Aircraft Component Support With Three Floating Bearings for Wing Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft component support arrangements face challenges in handling local deformations and require a more efficient and compact design for mounting fixed structures like flap tracks or engine pylons to aircraft wings.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft component support arrangement utilizing a dual load path (DLP) design with three floating bearings, each allowing linear movement and angular rotation in orthogonal directions, spaced apart to connect at different locations on the wing structure, ensuring isostatic stability and reduced structural weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional rigid attachment methods are used to connect component support to wing structure, then structural strength is improved, but the ability to handle local deformations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spherical plain bearings at three connection means, allowing each connection point to dynamically adapt its orientation and position. This enables the rigid component support to remain firmly attached while accommodating local deformations of the wing structure through the rotational degrees of freedom provided by the spherical bearings.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical bearings change the geometric parameters (orientation and position) of the connection points independently, allowing the attachment device to maintain structural integrity while adapting to deformation variations in the wing structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple connection means are spaced apart to improve deformation handling, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device is segmented into three independent connection means, each with its own spherical bearing. This segmentation allows each connection point to independently handle local deformations while maintaining overall structural stability through the distributed arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
Each connection means serves multiple functions: providing structural support, accommodating deformation, and allowing rotational movement. The spherical plain bearings universally handle both positional and orientational adjustments at each connection point.
3Adaptability or versatility
If three floating bearings are used to permit movement and rotation, then adaptability to deformation is improved, but structural rigidity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical plain bearings provide dynamic adaptability at each connection point, allowing movement and rotation to accommodate wing deformations while the three-point distribution maintains overall structural rigidity through geometric stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical bearings add rotational degrees of freedom in multiple dimensions, allowing the connection means to adapt to deformations in various directions while the triad arrangement in space maintains structural stability through three-dimensional geometric rigidity.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft component support arrangement for connecting an aircraft component to an aircraft wing is disclosed including a component support and an attachment device for attaching the component support to a wing structure. The attachment device includes first to third connection means for connecting the component support to the wing structure, the first to third connection means each including a floating bearing permitting linear movement in direction of a first to third axis, respectively, and angular rotation about a central point in two orthogonal directions. The first to third connection means are spaced apart from each other in two dimensions to connect the component support at three different locations to the wing structure. At least one of the first to third axes has a different orientation to the others of the first to third axes.