Aircraft Engine Thrust Take-Up Device with Fail-Safe Balance Beam

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aircraft engine attachment devices with thrust force take-up mechanisms are complex, heavy, and costly, lacking a simple and compact design with a fail-safe function.

Innovation Solution

A thrust force take-up device featuring a main fitting and an additional fitting with link rods connected by a balance beam, where the link rods are pinned to the balance beam and additional fitting, allowing for play to restrict rotation and ensure load reaction directly to the additional fitting in case of failure, maintaining a compact and low-mass design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a balance beam with double pin and superimposed fittings is used to ensure fail-safe function, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and mass increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefail-safe functionVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the balance beam and additional fitting into a single integrated component. The balance beam includes a first fitting portion and a second fitting portion that are structurally unified, eliminating the need for separate superimposed fittings and double pins while maintaining fail-safe functionality through the play mechanism between the balance beam and additional fitting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an additional fitting as an intermediary element between the balance beam and the link rod. This additional fitting provides a secondary load path that activates when the primary path fails, ensuring fail-safe operation without requiring complex double pin arrangements or superimposed fittings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If two superimposed fittings with double pin are used for fail-safe function, then reliability is improved, but mass increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefail-safe functionVSAvoiddevice mass

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple fittings into a single integrated balance beam structure with a play mechanism, reducing the number of components and overall mass while maintaining the fail-safe function through the additional fitting that provides alternative load paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the structural parameter of the balance beam by incorporating play (clearance) between the balance beam and the additional fitting. This parameter change allows the system to transition from a rigid multi-component structure to a more compact design with integrated fail-safe capabilities, reducing mass while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If a compact and low-mass design is implemented, then device complexity is reduced, but fail-safe function may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign simplicityVSAvoidfail-safe function

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The additional fitting acts as an intermediary that provides secondary load paths in a compact manner. When the primary load path through the link rod fails, the load is redirected through the additional fitting to the engine mounting beam, ensuring fail-safe operation without requiring complex multi-component arrangements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The incorporation of play (clearance) as a design parameter enables the balance beam to rotate freely during normal operation while providing automatic mechanical locking when failure occurs. This parameter change allows the compact design to inherently provide fail-safe functionality without additional complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If play is allowed in the pin connection between balance beam and additional fitting, then ease of manufacture is improved, but precision of force transmission may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly toleranceVSAvoidforce transmission accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent deliberately changes the connection parameter from a rigid fixed connection to a connection with play (clearance). This parameter change allows for easier manufacturing and assembly with standard tolerances while the play itself becomes a functional feature that enables the fail-safe mechanism to operate correctly under both normal and failure conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8205826B2Device for attaching an aircraft engine and aircraft comprising at least one such device

Publication Date: 2012.06.26 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)

AI summary

A device for attaching an aircraft engine including a thrust force take-up device that includes a main fitting to be fixed to an engine mounting beam fixed to a box structure, an additional fitting fixed to the main fitting, and two load reacting link rods connected to the main fitting by a balance beam, each of the link rods being connected to the balance beam by a first longitudinal end by a first mechanical connection that has at least one axis of rotation, each of the link rods being connected to the additional fitting by a second longitudinal end by a second mechanical connection that has at least one axis of rotation, the second mechanical connection having play, the first and second mechanical connections having at least one axis of rotation in common.