Antenna Assembly For An Aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft antenna assembly has a structural section of an aircraft, an antenna element, a cover transparent to radio waves, and a structural element. The structural section has an assembly of interconnected elongate longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements and an outer skin arranged on one side of the assembly and secured on the reinforcing elements. A surface of the outer skin facing away from the elements forms an outer surface of the structural section. An opening closed by the cover, is formed in the outer skin. In the region of the opening, at least one of the reinforcing elements has a gap, in which the structural element is arranged and which divides the respective reinforcing element into two sections on opposite sides of the gap. The antenna element is arranged in the region of the opening on the opposite side of the outer skin from the outer surface.

Claims

1. An antenna assembly for an aircraft, comprising: a structural section of a structure of an aircraft, comprising: an assembly of interconnected elongate longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements; and an outer skin arranged on one side of the assembly and secured on the longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements, wherein a surface of the outer skin facing away from said longitudinal and transverse elements forms an outer surface of the structural section; an antenna element; a cover transparent to radio waves; and a structural element, wherein an opening closed by the cover, is formed in the outer skin, and has a gap) in at least one of the longitudinal reinforcing elements and/or at least one of the transverse reinforcing elements in the region of the opening, in which the structural element is arranged and which divides the respective longitudinal or transverse reinforcing element into two sections on opposite sides of the gap, wherein the two sections are connected to the structural element in such a way that tensile and compressive forces acting in the longitudinal direction of the respective longitudinal or transverse reinforcing element, shear forces acting in the transverse direction and torsional forces acting around the longitudinal axis are transmitted between the two sections by the structural element, and/or wherein the outer skin is connected to the structural element in such a way that shear forces acting in the outer skin are transmitted between opposite sides of the opening by the structural element, and wherein the antenna element is arranged in the region of the opening on the opposite side of the outer skin from the outer surface.

2. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed by the structural element.

3. The antenna assembly according to claim 2, wherein the structural element is plate-shaped.

4. The antenna assembly according to claim 2, wherein the two sections of each of the longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements which has one of the gaps each have, on their end sections situated opposite one another on both sides of the gap, on the side facing the outer surface, a depression extending as far as the gap and wherein a section of the structural element is arranged, or a thickened portion extending as far as the gap and to which a section of the structural element is connected.

5. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the structural element and the cover are separate components.

6. The antenna assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one section of the structural element surrounds a receiving space in a ring shape and wherein the antenna element is arranged at least partially in the receiving space.

7. The antenna assembly according to claim 6, wherein the structural element is trough-shaped or ring-shaped.

8. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element is mounted on the structural element.

9. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element is mechanically decoupled from the structural element.

10. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a glass-, quartz-, ceramic- or aramid-fibre-reinforced composite material.

11. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the two sections of each of the longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements which has one of the gaps are reinforced at the end sections situated opposite one another on both sides of the gap.

12. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one terminal connected electrically to the antenna element for electrical connection to an external unit and/or has at least one cable leadthrough opening.

13. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover is plate-shaped and/or wherein an outer surface of the cover is flush with the outer surface of the outer skin.

14. The antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element is a KU-, KA- or L-band antenna.

15. An aircraft comprising a structure and an antenna assembly according to claim 1, wherein the structure has a multiplicity of longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements and an outer skin and wherein the structural section is part of the structure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Aspects of the invention are explained in greater detail below with reference to the figures, in which two illustrative embodiments are illustrated.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an aircraft having an antenna assembly according to the invention,

[0033] FIG. 2a shows a schematic perspective view of an upper side of an antenna assembly according to a first illustrative embodiment of the present invention,

[0034] FIG. 2b shows a schematic perspective view of a lower side of the antenna assembly in FIG. 2a,

[0035] FIG. 2c shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an aircraft fuselage with the antenna assembly in FIGS. 2a and 2b,

[0036] FIG. 3a shows a schematic perspective view of an antenna assembly according to a second illustrative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the outer skin has been omitted for illustration purposes,

[0037] FIG. 3b shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the antenna assembly in FIG. 3a,

[0038] FIG. 4a shows a schematic perspective view of a lower side of an antenna assembly according to a third illustrative embodiment of the present invention, and

