Aircraft Door Support Trolley with Movable Bolts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions fail to provide effective access to all areas of an aircraft door for repair and repainting, as they are typically restricted to assembly plants and lack flexibility in positioning and movement.

Innovation Solution

A support trolley with a frame and upper support portion featuring movable support bolts that engage with locking bolts, allowing the door to be securely positioned for accessibility, with adjustable and pivotable features to accommodate different door curvatures and sizes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the door is supported in a fixed assembly plant position, then the door structure is stable, but access to all areas of the door for repair and repainting is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to door areasVSAvoiddoor support stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The support trolley incorporates movable support bolts that can be adjusted between different positions and orientations. The support portion can pivot about an axis, allowing the door to be accessed from multiple angles while maintaining stable support. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between ease of operation (access) and stability of composition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If assembly racks are used in manufacturing plants, then door assembly is facilitated, but the racks cannot be easily moved or repositioned near parked aircraft

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning flexibilityVSAvoidsupport system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support system is divided into separate functional components: a mobile trolley base with rollers, an adjustable support portion with individual support bolts, and a sub-frame structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easy movement and repositioning of the entire assembly near aircraft, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If support bolts are fixed in position, then the support structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different door curvatures and positions on the fuselage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor curvature adaptationVSAvoidsupport bolt mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support bolts are designed with movable and adjustable characteristics, allowing them to be positioned at different locations and orientations. The support portion can pivot to accommodate different door curvatures and fuselage positions. This dynamic adjustability resolves the contradiction between adaptability to different door configurations and the complexity of the support bolt mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3020639B1Support trolley for supporting a door of an aircraft
Publication Date: 2019.01.02 AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
  • EP3020639B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3020639B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3020639B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A support trolley (1) for supporting a door of an aircraft to permit working on the door comprises a frame (2,3,4,5,6) with an upper support portion (20,21,22,23) having at least two pairs of support bolts (28,29,30,31) for engagement with locking bolts of the door to be supported so that the door is supported at each lateral side by a pair of support bolts. For engagement with the locking bolts the support bolts comprise recesses at their free ends.