Aircraft floor support strut with design failure point
A support strut designed as a passive safety strut for the support of a floor structure of an aircraft including a local instability formed by a strut section. For example, for purposes of defining a design fracture point in the event of unusual compressive loading to improve the safety of the occupants of the aircraft.
1. A support strut for the support of a floor structure of an aircraft, comprising:
a strut section having a region forming a design fracture point for improving the safety of the occupants of the aircraft; and
a head section attached to the floor structure of the aircraft;
wherein the head section forms an overlap joint with the strut section;
wherein the region of the strut section forming the design fracture point is positioned outside of the overlap joint;
wherein the strut section and the head section each have a U-shaped cross-section with two parallel flanges connected by a web;
wherein the flanges of the strut section have a uniform height and a uniform thickness along an entire length of the strut section;
wherein the cross-section of the strut section is reduced in size relative to the cross-section of the head section; and
wherein the strut section is arranged in a central profile region of the support strut.
2. The support strut in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the strut section is connected with the head section by means of a material bond.
3. The support strut in accordance with claim 2 , wherein in the event of an axial overload the design fracture point of the strut section deforms.
4. The support strut in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the strut section consists of a material other than that of head section.
5. A support strut for the support of a floor structure of an aircraft, comprising:
a head section attached to the floor structure of the aircraft;
a foot section supported by a fuselage of the aircraft; and
a strut section having a region forming a design fracture point between the head and foot sections;
wherein the strut section forms an overlap joint with each of the head and foot sections;
wherein the design fracture point is positioned outside of the overlap joints;
wherein the strut section has a U-shaped cross-section with two parallel flanges connected by a web; and
wherein the flanges have a uniform height along an entire length of the strut section.
6. The support strut in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the strut section is connected with the head section by means of a material bond.
7. The support strut in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the strut section is connected with the foot section by means of a material bond.
8. The support strut in accordance with claim 5 , wherein in the event of an axial overload the design fracture point of the strut section deforms.
9. The support strut in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the strut section consists of a material other than that of the head and foot sections.
10. The support strut in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a foot section supported by a fuselage of the aircraft;
wherein the foot section forms an overlap joint with the strut section; and
wherein the strut section is positioned between the head and foot sections.
11. The support strut in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the strut section is connected with the head section by means of at least one of bolts and rivets.