Aircraft Cabin Monument Interface Architecture Reducing Wiring Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of aircraft cabin monuments, with numerous individual modules and components, leads to difficulties in aligning and adapting various lines, cables, and interfaces for power supply, data transmission, and load management, hindering decentralized load-shedding strategies and synchronized data transmission.
Innovation Solution
An interface architecture for cabin monuments featuring a modular, programmable, and flexible system with energy and data interface modules, communication interfaces, and a circuit module for load management, allowing for reduced wiring and adapters, simplified installation, and adaptable design to meet customer needs, including the use of flexible printed circuit boards and wireless communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If individual modules and components are planned separately with their own linking modes to central aircraft elements, then customization and adaptability to buyer requirements are improved, but the complexity of aligning and adapting various lines, cables, and interfaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a standardized interface architecture that can serve multiple functions: energy supply, data transmission, and communication. This universal interface module replaces the need for separate, customized linking modes for each component, allowing the same interface structure to handle different types of connections through a unified protocol and physical connector design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges previously separate functions (energy supply, data transmission, communication) into a single integrated interface module. Instead of having separate cables and connectors for each function, the invention combines these into one unified interface that handles multiple signals and power connections simultaneously, thereby reducing overall complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If many different types of lines, cables and interfaces are aligned and adapted, then individual planning flexibility is improved, but the ability to accomplish collective component measures such as decentralized load-shedding strategies and synchronized data transmission deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The universal interface module enables reliable collective component measures by providing a standardized communication protocol and synchronized data transmission capability across all connected components. The interface architecture includes dedicated communication channels and control signals that allow centralized management of decentralized components, enabling load-shedding strategies and coordinated operations while maintaining planning flexibility through configurable parameters.
3Device complexity
If a standardized interface architecture is implemented, then the number of separate connections and wiring is reduced, but the ability to meet individual customer requirements through individual planning is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The interface architecture incorporates dynamic configurability through programmable parameters and software-controlled settings that can be adjusted to meet individual customer requirements. The standardized physical interface remains fixed to reduce wiring complexity, while the logical configuration and functional parameters can be dynamically adapted during system setup and operation, allowing customization without compromising standardization benefits.
4Adaptability or versatility
If numerous individual modules and components are used, then customization capability is improved, but the system weight increases due to increased wiring and adapters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent significantly reduces system weight by merging multiple separate cables and connectors into a single integrated interface module. Instead of having separate heavy-gauge cables for power, separate data cables, and additional communication lines, the invention combines all these functions into one lightweight interface assembly with integrated circuitry, thereby maintaining customization capability while dramatically reducing the weight of wiring and adapters.
Data Source
AI summary
An interface architecture for a cabin monument has an energy supply interface module; a data interface module; a first energy input connection coupled to a first input of the energy supply interface module, which connection is designed or configured to be connected to an external energy supply; a first data input connection coupled to the data interface module, which connection is designed or configured to obtain data from an external data source and forward the data to the data interface module; a first energy output connection coupled to a first output of the energy supply interface module, which connection is designed or configured to deliver electrical energy to a load that can be connected to the energy output connection; and a communication interface which couples the energy supply interface module to the data interface module.