U.S. patent application number 12/456466 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-17 for relief valve for being arranged on an opening of a fuselage shell of an aircraft, fuselage part with such a relief valve and aircraft fuselage.
This patent application is currently assigned to Airbus Deutschland GmbH. Invention is credited to Juergen Kelnhofer.
Application Number | 20090308978 12/456466 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41360417 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090308978 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kelnhofer; Juergen |
December 17, 2009 |
Relief valve for being arranged on an opening of a fuselage shell
of an aircraft, fuselage part with such a relief valve and aircraft
fuselage
Abstract
The invention pertains to a relief valve (10) for being arranged
on an opening (10) of a fuselage shell of an aircraft, wherein the
opening (10) has a front opening edge (9a) and a rear opening edge
(9a), and wherein the relief valve (10) features: a cover (13) that
is arranged on the fuselage shell by means of an opening and
closing device in order to open and close the opening (10) of the
fuselage shell, and a prestressing device for prestressing the
cover (13) into an initial position, wherein a guide plate (23) is
arranged on the cover (13) by means of a mounting device (20),
wherein the guide plate is spaced apart from the cover (13) and
extends along the cover (13), and wherein the invention furthermore
pertains to a fuselage part with such a relief valve (10) for being
installed into an aircraft fuselage with a fuselage shell and a
plurality of fuselage frames arranged on the inside of the fuselage
shell, as well as to an aircraft fuselage with such a fuselage
part.
Inventors: |
Kelnhofer; Juergen; (Jork,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COLLARD & ROE, P.C.
1077 NORTHERN BOULEVARD
ROSLYN
NY
11576
US
|
Assignee: |
Airbus Deutschland GmbH
|
Family ID: |
41360417 |
Appl. No.: |
12/456466 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61073258 |
Jun 17, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
244/129.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64D 13/04 20130101;
B64C 1/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
244/129.5 |
International
Class: |
B64C 1/14 20060101
B64C001/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 17, 2008 |
DE |
10 2008 028 799.7 |
Claims
1. A relief valve (10) for being arranged on an opening (10) of a
pressurized fuselage part of an aircraft, wherein the opening (9)
has a front opening edge (9a) and a rear opening edge (9b), and
wherein the relief valve (10) features: a cover (13) that is
arranged on the fuselage part by means of a hinge joint (11) in
order to open and close the opening (9) of the fuselage part, and a
pre-stressing device for pre-stressing the cover (13) into an
initial position, a guide plate (23) being arranged on the cover
(13) by means of a support device (20), wherein said guide plate is
spaced apart from the cover (13) and extends along the cover (13),
and wherein the support device (20) is realized permeable in a main
direction (H) extending from the cover edge with the hinge joint
(11) to the cover edge situated opposite thereof, wherein the cover
(13) and the guide plate (23) are formed such that the distance
between the cover (13) and the guide plate (23) decreases along the
main direction (H) so that the air flowing between the cover (13)
and the guide plate (23) is accelerated along the main direction
(H) and a resulting negative pressure is generated acting in the
opening direction of the cover (13).
2. The relief valve (10) according to claim 1, wherein the
cross-section of the guide plate (23) running along the main
direction (H) has a profile form which has a decreasing
cross-section in a section of the guide plate (23) along the main
direction (H).
3. The relief valve (10) according to claim 1, wherein the support
device comprises at least one support rod (25, 26) that extends
between the cover (13) and the guide plate (23) so as to connect
the cover (13) and the guide plate (23).
4. The relief valve (10) according to claim 3, wherein the support
device (20) comprises at least one front support rod (25) and at
least one rear support rod (26) with regard to the main direction
(H).
5. The relief valve (10) according to claim 4, wherein the front
support rod (25) is mounted on a rotating part of the hinge joint
(11).
6. The relief valve (10) according to claim 4, wherein the surface
(25a) of the front support rod (25) which is facing the main
direction (H) is inclined in the direction of the main direction
(H) to support the opening of the cover (13) by the air flow
(S).
