Adjustable Cable Spacer for Aircraft Galley Clearance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable harness installations in aircraft galleys face issues with gaps and clearances that require manual adjustment, redesign, and reworking, necessitating a large inventory of spacers and standoffs of fixed lengths to accommodate varying cable diameters and lengths, which complicates installation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable spacing device with slidably connected upper and lower portions, featuring complementary engaging features, allows for manual adjustment of the spacing device to specific lengths, reducing the need for multiple spacers and standoffs, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed-length spacers and standoffs are used to separate cable harnesses, then adequate spacing between cables is ensured, but a large inventory of different spacers and standoffs is required to accommodate varying cable diameters and lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing device is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple cable diameters and length requirements through its adjustable mechanism. The device includes a body with a through-bore that accepts cables of different diameters, and the adjustable positioning mechanism allows the same device to provide various spacing lengths, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-length spacers and standoffs in the inventory.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing device incorporates an adjustable positioning mechanism that allows the spacing length to be dynamically changed according to different installation requirements. This dynamic adjustability enables a single device to replace multiple fixed-length components, reducing parts inventory while maintaining reliable cable separation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixed-length spacers and standoffs are maintained in inventory, then various cable routing requirements can be met, but installation and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing device serves multiple cable routing functions with a single design. The through-bore accepts cables of different diameters, and the adjustable mechanism provides various spacing lengths, making one device versatile enough to handle diverse cable routing requirements that previously needed multiple specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing device is divided into functional segments: a body portion with the through-bore for cable acceptance, and an adjustable positioning mechanism. This segmentation allows the device to maintain structural simplicity while achieving adaptability through the modular adjustment capability, reducing installation and maintenance complexity compared to multiple fixed designs.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual adjustment of cable harness gaps and clearances is performed, then regulatory specifications can be met, but time-consuming reworking and redesign are required
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable positioning mechanism allows installers to quickly set the desired spacing length during installation, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustments and reworking later. The mechanism enables direct setting of compliant spacing without requiring gaps and clearances to be negotiated through multiple installation iterations.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing device is pre-configured with adjustment capabilities that allow the correct spacing to be established during the initial installation phase. This preliminary setting of compliant gaps and clearances prevents the need for subsequent reworking and redesign, saving significant installation time while ensuring regulatory compliance from the start.
Data Source
AI summary
A spacing device for separating an electrical cable from an aircraft galley surface which includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion includes a distal end for attaching to the electrical cable, and a proximal end for connecting to the lower portion. The lower portion includes a distal end for attaching to the aircraft galley surface, and a proximal end for connecting to the proximal end of the upper portion. The upper portion and the lower portion are slidably connected to each other to adjust the length of the spacing device between multiple discrete lengths, and further include complementary engaging features arranged to hold the spacing device at a selected length. The complementary engaging features extend along only one side of the upper portion and the lower portion.