DEVICE FOR ALIGNING A PIECE GOOD PART LIFTED BY MEANS OF A WINCH OF AN AIRCRAFT

Abstract

An alignment device aligns a piece good part, which is received by a cable winch, relative to a yaw axis of an aircraft. An alignment member is fastened on an underside of the aircraft, and an alignment mating part fixed to the piece good part. In use, the alignment mating part has an alignment lug pointing towards the aircraft. The alignment member has a guide track having a sliding surface facing the alignment mating part. When the alignment mating part is displaced towards the aircraft, the alignment lug of the alignment mating part abuts the sliding surface through retraction of the cable winch. During further axial displacement of the alignment mating part towards the aircraft, through further retraction of the cable winch, the alignment lug slides along the sliding surface. This causes the alignment mating part to rotate and align the piece good part with the aircraft.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. An alignment device (1) for aligning a piece good part (4), which is received by a cable winch (2) of an aircraft (3), about a rotational axis (16) which is in parallel with a yaw axis (12) of the aircraft (3) when the alignment device (1) is used as intended, the alignment device (1) comprising: an alignment member (8) which can be fastened on an underside (9) of the aircraft (3); and an alignment mating part (6) which can be fixed to a piece good part (4), wherein, when the alignment device (1) is used as intended, the alignment mating part (6) has an alignment lug (15) pointing in a direction of the aircraft (3), wherein the alignment member (8) has a guide track (10), wherein a sliding surface (11) of the guide track (10) is oriented in the direction of the alignment mating part (6), wherein, when the alignment mating part (6) is displaced in the direction of the aircraft (3), the alignment lug (15) of the alignment mating part (6) is brought into abutment with the sliding surface (11) through retraction of the cable winch (2) and, during further axial displacement of the alignment mating part (6) in the direction of the aircraft (3) along the rotational axis (16), through further retraction of the cable winch (2), the alignment lug (15) slides along on the sliding surface (11) and brings about a rotation of the alignment mating part (6) about the rotational axis (16), such that the piece good part (4) can be aligned relative to the aircraft (3).

15. The alignment device (1) according to claim 14, wherein the sliding surface (11) of the guide track (10) is designed such that it has a gradient angle, at least in portions, wherein the gradient angle is specified by a normal axis, oriented perpendicularly to the sliding surface (11) and the rotational axis (16).

16. The alignment device (1) according to claim 15, wherein a progression of the gradient angle along the guide track (10) is continuous.

17. The alignment device (1) according to claim 14, wherein the guide track (10) extends helically around a longitudinal axis (13) of the alignment member (8) which extends in parallel with the yaw axis (12) of the aircraft (3).

18. The alignment device (1) according to claim 17, wherein the guide track (10) extends helically around the longitudinal axis (13) of the alignment member (8), about an angle of 360 degrees.

19. The alignment device (1) according to claim 17, wherein the guide track (10) comprises at least two guide track portions (14), wherein the guide track portions (14) extend helically and in opposite directions around the longitudinal axis (13) of the alignment member (8).

20. The alignment device (1) according to claim 19, wherein the alignment lug (15) can be fixed, in a form-fitting manner, to at least one of the at least two guide track portions (14).

21. The alignment device (1) according to claim 20, wherein the guide track (10) comprises at least one recess (17) that is arranged within a guide track (10), wherein the alignment lug (15) can be arranged within the recess (17).

22. The alignment device (1) according to claim 14, wherein a lug surface of the alignment lug (15) and/or of the sliding surface (11), which can be brought into abutment with the sliding surface (11), has a low coefficient of friction.

23. The alignment device (1) according to claim 14, wherein the alignment mating part (6) comprises a fastening device (7) for fixing the alignment mating part (6) to the piece good part (4).

24. The alignment device (1) according to claim 14, wherein the alignment lug (15) is designed so as to protrude in a direction facing away from the piece good part (4).

25. The alignment device (1) according to claim 14, wherein the cable winch (2) comprises a self-locking worm gear.

26. An alignment arrangement, comprising: an aircraft (3); a piece good arranged on a cable winch (2) of the aircraft (3); and the alignment device (1) according to claim 14, wherein an alignment mating part (6) of the alignment device (1), which is fixed to the piece good part (4), can be brought into engagement with an alignment member of the alignment device (1) arranged on the underside (9) of the aircraft (3), in case of a displacement of the piece good in the direction of the aircraft (3).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the alignment device during the alignment process,

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the alignment device in an alignment of the alignment mating part that is fixed in a form-fitting manner, and

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the alignment member of the alignment device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an alignment device 1, during an alignment process of a piece good part 4 received by means of a cable winch 2 of an aircraft 3. An alignment mating part 6 is fastened to a cable 5 of the cable winch 2 by means of a gripper 18 shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2. The alignment mating part 6 of the alignment device 1 is fixed to the piece good part 4 via a fastening device 7 designed as a cable tie. An alignment member 8 of the alignment device 1 is fastened to an underside 9 of the aircraft 3. The alignment member 8 comprises a guide track 10 having a sliding surface 11 oriented in the direction of the alignment mating part 6. The guide track 10 extends helically around a longitudinal axis 13 of the alignment member 8 which extends in parallel with the yaw axis 12 of the aircraft 1. The guide track 10 comprises two guide track portions 14 which extend helically and in opposite directions around the longitudinal axis 13 of the alignment member 8, wherein just one guide track portion 14 is shown in FIG. 1. The alignment mating part 6 comprises an alignment lug 15 facing in the direction of the aircraft 3, which lug, in the embodiment shown, is brought into abutment with the sliding surface 11 of the guide track 10 by means of a retraction of the cable winch 2. By means of a further axial displacement of the alignment mating part 6 in the direction of the aircraft 3, along a rotational axis 16 in parallel with the longitudinal axis 13, by means of a further retraction of the cable winch 2, the alignment lug 15 slides along the sliding surface 11 and brings about a rotation of the alignment mating part 6 about the rotational axis 16, such that the piece good part 4 can be aligned relative to the aircraft 3.

[0027] A schematic sectional view of the alignment device 1 is shown in FIG. 2. The guide track 10 comprises a recess 17 arranged within the guide track 10. By means of the axial displacement of the alignment mating part 6 in the direction of the aircraft 3, along the rotational axis 16 by means of a further retraction of the cable winch 2, the alignment lug 15 slides along the sliding surface 11, such that the alignment lug 15 can be arranged within the recess 17 and the alignment mating part 6 is aligned and fixed in a form-fitting manner relative to the alignment member 8 and thus relative to the aircraft 3. In this case, a combined width specified by the gripper 6 and by the alignment lug 15 is greater than a maximum distance A, shown in FIG. 3, of a through-hole of the alignment member 8. As a result, the gripper 6 and the alignment mating part 6 cannot tilt and jam within the alignment member 8, in the event of possible tilting of the alignment mating part 6. This allows for a particularly reliable alignment process of the piece good part 4.

[0028] In order to illustrate the alignment member 8, a schematic perspective view of the alignment member 8 of the alignment device 1 is shown in FIG. 3. The guide track 10 comprises two guide track portions 14 which extend helically and in opposite directions around the longitudinal axis 13 of the alignment member 8. The alignment lug 15 of the alignment mating part 6 can be arranged in the recess 17 formed in the two guide track portions 14.