7. A relief valve (10) for being arranged on an opening (10) of a
pressurized fuselage part of an aircraft, wherein the opening (9)
comprises a front opening edge (9a) and a rear opening edge (9b),
and wherein the relief valve (10) features: a cover (13) that is
arranged on the fuselage part by means of a hinge joint (11) in
order to open and close the opening (9) of the fuselage part, and a
pre-stressing device for pre-stressing the cover (13) into an
initial position, a guide plate (23) being arranged on the cover
(13) by means of a support device (20), wherein said guide plate is
spaced apart from the cover (13) and extends along the cover (13),
and wherein the support device (20) is realized permeable in a main
direction (H) extending from the cover edge with the hinge joint
(11) to the cover edge situated opposite thereof, wherein the
support device (20) comprises at least one front support rod (25)
and at least one rear support rod (25) with regard to the main
direction (H) wherein the front support rod (25) is mounted on a
rotating part of the hinge joint (11), wherein each of the support
rods (25, 26) is coupled in an articulated fashion to the cover
(13) and to the guide plate (23) such that the distance between the
guide plate (23) and the cover (13) can be adjusted by rotating the
rods, wherein the support rods (25, 26) are pre-stressed into an
initial position, in which the cover (13) and the guide plate (23)
have the smallest distance from one another within the adjustable
distance range, and wherein the cover (13) the pre-stressing of the
support rods (25, 26) is adjusted such that in the state in which
the guide plate (23) is blown by the air (S) in the main direction
(H), during an initial opening movement of the cover (13), the
cover (13) is moved in an open position while the distance between
the guide plate (23) and the cover (13) increases.
8. The relief valve (10) according to claim 7, wherein the cover
(13) and the guide plate (23) are formed such that the distance
between the cover (13) and the guide plate (23) decreases along the
main direction (H) so that the air flowing between the cover (13)
and the guide plate (23) is accelerated along the main direction
(H) and a resulting negative pressure is generated acting in the
opening direction of the cover (13).
9. The relief valve (10) according to claim 8, wherein the
cross-section of the guide plate (23) running along the main
direction (H) has a profile form which is decreasing in a section
of the guide plate (23) along the main direction (H).
10. A pressurized fuselage part of an aircraft fuselage, wherein
said fuselage part has a longitudinal direction (X1) that extends
in the direction of the longitudinal aircraft axis (X) when it is
installed into an aircraft fuselage and features an opening (9)
that is arranged between two fuselage frames, as well as a relief
valve device with a relief valve (10) according to claim 1, wherein
the rotational axis of the hinge joint (11) is running across the
longitudinal aircraft axis.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/073,258 filed on Jun.
17, 2008 and German Application No. 10 2008 028 799.7 filed on Jun.
17, 2008.
[0002] The invention pertains to a relief valve for being arranged
on an opening of a fuselage shell of an aircraft, to a fuselage
part with such a relief valve for being installed into an aircraft
fuselage with a fuselage shell and a plurality of fuselage frames
arranged on the inside of the fuselage shell, and to an aircraft
fuselage with such a fuselage part.
[0003] From U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,083 a device for influencing the
air flow on a cover of a fuselage is known for increasing the
supply of ram air in a climate system.
[0004] The general state of the art includes relief valves or
"negative relief valves" (Negative Relief Valves) for being
arranged on an opening of a fuselage shell of an aircraft that
serves for producing a fuselage part or an aircraft fuselage. One
such relief valve is intended for being installed into an aircraft
fuselage with a fuselage shell and a plurality of fuselage frames
arranged on the inside of the fuselage shell, wherein this relief
valve is integrated into the aircraft system and forms part of a
cabin pressure control system (Cabin Pressure Control System) for
compensating a negative cabin pressure relative to the external
pressure on the skin of the fuselage while the aircraft is in
flight. The installation site of the relief valve depends on the
type of aircraft and, among other things, external constraints such
as, for example, the float line of the aircraft and the
accessibility. In most known applications, these valves are
installed into the skin of the aircraft in the front fuselage
section. In case of a negative cabin pressure (relative to the
external pressure), these valves open and allow a pressure
compensation between the cabin and the surroundings due to the mass
flow through the valve.
[0005] Relief valves of this type, one embodiment of which is
illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 and identified by the reference symbol
10', are arranged on a fuselage part 1' with a shell part 3'. A
plurality of fuselage frames 7a', 7b', 7c', 7d' extending in or
along the circumferential direction of the aircraft fuselage is
arranged on the inside of the shell part 3'. FIG. 1 shows the
inside of the shell part 3' with sections of the fuselage frames
7a', 7b', 7c', 7d'. The shell part 3' features an opening 9' that
is covered by a cover 13' of the relief valve 10', wherein this
cover is coupled to the shell part 3' by means of a hinge joint 11'
such that the cover 13' can be closed or opened. The hinge joint
11' is situated on the side of the opening 13' that faces the flow
S flowing around the fuselage part 1' installed into an aircraft
fuselage in the flow direction S, i.e., on the front edge referred
to the longitudinal aircraft axis X or the longitudinal direction
X1 of the feel of part 1'. The cover 13' is prestressed into the
closed position (FIG. 2) against a stopping device 15' by means of
a prestressing device. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the prestressing force
exerted by the prestressing device is indicated with an arrow and
the reference symbol "F" referring thereto. The relief valve 10' is
illustrated in an opened position in FIG. 3. In the opened position
of the relief valve 10', part of the flow flowing around the
fuselage part 1' in the flow direction S reaches the interior of
the aircraft fuselage, into which the fuselage part is integrated.
