CARGO CONVEYING SYSTEM, AIRCRAFT AND METHOD OF PROVIDING A WIRED CARGO CONVEYING SYSTEM

Abstract

A cargo conveying system for conveying cargo items, in particular containers and/or pallets, in a cargo hold of an aircraft having at least one cargo conveying device, in particular roller conveyors. The cargo conveying device includes at least one frame, at least one roller drive unit having at least one roller for conveying the cargo items, at least one main line strand, in particular a partial cable harness, arranged on the frame, and at least one distributor module for connecting the at least one main line strand to at least one further main line strand. The distributor module is arranged on the frame and is connected to the roller drive unit via at least one secondary line strand.

Claims

1. A cargo conveying system for conveying items of cargo in a cargo hold of an aircraft having at least one cargo conveying device, wherein the cargo conveying device comprises: at least one frame; at least one roller drive unit having at least one roller for conveying the cargo items; at least one main line strand arranged on the frame; and at least one distributor module for connecting the at least one main line strand to at least one further main line strand, wherein the distributor module is arranged on and/or in the frame and is connected to the roller drive unit via at least one secondary line strand.

2. The cargo conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the distributor module has a housing, and at least one distribution element integrated in the housing and having a plurality of connection points to which the main line strands and/or the secondary line strand are connected.

3. The cargo conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the distributor module is arranged substantially in close proximity to the roller drive unit.

4. The cargo conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the distributor module has at least one addressing unit for address code assignment to the roller drive unit, which contains a predetermined address code of the roller drive unit and/or can be configured with an address code of the roller drive unit.

5. The cargo conveying system according to claim 4, wherein the addressing unit has a plurality of magnetic switches, and the cargo conveying device has a plurality of magnets which can be magnetically coupled or are coupled to the magnetic switches in such a way that a switching pattern of the magnetic switches results in an address code of the roller drive unit.

6. The cargo conveying system according to claim 4, wherein the addressing unit comprises at least one data memory with stored address code of the roller drive unit and/or the addressing unit has at least one RFID tag which can be written with an address code of the roller drive unit and/or from which an address code of the roller drive unit can be read.

7. The cargo conveying system according to claim 4, wherein the addressing unit is arranged integrated in the housing of the distributor module or the addressing unit is arranged externally on the housing of the distributor module.

8. The cargo conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the frame comprises at least one longitudinally extending guide channel and a cover closing the guide channel, wherein at least one of the main line strands is arrangeable or arranged in the guide channel.

9. The cargo conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the frame has at least one mounting recess in a first side wall, into which the distributor module is inserted by sliding.

10. The cargo conveying system according to claim 9, wherein the frame comprises at least one positioning opening in a second side wall and the distributor module comprises at least one projection which engages in the positioning opening.

11. The cargo conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution element comprises at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit for wireless signal transmission and/or the distribution element comprises at least one of a temperature sensor and/or light sensor and/or vibration sensor and/or magnetism-detecting sensor.

12. The cargo conveying system according to claim 1, comprising at least one first cargo conveying device and at least one second cargo conveying device, wherein at least one main line strand of the first cargo conveying device is connected to at least one main line strand of the second cargo conveying device using at least one distributor module for establishing a continuous data bus.

13. An aircraft having at least one cargo conveying system according to claim 1.

14. A method of providing a wired cargo conveying system in an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of: attaching partial cable harnesses to frames of cargo conveying devices prior to insertion of the cargo conveying devices into the aircraft and/or prior to assembly; mounting at least two cargo conveying device side by side on a cargo deck; and connecting the partial cable harnesses of the side-by-side mounted cargo conveying device using a distributor module, wherein the distributor module is attached or attachable to and/or within one of the frames of at least one of the cargo conveyors.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the distributor module is positively and/or non-positively fastened in and/or to at least one of the frames; and/or a roller drive unit is connected to the distributor module after the cargo conveying device have been mounted on the cargo deck; and/or an address of the associated roller drive unit is encoded using the distributor module.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments shown represent examples of how the cargo conveying system according to the invention can be designed.

[0055] The drawings show as follows:

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cargo conveying system according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a detailed perspective section in the region of a connection point of a distributor module of the cargo conveying system according to FIG. 1;

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a reduced exploded view of the cargo conveying system according to FIG. 1;

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a partial perspective view of the cargo conveying system according to FIG. 1; and

[0060] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a cargo conveying system according to a further exemplary embodiment according to the invention, with multiple cargo conveying devices.

[0061] In the following description, the same reference numbers are used for identical parts and parts with the same effect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] FIGS. 1 to 4 show a cargo conveying system 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The cargo conveying system 10 is used for conveying cargo items in a cargo hold of an aircraft. Cargo items can be containers as well as cargo pallets, so-called ULDs “Unit Load Devices”. Other cargo items are possible. A variety of cargo conveying systems 10 may be used in an aircraft to convey cargo items during loading and unloading in the cargo hold.

