Aircraft Joint With Floating Socket for Tolerance Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft assemblies face complex structures due to numerous components, leading to manufacturing tolerance build-up and misalignment issues, particularly at joints like the root joint of the wingbox, which reduces assembly efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An assembly-ready joint design featuring a spigot and a housing with a floating socket, where a curable medium is used to absorb tolerance build-up, allowing the socket to offset and align properly, and then cure to fix the joint's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large number of components are assembled to form aircraft assemblies, then the assembly is complete and functional, but manufacturing tolerance build-up occurs leading to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a floating socket as an intermediary component between the spigot and the housing. This floating socket acts as a mediator that absorbs tolerance build-up from multiple components, allowing the spigot to align accurately with the housing despite cumulative manufacturing tolerances. The floating socket moves freely within the housing to accommodate misalignment and then gets secured in the correct position through curable medium injection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by employing a curable medium (such as epoxy resin or polyurethane) that transitions from a liquid state to a solid state. In the liquid state, the curable medium allows the floating socket to move and align; after curing, it fixes the socket in the correct position, thereby changing the degree of freedom parameter from movable to fixed.
2Productivity
If traditional fixed joints are used, then assembly is simple, but tolerance build-up causes misalignment and reduces assembly efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the socket floating rather than fixed within the housing. This dynamic design allows the floating socket to adjust its position automatically to compensate for tolerance build-up during assembly, improving alignment accuracy without complicating the assembly process. The floating mechanism enables the joint to adapt to misalignment dynamically before being secured.
3Manufacturing precision
If the socket is fixed in the housing, then alignment is precise, but tolerance build-up cannot be absorbed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing a floating socket that is pre-configured to move and absorb tolerance build-up before the final assembly step. The floating socket is designed to freely move within the housing during assembly, automatically compensating for misalignment, and then gets fixed in the correct position through curable medium injection, thereby achieving both adaptability and precision.
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
This design effectively absorbs and mitigates tolerance build-up, ensuring accurate alignment and efficient assembly of aircraft components, enhancing manufacturing efficiency by allowing for the absorption of misalignment and subsequent curing to secure the joint.
Implementation Method 1
receive a curable medium in the interior to contact between the housing and the floating socket
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly-ready joint for an aircraft assembly is disclosed. The joint includes a first joint part having a spigot. The joint also has a second joint part with a housing. A floating socket is in an interior of the housing. The second joint part receives the spigot in the floating socket. The joint is arranged to receive a curable medium, such as curable resin, in the interior to contract between the housing and the floating socket.