This means that the relief valve 10' known from the general state
of the art opens when the pressure on the outside of the fuselage
that is subjected to a flow S lies above the pressure on the inside
of the relief valve 10' by a certain amount such that a pressure
compensation takes place in the interior of the fuselage as
intended in these situations.
[0006] Although the relief valve 10' known from the general state
of the art has a simple construction, the pressure compensation
does not always take place sufficiently fast.
[0007] The invention is based on the objective of making available
a relief valve for being arranged on an opening of a pressurized
fuselage part of an aircraft for compensating a negative pressure
within the pressurized fuselage part in relation to the atmospheric
conditions in the outside area of the aircraft and a pressurized
fuselage part with such a relief valve that respectively make it
possible to achieve the compensation of a pressure drop within the
pressurized fuselage part with very high functional safety, wherein
an optimum mass flow from the outside to the inside of the fuselage
shell or the aircraft fuselage, respectively, a small installation
size and a very high reliability shall be achieved.
[0008] This objective is attained with the characteristics of Claim
1. Other embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims that
refer to this claim.
[0009] The invention proposes a pressure compensating valve or a
relief valve for being arranged on an opening of a pressurized
fuselage part or a pressurized fuselage shell of an aircraft,
wherein the opening has a front opening edge and a rear opening
edge, and wherein the relief valve features: a cover that is
arranged on the fuselage shell by means of an opening and closing
device in order to open and close the opening of the fuselage
shell, and a prestressing device for prestressing the cover into an
initial position in which the cover preferably closes the opening.
According to the invention, it is proposed, in particular, that a
guide plate is arranged on the cover by means of a mounting device
or support device, wherein said guide plate is spaced apart from
the cover and extends along the cover, and wherein the support
device is realized permeable to the flow in the direction, in which
the air flows around the shell part or the relief valve,
respectively, in its installed state. In this case, the support
device may be realized in the form of at least one connecting plate
that extends in the longitudinal aircraft axis and is arranged
between the cover and the guide plate so as to connect the cover
and the guide plate, or in the form of at least one rod or in a
different fashion. The opening and closing device can be realized
in different ways. For example, the cover for opening and closing
the opening of the fuselage shell may be coupled to the fuselage
shell by means of a guiding device or connected to the fuselage
shell by means of a hinge joint. The hinge joint is preferably
arranged on the side of the opening of the shell part or the relief
valve that faces the intended flow when it is installed in a
fuselage part.
[0010] In this case, the support device may consist of at least two
rods that connect the cover and the guide plate and are arranged
behind one another in the direction extending from the cover edge
with the hinge joint to the cover edge situated opposite thereof.
It would be possible, in particular, to couple each of the rods in
an articulated fashion to the cover on the end on the cover side
and to the guide plate on the end on the guide plate side such that
the distance between the guide plate and the cover can be adjusted
by rotating the rods. In these embodiments, in particular, it would
furthermore be possible to prestress the rods into an initial
position, in which the cover and the guide plate are spaced apart
from one another by the smallest distance within the adjusting
range. In this state the valve including a guide plate according to
the invention produces relatively small aerodynamic resistance.
Further, the guide plate increases the functional reliability of
the valve with regard to the opening movement of the same. The
adjusting range is the range that the distance between the cover
and the guide plate can amount to during an adjustment or rotation
of the rods. If the pressure within the pressurized fuselage part
drops under a predetermined value with regard to the outer
atmospheric pressure, the cover moves into the fuselage part or
into an opening of the same in an opened position and due to the
aerodynamic forces the guide plate moves away from the cover.
Thereby the opening movement and the opening state of the cover is
supported.
[0011] The invention furthermore proposes a pressurized fuselage
part for being installed in an aircraft fuselage with a fuselage
shell and a plurality of fuselage frames arranged on the inside of
the fuselage shell, wherein the fuselage part has a longitudinal
direction that extends in the direction of the longitudinal
aircraft axis when it is installed in an aircraft fuselage and
features an opening that is situated between two fuselage frames,
as well as a relief valve. The relief valve specifically features:
a cover that is arranged on the fuselage shell by means of an
opening and closing device in order to open and close the opening
of the fuselage shell, a prestressing device for prestressing the
cover in the direction toward the outside of the fuselage shell,
and a stopping device that is arranged in such a way that the cover
can be moved against the force of the prestressing device from an
initial position, in which it covers the opening, into a position,
in which it opens the opening, due to a force of pressure that is
directed from the outside toward the inside. The guide plate that
is spaced apart from and extends along the cover in the
longitudinal aircraft axis is arranged on the cover by means of the
support device, wherein the support device is realized permeable to
the flow in the longitudinal direction of the fuselage part.