[0063] According to FIG. 5, for example, a cargo conveying system 10 is shown with several cargo conveying devices 14, in particular roller conveyors, arranged in series. In other words, the cargo conveying devices 14 are arranged one after the other in a longitudinal direction.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 1, the cargo conveying device 14 of the cargo conveying system 10 has a roller drive unit 11 with two rollers 12. The rollers 12 are drivable. The rollers 12 are used to transport the cargo items. The two rollers 12 are arranged opposite each other at a first longitudinal end of the roller drive unit 11. The roller drive unit 11 has an elongated shape. The roller drive unit 11 comprises an electrical connection 26, in particular a plug socket, for connecting a secondary line strand, which will be discussed in more detail later.

[0065] The electrical connection 26 is recessed on the roller drive unit 11. Specifically, the roller drive unit 11 comprises a housing 27 on which a shoulder for the electrical connection 26 is formed. The shoulder is clearly visible in FIG. 4, for example.

[0066] Furthermore, the cargo conveying system 10 comprises a distributor module 13 associated with the roller drive unit 11. The distributor module 13 is used to distribute electrical lines for power supply and/or data connection and/or grounding from at least one main line strand 15 toward the roller drive unit 11. Specifically, the distributor module 13 connects a first main line strand 15 to a further main line strand 15. The main line strands 15 are each formed as a partial cable harness. In the following description, the main line strands 15 are generally referred to as partial cable harnesses.

[0067] The distributor module 13 has a housing 17 and a distribution element (not shown) integrated into the housing 17. In the exemplary embodiment, the distribution element is a printed circuit board or a circuit board. The distribution element comprises a plurality of connections for electrical lines of the two partial cable harnesses 15. The partial cable harnesses 15 comprise a plurality of electrical lines for the power supply as well as the data connection of the roller drive unit 11. Additionally, grounding lines are provided. The electrical lines are preferably connected to the distribution element via plug pins. A first of the two partial cable harnesses 15 is an input partial cable harness and a second of the two partial cable harnesses 15 is an output partial cable harness. The two partial cable harnesses 15 are connected to each other via the distribution element. The connection may be electrical and/or communicative, i.e. signal transmitting.

[0068] The distribution element further comprises further plug pins to which electrical lines of a secondary line strand 16 are connected. Like the partial cable harnesses 15, the secondary line strand 16 comprises electrical lines for the power supply, the data connection and grounding of the roller drive unit 11. The secondary line strand 16 is connected to at least one of the partial cable harnesses 15 via the distribution element. For this purpose, the distribution element can have a fixed wiring and/or conductor tracks.

[0069] In general, it is possible for the distribution element to be directly soldered to the electrical leads of the partial cable harnesses 15 and/or the secondary line strand 16.

[0070] The secondary line strand 16 has a connector that is connected to the electrical connection 26 of the roller drive unit 11. The secondary line strand 16 extends from the distributor module 13 to the roller drive unit 11 in an S-shape. Other line runs of the secondary line strand 16 are possible.

[0071] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the distributor module 13 and the roller drive unit 11 are part of a cargo conveying device 14. The cargo conveying device 14 has a frame 19 on which the distributor module 13 and the roller drive unit 11 are arranged. The frame 19 has a longitudinal extension and is U-shaped. In other words, the frame 19 extends in a longitudinal direction. The frame 19 has two side walls 23, 24 extending in a longitudinal direction and facing each other. The side walls 23, 24 are spaced from each other transversely to the longitudinal direction and define an intermediate space. The distributor module 13 and the roller drive unit 11 are arranged in the intermediate space.

[0072] The distributor module 13 and the roller drive unit 11 are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the frame 19. Specifically, the housing 17 of the distributor module 13 is spaced longitudinally from the electrical connection 26 of the roller drive unit 11. The distributor module 13 is disposed in close proximity to the roller drive unit 11 to minimize the line length of the secondary line strand 16. A roller 18 of the cargo conveying device 14 is arranged between the distributor module 13 and the roller drive unit 11. This serves as shock protection for the distributor module 13 and the roller drive unit 11. According to FIG. 1, another roller 18 of the cargo conveying device 14 is arranged upstream of the distributor module 13. The rollers 18 are arranged in the frame 19 so as to be rotatable about their center axis.

[0073] The housing 17 of the distributor module 13 is of L-shaped design. This can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. At the shorter of the two legs of the housing 17, sealed passage points of the partial cable harnesses 15 and the secondary line strand 16 are provided. The longer of the two legs of the housing 17 extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the frame 19. The housing 17 has a flange region 28 at one end face connected to a first of the side walls 23, 24 (see FIG. 2). Specifically, the housing 17 is bolted to the first side wall 23 via the flange region 28. The flange region 28 is plate-shaped and abuts an outer surface of the first side wall 23 transverse to the longitudinal direction. On the side of the housing 17 opposite the end face of the housing 17, a projection 29 is formed which engages in a positioning opening 25 of the second side wall 24. The projection 29 is a cylindrical mandrel. The positioning opening 25 is a circular through-opening.

