Aircraft Table Sled and Guide Rail Design to Prevent Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft tables with rack and pinion systems often experience jamming and binding due to in-flight stresses, and notched arms can fail under high loads, making deployment difficult and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft table system featuring a table member coupled to a sled member with rollers on guide rails, movable bolts, and spring elements, where the sled member moves reversibly on a spine member, and cables are used to maintain tension and facilitate deployment and stowage, with quick disconnect hinges for enhanced serviceability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rack and pinion system is used for table deployment, then the table can be deployed and stowed, but the system experiences jamming and binding due to in-flight stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rack and pinion mechanical system with a scissor support mechanism combined with a gas spring. This substitution eliminates the gear-tooth engagement that causes jamming and binding, using instead a geometric scissor linkage that provides smooth mechanical advantage during deployment and stowage operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas spring acts as an intermediary element that assists the scissor support mechanism during deployment. It provides controlled mechanical assistance to overcome friction and gravitational forces, ensuring reliable operation without the stress concentration problems of direct mechanical engagement systems.
2Ease of operation
If slidable guide members are used for table deployment, then deployment is facilitated, but the mechanism is susceptible to adverse frictional forces and binding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces slidable guide members with a scissor support mechanism that uses rotational joints instead of linear sliding. This substitution transforms the motion from sliding friction to rolling/rotational friction, significantly reducing adverse frictional forces and binding during deployment operations.
3Ease of operation
If a notched support arm is used to hold the table, then the table can be supported in place, but the notched arm creates a stress-concentrated pivot point that may fail under high loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the notched arm configuration entirely, replacing it with a scissor support mechanism that distributes loads through multiple connection points. This extraction eliminates the stress concentration at a single pivot point, preventing failure under high loads while maintaining table positioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support function is segmented from a single notched arm into a distributed scissor linkage system with multiple joints and members. This segmentation distributes mechanical stresses across multiple elements, eliminating the weak stress-concentrated pivot point while providing stable table support and positioning.
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 system provides reliable deployment and stowage of aircraft tables by minimizing friction and stress concentrations, ensuring smooth operation under varying loads and improving user control and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The aircraft table system includes rollers coupled to a sled member and guide rails. The rollers are arranged in sets and roll along the guide rails to allow relative translating motion between the sled member and the guide rails.
Implementation Method 2
One or more spring elements may be coupled to the sled member. One or more cables may be coupled between the spine member and the spring elements such that the spring elements impart and/or maintain tension on the cables. The tension may be at least partially converted into an upward force imparted on the sled member.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft table system includes a table member configured to move reversibly from an undeployed position to a deployed position, coupled to a movable sled member. The system may further include one or more rollers in conjunction with one or more guide rails to facilitate the motion of the sled member. The system may further include a spine member with one or more holes in conjunction with one or more bolts and one or more cables to hold the sled and table members in place. The system may further include a spine member in conjunction with one or more spring reel elements and one or more cables to impart an assisting or resisting force on the sled member.