[0012] In a normal state, i.e. during flight, the pressure within
the fuselage part like the cabin area having the opening and the
valve according to the invention is higher than the pressure in the
atmosphere around the aircraft. The valve according to the
invention is designed such that, in the case that the pressure
within the fuselage part falls such that the inner pressure of the
fuselage part lies more than a predetermined value below the
atmospheric pressure, the valve moves into its opened position with
high functional reliability in order to reduce the pressure drop
within the fuselage part or in order to at least maintain a
relatively low pressure within the fuselage part. The value of the
difference between the inner pressure of the fuselage part and the
pressure of the atmosphere, at which the valve shall move into its
opened position lies, depending on the type of the respective
aircraft, normally between 20 mbar and 60 mbar.
[0013] In a fuselage part with a front edge and a rear edge
referred to its longitudinal direction and with an opening that has
a front opening edge and a rear opening edge referred to the
longitudinal aircraft axis, the cover for opening and closing the
opening may be coupled to the fuselage shell by means of a hinge
joint with a hinge axis that extends along the front opening
edge.
[0014] The invention proposes, in particular, a pressure relief
valve or a pressure compensating valve for being arranged on an
opening of a pressurized fuselage part or a fuselage shell of an
aircraft, wherein the opening has a front opening edge and a rear
opening edge, and wherein the relief valve features: [0015] a cover
that is coupled to the fuselage shell by means of a hinge joint
with a hinge axis that extends along the front opening edge in
order to open and close the opening, [0016] a pre-stressing device
for pre-stressing the cover into an initial position, [0017] a
pre-stressing device for pre-stressing the cover into an initial
position, [0018] a guide plate being arranged on the cover by means
of a support device, wherein said guide plate is spaced apart from
the cover and extends along the cover, and wherein the support
device is realized permeable in a main direction extending from the
cover edge with the hinge joint to the cover edge situated opposite
thereof.
[0019] According to the invention, the cover and the guide plate
are formed such that the distance between the cover and the guide
plate decreases along the main direction so that the air flowing
between the cover and the guide plate is accelerated along the main
direction and a resulting negative pressure is generated acting in
the opening direction of the cover.
[0020] The cross-section of the guide plate which is running along
the main direction can have a profile form which has a decreasing
cross-section in a section of the guide plate along the main
direction.
[0021] According to another example of the invention, the support
device comprises at least one support rod that extends between the
cover and the guide plate so as to connect the cover and the guide
plate. In this regard, the support device can comprise at least one
front support rod and at least one rear support rod with regard to
the main direction. Further, the front support rod can particularly
be mounted on a rotating part of the hinge joint. An advantage of
this embodiment is that the hinge moment for rotating the
respective rod can be decreased for safe upward movement of the
guide plate.
[0022] In addition to one of the examples of the invention, the
surface of the front support rod which is facing the main direction
or which is directed against the main direction can be inclined in
the direction of the main direction in order to support the opening
of the cover by the air flow.
[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, a relief valve
for being arranged on an opening of a pressurized fuselage part or
a pressurized fuselage shell of an aircraft is provided, wherein
the opening has a front opening edge and a rear opening edge, and
wherein the relief valve further features: [0024] a cover that is
arranged on the fuselage shell by means of a hinge joint in order
to open and close the opening of the fuselage shell, and [0025] a
prestressing device for prestressing the cover into an initial
position, [0026] a guide plate being arranged on the cover by means
of a support device, wherein said guide plate is spaced apart from
the cover and extends along the cover, and wherein the support
device is realized permeable in a main direction (H) extending from
the cover edge with the hinge joint to the cover edge situated
opposite thereof.
[0027] The support device comprises at least one front support rod
and at least one rear support rod with regard to the main direction
wherein the front support rod is mounted on a rotating part of the
hinge joint, wherein each of the support rods is coupled in an
articulated fashion to the cover e.g. on the end on the cover side
and to the guide plate e.g. on the end on the guide plate side such
that the distance between the guide plate and the cover can be
adjusted by rotating the rods. Further, the support rods are
pre-stressed into an initial position, in which the cover and the
guide plate have the smallest distance within the adjustable
distance range. Further, the cover the pre-stressing of the support
rods is adjusted such that in the state in which the guide plate is
blown by the air in the main direction, during an initial opening
movement of the cover, the cover is moved in an open position while
the distance between the guide plate and the cover increases.
