Aircraft Cargo Side Guide With Direct Load Transfer Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side guides in aircraft cargo decks suffer from instability under high loads due to indirect force transmission, leading to potential detachment and failure, especially when handling non-standardized cargo, which is exacerbated by high operational costs and the need for rapid reconfiguration.
Innovation Solution
A side guide system with a contact element featuring an inside support section and formfitting section that directly transmits transverse forces to a securing device, preventing indirect force transmission through fasteners, and allows for displacement and secure attachment at multiple positions, using a fixing element with non-circular openings to prevent wedging and enhance stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cylindrical sections of different diameters are used in the fixing element to enable release of the side guide rail, then ease of operation is improved, but high vertical forces cause wedge effect and bending up of the insert plate leading to potential detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric cylindrical sections with different diameters in the fixing element. The first cylindrical section has a larger diameter for engagement with the insert plate, while the second cylindrical section has a smaller diameter for release. This asymmetric design creates a wedge effect that enables easy release of the side guide rail while maintaining secure fixing during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes curved cylindrical surfaces in the fixing element to transmit forces. The cylindrical sections engage with the insert plate through curved contact surfaces, allowing for smooth force transmission and controlled release. The curvature of these sections enables the wedge effect that facilitates easy operation while maintaining structural integrity.
2Ease of manufacture
If screw connections are used to attach the side guide rail to the fastening frame, then ease of manufacture is improved, but high transverse forces cause bending strains and potential failure of the connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element, the insert plate, between the side guide rail and the fastening frame. This insert plate is secured to the fastening frame using screw connections, while the side guide rail attaches to the insert plate through the cylindrical sections. This intermediary structure distributes transverse forces more effectively, reducing bending strains on the screw connections and improving overall connection strength.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cargo deck is reconfigured for different cargo types, then adaptability is improved, but high operational costs and time pressure require rapid and easy refitting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the side guide rail system with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to be quickly moved between different positions and configurations. The fixing element can be easily inserted into and removed from the insert plate, enabling rapid reconfiguration of the cargo deck for different cargo types without requiring complex assembly or disassembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the side guide system into separable components: the side guide rail, the insert plate, and the fixing element. This segmentation allows for independent replacement and reconfiguration of each component, enabling rapid adaptation of the cargo deck to different cargo requirements while minimizing refitting time and operational costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A side guide for guiding and/or fastening pieces of cargo, in particular containers and/or pallets, in an aircraft. The side guide has at least one side guide device and at least one holding unit. The holding unit comprises a fastening frame extending in a longitudinal direction and at least one securing device arranged on the fastening frame, which has a plurality of recesses extending transversely to the longitudinal direction. The side guide device is insertable at different positions into at least one of the recesses and can be secured in the inserted state at the different positions by the securing device. The side guide device has at least one contact element, which, in the inserted state, can be engaged with at least one fixing element, displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the securing device.