Patent ID: 9605472
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B64C,B64D,E06B

Claim:
1. An aircraft comprising: a first compartment; a second compartment separated by a wall; and a connecting means for providing a connecting passage between the first compartment and a storage means located in the second compartment, the connecting means comprising: a frame enclosing a frame aperture and extending in a frame plane; a hatch arrangement mounted to the frame for selectively closing and opening the frame aperture and comprising at least a first hatch cover, the first hatch cover being movable parallel to the frame plane between an opened position and a closed position; a bellows arrangement mounted to the frame and comprising a flexible bellows, wherein the flexible bellows and the frame enclose a continuous passage terminating at one end in the frame aperture and wherein the flexible bellows has at least a retracted position and an extended position in a direction transverse to the frame plane; and wherein the connecting means is arranged in an aperture in the wall between the first and the second compartment such that the frame plane extends parallel to the wall and the hatch arrangement is arranged between the flexible bellows and the first compartment, such that, in the extended position the flexible bellows is extends from the frame to a storage means located in the second compartment, whereby the continuous passage defined by the flexible bellows and the frame provides a sealed connecting passage between the first compartment and the storage means.