Patent Publication Number: US-2023151566-A1

Title: Construction module for a modular landing platform for vertical landing aircrafts and landing platform including said module

Description:
The present invention relates to the technical field of landing platforms and more in particular to landing platforms for vertical landing aircraft. 
     To meet the increasing demand for change in current mobility systems and compensate for their infrastructural deficiencies, a growing need is felt for the use of vertical landing aircraft, such as small helicopters or drones, as means of transport for short and medium distances. 
     Appropriate infrastructure, in particular landing platforms for the aforesaid aircraft, must be provided to meet this requirement. Modular landing platforms for vertical landing aircraft are known. In particular, landing platforms are known made by means of a plurality of construction modules consisting of metal profiles provided with male-female coupling elements, which make it possible to build the landing platform relatively quickly. However, the coupling system of the construction modules of the prior art using the aforesaid male-female coupling elements is not always particularly easy and may not be sufficiently robust. 
     US3385182A discloses metal construction modules which are adapted to be mutually interconnected to make an aircraft landing platform. The construction modules comprise interconnecting elements to connect the various construction modules to one another. Such interconnecting elements comprise upper male-female interconnecting elements and lower male-female interconnecting elements. The upper male-female interconnecting elements comprise a female interconnecting element consisting of an upwardly open pocket-shaped element and a male interconnecting element which extends vertically downward to couple with the upwardly open pocket-shaped element to limit the horizontal movement between two adjacent construction modules. Instead, the lower male-female interconnecting elements comprise a female interconnecting element consisting of a horizontally outwardly open pocket-shaped element, and a male interconnecting element comprising a horizontal interconnecting arm configured to couple with the horizontally outwardly open pocket-shaped element to substantially eliminate displacements in the vertical direction between two adjacent modules. To ensure an adequately robust connection, the construction modules disclosed in US3385182 require welds at the joint areas of two adjacent construction modules at both the top and bottom of the construction modules. The aforesaid welds must be made on-site during the installation of the platform and therefore significantly complicate the installation of the platform itself. Without such welds, the modules could disconnect from each other when subjected to vertical loads, in particular when the platform is installed on uneven ground. Indeed, without the aforementioned welds, the lower male-female interconnecting elements would not be able to guarantee a sufficiently robust coupling because only a minimum portion of the male interconnecting element is adapted to be received in the respective pocket-shaped element. In this respect, it is also worth noting that the insertion of such a male interconnecting element into the respective pocket-shaped element may require the use of a tool, e.g., such as a hammer, due to the friction between such elements. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the upper interconnecting elements have relatively large gaps. This, in addition to making the connection weaker in the absence of the aforesaid welds, can also lead to particularly high wear of the interconnecting elements due to the thermal expansion of the material of which the construction modules are made. 
     KR101205225B1 discloses a prefabricated helipad comprising a plurality of interconnected construction modules, wherein each construction module comprises a bottom support base and interconnecting elements provided at the top to couple two adjacent modules together. The installation of the aforesaid heliport is relatively complex. Indeed, to ensure a sufficiently strong connection between the construction modules, the respective lower support bases need to be fixed to the soil by means of special anchor plates bolted to the ground. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a construction module for constructing a modular landing platform for vertical landing aircraft which allows an easier and faster installation of the platform than the construction modules discussed above with reference to the prior art. 
     It is a further object of the present invention, either in addition or as an alternative to the aforementioned object, to make available a construction module for the construction of a modular landing platform for vertical landing aircraft which allows a more robust and reliable connection between the various modules of the platform than the construction modules discussed above with reference to the prior art. 
     These and other objects are achieved by means of a construction module for constructing a modular landing platform for vertical landing aircraft as defined in appended claim  1  in its most general form and in the dependent claims in some particular embodiments. 
     It is a further object of the present invention a group of parts for constructing a modular landing platform as defined in claim  8 . 
     It is a further object of the present invention a landing platform as defined in claim  9 . 
    
    
     
       The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of its embodiments, made by way of example and consequently not limiting in any way with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    shows a top view of a modular landing platform for vertical landing aircraft according to a currently preferred embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    shows an axonometric view of a construction module for the construction of the landing platform of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    shows a cross-sectional plan view of the landing platform taken along line A-A in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    shows a cross-sectional plan view of a part of a construction module of the platform in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5   shows a cross-sectional plan view of a further part of a platform construction module in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6    shows a cross-sectional plan view of a step of coupling of some modules of the construction modules of the platform in  FIG.  1   . 
     
    
    
     Similar or equivalent elements in the accompanying figures will be indicated by means of the same reference numerals. However, in some specific cases explicitly indicated, the same or similar elements may also be indicated by different reference numerals for the sake of clarity of description. 
