Aircraft Interior Latch Assembly With Rotating Locking Arm
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft interior latches are limited by their housing, restricting the distance they can move and the distance between the latch and the retained part, making them infeasible in size-constrained aircraft interiors.
Innovation Solution
A latch mechanism with a rotatable locking arm that engages with an arc-shaped engagement plate, allowing for adjustable distance and alignment, enabling latching in difficult-to-reach positions without a large visible body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a traditional latch housing is used, then the latch structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the distance the latch can move is limited and the distance between the latch and the retained part is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a locking arm that rotates independently, an engagement plate with arc-shaped engaging surface, and a actuating mechanism. This segmentation allows the locking arm to rotate through a larger arc without requiring the entire latch housing to be large, thereby increasing the movement distance while keeping each component relatively simple and manageable in size.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism transitions from linear movement to rotational movement by implementing a locking arm that rotates about an axis. The arc-shaped engaging surface on the engagement plate guides this rotational motion. This dimensional change from linear to rotational movement allows the latch to achieve greater displacement distance within a compact housing structure, resolving the contradiction between movement distance and device complexity.
2Volume of moving object
If the latch housing size is reduced to fit aircraft interior constraints, then the latch can be installed in size-constrained positions, but the distance between the latch and the retained part is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arm is designed to rotate dynamically about an axis rather than moving linearly within a fixed housing constraint. The arc-shaped engaging surface allows the locking arm to sweep through a larger angular range, effectively increasing the reach distance from the compact latch housing to the retained part. This dynamic rotational mechanism enables the latch to maintain a small housing volume while achieving a larger operational reach distance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a rotatable locking arm with arc-shaped engaging surface is used, then the latch can reach difficult-to-reach positions and provides flexible adjustment, but the latch mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging surface of the engagement plate is formed as an arc of a circle with its center at the rotating axis of the locking arm. This curved geometry naturally guides the locking arm through a precise rotational path, enabling the latch to reach various positions around the aircraft interior assembly. The arc-shaped design provides inherent geometric guidance that simplifies the mechanism compared to using complex guide rails or adjustable components, thus achieving high adaptability with moderate complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
An aircraft interior assembly comprising a fixed element, a sliding element movable between a lockable position and a released position, and a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism comprises a locking arm, mounted on one of the fixed element and the sliding element, which is rotatable around a rotating axis between a locked position and an unlocked position. The latch mechanism further comprises an engagement plate, mounted on the other of the fixed element and the sliding element. When the sliding element is in the lockable position and the locking arm is in the locked position, the locking arm contacts the engagement plate to prevent the sliding element moving out of the lockable position. Conversely, when the sliding element is in the lockable position and the locking arm is in the unlocked position, the locking arm is not in contact with the engagement plate, and the sliding element is free to move out of the lockable position.