Aircraft Door Lock Monitoring with Sensor-Based Visual Status
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical door locking systems in aircraft are prone to wear due to vibrations and accelerations, leading to ambiguous indications and unreliable verification of the locked or unlocked state, especially in adverse conditions.
Innovation Solution
A locking system with multiple position sensors per lock, a controller, and an alarm that generates distinct visual alerts based on lock states, allowing reliable visual confirmation of lock engagement or disengagement, and is independent of the aircraft's avionics system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical systems with moving parts are used to indicate lock status, then visual verification is provided, but the system is subject to wear due to vibrations and accelerations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical moving parts with optical sensors and electronic signaling systems. The lock status is detected using optical sensors that sense the position of lock components without mechanical contact, and the status is transmitted electronically to the alarm panel, eliminating wear from vibrations and accelerations while maintaining reliable visual verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary electronic signaling system between the lock mechanism and the visual indication. Instead of direct mechanical linkage, electrical signals serve as intermediaries to transmit lock status information from sensors to the alarm panel, reducing mechanical wear while preserving reliability.
2Loss of information
If mechanical systems are used to indicate lock status, then visual verification is provided, but ambiguous information is displayed when the door is ajar
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where optical sensors continuously monitor the actual position of lock components and provide real-time status information to the control system. This feedback mechanism ensures accurate distinction between locked, unlocked, and ajar states, eliminating ambiguous visual indications by providing clear, definitive status information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces ambiguous mechanical indicators with precise optical sensing systems that can accurately detect and distinguish between different lock states including ajar conditions, providing clear unambiguous information through electronic signaling rather than mechanical position display.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a locking system (20) for locking a door (15) comprising at least two locks (31). The locking system (20) has a position sensor (40) per lock (31), each position sensor (40) emitting a measurement signal carrying a locked or unlocked state of the associated lock (31), the signaling system (30) comprising a controller (50) receiving the measurement signals and being connected to an alarm (60), the controller (50) being configured to emit either an unlock signal (SDV) when at least one measurement signal carries an unlocked state of the associated lock or a locking signal if each measurement signal carries a locked state of the associated lock, the alarm (60) generating a visual unlock alert upon receipt of the unlock signal and a visual lock alert upon receipt of the lock signal.