    Abstract: A crossed monitoring device for a head-up display that can be used for displaying a representation of at least one first datum. The device includes a mechanism generating at least one first image from the at least one first datum, a mechanism receiving from the at least one second display at least one second image generated from at least one second datum, and a mechanism selecting one of the first and at least one second image. The device can further include a mechanism modifying images according to characteristics of the displays. Each display can modify the images to be displayed according to its characteristics, and each display can modify the images according to the characteristics of each display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Laurent Coloma, David Bideau
  • Publication number: 20130187002
    Abstract: Protective shield against ice impacts on aircraft, wherein the shield comprises plies of composite material (1) having microcapsules (2), each microcapsule containing a healing agent (5). When a crack (4) produced on the shield reaches at least a microcapsule (2), the healing agent is spilled in the delaminated area. Some catalyst particles (3) can be included in the material and in that case, the healing agent (5) is polymerized reacting with the catalyst particles (3). If no catalyst particles (3) are included in the material, the healing agent (5) may also actuate when manually heated. Such kinds of materials allow recovering at least partially the impact strength of the shields after impact, which is particularly important in case of ice impacts that can be repetitive during operations in icing conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Airbus Operations, S.L.
    Inventors: Julien Guillemaut, Tamara Blanco Varela, Diego Folch Cortes, Pablo Goya Albaurrea, Esteban Martino Gonzalez, Eduardo Vinue Santolalla
  • Patent number: 8492915
    Abstract: The present invention relates in to a device for supplying mechanical power to start at least one engine, with a power supply device for supplying electrical power with an alternating voltage and constant frequency; and with a number, N1, of conversion devices for the conversion of the supplied electrical power to a respective mechanical power for a respective engine, wherein a respective conversion device has a cascade starter generator for direct conversion of the supplied electrical power to mechanical power, wherein the cascade starter generator has a first stator, a second stator, a first rotor and a second rotor, the first stator being integrally formed with the second stator and the first rotor being integrally formed with the second rotor. The present invention further relates to an aircraft comprising such a power distribution network and a method for supplying mechanical power to start at least one engine in an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Koeppen, Till Marquardt, Sebastian Thiel
  • Patent number: 8494789
    Abstract: A method of monitoring status of an energy reserve accumulator, connected to a fluid system, includes the following successive operations once the fluid system has stabilized for pressure: measuring a first time taken by the fluid system to progress from a predetermined first pressure to a predetermined second pressure, lower than the predetermined first pressure; measuring a second time taken by the system to progress from a predetermined third pressure, lower than the predetermined second pressure, to a predetermined fourth pressure, lower than the predetermined third pressure; and comparing the first and second times to determine the status of the energy reserve accumulator. Such a method may find use for example in an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Patrick Boissonneau, Stephan Montillaud
  • Patent number: 8494813
    Abstract: A method of designing a composite panel, the panel comprising a plurality of zones, each zone comprising a plurality of plies of composite material, each ply in each zone having a respective orientation angle, and some of the plies running continuously between adjacent zones. A design is provided comprising a set of design variables including a thickness for each of the zones, and a ply percentage for each orientation angle for each of the zones, each ply percentage identifying a percentage of plies within a zone having a particular orientation angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Lars Krog
  • Patent number: 8490914
    Abstract: An aircraft noise reduction apparatus includes an aircraft landing gear assembly and a noise reduction fairing 12. The landing gear assembly includes a landing gear 10 arranged to be moveable between a stowed position and a fully deployed position. The noise reduction fairing 12 may include a wrap-around fairing which, when the landing gear 10 is in its fully deployed position, wraps around the landing gear 10 and extends along the majority of the length of a landing gear leg 11. A landing gear bay door assembly 16, 17 including at least one door may also be provided. The fairing 12 may have a recess 24 for accommodating one of landing gear bay doors when the door 16 is in its fully open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Leung Choi Chow, Philip Campbell, Christopher Wood, Andrew John Dyer
  • Patent number: 8490925
    Abstract: A wing tip device for a wing includes a root and a tip, and the following determinant characteristics: the local dihedral of the wing tip device continuously increases or decreases from the root to the tip; the local sweep of the trailing edge continuously increases along its progression from the root to the tip of the wing tip device; where the local sweep of the leading edge continuously increases in the progression of the leading edge from the root to a first intermediate point; continuously decreases from the first intermediate point to a second intermediate point; and continuously increases from the second intermediate point at least to a region before of the tip of the wing tip device; as well as a wing comprising a wing tip device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Buescher, Michael Karwin, Frank Theurich
  • Patent number: 8491829
