Patent Publication Number: US-2019185130-A1

Title: Electrical and Electronic Bay Over Landing Gear Bay

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical and electronic bay, and to an aircraft comprising such a bay. 
     In general, the invention relates to the installation of electronic equipment in the hold of an aircraft. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A certain number of items of aircraft equipment are placed in a space located below the floor of the cockpit and of the passenger cabin. This space is known as the hold of the aircraft. 
     Aircraft equipment may for example be electronic equipment such as computers. 
     Electronic equipment is placed within supporting structures or units provided for this purpose, the supporting structures or units being placed in bays provided for housing this equipment in the hold of the aircraft. These bays are known as “electrical and electronic bays” or “EE bays”. 
     Electrical and electronic bays will be referred to as EE bays in this document. 
     In general, EE bays are arranged in various free spaces left in the hold of the aircraft by bulky equipment, such as the landing gear. These free spaces are often small since the electronic equipment housed by an EE bay is not very voluminous. 
     Since the number of items of electronic equipment required in modern aircraft is ever increasing, multiple EE bays have to be provided in an aircraft in order to house the electronic equipment. 
     EE bays must be accessible for carrying out maintenance on the electronic equipment in the bay. For this purpose, an access or “manhole” to each EE bay is provided so that an operator is able to perform maintenance on the equipment in each bay. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects of the present invention may provide an electrical and electronic bay of a novel design allowing a large volume of electronic equipment to be accessed simultaneously. 
     According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to an electrical and electronic bay for an aircraft including at least one supporting structure that is designed to hold electronic equipment and an access opening allowing access to the interior of said bay. 
     The electrical and electronic bay includes a central area forming a free space, a peripheral side area provided for the arrangement of supporting structures and being placed laterally around the central area, and a lower area placed below the central area and the peripheral side area and in which the access opening is placed in the central area. 
     By virtue of this arrangement of the electrical and electronic bay, a single opening or manhole allows access to a substantial volume of electronic equipment. Carrying out maintenance on the electronic equipment is thus facilitated and maintenance time is consequently decreased with respect to one and the same volume of electronic equipment housed in multiple EE bays. 
     Furthermore, because the central area of the bay is empty and placed above the opening, easy access to the electronic equipment arranged in the peripheral side area surrounding the central area is afforded. 
     According to other possible features, taken individually or in combination with one another:
         the lower area of the electrical and electronic bay corresponds to a wall forming the ceiling of a landing gear bay;   the electrical and electronic bay includes an access hatch that is located in the wall forming the ceiling of the landing gear bay, the access hatch being designed to close off the access opening and opening outward in relation to the electrical and electronic bay;   the access hatch is designed to pressurize the electrical and electronic bay;   the electrical and electronic bay includes at least one supporting structure placed in the peripheral side area, said at least one supporting structure including a front face that is located on the side of the central area, the front face allowing electronic equipment to be inserted into the supporting structure and removed from the supporting structure;   the electrical and electronic bay includes a plurality of supporting structures that are arranged in said peripheral side area such that the front faces define said free space of said central area; and   the electrical and electronic bay includes an additional access opening allowing access to the interior of said electrical and electronic bay, the additional access opening being placed above said central area.       

     According to a second aspect, the present invention also relates to an aircraft comprising at least one electrical and electronic bay according to the invention. 
     The electrical and electronic bay is placed above a landing gear bay. 
     Such an aircraft exhibits features and advantages that are analogous to those described above with reference to the electrical and electronic bay. 
     Other particularities and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the appended drawings, provided by way of nonlimiting examples: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view in perspective of an EE bay according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic top view of the EE bay according to the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side sectional view of the nose of the fuselage illustrating the EE bay according to the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a partial schematic longitudinal sectional view of the nose of the fuselage illustrating the EE bay according to the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4B  is a partial schematic cross sectional view of the nose of the fuselage illustrating the EE bay according to the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view in perspective of an EE bay according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An EE bay according to one embodiment is described below with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The EE bay  1  includes a central area  2  including a free space and a peripheral side area  3  laterally surrounding the central area  2 . At least one supporting structure  10  that is designed to hold electronic equipment  20  is arranged in the peripheral side area  3 . 
     In other words, the central area  2  corresponds to the free space in the center of the EE bay  1 , the volume of the central area  2  being defined laterally by the peripheral side area  3 . 
     The peripheral side area  3  is defined as a space located around the central area  2  and defining both the central area  2  and the EE bay  1 . 
     The EE bay  1  further includes a lower area  4  placed below the central area  2  and the peripheral side area  3 . An access opening  5  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) allowing access to the interior of said EE bay  1  from outside the EE bay  1  is placed in said central area  2  in the lower area  4 . 
