Adaptive Mounting Bracket Assembly for Aircraft Cabin Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mounting bracket systems for securing components in aircraft cabins are time-consuming and labor-intensive, often requiring separate fasteners that can damage insulation blankets during installation and removal.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive mounting bracket assembly with a securing cradle, pivot arm, and locking arm that pivotally move into an over-center securing position to securely lock onto a structure without the need for separate fasteners, utilizing a resilient material and tactile grip tabs for easy installation and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional fasteners are used to secure mounting brackets to structures, then the mounting process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive, but the mounting bracket can be securely attached to the structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mounting bracket and fastening mechanism into a single integrated unit. The bracket includes integrated fingers with cam surfaces that directly engage with slots in the mounting structure, eliminating the need for separate fasteners. This merging of functions allows for quick tool-free installation while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket is designed to be self-installing without requiring external tools or separate fastening components. The cam-driven fingers automatically engage with the mounting structure when the bracket is positioned, and the over-center mechanism provides automatic locking. This self-service capability dramatically reduces installation time and labor requirements.
2Strength
If separate fasteners are used to secure the mounting bracket, then the attachment can be strong, but the installation and removal process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket employs dynamic cam surfaces on its fingers that rotate through a large angle during installation. This rotational motion allows the fingers to smoothly engage with the mounting structure and transition into an over-center locked position, providing strong attachment quickly without requiring multiple separate fastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket fingers are pre-configured with cam surfaces that automatically perform the fastening action as the bracket is positioned onto the structure. The over-center mechanism is designed to naturally transition into the locked position once the fingers engage with the slots, eliminating the need for additional tightening or securing steps that would consume time.
3Ease of operation
If a known mounting bracket is used that secures over insulation blanket without separate fasteners, then installation is simpler, but the bracket may exert great pressure and damage the insulation blanket
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket fingers are designed with localized contact features that distribute pressure across broader areas of the insulation blanket. The cam surfaces and finger tips are shaped to engage with the mounting structure slots while minimizing concentrated point loads on the blanket, thereby preventing tearing or puncture during installation and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic cam mechanism allows the fingers to rotate and adjust their engagement angle, enabling smooth insertion and removal without requiring excessive force. This rotational motion reduces sudden impact loads on the insulation blanket while maintaining secure attachment to the mounting structure, preventing damage during the installation and removal processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick, secure, and safe mounting to structures within aircraft cabins without tools, minimizing damage to insulation blankets and allowing for easy adaptation to various sizes and shapes of structures.
Implementation Method 1
The mounting bracket assembly may be formed of a resilient material that is configured to flex
Implementation Method 2
The pivot arm and the locking arm are configured to pivotally move via the first hinge and the second hinge into an over-center securing position within the securing chamber to securely lock the mounting bracket assembly to the structure
Implementation Method 3
The mounting bracket assembly securely couples to the structure without the use of a separate and distinct fastener
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting bracket assembly is configured to securely couple to a structure. The mounting bracket assembly includes a securing cradle defining a securing chamber, a pivot arm that pivotally couples to the securing cradle through a first hinge, and a locking arm that pivotally couples to the pivot arm through a second hinge. The pivot arm and the locking arm are configured to pivotally move via the first hinge and the second hinge into an over-center securing position within the securing chamber to securely lock the mounting bracket assembly to the structure.