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US 10,293,974 B1Granted
Aircraft ULD interface adapter
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorsDustin Paul Scheer, Wesley K. Stegmiller, Aaron J. Roberts, Wallace Harold Larson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus to be used in a system that adapts a pallet to cargo handling system. This includes the use of adaptor panels to alter the length of the pallet so that it may conform to a standard pallet length. The present disclosure also relates to a method of use for the adaptor system in applying it to a pallet.
Claims11
A system comprising:
- a first adaptor panel, having a width, a height, a length, and a first adaptor panel interface which comprises a first adaptor panel lateral face disposed along the width and the height of the first adaptor panel, a protrusion extending substantially normal from the lateral face of the first adaptor panel, and a locking mechanism partially disposed within the protrusion of the first adaptor panel;
- a unit load device (ULD) comprising a cargo surface, a lateral perimeter surface, a bottom surface opposite the cargo surface, and an extrusion that extends from the lateral perimeter surface, comprising a frame, wherein the frame and the lateral perimeter surface define a lateral surface of the extrusion, a base, wherein the base is perpendicular to the lateral perimeter surface and the frame, and an extrusion aperture located on the base;
- and
- a second adaptor panel, having a width, a height, a length, and a second adaptor panel interface which comprises a second adaptor panel lateral face disposed along the width and the height of the second adaptor panel, a protrusion extending substantially normal from the lateral face of the second adaptor panel, and a locking mechanism;
- wherein the first adaptor panel interface and the second adaptor panel interface contact the lateral perimeter surface along opposites widths of the cargo surface.
2 more elements
A process comprising:
- attaching a unit load device (ULD), comprising a cargo surface, and a lateral perimeter surface, to a first adaptor panel, having a width, a height, a length, and a first adaptor panel interface which comprises a lateral face disposed along the width and the height of the first adaptor panel, a first adaptor panel protrusion extending substantially normal from the lateral face, and a locking mechanism;
- and
- attaching the ULD to a second adaptor panel, having a width, a height, a length, and
- a second adaptor panel interface which comprises a lateral face disposed along the width and the height of the second adaptor panel;
- a second adaptor panel protrusion extending substantially normal from the lateral face, and a locking mechanism partially disposed within the protrusion;
- wherein the first adaptor panel interface and the second adaptor panel interface contact the lateral perimeter surface along opposites widths of the cargo surface,
- wherein the ULD further comprises a tie-down ring that is partially contiguous with the lateral perimeter surface, and the first adaptor interface further comprises a recess, where attaching the ULD to the first adaptor panel comprises aligning the recess of the first adaptor panel to face the tie-down ring of the ULD, and
- wherein the protrusion comprises a housing, a first aperture on a first surface of the housing that has an edge across lateral face, and the ULD further comprises an extrusion extruding from the lateral perimeter surface, comprising a frame, wherein the frame and the lateral perimeter surface define a lateral surface of the extrusion, a base, wherein the base is perpendicular to the lateral perimeter surface and the frame, and an extrusion aperture located on the base;
- and attaching the ULD to the first adaptor panel further comprises:
- placing the first adaptor panel interface proximate the lateral perimeter surface of the ULD, along the width of the ULD;
- placing first face of the housing along the base of the extrusion, and
- aligning the first housing aperture with the extrusion aperture.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.