Aircraft Pylon Link Member Redundancy and Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional aircraft pylons require preload to absorb assembly tolerances, leading to excessive load and high exertion during mounting, and lack redundancy when using a single link attachment.

Innovation Solution

An aircraft pylon with a pin joint mechanism connected to a main wing via a link member composed of plural independent link elements, which reduces assembly tolerances and provides redundancy by eliminating the need for preload and ensuring attachment stability even if one link element is damaged.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a single link attachment is used between pylon strut and wing, then assembly is simplified and tolerances are reduced, but redundancy in the mounting structure is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidmounting structure redundancy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The link member is divided into multiple independent link elements (first link element and second link element) that are connected through a connection mechanism. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain redundancy while simplifying assembly, as each link element can be independently positioned and connected to the pylon strut and wing without requiring complex alignment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the link member have different functions: the first link element provides primary structural connection while the second link element provides redundancy and alternative load paths. This local differentiation of function allows the structure to achieve both simplicity in assembly and redundancy in performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If preload is applied to absorb assembly tolerances, then positional displacement is reduced, but excessive load is caused requiring expensive tools and high exertion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositional accuracyVSAvoidassembly exertion

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The connection mechanism is designed with built-in tolerance accommodation features that automatically compensate for assembly tolerances during the assembly process itself, eliminating the need for subsequent preload operations. The connection mechanism performs the tolerance absorption function in advance, before the pylon strut is fully installed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The connection mechanism is designed to self-adjust and self-compensate for assembly tolerances through its inherent flexibility and the relative movement capability between link elements, eliminating the need for external preload application tools and manual exertion to achieve positional accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9499274B2Aircraft pylon and aircraft

Publication Date: 2016.11.22 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD

AI summary

To provide an aircraft pylon capable of being mounted to a wing without exertion of preload while ensuring that redundancy is provided in the pylon. An aircraft pylon 50 includes: a pylon strut 11 for supporting an engine of an aircraft; a pin joint mechanism for connecting the pylon strut 11 to a main wing of the aircraft; a link member 15 disposed between the pylon strut 11 and the main wing of the aircraft, wherein the link member 15 includes a collection of plural independent link elements.