Antenna Arrangement For An Aircraft

Abstract

An antenna arrangement for an aircraftincludes an antenna unit, a radome structure covering the antenna unit, and a mounting device for mounting the antenna arrangement to an outer surface of an aircraft component. The antenna unit is mounted to or integrally formed with the radome structure and the radome structure is mounted to or integrally formed with the mounting device.

Claims

1. An antenna arrangement for an aircraft, comprising: an antenna unit; a radome structure covering the antenna unit; and a mounting device for mounting the antenna arrangement to an outer surface of an aircraft componen, wherein the antenna unit is mounted to or integrally formed with the radome structure and the radome structure is mounted to or integrally formed with the mounting device.

2. The antenna arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the radome structure has a circumferential edge.

3. The antenna arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the mounting device is in the form of a ring or in the form of one or more ring segments.

4. The antenna arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the mounting device is formed at the circumferential edge of the radome structure.

5. The antenna arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the mounting device is formed as a separate adapter part mounted to the circumferential edge of the radome structure and configured to be mounted to the outer surface of an aircraft component.

6. The antenna arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the mounting device has a profile having a web portion and a flange portion, wherein the web portion is mounted to the circumferential edge of the radome structure, and wherein the flange portion is configured to be mounted to the outer surface of an aircraft component.

7. The antenna arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit is mounted to the radome structure by an antenna support.

8. The antenna arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the radome structure is filled with a filling material covering at least parts of the surface of the antenna unit.

9. An aircraft component comprising: an outer skin having an inner surface and an outer surface; and an antenna arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the mounting device of the antenna arrangement is mounted to the outer surface of the outer skin.

10. The aircraft component according to claim 9, wherein the aircraft component comprises stiffeners extending along the inner surface of the outer skin, and wherein the mounting device is mounted to the outer surface of the outer skin by fasteners anchored within the stiffeners.

11. The aircraft component according to claim 10, wherein the mounting device is mounted to the outer surface of the outer skin by the same fasteners by which the stiffeners are mounted to the inner surface of the outer skin.

12. The aircraft component according to claim 9, wherein the mounting device is adapted to the shape of the outer surface of the outer skin of the aircraft component.

13. The aircraft component according to claim 9, wherein the aircraft component is in the form of a fuselage or fuselage component.

14. A mounting device for the antenna arrangement according to claim 1.

15. An aircraft comprising: the antenna arrangement according to claim 1, and/or the aircraft component comprising: an outer skin having an inner surface and an outer surface; wherein the mounting device of the antenna arrangement is mounted to the outer surface of the outer skin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in more detail by means of a drawing. The drawing shows in

[0021] FIG. 1 a perspective view the rear portion of an aircraft including an antenna arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0022] FIG. 2 a schematic cross sectional view of the antenna arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

[0023] FIG. 3 a schematic perspective view of the mounting device of the antenna arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

[0024] FIG. 4 a schematic cross sectional view of the mounting device shown in FIG. 3, and

[0025] FIG. 5 a schematic top view of the mounting device shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In FIG. 1 an aircraft 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The aircraft 1 comprises an aircraft component 3 in the form of a fuselage 4. The aircraft component 3 comprises an outer skin 5 having an inner surface 7 and an outer surface 9, wherein the outer surface 9 is configured for contact with an ambient flow. An antenna arrangement 11 is mounted on the outer surface 9 of the outer skin 5 in an upper rear part of the aircraft component 3, i.e. of the fuselage 4.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna arrangement 11 comprises an antenna unit 13, a radome structure 15, and a mounting device 17. The antenna unit 13 relates to a Ku/Ka satellite communications antenna. The radome structure 15 covers the antenna unit 13 to protect the antenna unit 13 from weather and air loads. The mounting device 17 mounts the antenna arrangement 11, i.e. the antenna unit 13 and the radome structure 15, to the outer surface of 9 the outer skin 5 of the aircraft component 3. The antenna unit 13 is mounted to the radome structure 15 and the radome structure 15 is mounted to the mounting device 17, while the antenna unit 13 is not directly mounted to the mounting device 17.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment, the radome structure 15 has a circumferential edge 19 directed to the aircraft component 3 to which the antenna arrangement 11 is mounted, i.e. to the fuselage 4. The mounting device 17 is in the form of a ring adapted to the circumferential edge 19 of the radome structure 15, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0029] As also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mounting device 17 in the present embodiment is formed as a separate adapter part which is mounted to the circumferential edge 19 of the radome structure 15 and which is mounted to the outer surface 9 of the outer skin 5 of the aircraft component 3. The mounting device 17 has a profile 21 having a web portion 23 and a flange portion 25, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The web portion 23 is mounted to the circumferential edge 19 of the radome structure 15 in an overlapping manner. The flange portion 25 rests against and is mounted to the outer surface 9 of the outer skin 5 of the aircraft component 3.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna unit 13 is mounted to the radome structure 15 by an antenna support 27. The antenna support 27 includes brackets 29 fixed to both the antenna unit 13 and the radome structure 15. As also shown in FIG. 2, the radome structure 15 is filled with a filling material 30, in the present embodiment Syntactic foam, covering the surface of the antenna unit 13. The filler material 30 is arranged such that it is not in contact with the outer surface 9 of the aircraft component 3.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the aircraft component 3 comprises stiffeners 31, in the present embodiment frames 35 and stringers 37, extending along the inner surface 7 of the outer skin 5. The mounting device 17 is mounted to the outer surface 9 of the outer skin 5 by fasteners 33, such as rivets or bolts, which are anchored within the stiffeners 31, specifically within the frames 35. As the mounting device 17 has a ring form, the mounting device 17 intersects several stiffeners 31, so that the fasteners 33 are placed in regular intervals at these intersections 39, see FIG. 5.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting device 17 is mounted to the outer surface 9 of the outer skin 5 by the same fasteners 33 by which the stiffeners 31 are mounted to the inner surface 7 of the outer skin 5, so that no extra fasteners 33 are used to attach the mounting device 17 to the aircraft component 3.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the adapter-formed mounting device 17 is adapted to the shape of the outer surface 9 of the outer skin 5 of the aircraft component 3. Thus, the radome structure 15 is not adapted to the shape of the outer surface 9 of the outer skin 5 of the aircraft component 3 and can be used with different aircraft types.

[0034] By the antenna arrangement 11 as described above, the mounting device 17 is not required to carry the antenna unit 13 and can thus have a very simple form limited to the function of attaching the radome structure 15 to the outer surface 9 of the aircraft component 3. This in turn largely reduces the size, weight and complexity of the mounting device 17 and consequently of the entire antenna arrangement 11. Also, installation of the antenna arrangement 11 on an aircraft component 3 can be simplified and accelerated, as the antenna unit 13 can be preinstalled within the radome structure 15, before mounting the radome structure 15 to the aircraft component 3. Further, no extra fasteners 33 are required to attach the mounting device 17 and the radome structure 15 and antenna unit 13 can be formed as standardized parts usable with many different aircraft types.

[0035] 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.