Blind Installation Pin with Pivoting Paddle and T-Bolt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engine mount pins require blind assembly, which is unidirectional and lacks a secure locking mechanism, making it difficult to achieve reliable and robust mounting under varying flight conditions and thermal deformations.
Innovation Solution
A blind installation pin assembly featuring a pin with a pivoting paddle and a spring-biased, rotatable T-bolt that engages with a crosspiece and washer, allowing for secure locking through a redundant threaded interface, enabling reliable and robust mounting of the engine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional blind assembly pin is used, then the assembly process is simplified to unidirectional installation, but the locking mechanism is insufficient and unreliable under varying flight conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The pin assembly incorporates movable paddles that can pivot between retracted and extended positions, and a T-bolt that can rotate and translate within the bore. These dynamic elements enable the system to transition from a simple insertion state to a locked state where paddles engage with the mount structure, providing reliable retention while maintaining ease of unidirectional installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The T-bolt serves as an intermediary element that mediates between the insertion force and the locking action. It translates the linear insertion motion into rotational movement that drives the paddles into their engaged positions, thereby enabling the conversion from simple assembly to secure locking without requiring bidirectional access.
2Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is added to the pin assembly, then the reliability under varying loads is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into a single integrated pin assembly: the pin itself, the paddles for lateral engagement, the T-bolt for axial and rotational locking, and the spring for maintaining engagement force. This consolidation achieves reliable mounting security under varying loads while avoiding the need for separate locking components that would increase overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin assembly is designed as a multi-functional unit where the same components serve multiple purposes: the paddles provide both structural support and lateral locking, the T-bolt provides both axial positioning and rotational locking, and the spring provides both engagement force and shock absorption. This multi-functionality achieves high reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Strength
If the pin assembly is designed for robust mounting under thermal deformations, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pin assembly is segmented into distinct components (pin, paddles, T-bolt, spring, washer, nut) that can be manufactured separately using standard fabrication processes and then assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining ease of manufacture, and the assembly provides robust mounting capability under thermal deformations through its redundant engagement mechanisms.
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 solution provides a reliable and robust mounting system that can handle various loads and thermal deformations, ensuring secure engagement and reduced axial loading on the pin, thus enhancing the structural integrity and operational stability of the gas turbine engine.
Implementation Method 1
a spring which biases said crosspiece toward said set of paddles
Data Source
AI summary
A blind installation pin assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a pin that defines a bore. A paddle mounted to an end of the pin to pivot about a paddle axis between an install position and a lock position. A T-bolt that passes through the bore, a crosspiece of the T-bolt selectively engageable with the paddle.