[0028] According to an example of the invention, the cover and the
guide plate are formed such that the distance between the cover and
the guide plate decreases along the main direction so that the air
flowing between the cover and the guide plate is accelerated along
the main direction and a resulting negative pressure is generated
acting in the opening direction of the cover.
[0029] According to another example of the invention, the
cross-section of the guide plate running along the main direction
has a profile form which is decreasing in a section of the guide
plate along the main direction.
[0030] According to another aspect of the invention, a pressurized
fuselage part of an aircraft fuselage is provided, wherein said
fuselage part has a longitudinal direction that extends in the
direction of the longitudinal aircraft axis when it is installed
into an aircraft fuselage and features an opening that is arranged
between two fuselage frames, as well as a relief valve device with
a relief valve according to one of the embodiments of the
invention, wherein the rotational axis of the hinge joint is
running across the longitudinal aircraft axis. The invention
furthermore proposes an aircraft fuselage with a fuselage part that
is realized in accordance with the aforementioned embodiment and
features a relief valve or several relief valves according to one
of the described embodiments.
[0031] The inventive relief valve can be used on or in the region
of a ram air intake flap or another intake flap. In this case, the
region may consist of a region of the fuselage that is covered by
such a flap when it is closed.
[0032] In addition to the general state of the art illustrated in
FIGS. 1 to 4, embodiments of the invention are described below with
reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. In these figures:
[0033] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a fuselage part for an aircraft
viewed from the interior of the aircraft fuselage, with a fuselage
shell that features an opening and a relief valve according to the
state of the art that is arranged on said opening and illustrated
in its closed position;
[0034] FIG. 2 shows a section of the fuselage part according to
FIG. 1 viewed in the circumferential direction thereof, wherein the
relief valve is illustrated in a closed position;
[0035] FIG. 3 shows a section through the fuselage part according
to FIG. 2 with the relief valve illustrated in an opened
position;
[0036] FIG. 4 shows a section of the fuselage part illustrated in
FIGS. 1 to 3 viewed in the direction of the longitudinal aircraft
axis, wherein the relief valve is illustrated in a closed
position;
[0037] FIG. 5 shows a section of the fuselage part viewed in its
circumferential direction, wherein the fuselage part features a
fuselage shell with an opening and an embodiment of the inventive
relief valve arranged on the opening, and wherein the relief valve
is illustrated in a closed position;
[0038] FIG. 6 shows a section of the fuselage part according to
FIG. 5 with the relief valve illustrated in an opened position;
[0039] FIG. 7 shows a section of the fuselage part illustrated in
FIGS. 5 and 6 viewed in the direction of the longitudinal aircraft
axis, wherein the relief valve is illustrated in a closed
position;
[0040] FIG. 8 shows a section of the fuselage part viewed in its
circumferential direction, wherein the fuselage part features a
fuselage shell with an opening and another embodiment of the
inventive relief valve arranged on the opening, and wherein the
relief valve is illustrated in a closed position, and
[0041] FIG. 9 shows a section of the fuselage part according to
FIG. 8 with the relief valve illustrated in an opened position,
[0042] FIG. 10 shows a section of the fuselage part viewed in its
circumferential direction, wherein the fuselage part features a
fuselage shell with an opening and a further embodiment of the
inventive relief valve arranged on the opening, wherein a font rod
is disposed on a rotational part of a hinge of the cover of the
valve, and wherein the relief valve is illustrated in a closed
position;
[0043] FIG. 11 shows a section of the fuselage part according to
FIG. 10 with the relief valve illustrated in an opened
position;
[0044] FIG. 12 shows a section of the fuselage part viewed in its
circumferential direction, wherein the fuselage part features a
fuselage shell with an opening and a further embodiment of the
inventive relief valve arranged on the opening, wherein the front
rod disposed on a rotational part of a hinge has an inclined
position, and wherein the relief valve is illustrated in a closed
position;
[0045] FIG. 13 shows a section of the fuselage part according to
FIG. 12 with the relief valve illustrated in an opened
position;
[0046] FIG. 14 shows a section of the fuselage part viewed in its
circumferential direction, wherein the fuselage part features a
fuselage shell with an opening and a further embodiment of the
inventive relief valve arranged on the opening, wherein the relief
valve is formed such that the air flowing therein causes a
resulting negative pressure effecting the opening of the relief
valve and wherein the relief valve is illustrated in a closed
position;
[0047] FIG. 15 shows a section of the fuselage part according to
FIG. 14 with the relief valve illustrated in an opened
position.
