The Boeing Company

Ted K Rothaupt

Robert Erik Grip

Max Urban Kismarton

Blaine Knight Rawdon

John Charles Vassberg

Steven Richard Kent

Mark DeHaan

Angelina M Conti

Jared Backues

Patrick G Harvey

Krunal B Mistry

Kimberly A Rink

Tommie R Tatum

Frank W Cihos

Mark A Dehaan

Transformable cargo containers for use with ground and air transportation vehicles are presented herein. A cargo container includes a main container body defining a storage chamber. The cargo container also includes a transformable assembly coupled to the main container body and positioned at an exterior of the main container body. The transformable assembly includes one or more supplemental containers and is movable between an aircraft configuration and a ground configuration. Based on the transformable assembly being in the aircraft configuration, the transformable cargo container has a non-rectangular cross-sectional area and is configured to occupy a partially-radial cross-sectional storage area of a fuselage of an aircraft. And based on the transformable assembly being in the ground configuration, the transformable cargo container is configured to occupy a rectangular cross-sectional storage area on a ground transportation vehicle.

Transformable cargo containers

Transformable cargo containers for use with ground and air transportation vehicles are presented herein. A cargo container includes a main container body defining a storage chamber. The cargo container also includes a transformable assembly coupled to the main container body and positioned at an exterior of the main container body. The transformable assembly includes one or more supplemental containers and is movable between an aircraft configuration and a ground configuration. Based on the transformable assembly being in the aircraft configuration, the transformable cargo container has a non-rectangular cross-sectional area and is configured to occupy a partially-circular cross-sectional storage area of a fuselage of an aircraft. And based on the transformable assembly being in the ground configuration, the transformable cargo container is configured to occupy a rectangular cross-sectional storage area on a ground transportation vehicle.

A transformable cargo container for use with ground and air transportation vehicles is disclosed. The cargo container includes a main container body defining a storage chamber therein and including at least one inlet. The cargo container also includes a transformable assembly coupled to the main container body and positioned at an exterior of the main container body. The transformable assembly includes one or more supplemental containers and one or more supply ducts, at least one of the supplemental container(s) being configured to house refrigeration equipment. The transformable assembly is moveable between an aircraft configuration and a ground configuration. Based on the transformable assembly being in either the aircraft configuration or the ground configuration, the refrigeration equipment is configured to supply coolant into the main container body via the supply duct(s) and the inlet(s).

Transformable refrigerated cargo containers

Examples relate to modular cargo handling. An example system for positioning and securing cargo includes a pair of rails extending longitudinally in a parallel configuration. The system includes floor beams coupled between coupling links (e.g., sets of wheels) that removably couple to the pair of rails such that each floor beam can move along the length of the rails with less friction. Each floor beam can include one or more coupling points that can be used to secure units of cargos to the floor beams.

Modular cargo handling system

A vacuum transport tube vehicle for evacuating a vacuum transport tube has a first end, a second end, and a body comprising a piston head. The vehicle has a blade-actuator assembly, comprising a circumferential blade member sealed to the piston head and having a blade perimeter portion defining a first end outer surface forming an annular gap with an inner surface of the vacuum transport tube. The vehicle further includes a plurality of blade segment actuators arranged circumferentially around the piston perimeter portion and configured to actively adjust a radial position of the blade member at the corresponding blade circumferential locations in a manner accommodating non-uniformities in an inner surface profile of the vacuum transport tube, and maintaining the annular gap at a substantially constant and relatively short gap distance during movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube.

Vacuum transport tube vehicle, system, and method for evacuating a vacuum transport tube

An aircraft emergency landing stability system includes an aircraft, including a fuselage and landing gear, and a blister projecting downwardly from a fuselage-underside surface of the fuselage proximate to a nose of the fuselage. The blister locates a secondary contact surface of the aircraft forward of a center of gravity of the aircraft to mitigate a nose-down pitching moment of the aircraft created in response to contact with a landing surface during an emergency landing.

Emergency landing stability system for aircraft

Systems and methods for integrating Boundary Layer Ingestion (BLI) apparatus into an aircraft (1). The longerons (34) in the aft fuselage (18) may be extended to support an aft propulsor (20). The aft propulsor may be a turbofan or turboelectric propulsion system (46). An upper longeron (34) may support a tail section (14) of an aircraft. The aft fuselage skin (22) is contoured to permit boundary layer airflow to enter an intake fan (24) of the aft propulsor.

Boundary layer ingestion integration into aft fuselage

A vacuum transport tube vehicle, system, and method for evacuating a vacuum transport tube are provided. The vehicle has a first end having a first end outer surface. An annular gap is formed between the first end outer surface and an inner surface of the vacuum transport tube. The vehicle has a second end having a second end outer diameter, and a body in the form of a piston with a structural framework. The vehicle has an orifice extending from a first inlet portion in the first end to a second outlet portion of the vehicle. The vehicle has a drive assembly coupled to the body, and a power system. The vehicle evacuates the vacuum transport tube by reducing pressure within the tube with each successive vehicle pass through the tube, until a desired pressure is obtained and a vacuum is created in the interior of the tube.

An aircraft is provided. The aircraft includes truss elements configured to form a space frame fuselage, and skin panels connected with the truss elements and configured to form a skin over said space frame fuselage. The skin panels are movable relative to one another so as to prevent loading of the space frame fuselage from inducing loading in the skin. The aircraft includes a fitting. The fitting includes a first intermediate portion, a first outer portion, and a first inner portion. The first outer and inner portions are spaced apart from each other and interconnected by the first intermediate portion. The skin panels include first and second skin panels that are adjacent to each other. The first skin panel has a first end portion that is adjacent to a second end portion of the second skin panel. The fitting is positioned between the first and second skin panels such that the first and second end portions of the skin panels extend between the first inner and outer portions. The fitting is configured to enable the first and second skin panels to move towards each other along a first plane of first outer and inner surfaces of the first and second skin panels while constraining non-planar movement of the skin panels with respect to the first plane.

Fuselage skin panel connection system and method for connecting skin panels

An aircraft emergency landing stability system includes an aircraft a fuselage and landing gear, and a landing stability apparatus coupled to the fuselage, wherein the landing stability structure mitigates a nose-down pitching moment of the aircraft created in response to contact with a landing surface during an emergency landing.

Growing community of inventors

Lancaster, CA, United States of America

Ted K Rothaupt