     It is worth noting that for the purposes of the present description, the terms “outer” and “inner” used to describe a construction module according to the present invention are intended to refer to the center of the construction module. 
     Referring initially to  FIG.  1   , a modular landing platform for vertically landing aircraft according to a currently preferred embodiment is globally indicated by reference numeral  1 . The expression “vertical landing aircraft” refers, in particular, to aircraft preferably used for the transport of persons and/or goods, such as helicopters, drones adapted to land in a vertical direction, and other similar aircraft. According to an embodiment, the landing platform  1 , or flight deck  1 , is designed for the landing of a rotary-wing aircraft. In particular, according to an embodiment, the landing platform  1  is designed so that it can perform the functions of a landing site for rotary-wing aircraft with a maximum length of 13.5 m and a total take-off mass not exceeding 3600 kg. 
     The landing platform  1  comprises a plurality of construction modules  10  identical to one another. Advantageously, the construction modules  10  can be removably coupled together without the use of tools or other fastening means. When all modules  10  have been coupled together, they are locked along the edge of the platform  1  preferably by means of press-folded metal profiles P 1 ,P 2  which are fixed to a supporting structure B 1  preferably by means of bolts S 1 ,S 2  ( FIG.  3   ). 
       FIG.  2    shows a perspective view of a construction module  10  according to a currently preferred embodiment. The module  10  comprises a module body  11 . According to an embodiment, the module body  11  either comprises or consists of an extruded aluminum alloy profile, in particular a construction aluminum alloy. Advantageously, the fact of making the body  11  of aluminum alloy, in addition to making the module  10  lighter and more manageable, also makes it possible to carry out particularly precise machining of the coupling portions  16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , which will be described in greater detail below. According to an embodiment, the body  11  has a lightened structure preferably including one or more longitudinal cavities  11 A, five longitudinal cavities  11 A in the non-limiting example. According to an embodiment, the module body  11  is a longitudinal body extending along an axis X 1  of prevailing longitudinal extension. According to an embodiment, the module body  11  is generally parallelepiped-shaped. It is worth noting that for the sake of greater clarity in the following description, in some of the accompanying figures, in particular in  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  6   , a first construction module  10  and a second construction module  10 , which are adjacent to each other and directly coupled or couplable to each other are indicated respectively by reference numerals  10 A and  10 B. However, it is understood that the modules  10 ,  10 A, and  10 B are structurally identical to each other. Therefore, hereafter, the description of the features of a module  10  may be made referring indifferently to the modules  10 , 10 A, 10 B. 
     With reference to  FIGS.  2 - 3   , the body  11  has a resting wall  12  configured to be arranged on a supporting surface H1. According to an embodiment, the platform  1  is supported by a supporting structure B 1 , preferably a steel supporting structure B 1 . If the structure B 1  is a steel structure, the surface H 1  is preferably a bitumen sheath surface. Indeed, here the platform  1  is preferably insulated from the supporting structure B 1  by means of a bitumen sheath and a stainless steel sheet interposed between the bitumen sheath and the supporting structure B 1  to avoid the effects of galvanic corrosion. 
     Turning back to  FIGS.  2 - 3   , the body  11  comprises a landing wall  13  opposite to the resting wall  12  and adapted to come into contact with the aforesaid aircraft during landing. According to an embodiment, the landing wall  13  is a non-slip wall, preferably a grooved wall. The body  11  comprises a first and second interconnecting walls  14 , 15 , which are opposite to each other and interposed between the resting wall  12  and the landing wall  13 . In particular, as can be seen in the accompanying figures, the interconnecting walls  14 , 15  are connected at opposite ends of each wall  12 , 13  and are further arranged transversely and more preferably orthogonally relative to the walls  12 , 13 . 
     With reference to  FIGS.  4 - 5   , each module  10 ,  10 A, and  10 B comprises a first and second coupling portions  16 , 17  which protrude laterally outward from the first interconnecting wall  14 . In other words, the portions  16 , 17  project from the wall  14  in a direction either orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the wall  14 . In yet other words, the portions  16 , 17  project from the wall  14  in a direction either parallel or substantially parallel to the direction indicated by the double arrow F 1  in  FIG.  3   . According to an embodiment, the coupling portions  16 , 17  are longitudinal coupling portions which extend along the interconnecting wall  14  for the entire length or substantially the entire length of the wall  14 . According to an embodiment, the coupling portions  16 , 17  extend parallel to each other in the direction of the aforesaid axis X1. The first and second coupling portions  16 , 17  are of mutually different types. Furthermore, the coupling portions  16 , 17  are conveniently spaced apart. More in particular, the coupling portions  16 , 17  are spaced apart in a direction either orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the landing wall  13 . According to an embodiment, the first coupling portion  16  is arranged either at or near the landing wall  13 , while the second coupling portion  17  is arranged either at or near the resting wall  12 . 