[0048] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the inventive fuselage part 1
with a shell part 3 that, with respect to an installation of the
fuselage part into an aircraft fuselage, has an inside 5 and an
outside 6 that respectively face an inner region IB and an outer
region AB of the aircraft fuselage. A plurality of fuselage frames
7a, 7b, 7c, 7d extending in or along the circumferential direction
of the aircraft fuselage is arranged on the inside 5 of the shell
part 3. The shell part 3 features an opening 9 that can be closed
or opened with a relief valve 10. The relief valve 10 is
illustrated in a closed position in FIG. 5, wherein the relief
valve 10 is illustrated in an opened position in FIG. 6.
[0049] The longitudinal aircraft axis X extending from the rear end
to the front end of the aircraft is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 5,
6, 8, 9 for orientation purposes. Furthermore, FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 6, 8,
9 show the resulting flow direction S of the air flowing around the
fuselage part 1 when it is installed in an aircraft fuselage of an
aircraft and the aircraft is in flight as intended. Accordingly,
the fuselage part 1 has a longitudinal direction X1 that extends in
the direction of the longitudinal aircraft axis X when it is
installed in an aircraft fuselage, as well as a front edge 3a and a
rear edge 3b referred to the longitudinal aircraft axis X or the
longitudinal direction X1 of the fuselage part, respectively. The
shell part 3 features an opening 9 with an opening edge that
encircles this opening and, referred to the longitudinal aircraft
axis X, has a front opening edge 9a and a rear opening edge 9b that
lies opposite of the front opening edge 9a. The opening may be
shaped in different ways, e.g., rectangular and generally
polygonal, round or elliptical.
[0050] In order to occasionally cover or open the opening 9, i.e.,
in order to cover or open the opening in dependence on a
differential pressure, a cover 13 or a covering device is arranged
on the shell part and can be moved from a closed into an open
position and vice versa by means of an opening and closing device.
In this case, a prestressing device is furthermore provided in
order to prestress the cover into an initial position.
[0051] The opening and closing device may be realized in different
ways. For example, the opening and closing device for opening and
closing the opening of the fuselage shell may be coupled to the
fuselage shell by means of a guiding device or connected to the
fuselage shell by means of a hinge joint.
[0052] In the not-shown variation of the opening and closing device
in the form of a guiding device, this guiding device may feature
one or more guide rails that extend transverse to the longitudinal
direction of the opening or transverse to the longitudinal
direction X1 of the fuselage part 1, i.e., perpendicular or
essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the
fuselage surface, wherein guide parts arranged on the cover engage
into said guide rails such that the cover does not or not only
carry out a pivoting movement when it is opened and closed, but
only or also a translational movement. The prestress can be
realized with at least one spring that acts upon the cover 13 from
the inner region IB or with a plurality of springs that act upon
the cover 13 from the inner region IB. On their end that lies
opposite of the end on the cover side, the springs are supported in
a corresponding supporting device or holder.
[0053] In the variation of the opening and closing device in the
form of a hinge joint that is illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 9 and
described below, an edge section 13a of a cover 13 of the relief
valve 10 is coupled to the fuselage part by means of a hinge joint
11 that is arranged on a section of the front opening edge 9a. The
hinge joint is preferably provided on the side of the opening of
the shell part or the relief valve that faces the intended flow in
the installed state thereof in a fuselage part. The hinge axis 12
of the hinge joint 11 furthermore extends along the front opening
edge 9a of the opening 9 and therefore transverse to the
longitudinal aircraft axis X and to the flow direction S,
respectively. In this case, the hinge axis 12 of the hinge joint 11
may also extend at an angle other than 90 degrees referred to the
longitudinal aircraft axis X. The hinge axis 12 of the hinge joint
11 may, in particular, extend in the circumferential direction of
the aircraft fuselage or perpendicular to the longitudinal aircraft
axis X.
[0054] A stopping device 15 can be arranged at a location of the
opening edge of the opening 9 that lies opposite of the front
opening edge 9a, i.e., on the rear opening edge 9b, wherein the
edge 13b of the cover 3 that is situated on this side of the
opening 9 can be placed against said stopping device (FIGS. 5 to
9). The stopping device 15 is arranged and designed in such a way
that the cover 13 is in a normal or initial position shown in FIGS.
