Aircraft Cabin Fastening Sleeve for Stepless Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening systems for aircraft cabin equipment components are time-consuming to assemble and require frequent adjustments to compensate for manufacturing tolerances, lacking efficient tolerance compensation and rapid assembly capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device featuring a threaded sleeve with an external thread and a holding body with an internal thread, designed for rotational alignment and fixation, allowing continuous tolerance compensation and automatic centering, enabling quick and reliable assembly by preventing self-locking and utilizing a ball locking pin and electroactive polymer for enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional fastening systems with self-locking threads are used, then assembly is simple, but tolerance compensation is limited and requires time-consuming adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic adjustment mechanism where the equipment component can be continuously positioned along the fastening tube's longitudinal axis. The non-self-locking thread design allows the threaded sleeve to rotate and adjust to different positions, enabling continuous tolerance compensation rather than fixed discrete positions. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction by providing both precision and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thread design parameter from self-locking to non-self-locking, which fundamentally alters the fastening system's behavior. This parameter change enables the threaded sleeve to rotate freely and adjust to the optimal position for tolerance compensation, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustments while maintaining assembly simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If non-self-locking threads are used for continuous adjustment, then tolerance compensation is improved, but the fastening system becomes less stable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by designing the adjustment mechanism to automatically center and align components during the initial assembly process. The non-self-locking thread allows the threaded sleeve to naturally rotate into the correct position, and the fixing device then locks this pre-adjusted position, ensuring both precision and stability without requiring additional adjustment steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system performs self-adjustment through the non-self-locking thread mechanism, which automatically positions the threaded sleeve at the optimal location for tolerance compensation. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual intervention, ensuring both precise tolerance compensation and stable final positioning.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual adjustment mechanisms are added for tolerance compensation, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-adjusting mechanism where the equipment component automatically centers and positions itself relative to the fastening tube during assembly. The non-self-locking thread enables this self-positioning action, eliminating the need for complex manual adjustment mechanisms while achieving high positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening device combines multiple functions into a single integrated system: the non-self-locking thread provides both adjustment capability and automatic centering, while the fixing device provides both locking and positioning functions. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity compared to separate adjustment and locking 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 enables rapid, reliable, and stepless tolerance compensation and automatic centering, facilitating quick assembly while ensuring secure fastening and force transmission, improving upon existing systems by reducing assembly time and enhancing precision.
Implementation Method 1
electroactive polymer for enhanced functionality
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
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AI summary
A fastening device for attaching an equipment component to a mounting structure of an aircraft cabin is proposed, wherein the mounting structure has at least one mounting tube with a longitudinal axis, the fastening device comprising a threaded sleeve having an internal bore, rotatably positioned on the mounting tube with the internal bore and having an external thread, a retaining body connectable to the equipment component with two spaced-apart legs and a bearing surface enclosed by the legs, on which an internal thread adapted to the external thread of the threaded sleeve is arranged, and a fixing device for fixing the retaining body to the threaded sleeve and the mounting tube, wherein the external thread and the internal thread are not self-locking, so that when the internal thread of the retaining body is pressed against the external thread of the threaded sleeve, the threaded sleeve rotates.until the external thread and the internal thread are aligned, and wherein the fixing device is designed to connect the threaded sleeve to the retaining body in a rotationally fixed manner and to fix the retaining body transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fastening tube.