Granted Patent B2

US 12,428,163 · App. 17/706,890 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Inventors: Frédéric Goupil (Toulouse, FR); Xavier Matheis (Toulouse, FR)

Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS

B64D11/0696B64C1/18F16F1/40

Abstract

Claims (29)

1. A connecting assembly for connecting two structures of an aircraft, the connecting assembly comprising:

a central element featuring a through-hole configured to make a connection with a first of said two structures,

a fastener element inserted into the through-hole,

a plurality of deformable first shock-absorbing elements, each of the plurality of deformable first shock-absorbing elements being secured to said central element and configured to bear against a surface of a second of said two structures,

a plurality of second shock-absorbing elements, manufactured from a deformable material, and secured to the central element, each of the plurality of second shock-absorbing elements comprising at least one of a metal insert, an insert made from a material other than said deformable material, or a cavity arranged in the deformable material,

each deformable first shock-absorbing element extending outwardly from the central element in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said through-hole,

a deformable first shock-absorbing element in the plurality of deformable first shock-absorbing elements comprises a plate extending laterally outwardly, the plate having a plurality of apertures configured to receive fasteners therethrough, and

each second shock-absorbing element extending outwardly from the central element in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said through-hole, which direction is different from a direction in which each first deformable shock-absorbing element extends.

2. The connecting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each deformable first shock-absorbing element of the plurality of deformable first shock-absorbing elements is a stack of alternating layers respectively made from a deformable material and of elements made of another material.

3. The connecting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the central element features six faces, pairs of which are parallel, and of which:

two first faces have said through-hole passing through them, said longitudinal axis defining a first reference direction,

two second faces bear said stacks of alternating layers made from a deformable material and of elements made of another material, and extend from the central element in a second reference direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the through-hole,

two third faces bear said plurality of deformable first shock-absorbing elements, each of which extend outwardly from the central element in a third reference direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said through-hole and perpendicular to the second reference direction.

4. The connecting assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the third reference direction is parallel to a longitudinal axis of a fuselage of an aircraft on which the connecting assembly is carried, the second reference direction is contained in a vertical or substantially vertical plane, and the first reference direction is contained in a horizontal or substantially horizontal plane.

5. The connecting assembly according to claim 2 , wherein each stack of alternating layers comprises at least two layers of the deformable material and two elements made of another material, preferably metallic.

6. The connecting assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the deformable material is an elastomer and the fastener element is a threaded fastener comprising a bolt and a nut, the bolt comprising a portion configured to be inserted into the through-hole of the central element of the connecting assembly.

7. An aircraft part comprising:

a first structure,

a second structure, and

a deformable connecting assembly according to claim 1 connecting the first structure to the second structure,

wherein the first structure is a primary structure, or a preliminary structural element of said aircraft part,

wherein the second structure is a passenger floor rail of said aircraft part,

wherein the first structure comprises a through-cavity of a shape that complements an exterior profile of the connecting assembly and is configured to house the connecting assembly therein, the facing part of each of said first shock-absorbing elements coming to bear against or being securely fastened to a surface of said cavity,

wherein the second structure comprises a groove configured to accommodate part of the first structure comprising said cavity, each edge of the groove comprising one of two through-openings positioned facing one another,

wherein the fastener element is a threaded fastener passing through said openings of the edges of said groove and said through-hole of a central element of the connecting assembly, and

wherein no rigid connection connects said passenger floor rail to the primary structure.

8. The aircraft part according to claim 7 , wherein the through-hole is a first bore featuring a first diameter and a first central longitudinal axis and wherein an insertion guide is assembled on an outer edge of the groove, the insertion guide comprising a second bore of a second diameter greater than the diameter of the first bore, and the second bore featuring a second central longitudinal axis coincident or substantially coincident with said first central longitudinal axis, the through-openings having a diameter greater than the first diameter.

9. The aircraft part according to claim 8 , wherein the though-openings have a diameter equal to the second diameter.

10. An aircraft comprising an aircraft part according to claim 7 .

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (17)