    Abstract: A process for the production of a structural part of an aircraft, whereby the part is made of composite material that includes a thermosetting resin and that has a section profile that can be stamped, whereby the process includes: producing a flat blank by draping layers of supports that are preimpregnated with thermosetting resin, partially cross-linking the flat blank, and stamping the flat blank between a matrix (14) and a punch (16) that are called the equipment, each including an impression that is adapted to the shape of the surface that is in contact with the part that is to be produced and whose air gap is sized based on the part that is to be produced, wherein the equipment is heated to modulate the progress of the cross-linking at the end of the forming operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventor: Thomas Le Hetet
  • Patent number: 8493239
    Abstract: A method and a device are provided for detecting lack of reaction of the crew of an aircraft to an alarm related to a path. The method includes monitoring the emitting condition of a plurality of alarms related to dangers in the path of the aircraft and monitoring a reaction of a crew during first and second time intervals determined based on how long the crew should take to response to the initial alarm in the first time interval and an auxiliary alarm in the second time interval. The method also includes implementing automatic avoidance operation for coping with the danger if the crew has not reacted to the alarms by the end of the second time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignees: Airbus (S.A.S.), Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Frédéric Dehais, Laure Christophe, Jean-Michel Merle, Philippe Pellerin
  • Patent number: 8494761
    Abstract: A device and method aids the evaluation of a flight trajectory that is intended to be followed by an aircraft within a constrained environment. The method includes receiving information from a processing unit regarding stationary and moving obstacles, implementing a collision trial based on this information, and displaying any collision risks to the pilot on a display device in the cockpit. Consequently, a pilot can know within the constrained environment whether a flight trajectory needs to be modified to avoid potential collisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Andrea Giovannini, Thomas Pastre
  • Patent number: 8490884
    Abstract: Method for controlling the temperature of feed air injected into at least one cabin zone of a passenger aircraft, the temperature of injected feed air being controlled for each cabin zone dependent on the deviation of the injection temperature actual value of the feed air from an injection temperature target value, the injection temperature target value being established using an external ambient temperature actual value and not using a temperature sensor in the at least one cabin zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Scherer, Michael Markwart, Torsten Schwan
  • Patent number: 8490922
    Abstract: A lining for an aircraft. The lining separates an intermediate space from an interior space of the aircraft in a pressuretight manner. The lining panels extend either substantially horizontally or are fastened approximately vertically on a lining framework formed by profiles for connection to the fuselage cell. At least one of the lining panels allows automatic pressure equalization between the interior space and the intermediate space in the event that the pressure in the interior space drops to something in the order of 0 hPa. This pressure corresponds to the air pressure prevailing at an altitude above 10,000 m. Mounts of the lining panels are provided with predetermined breaking points. The predetermined breaking points are formed in particular by plastic nuts, the thread of which tears away when a critical load-bearing capacity is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Benthien, Radoslaw Lazar
  • Patent number: 8490927
    Abstract: A support assembly (1) for guiding a flap (42) on an aircraft wing (41) during deployment of the flap is disclosed. The assembly comprises a guide track (2) defining a two-dimensional path, a cylindrical bearing follower (12) having a longitudinal axis constrained so as to follow said path during flap deployment, a shaft (23) extending from the bearing follower and, a spherical bearing coupling an end of the shaft to the bearing follower such that the bearing follower is rotatable relative to the shaft about the longitudinal axis of the bearing follower as it travels along the track. The spherical bearing also enabling rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis relative to the bearing follower and rotation of the shaft about a center point of the spherical bearing such that the flap is fret to move in multiple directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Ltd
    Inventor: Simon Parker
  • Patent number: 8493554
    Abstract: A structural element for a fuselage cell structure of an aircraft, in particular a stringer profile or an annular former segment, the structural element being made from a composite material, in particular from a carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxy resin. The structural element comprises at least one positioning aid for facilitating position determination by means of a measuring system. A laser measuring system and/or a tactile measuring system may be used as a measuring system. As a result of the reflector which can be attached to the positioning aid without clearance as a target for the laser measuring system, which is preferably a laser tracker, a spatial position of the structural element in relation to a further component can be determined very precisely and without contact. Following position determination and orientation of the structural element, the reflector can be removed from the positioning aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Ralph Arnold
  • Patent number: 8490275
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vibrating rivet tool for pressing and fixing rivets in component holes in component of aircraft. The vibrating rivet tool comprises a rivet receptacle and a drive unit for producing a high static pressing force. According to the invention, the static pressing force is superimposed by a mechanical vibration, of which the amplitude acts substantially in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the rivet. As a result, the force necessary to press and fix the rivet in a component hole is reduced in such a way that the overall size and mass of the vibrating rivet tool according to the invention are smaller/lower in comparison with conventional rivet tools. Due to the small overall size and low weight, the vibrating rivet tool can more easily be integrated in automated riveting processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Horst Kott