     In the described embodiment, the peripheral side area  3  is divided into four peripheral side spaces  3   a - 3   d.    
     In this embodiment, a supporting structure  10  is placed in each peripheral side space  3   a - 3   d . Thus, in this embodiment, the EE bay  1  includes four supporting structures  10 . 
     In other embodiments (not illustrated), some of the peripheral side spaces  3   a - 3   d  are occupied by a supporting structure  10  and some are free. Thus, the number of supporting structures may vary. 
     In the described embodiment, the supporting structures  10  are identical. 
     In this embodiment, the four supporting structures  10  are placed in the peripheral side area  3  such that the free space of the central area  2  defined by the supporting structures  10  takes the shape of a square-based prism. 
     Of course, the number of supporting structures may vary and the supporting structures may differ from one another. Furthermore, the arrangement of the supporting structures in the peripheral side area may also differ from that shown in the figures. 
     Thus, for example, in other embodiments (not illustrated), the supporting structures  10  differ. For example, they are of different widths, such that the free space of the central area  2  defined by the supporting structures  10  takes the shape of a prism whose base is a four sided polygon or quadrilateral, such as a parallelogram. 
     In other embodiments (not illustrated), the EE bay includes a different number of supporting structures, each supporting structure being placed in a peripheral side space, the number of peripheral side spaces of the peripheral side area also being other than four. 
     For example, three supporting structures are arranged such that the free space in the central area takes the shape of a triangular prism. 
     In another example, five supporting structures are arranged such that the free space in the central area takes the shape of a pentagonal prism. 
     According to one embodiment, a supporting structure  10  includes in particular a front face  11 , side faces  12 ,  14  and a back face  13 . The supporting structure  10  further includes a shelf  15  on which electronic equipment  20  is positioned. 
     The front face  11  is located on the side of the central area  2  of the EE bay  1 , and is thus visible to an operator  30  located in the central area  2 . 
     The front face  11  is the portion of the supporting structure  10  allowing electronic equipment  20  to be inserted into the supporting structure  10  and removed therefrom. 
     Thus, the electronic equipment  20  can be accessed via the central area  2  of the EE bay  1 . An operator  30  located in the central area  2  of the EE bay  1  is consequently able to carry out the operations for maintaining the electronic equipment  20  in the EE bay  1 . The operator  30  accesses the central area  2  of the EE bay via the opening  5  located in the lower area  4  of the EE bay  1 . 
     It will be noted that, in this embodiment, the central area  2  is in particular defined by the front faces  11  of the supporting structures  10 . 
     The back faces  13  of the supporting structures  10  define the exterior of the EE bay  1 . 
     In one embodiment, the supporting structures  10  are connected to one another such that they form an assembly. 
     For example, two supporting structures  10  placed side by side are connected to one another by the side faces  12 ,  14 . Thus, attachment means  200  are positioned between side faces  12 ,  14  of two supporting structures  10  placed side by side in the EE bay  1 . 
     In one embodiment, two attachments  202  (shown schematically in  FIG. 1 ) are located on the side faces  12 ,  14  next to the front face  11 . The attachments  202  allow two supporting structures  10  to be attached by their front faces. 
     Furthermore, the attachment means  200  include three connecting rods  201   a ,  201   b ,  201   c  (shown schematically in  FIG. 1 ) that are located between the side faces of two supporting structures  10  next to their back faces  13 . In this embodiment, a first connecting rod  201   a  is placed between ends  12   aa ,  14   aa  of an upper edge  12   a ,  14   a  of the side faces  12 ,  14 . A second connecting rod  201   b  is placed between ends  12   bb ,  14   bb  of a lower edge  12   b ,  14   b  of the side faces  12 ,  14 . 
     By virtue of the first and second connecting rods  201   a ,  201   b , two supporting structures  10  are attached to one another by their back faces  13 . 
     Furthermore, a third connecting rod  201   c  connects the first connecting rod  201   a  and the second connecting rod  201   b  in order to provide the assembly formed by the supporting structures  10  with additional rigidity. 
     It will be noted that the attachments and the connecting rods are shown schematically since these means are known to a person skilled in the art. 
     Furthermore, the attachment means may be positioned otherwise and/or may be of another type. 
       FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B  illustrate the positioning of the EE bay  1  according to one embodiment. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the EE bay  1  is located in the hold  101  of the aircraft. The hold  101  of the aircraft is the space between the lower portion of the fuselage  100  and the floor  102  of the passenger cabin  103  and of the cockpit of the aircraft  104 . In this embodiment, the EE bay  1  is placed in the nose of the fuselage  101 . 