     Again with reference to  FIGS.  4 - 5   , each module  10 ,  10 A and  10 B comprises a first and second coupling portions  18 , 19  which protrude laterally outwards from the first interconnecting wall  15 . In other words, the portions  18 , 19  project from the wall  15  in a direction either orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the wall  15 . In yet other words, the portions  18 , 19  project from the wall  15  in a direction either parallel or substantially parallel to the direction indicated by the double arrow F 1  in  FIG.  3   . According to an embodiment, the coupling portions  18 , 19  are longitudinal coupling portions which extend along the interconnecting wall  15  for the entire length or substantially the entire length of the wall  15 . According to an embodiment, the coupling portions  18 , 19  extend parallel to each other in the direction of the aforesaid axis X1. The third and fourth coupling portions  18 , 19  are of different types from each other. Furthermore, the coupling portions  18 , 19  are conveniently spaced apart. More in particular, the coupling portions  18 , 19  are spaced apart in a direction either orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the landing wall  13 . According to an embodiment, the third coupling portion  18  is arranged either at or near the landing wall  13 , while the fourth coupling portion  19  is arranged either at or near the resting wall  12 . 
     With reference, for example, to  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  6   , it can be noted that the third and fourth coupling portions  18 , 19  of a first module  10 A are adapted and configured to couple respectively with the first and second coupling portions  16 , 17  of a second module  10 B  identical to the first module  10 A. 
     According to an embodiment, the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B and the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A are configured to couple with each other through a relative rotation of the second module  10 B relative to the first module  10 A. Furthermore, the second coupling portion  17  of the second module  10 B and the fourth coupling portion  19  of the first module  10 A comprise male-female coupling portions  17 , 19 . With reference to  FIGS.  3 - 5   , according to an embodiment, the male portion  19  of the aforementioned male-female coupling portions  17 , 19  is a full-section portion. This advantageously allows for a particularly robust connection between modules  10 A, 10 B. In general, it is worth noting that, advantageously, the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B and the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A and the aforementioned male-female coupling portions  17 , 19  allow for a particularly robust coupling between the first and second modules  10 A, 10 B without the need to use tools and/or perform welds in the joint areas of the modules  10 A,  10 B. 
     According to an embodiment, the second coupling portion  17  of the second module  10 B and the fourth coupling portion  19  of the first module  10 A respectively comprise the female portion  17  and the male portion  19  of the aforesaid male-female coupling portions  17 , 19 . According to an embodiment, the male coupling portion  19  comprises a longitudinal rib  19  and the female coupling portion  17  comprises a longitudinal groove  17 A adapted to receive the rib  19 . It can be noted that e.g., in  FIG.  3   , according to an embodiment, the longitudinal groove  17 A and the longitudinal rib  19  are shaped so that, in a cross-sectional view, the longitudinal rib is adapted to be received either entirely or almost entirely in the longitudinal groove  17 A. According to an embodiment, the longitudinal rib  19  is tapered to facilitate its insertion into the groove  17 A. With reference to  FIG.  5   , according to an embodiment, the longitudinal rib  19 , in a cross-sectional view, has a ratio of the respective height HR (measured at the base of the rib  19 ) to the respective length LR generally comprised in the 0.64-0.66 range and preferably a ratio of 62:95. According to an embodiment, the longitudinal rib  19 , in a cross-sectional view of the module  10 A, has a ratio of the respective length LR to the length LM of the module  10 A which is generally comprised in the range of 0.035-0.036 and preferably a ratio of 1:28. 
     With reference to  FIG.  4   , according to an embodiment, the female coupling portion  17  comprises a first and a second longitudinal fin  17 B,  17 C which delimits the aforesaid groove  17 A. The second longitudinal fin  17 C is an elastically flexible fin configured to be elastically deformed and apply pressure on the longitudinal rib  19  to retain the rib  19  when the male-female portions  17 , 19  are coupled together. Conveniently, the fact of providing an elastically flexible fin makes it possible to facilitate the coupling between the male-female portions  17 , 19  and at the same time to make a particularly strong coupling between such portions by virtue of the pressure applied by the fin  17 C on the rib  19 . 