[0074] The first side wall 23 has a mounting recess 22 in which the distributor module 13 with the housing 17 is partially arranged. Specifically, the housing 17 is inserted into the frame 19 through the mounting recess 22.

[0075] The frame 19 has a longitudinally extending guide channel 21 on the first side wall 23. The partial cable harnesses 15 are arranged along the frame 19 in the guide channel 21. In the area of the distributor module 13, the guide channel 21 is interrupted, in particular cut free, in order to guide the course of the partial cable harnesses 15 inwards. The partial cable harnesses 15 are arranged recessed along the frame 19. The guide channel 21 can be closed by a cover not shown.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 5, the partial cable harnesses 15 extend along the entire frame 19, with one partial cable harness 15 in each case leading to a distributor module 13 and another partial cable harness 15 leading away from the distributor module 13 to the next distributor module 13. The distributor modules 13 are therefore preferably connected to one another in series. This likewise applies to the partial cable harnesses 15. It is further apparent from FIG. 5 that the cargo conveying device 14 comprises a plurality of rollers 18. The cargo conveying system 10 according to FIG. 5 is a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of cargo conveying devices 14 arranged in succession. The partial cable harnesses 15 of the successively arranged cargo conveying devices 14 are interconnected by the distributor modules 13.

[0077] A method of providing a wired cargo conveying system 10 as shown in FIG. 5 is described below.

[0078] In a first step, the partial cable harnesses 15 are attached to the frames 19, in particular frame pieces, of the cargo conveying devices 14 before the cargo conveying devices 14 are brought into the cargo hold of an aircraft and before the cargo conveying devices 14 are mounted. In this process, the partial cable harnesses 15 are inserted into the guide channels 21 of the frames 19 and are preferably held in position by a cover. The cargo conveying devices 14 are then mounted one after the other. These are firmly connected to one another in the longitudinal direction. The cargo conveying devices 14 lined up one after the other form a roller conveyor. In a further subsequent step, the partial cable harnesses 15 of two cargo conveying devices 14 arranged next to each other are connected using one of the distributor modules 13, wherein the distributor module 13 is arranged in the frame 19 and fastened to the latter.

[0079] The distributor module 13 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 further comprises an addressing unit, not shown, for assigning addresses to the associated roller drive unit 11. The addressing unit contains a predetermined address code of the roller drive unit 11 and/or is configurable with an address code of the roller drive unit 11. Preferably, the addressing unit is arranged integrated in the housing 17 of the distributor module 13. Alternatively, the addressing unit may be arranged externally on the housing 17 of the distributor module 13.

[0080] The addressing unit may have a plurality of magnetic switches, in particular reed switches, and the cargo conveying device 14 may have a plurality of magnets that are magnetically couplable or coupled to the magnetic switches such that a switching pattern of the magnetic switches results in an address code of the roller drive unit 11. The number of magnetic switches corresponds to the number of magnets.

[0081] For example, the switching pattern of the magnetic switches is set when the distributor module 13 is mounted on the frame 19. The switching pattern is comparable to a bit pattern that results in “1” or “0” depending on the switch position of the respective magnetic switch. This results in a pattern corresponding to the address code of the associated roller drive unit 11 when the switch is in the corresponding position. A controller can thus identify the roller drive unit 11 by means of the address code when required, i.e. when transporting a cargo item, and thus actuate it in a targeted manner. The controller can read out the address code of the roller drive unit 11, for example, via a data bus line, in particular a CAN-BUS line, and control the roller drive unit 11 accordingly.

[0082] The addressing unit may additionally or alternatively comprise at least one nonvolatile data memory with stored address code of the roller drive unit 11. The data memory can be connected to a controller in a signal-transmitting manner. The addressing unit may additionally or alternatively comprise at least one RFID tag that is writable with an address code of the roller drive unit 11 and/or from which an address code of the roller drive unit 11 is readable.

[0083] The distributor module 13 may additionally comprise at least one transmitter and/or receiver unit, in particular an RFID unit and/or a Bluetooth unit and/or a radio network unit, for wireless signal transmission with a controller. Preferably, the distribution element comprises at least one sensor, in particular temperature sensor and/or light sensor and/or vibration sensor and/or magnetism-detecting sensor. In this case, the sensor is integrated into the housing 17.

[0084] At this point, it should be noted that, particularly with reference to the details shown in the drawings, features described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0085] 10 Cargo conveying system [0086] 11 Roller drive unit [0087] 12 Roller of the roller drive unit [0088] 13 Distributor module [0089] 14 Cargo conveying device [0090] 15 Main line strands [0091] 16 Secondary line strand [0092] 17 Housing [0093] 18 Roller of the cargo conveying device [0094] 19 Frame [0095] 21 Guide channel [0096] 22 Mounting recess [0097] 23 First side wall [0098] 24 Second side wall [0099] 25 Positioning opening [0100] 26 Electrical connection of the roller drive unit [0101] 27 Housing of the roller drive unit [0102] 28 Flange area [0103] 29 Projection