[0039] FIG. 4b shows an enlarged view of part of FIG. 4a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The aircraft 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a fuselage 2 and an antenna assembly 3 according to an embodiment of the invention. In addition to the antenna assembly 3, conventional blade antennas 4, which are secured externally on the fuselage 2 and project outwards from the fuselage 2, are also shown for purposes of illustration. In contrast, the upper side of the antenna assembly 3 is flush or substantially flush with the surface of the fuselage 2, thus ensuring that the drag of the fuselage 2 is not increased or not substantially increased by the antenna assembly 3 and that the antenna assembly is not acted upon by increased or substantially increased aero loads. In FIG. 1, the antenna assembly 3 is arranged on the upper side of the fuselage 2, by way of example. However, it is also possible for the antenna assembly to be situated at any other point on the fuselage 2, e.g. on one side or on the underside. In a conventional way, the fuselage 2 has a fuselage structure having a grid-shaped arrangement of interconnected longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements, on which an outer skin is arranged (not shown separately for the aircraft in FIG. 1). As can be seen from the other figures, the antenna assembly 3 has a fuselage structural section or fuselage structural element 5, which is part of the fuselage structure of the fuselage 2 and can be formed integrally with the fuselage structure of the fuselage 2 or can be integrated into the latter as a separate component. It should be noted that the antenna assembly 3 can also be provided at points other than the fuselage 2, e.g. on the tailplane or a wing. The figures show arrangement on the fuselage 2 purely by way of example. In the case of arrangement at some other point, a structural section of the corresponding substructure of the aircraft, e.g. a tailplane structural section or a wing structural section, is provided instead of the fuselage structural section 5.

[0041] FIGS. 2a to 2c show a first illustrative embodiment of the antenna assembly 3. The antenna assembly 3 has a fuselage structural element 5, the construction of which can be seen more precisely in FIG. 2b. On the one hand, the fuselage structural element 5 has a multiplicity of longitudinal reinforcing elements 6 and a transverse reinforcing element 7, which are interconnected and together form an assembly 8 of longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements 6, 7. In the state in which they are installed in the fuselage 2, the longitudinal reinforcing elements 6 extend in the longitudinal direction of the fuselage 2, and the transverse reinforcing element 7 extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal reinforcing elements 6 in the circumferential direction of the fuselage 2. On the other hand, the fuselage structural element 5 has an outer skin 9, which is arranged and fixed on one side of the assembly 8. In the state in which it is installed in the fuselage 2, an outer surface 10 of the outer skin 9 forms part of the outer surface or outer side of the fuselage 2. The assembly 8 is situated on the opposite side of the outer skin 9 from the outer surface 10.

[0042] Both in the transverse reinforcing element 7 and in two of the longitudinal reinforcing elements 6 there is a gap 11, dividing the respective longitudinal and transverse reinforcing element 6, 7 into two respective sections 6a, 6b and 7a, 7b on both sides of the gap 11. All three gaps 11 together define a continuous gap in the assembly 8, and an opening 12 in the outer skin 9 is formed in this continuous gap (see FIG. 2b). This opening 12 is closed in a pressure-tight manner by a cover 13, which is in the form of a curved plate and is arranged on the outer skin 9 on the side of the outer surface 10 and completely covers the opening 12. In this arrangement, a peripheral edge region 14 of the cover 13 extends beyond the opening 12 over the entire circumference of the latter, and it therefore overlaps with part of the outer skin 9 adjoining the opening 12. In this edge region 14, the cover 13 is fixed on the outer skin 9 and, by means of the latter or via the latter, on the opposite sections 6a, 6b and 7a, 7b, respectively, of the interrupted longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements 6, 7. However, it is also possible for the cover 13 to be fixed only on the outer skin 9.

[0043] In this illustrative embodiment, the cover 13 of the antenna assembly 3 simultaneously forms a load-bearing or load-transmitting structural element 15, by means of which longitudinal forces acting along the longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements 6, 7, transverse or shear forces acting transversely to the longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements 6, 7 and torsional forces acting around the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements 6, 7 are transmitted between the sections 6a, 6b and 7a, 7b of the interrupted longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements 6, 7. In this way, weakening of the fuselage structure in the region of the antenna assembly 3 can be avoided or at least kept small.