5 and 8 when the edge section 13b of the cover 13 is placed against
the stopping device. In this initial position, the cover 13 covers
and hermetically seals the opening 9. To this end, it would be
possible, in particular, to provide a sealing device that is
positioned between the edge of the cover 13 and the edge of the
opening 9. The sealing device may consist, in particular, of a
peripheral seal. The stopping device 15 is furthermore arranged and
designed in such a way that the cover 13 cannot be opened toward
the outer region A and only toward the inner region IB when it is
structurally installed into an aircraft fuselage with the fuselage
part. The stopping device and/or the sealing device may also be
provided on the relief valve with an opening and closing device in
the form of a guiding device.
[0055] The cover or the relief valve 10 is in its normal position
during the normal operating and in-flight mode of the aircraft,
i.e., when the inventive relief valve 10 is integrated into the
fuselage of this aircraft, because the inner region IB within the
fuselage or a fuselage region is pressurized relative to the
surroundings or the outer region AB of the fuselage.
[0056] The inventive relief valve 10 according to the
aforementioned embodiments furthermore features a prestressing
device that is indicated in FIGS. 5 to 9 with an arrow identified
by the reference symbol "F," wherein this prestressing device is
arranged in such a way that it prestresses the cover 13 into its
normal or initial position (FIGS. 5 and 8), in which the cover 13
covers the opening 9 and is placed against the stopping device. The
prestressing device may be realized in such a way that the
prestressing force exerted thereby is adjustable. The prestressing
device may feature, in particular, a spring. The relief valve 10
and, in particular, the prestressing device are constructed and
designed in such a way that the relief valve opens (arrow M) when
the pressure in the outer region AB of the aircraft fuselage
exceeds the pressure in the inner region IB by a minimum amount.
This means that the relief valve 10 fulfills a safety function,
particularly in instances, in which the outside pressure increases
correspondingly fast during a rapid decrease of the flight altitude
of the aircraft and the inside pressure cannot be increased
sufficiently fast by on-board systems of the aircraft such that a
differential pressure with a higher pressure on the outside AB than
on the inside IB is created.
[0057] In the aforementioned embodiments, a guide plate 23 is,
according to the invention, arranged on the cover 13 by means of a
mounting device or a support device 20, wherein this guide plate is
spaced apart from the cover 13 and extends along the cover 13. In
the installed state of the relief valve 10, the guide plate 23 is
situated on the outer region AB of the aircraft fuselage as shown
in FIGS. 5, 6, 8, 9 and held by means of the support device 20. The
support device 20 is realized permeable to the flow in the
direction extending from the front cover edge 9a to the rear cover
edge 9b. Due to this measure, the air flowing in the flow direction
S is able to pass through the opening 9 between the guide plate 23
and the cover 13 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9. The guide plate causes
an air flow to be diverted into the inner region IB from the flow
on the outside 6 of the shell part or the fuselage part,
respectively, wherein the diverted flow is larger than the flow
that would be diverted if no guide plate would be attached by means
of the support device 20.
[0058] The position of the guide plate 23 relative to the cover 13
may be chosen differently referred to the longitudinal aircraft
axis X. In one embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the guide
plate 23 extends parallel to the cover 13 in the longitudinal
aircraft axis X. In another embodiment, the distance between the
guide plate 23 and the cover 13 is realized in such a way in the
longitudinal aircraft axis X that it decreases from the front cover
edge that faces the flow to the cover edge situated opposite
thereof.
[0059] In the embodiment according to FIG. 5 that can be used in
all variations of the inventive relief valve, the support device 20
is realized in the form of a rigid connecting structure between the
cover and the guide plate 23. In order to realize the support
device 20 such that it is permeable to the flow, it features
openings or passages in the circumferential direction of the shell
part or transverse to the flow direction and the longitudinal
aircraft axis X, respectively, such that a sufficient air flow can
penetrate into the region between the cover and the guide
plate.
[0060] The shape of the guide plate 23 can be adapted so as to
optimize the diversion of the locally occurring flow in the region
of the opening 9 or the relief valve 10, i.e., the air flowing
around the aircraft fuselage. The shape needs to be kinematically
compatible with the intended pivoting positions of the cover 13. In
one special (not-shown) embodiment, however, the rear edge 23b of
the guide plate 23 may be provided as stopping device for the
maximum permissible opening angle of the cover 13. In this case,
the position of the rear edge 23b of the guide plate 23 is chosen
such that it is placed against the rear opening edge 9b of the
opening 9. Depending on the respective application, the guide plate
23 may have plane or curved surfaces so as to achieve an optimal
adaptation with suitable curvatures or adjustments.
