US 5,312,182 A · Hardened aircraft unit load device

Abstract

A hardened load carrying device includes a unitarily constructed container for holding the load. The container has an opening which is partially bordered by a slot that includes opposed crooked thumbs which project into the channel of the slot. A door for covering the opening of the container has a pair of opposed crooked fingers which are attached along part of the edge of the door to establish a bite. To enclose the load in the container the bite of the door is slidingly received into the slot bordering the opening to cover the opening and engage the crooked fingers of the door with the crooked thumbs of the slot. In an alternate embodiment the crooked thumbs of the slot are replaced by opposed lips which extend inwardly to establish a T-shaped slot, and the crooked fingers and the door are replaced by a flange which is slidingly received into the T-shaped slot. Any joints which are established between panels of the container are reinforced using a double thickness of material. In response to an explosive blast inside the container, the bite on the door interlocks with the slot on the container to grip the bite with the slot. Together, this action and the reinforced joints resist a rupturing of the load carrying device.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A hardened unit load carrying device which comprises:

a container for holding said load, said container being formed with an opening defining a channel means;
a door having an edge;
a flanged gripping means formed on said door along a portion of said edge;
and
said channel means consisting of interlocking means bordering said opening for slidably receiving at least part of said gripping means of said door in an interlocking fashion, to cover said opening with said door and enclose said load in said container;
wherein said gripping means and said interlocking means interlock with increased force in response to an explosive blast within said container to resist rupturing said device.

3 more elements

A hardened unit load carrying device which comprises:

a container for holding said load, said container being formed with an opening;
a door having an edge;
a flanged gripping means formed on said door along a portion of said edge;
and
means bordering said opening for slidably receiving at least part of said gripping means of said door, to cover said opening with said door and enclose said load in said container, and for engaging with said gripping means in response to an explosive blast within said container to resist rupturing said device;
wherein at least part of said gripping means is formed as a crooked finger;
and
wherein said means bordering said opening includes a crooked thumb for interlocking with said crooked finger.

5 more elements

A hardened load carrying device which comprises:

a plurality of panels, each said panel defining a periphery and being joined with other of said panels along their respective peripheries to form a container with reinforced joints established between said panels, at least one said panel having an opening, said opening being at least partially bordered by a slot, said slot being a channel formed with a pair of opposed rims with each said rim having a lip extending therefrom over part of said channel;
and
a door having an edge, at least part of said edge being formed with a flange slidably engageable with said slot to cover said opening with said door and enclose said load in said container, and to hold said flange of said door against said lip of said slot for said door to grip said container in response to an explosive blast within said container.

A hardened load carrying device which comprises:

a door panel having an edge formed with a flange attached substantially perpendicular to said edge of said panel and projecting therefrom in opposed directions;
and
a container for holding said load, said container being formed with an opening at least partially bordered by a slot, said slot being a channel formed with a pair of opposed rims, each said rim having a lip extending over part of said channel to create a slit therebetween, said slot of said container being dimensioned to slidably receive said flange of said door to cover said opening with said door and enclose said load in said container, and to interlockingly grip said lip of said slot with said flange of said door in response to an explosive blast within said container to resist rupturing said device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hardened aircraft unit load device

Life of this patent

Hardened aircraft unit load device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25