Aircraft Quick Coupling Fuel Transfer Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a robust, lightweight, and compact device that can quickly and securely connect additional fuel reservoirs to permanently installed ones in aircraft, allowing for efficient fuel transfer and easy mounting/dismounting, while withstanding severe stresses and ensuring a liquid-tight connection.
Innovation Solution
A quick coupling device featuring a female and male member with cylindrical and radial portions, a locking mechanism with axial and rotational actuation, and a rotation brake, allowing for secure engagement and disengagement, and an axial spring for stability, enabling efficient fuel transfer and easy installation/removal of additional reservoirs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a quick coupling device is used to enable fast mounting and dismounting of additional reservoirs, then the mounting and dismounting time is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to the locking mechanism and brake components
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is divided into distinct functional segments: the locking member with axial blocking lock, the rotation brake, the female member with L-shaped grooves, and the male member. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, enabling quick operation while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism transitions from an unlocked to a locked state through dynamic axial and rotational movements. The brake engages dynamically during rotation to control speed, and the axial blocking lock provides dynamic positioning. This dynamic behavior enables fast mounting/dismounting while the controlled complexity of moving parts is justified by the time savings
2Reliability
If the locking member surrounds the male member with limited sliding extent, then the connection reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the concentric rings and groove structures
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped grooves in the female member create an asymmetric locking geometry that engages with the locking member in a specific orientation. This asymmetric design provides reliable mechanical interlocking with a single angular course, preventing accidental disengagement while simplifying the engagement process to a straightforward rotational motion
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is nested within the female member, surrounding the male member while being constrained by the concentric rings and L-shaped grooves. This nested arrangement provides reliable confinement and positioning of the male member within the female member, ensuring connection reliability through geometric constraint rather than complex fastening mechanisms
3Reliability
If the device is designed to be free from force transmission during strong vertical acceleration, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the independent axial clearance design
Solution Approach 1:
The axial blocking lock and rotation brake are designed to engage before severe acceleration forces can cause malfunction. The limited sliding extent and locked position establish preliminary mechanical constraints that prevent excessive movement during vertical acceleration, actively counteracting the harmful effects of g-forces before they can compromise the connection
Solution Approach 2:
The force transmission path is extracted or isolated from the main coupling mechanism during acceleration events. The independent axial clearance and locking design allow the coupling to maintain its geometric integrity without transmitting harmful acceleration forces through the fluid passage components, separating the structural support function from the fluid transfer function
4Manufacturing precision
If the L-shaped grooves are disposed angularly in an irregular manner, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the irregular angular distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The irregular angular distribution of L-shaped grooves creates an asymmetric pattern that simplifies manufacturing by avoiding the need for precise equidistant spacing. The asymmetry allows for easier machining and assembly while maintaining sufficient angular positioning precision through the geometric constraint of the locking member engagement, reducing manufacturing complexity rather than increasing it
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 device provides a reliable, efficient, and quick means of connecting fuel reservoirs, ensuring a liquid-tight seal and withstanding aircraft stresses, facilitating increased fuel capacity without compromising safety or ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
an axial-effect spring of a generally annular shape is disposed between said concentric rings to exert an axial prestress on the locking member in the locked position
Implementation Method 2
a rotation brake, the lock and the brake being active in the locked position
Implementation Method 3
a male member configured to be connected to a second reservoir, said male member forming a passage, slidably mounted in a liquid-tight manner in the female member
Data Source
AI summary
Quick coupling device 1 for transferring liquid for an aircraft, comprising a female member 7 configured to be connected to a first reservoir, said female member 7 forming a passage and comprising a cylindrical portion 13 and a radial portion 14, a male member 2 configured to be connected to a second reservoir, said male member 2 forming a passage, slidably mounted in a liquid-tight manner in the female member 7 and comprising a cylindrical portion 3 and a radial portion 4, and a member 40 for locking the male member 2 in the female member 7, the locking member 40 being disposed between the radial portion 14 of the female member 7 and the radial portion 4 of the male member 2, the locking member 40 surrounding the male member 2 and leaving a limited sliding extent for the male member 2 with respect to the female member 7, engaging with the female member 7 in the locked position and releasing the female member 7 in the unlocked position, the locking member 40 comprising an axial blocking lock that can be actuated by an axial then rotating movement and that can be released by an axial then rotating movement, and a rotation brake, the lock and the brake being active in the locked position.