[0061] According to the example of the invention, the cover 13 and
the guide plate 23 can be formed such that the distance between the
cover 13 and the guide plate 23 decreases along the main direction
H (FIGS. 14,15) so that the air flowing between the cover 13 and
the guide plate 23 is accelerated along the main direction H and a
resulting negative pressure is generated acting in the opening
direction of the cover 13. Particularly, the cross-section of the
guide plate 23 running along the main direction H can have a
profile form which is decreasing in a section of the guide plate 23
along the main direction H (FIGS. 14, 15).
[0062] The support device 20 may, in particular, consist of at
least one (not-shown) connecting plate that extends in the
longitudinal aircraft axis X between the cover 13 and the guide
plate 23 so as to connect the cover 13 and the guide plate. During
the operation, the air flowing around the aircraft fuselage flows
along the at least one connecting plate in the closed and in the
opened state of the cover 13.
[0063] In another embodiment, the support device may consist of at
least one rod that extends from the cover 13 to the guide plate 23
and connects the cover 13 to the guide plate 23. In this case, the
support device may consist of several (not-shown) rods that
respectively connect the cover 13 to the guide plate 23 and are
arranged behind one another in the direction extending from the
front cover edge 13a to the rear cover edge 13b.
[0064] According to a further example of the invention, the support
device 20 can comprise at least one front support rod 25 and at
least one rear support rod 26 with regard to the main direction H.
Further, the front support rod 25 can particularly be mounted on a
rotating part of the hinge joint 11 (FIGS. 10 and 11).
[0065] According to another embodiment that is illustrated in FIGS.
8 and 9 and can also be used in all variations of the inventive
relief valve, the rods connecting the cover 13 to the guide plate
23 are coupled in an articulated fashion to the cover on their end
on the cover side and to the guide plate on their end on the guide
plate side such that the distance between the guide plate and the
cover can be adjusted by rotating the rods. In the normal or
initial position of the cover 13 of the relief valve 10, in which
this cover closes the opening 9, the force exerted by the air
flowing around the aircraft fuselage presses the guide plate in the
flow direction S such that the distance between the cover 13 and
the guide plate 23 and thereby the aerodynamic resistance is
reduced. Depending on the embodiment of the relief valve 10, the
guide plate 23 can be placed against the upper side of the cover 13
that faces the guide plate when the air flows against the cover 13
in its normal or initial position.
[0066] According to FIGS. 8 and 9, when the cover 13 is opening due
to a negative pressure of the pressures between the pressurized
fuselage and the atmosphere outside the aircraft, the force exerted
by the air flowing around the aircraft fuselage in the flow
direction S acts away from the guiding plate 23 from the cover 13
such that the distance between the cover 13 and the guide plate 23
is increased. This means that the surfaces of the cover 13 and the
guide plate 23 that face one another form a flow channel that leads
from the outer region AB to the inner region IB of an aircraft
fuselage with the relief valve 10 and accordingly guides the air
flowing around the aircraft fuselage from the outer region AB to
the inner region IB.
[0067] In an additional development of this embodiment, the rods
are prestressed into an initial position, in which the cover 13 and
the guide plate 23 are spaced by a smaller or the smallest distance
in comparison with the state, in which they are subjected to the
flow in an opening movement of the cover (FIG. 8) and in which the
aerodynamic resistance of the support device 20 and the guiding
plate 23 is relatively small. In this regard, the cover 13 is
designed such and the pre-stressing of the support rods 25, 26 is
adjusted such that in the state in which the guide plate 23 is
blown by the air S in the main direction H, during an initial
opening movement of the cover 13, the cover 13 is moved in an open
position while the distance between the guide plate 23 and the
cover 13 increases by rotation of the support rods 25, 26.
According to an example of the invention, the cover 13 and the
guide plate 23 are formed such that the distance between the cover
13 and the guide plate 23 decreases along the main direction (H)
when the guiding plate 23 is in an extended position so that the
air flowing between the cover 13 and the guide plate 23 is
accelerated along the main direction H and a resulting negative
pressure is generated acting in the opening direction of the cover
13. Further, in this regard the front support rod 25 can be mounted
on a rotating part of the hinge joint 11.
[0068] These embodiments can also comprise features of the
before-mentioned examples of the invention. For example it can be
provided that the cross-section of the guide plate 23 which is
running along the main direction H has a profile form which is
decreasing in a section of the guide plate 23 along the main
direction H.
[0069] The aforementioned characteristics of the relief valve or
the fuselage part that were described with reference to the
embodiment of the opening and closing device with a hinge joint
may, according to the invention, also be applied to an embodiment
of the opening and closing device with a guiding device.
* * * * *