     As may be seen in  FIG. 3 , the EE bay  1  is placed in a landing gear bay or compartment  40  housing landing gear  41 . In particular, the EE bay  1  is placed over a wall  42  forming the ceiling of the landing gear bay  40  or upper wall  42  of the landing gear bay  40 . 
     In one embodiment, the supporting structures  10  are connected by means of attachments  401  to the landing gear bay  40 . 
     For example, the supporting structures  10  are attached to stiffening structures  400  of the landing gear compartment  40 . 
     It will be noted that the attachments  401  connecting the supporting structures  10  and the landing gear compartment  40  are shown schematically since these means are known to a person skilled in the art. 
     Furthermore, the supporting structures  10  and the landing gear compartment  40  may be attached otherwise. 
     In this embodiment, the lower area  4  of said EE bay  1  corresponds to the upper wall  42  of the landing gear bay  40  over which the EE bay  1  is positioned. Thus, the EE bay  1  is defined by this upper wall  42  of the landing gear bay  40 . 
     In this embodiment, the EE bay  1  is further defined by the floor  102  of the passenger cabin  103  and the cockpit of the aircraft  104 . 
     In the described embodiment, the access opening  5 , allowing access to the EE bay  1 , is made in the upper wall  42  of the landing gear bay  40 . 
     In this described embodiment, the EE bay  1  includes an access hatch  50  ( FIGS. 4A and 4B ) that is located in said upper wall  42  of the landing gear bay  40 . 
     The access hatch  50  is designed to close off the access opening  5 . The access hatch  50  may thus assume a closed position ( FIG. 3 , the access hatch is coincident with the upper wall  42 ) in which access to the EE bay  1  is closed off, and an open position ( FIGS. 4A and 4B ) in which an operator  30  is able to access the EE bay  1  in order, for example, to carry out maintenance operations. 
     In this embodiment, the access hatch  50  opens outward in relation to the EE bay  1 . 
     Unhindered access to the electronic equipment  20  is thus afforded to an operator  30  so that he or she is able to perform maintenance tasks via easy access to the EE bay  1  from outside the aircraft  200 , such as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
     Of course, in other embodiments, the access hatch  50  may open inward in relation to the EE bay  1 . In these embodiments, a person skilled in the art positions the access hatch  50  so that it does not hinder the maintenance of the electronic equipment. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are partial side sectional views of the nose of an aircraft on the ground.  FIG. 4A  illustrates a longitudinal section and  FIG. 4B  a cross section. 
     These figures show the EE bay  1 , with the access hatch in the open position, and an operator  30  standing on stairs  60  with a platform, accessing the central area  2  of the EE bay  1  in order, for example, to carry out maintenance operations. 
     As shown in the figures, the EE bay  1  is easily accessed. Thus, an operator  30  is easily able to access a large number of items of electronic equipment simultaneously, having access thereto via a single access opening  5 . Furthermore, maintenance operations may be performed by the operator  30  located stably and in an ergonomic position. 
     In one embodiment, the access hatch  50  is designed to pressurize the EE bay  1 . Thus, the EE bay  1  and the hold  100  of the aircraft  200  are kept pressurized, at standard atmospheric pressure for example. 
     This type of hatch is known to a person skilled in the art and does not need to be described here. 
       FIG. 5  shows a second embodiment of the EE bay  1 ′. In this embodiment, the EE bay  1 ′ includes an additional access opening  500  allowing access to the interior of said electrical and electronic bay  1 ′. 
     The additional access opening  500  is placed above the central area  2 . 
     In one embodiment, the additional access opening  500  includes an access hatch (not shown in the figures) made in the floor  102  of the passenger cabin  103  and of the cockpit of the aircraft  104  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
     In one embodiment, the access hatch opens outward in relation to the EE bay  1 ′. Thus, the access hatch does not hinder access to the electronic equipment. 
     Of course, in other embodiments, the access hatch may open inward in relation to the EE bay  1 ′. In these embodiments, a person skilled in the art positions the access hatch so that it does not hinder the maintenance of the electronic equipment. 
     The arrangement of an additional access opening in the floor  102  of the passenger cabin  103  and of the cockpit of the aircraft  104  allows access to the EE bay  1 ′ from inside the aircraft. Thus, the electronic equipment may be maintained even though the access opening  5  located at the bottom of the EE bay  1 ′ is not accessible. For example, maintenance may be carried out while the aircraft is in the air if necessary. 
     The structure of the EE bay  1 ′ is similar to that of the embodiment described with reference to  FIG. 1 . Thus, the EE bay  1 ′ will not be described here. 
     While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.