     With reference to  FIGS.  4 - 5   , according to a first embodiment in a cross-sectional view of the first and second modules  10 A, 10 B, either the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B or the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A comprises at least one coupling tooth  16 A,  18 A and the other either first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B or third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A comprises at least one coupling cavity  16 B, 18 B adapted to receive the coupling tooth  16 A,  18 A to prevent lateral separation (i.e. a detachment in the direction of the double arrow F 1  in  FIG.  3   ) of the first and second modules  10 A, 10 B when such modules  10 A, 10 B are coupled to one another. 
     Again, with reference to  FIGS.  4 - 5   , according to an embodiment, in a cross-sectional view of the first and second modules  10 A, 10 B, both the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B and the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A comprise a pair of coupling teeth  16 A, 16 C and  18 A, 18 C and a pair of coupling cavities  16 B, 16 D and  18 B, 18 D. In particular, as can be noted in  FIGS.  4 - 5   , according to an embodiment, in a cross-sectional view of the first and second modules  10 A, 10 B, both the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B and the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A each exclusively comprise a pair of coupling teeth  16 A, 16 C and  18 A, 18 C and exclusively a pair of coupling cavities  16 B, 16 D, and  18 B, 18 D (in other words, both the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B and the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A do not have more than two coupling teeth  16 A, 16 C and  18 A, 18 C and do not have more than two coupling cavities  16 B, 16 D and  18 B, 18 D). When the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B and the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A are coupled to each other, the coupling cavity pair  16 B, 16 D of the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B is adapted to receive the coupling tooth pair  18 A, 18 C of the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A and, vice versa, the coupling cavity pair  18 B, 18 D of the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A is adapted to receive the coupling tooth pair  16 A, 16 C of the first coupling portion  16  of the second module  10 B to prevent the lateral detachment (i.e. the detachment in the direction of the double arrow F 1  in  FIG.  3   ) of the first and second module  10 A, 10 B when such modules  10 A, 10 B are coupled to one another. According to an embodiment, the pair of coupling teeth  18 A, 18 C of the third coupling portion  18  protrudes towards the resting wall  12 . Furthermore, as can be noted in  FIG.  5   , according to an embodiment, the pair of coupling teeth  18 A, 18 C comprises an outermost tooth  18 C and an innermost tooth  18 A, wherein the outermost tooth  18 C is shorter than the innermost tooth  18 A. This advantageously allows the coupling of the modules  10 A, 10 B to be made easier as it facilitates the engagement between the coupling portions  16 , 18  and relative rotation between the modules  10 A, 10 B during the coupling operation of such modules  10 A, 10 B. Furthermore, the fact of providing the aforesaid pairs of coupling teeth  16 A, 16 C and  18 A, 18 C and the aforesaid pairs of coupling cavities  16 B, 16 D and  18 B, 18 D advantageously makes it possible to make a particularly resistant coupling which, as mentioned above, can prevent the lateral detachment of the first and second modules  10 A, 10 B when such modules  10 A, 10 B are coupled together. 
     Having described the structure of the construction modules  10 , we now briefly describe a coupling method between two modules  10 A, 10 B by way of non-limiting example with reference to the embodiment shown in the accompanying figures. 
     In particular,  FIG.  6    shows a step of coupling between two modules  10 A, 10 B. As can be noted in  FIG.  6   , to perform the coupling between the modules  10 A, 10 B, the second module  10 B is initially arranged such that the respective first coupling portion  16  engages the third coupling portion  18  of the first module  10 A. In particular, during such an initial step, the coupling teeth  16 A, 16 C of the second module  10 B are partially inserted into the respective coupling cavities  18 B, 18 D provided in the first module  10 A. Subsequently, the second module  10 B is rotated to allow the longitudinal rib  19  to fit within the longitudinal groove  17 A until the coupling between the modules  10 A, 10 B is completed. In particular, the second module  10 B is rotated about an axis parallel to the aforementioned axis X 1  in the direction indicated by the arrow R 1  in  FIG.  6   . It is worth noting that the rib  19  elastically deforms the longitudinal fin  17 C during such a step of inserting the rib  19  into the groove  17 A. When the coupling of the two modules  10 A, 10 B is complete, the coupling teeth  16 A, 16 C of the second module  10 B are either fully or substantially fully inserted into the respective coupling cavities  18 B, 18 D provided in the first module  10 A. Further, the longitudinal rib  19  is inserted into the longitudinal groove  17 A and is retained therein by means of the pressure exerted thereon by the longitudinal fin  17 C. 
     Based on the foregoing, it can therefore be understood how a construction module according to the present description can achieve the above-mentioned purposes. 
     Without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the embodiments and the constructional details may be broadly varied relative to the above description disclosed by way of non-limiting example, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.