Aircraft Flap Roller Assembly With Self-Aligning Secondary Roller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft flap rollers experience excessive wear due to contact with the flap track, leading to maintenance challenges and significant downtime and costs associated with replacement.
Innovation Solution
A roller assembly with a primary roller and a secondary roller, where the secondary roller is designed to engage and roll along the track's web surface, reducing friction and wear through three degrees of rotational freedom and a rotation limiter, allowing for self-alignment and smooth movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional single roller is used to support the moveable control surface, then the structure is simple, but the roller experiences excessive wear due to contact with the track
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is divided into two separate rollers: a primary roller that contacts the first surface of the track and a secondary roller that contacts the second surface (web) of the track. This segmentation distributes the wear and contact forces across two separate rolling elements, extending the lifespan of both the rollers and the track while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary roller acts as an intermediary element that specifically engages with the web portion of the track, distributing loads and reducing friction between the moveable control surface and the track structure. This intermediary roller prevents excessive wear on the primary roller and track by providing an additional contact point.
2Reliability
If the roller is fixed in position, then the structure is stable, but the roller cannot self-align and experiences increased friction and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The housing of the secondary roller is made movable relative to the roller shaft, allowing the secondary roller to dynamically adjust its position and orientation. This dynamic capability enables the roller assembly to self-align with the track web, reducing friction and wear while maintaining stable operation during movement of the control surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller assembly is granted three degrees of rotational freedom, allowing it to change its orientation parameters in response to track geometry and loading conditions. This parameter flexibility enables optimal alignment and contact with the track surfaces, minimizing friction and maximizing roller durability.
3Reliability
If a roller assembly with multiple degrees of freedom is used, then friction and wear are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex motion requirements are segmented into two separate rollers with different degrees of freedom: the primary roller has a fixed orientation for stable support, while the secondary roller in its movable housing provides the necessary alignment flexibility. This segmentation distributes the complexity across separate components rather than requiring a single complex mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution extends the lifespan of flap rollers, reduces maintenance needs, and minimizes wear on both the rollers and the track, thereby decreasing downtime and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
the secondary roller is designed to engage and roll along the track's web surface, reducing friction and wear through three degrees of rotational freedom
Implementation Method 2
The housing is movably coupled to the roller end of the roller shaft with three degrees of rotational freedom relative to the roller end of the roller shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A roller for a control surface of an aircraft includes a roller shaft, a primary roller coupled to the shaft, and a roller assembly coupled to the shaft. The shaft includes a longitudinal axis, a mounting end that couples with a roller fitting of the control surface, and a roller end. The primary roller can rotate about the longitudinal axis, and can engage and roll along a first surface of a track. The roller assembly includes a secondary roller having a longitudinal roller axis and configured to engage and roll along a second surface of the track. The roller assembly also includes a housing that retains the secondary roller while allowing the secondary roller to rotate about the longitudinal roller axis. The housing is movably coupled to the roller end of the roller shaft with three degrees of rotational freedom relative to the roller end of the roller shaft.