[0044] Finally, the antenna assembly 3 has an antenna element 16 (see FIG. 2c), which is arranged on the opposite side of the outer skin 9 from the outer surface 10 of the outer skin 9 and is therefore situated within the fuselage 2 of the aircraft 1 in the state in which it is installed or integrated in the fuselage 2. In this case, the arrangement of the antenna element 16 within the fuselage 2 is essentially arbitrary as long as the radio waves emitted and to be received by the antenna element 16 can pass with the desired angular emission range 17 through the opening 12 and the cover 13, 15. The cover 13, 15, which is itself designed as a load-bearing structural element 15, is transparent to the radio waves and can consist of or contain a glass- or quartz-fibre-reinforced composite material, for example. The antenna element 16 can be mounted in the interior of the aircraft independently of the fuselage structural section 5 and the fuselage structure of the fuselage 2, thus enabling it to be mechanically decoupled from loads and deformations of the fuselage structure and of the fuselage structural section 5.

[0045] FIGS. 3a and 3b show a second illustrative embodiment of the antenna assembly 3, in which, in contrast to FIGS. 2a to 2c, the cover 13 and the structural element 15 are separate elements or components. Here, the structural element 15 is of trough-shaped design, with the result that it defines a receiving space 18. The antenna assembly 3 in FIGS. 3a and 3b also has a fuselage structural element 5, the construction of which corresponds to that in FIGS. 2a to 2c, and therefore attention is drawn to the above explanations. In FIGS. 3a and 3b, the number of transverse reinforcing elements 7 is just three, of which one has a gap 11. The opening 12 in the outer skin 9 is formed in this gap 11 (see FIG. 3b), and the opening 12 is once again closed by a cover 13, which is in the form of a curved skin and is fixed all the way round in its edge region 14 on the structural element 15.

[0046] In contrast to the illustrative embodiment in FIGS. 2a to 2c, however, the cover 13 is not of load-bearing design or does not have to be of load-bearing design. On the contrary, for the purpose of transmitting longitudinal forces acting along the interrupted transverse reinforcing element 7, transverse or shear forces acting transversely to this transverse reinforcing element 7 and bending moments acting in the transverse reinforcing element 7 between the sections 7a, 7b of this transverse reinforcing element 7 and to transmit shear forces acting in the outer skin 9 between opposite sides of the opening 12, the structural element 15 is provided and adapted, said structural element being connected directly in a rigid manner to ends 19a, 19b of the two sections 7a, 7b of the interrupted transverse reinforcing element 7 and being connected to the outer skin 9 around the entire circumference of the trough opening. Thus, force and torque transmission between the sections 7a, 7b and force transmission between sections of the outer skin 9 on opposite sides of the opening 12 takes place via the structural element 15, independently of the cover 13.

[0047] At its upper edge, the structural element 15 has a bent-over peripheral flange section 21, by means of which it rests from below against a peripheral edge region of the outer skin 9 directly adjoining the opening 12 and on which the outer skin is fixed, e.g. by riveted joints 25 of the kind shown in FIGS. 3b and 4b. As a result, it is possible for the cover 13, which is fixed by means of its edge region 14 on the flange section 21 in this example, to be flush or substantially flush with the outer surface 10 of the outer skin 9.

[0048] The antenna element 16 is arranged in the receiving space 18 of the structural element 15 and, in relation to the outer skin 9, is therefore situated within the fuselage 2 of the aircraft 1 in the state in which it is installed in an aircraft 1.

[0049] The opening 12 is closed in a pressure-tight manner from the inside by the structural element 15, and therefore the structural element 15 absorbs the internal pressure prevailing in the interior of the aircraft. In contrast, the closure of the opening by the cover 13 in this illustrative embodiment serves merely to ensure an outer surface of the antenna assembly or surface of the aircraft which is as smooth as possible.

[0050] FIGS. 4a and 4b show a third illustrative embodiment of the antenna assembly 3 from below in a schematic perspective view, said assembly being very largely identical to the second illustrative embodiment in FIGS. 3a and 3b. The only difference consists in that a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing elements 6 also have a gap 11 and that the sections 6a, 6b and 7a, 7b of the interrupted longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements 6, 7 are each connected to projections 23 on the structural element 15 via a rigid connecting piece 22.

[0051] It can also be seen in FIGS. 4a and 4b that a cable leadthrough opening 24, through which a cable for the connection of transmission and/or reception electronics to the antenna element 16 can be passed, is provided in the bottom of the trough-shaped structural element 15.

[0052] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.