Adjustable Ball-Lock Restraint for Evacuation Slide Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency evacuation inflatable systems for aircraft lack a reliable and reusable restraint mechanism that can efficiently release in response to internal pressure, posing challenges in staged deployment and safety.
Innovation Solution
A releasable restraint system comprising a plug body with a ball and plunger mechanism, a spring member, and an adjustable fastener, which locks and unlocks by extending or retracting the ball through the restraint bodies in response to tensile force and internal pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a restraint mechanism is designed to be reusable and reliable for multiple load conditions, then the device complexity increases, but the reliability and adaptability improve
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint mechanism is divided into distinct functional segments: a plug body with ball-and-socket locking mechanism, a separate spring member for force application, and an adjustable fastener for load calibration. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall reliability across multiple load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism incorporates dynamic elements including a movable ball that can extend and retract, a spring member that provides variable force, and an adjustable fastener that allows runtime configuration. These dynamic features enable the restraint to adapt to different load conditions while maintaining a relatively simple base structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the restraint mechanism is designed to accommodate multiple load conditions with adjustable spring force, then the adaptability improves, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint mechanism is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple load conditions through the adjustable fastener and spring member configuration. The same basic structure serves both locking and load-adjustment functions, reducing the need for multiple specialized parts and simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism allows for parameter adjustment through the movable fastener that changes spring pre-load and ball engagement position. This parameter variability is achieved through simple mechanical adjustment rather than requiring multiple different components, maintaining ease of manufacture while providing load adaptability.
3Reliability
If the ball extends through sidewalls to lock the plug body to the socket body, then the locking reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism utilizes a spherical ball that engages with a corresponding socket. This spherical geometry provides inherent mechanical advantage for reliable locking while maintaining simplicity in the overall mechanism design. The curved surfaces naturally guide the ball into the locked position and provide a large contact area for force distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring member automatically urges the ball into engagement with the socket body, creating a self-locking mechanism. The ball-and-socket configuration with spring pressure provides inherent reliability without requiring additional locking components or complex control systems.
4Ease of operation
If the spring force is made adjustable via a movable fastener, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable fastener serves as an intermediary element between the operator and the spring mechanism. By moving this single fastener, the operator can control both the spring pre-load and the ball engagement position, simplifying operation while the fastener itself handles the complexity of the adjustment mechanism.
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
The system provides a reusable, reliable, and cost-effective restraint solution that can accommodate multiple load conditions, allowing for easy inspection and minimizing failure risks, while ensuring safe and staged deployment of the inflatable evacuation system.
Implementation Method 1
a first spring member disposed in the first bore, wherein a spring force of the first spring member is adjustable
Data Source
AI summary
A releasable restraint for an evacuation system includes a plug body and a socket body. A ball, a plunger, a first spring member, and an adjustable fastener are disposed at least partially within the plug body. A spring force of the first spring member is adjustable in response to moving the adjustable fastener with respect to the plug body. The first spring member urges the plunger against the ball, and in response, the ball extends through a sidewall of the plug body and at least partially through a sidewall of the socket body to lock the plug body to the socket body. In response to a tensile force applied to the releasable restraint, the ball is configured to retract at least partially into the plug body, against the urging of the first spring member, to release the socket body from the plug body.