Aircraft Cowl Pivot Connection for One-Sided Stress-Free Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pivoting connection devices for aircraft cowls introduce radial stresses into the clevis branches during assembly and require access to both sides for installation, which is not fully satisfactory.
Innovation Solution
A pivoting connection device featuring a guide ring with a tubular body and flange, a cylindrical shaft with end stops, and an immobilizing system that allows one-sided assembly without radial stress, using a washer and pin configuration to secure the shaft in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a traditional pivoting connection device with cylindrical shaft and end stops is used, then the connection between clevis branches and arm is secured, but access to both sides of the clevis is required for assembly which increases installation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device is segmented into modular components: a clevis with integrated guide ring, a separate cylindrical shaft with end stops, and an immobilizing system with pin and slot. This segmentation allows the guide ring to be pre-installed on one side of the clevis, enabling one-sided assembly while maintaining the functional separation of components for secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide ring acts as an intermediary element between the cylindrical shaft and the clevis branches. It provides a guided pathway for shaft insertion from one side only, mediating the assembly process to eliminate the need for access to both sides while ensuring proper alignment and positioning of the shaft within the clevis.
2Ease of operation
If the cylindrical shaft is inserted from one side only, then assembly accessibility is improved, but the shaft must be immobilized against rotation relative to the guide ring
Solution Approach 1:
The immobilizing system utilizes the existing structural elements of the device - the slot already present in the guide ring and the pin already part of the shaft assembly. These elements work together autonomously: the pin engages with the slot to prevent rotational movement, and the end stops prevent axial displacement, eliminating the need for additional complex locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot and pin configuration creates a balanced immobilization system where rotational constraint is achieved through geometric alignment rather than additional forcing elements. The slot's orientation and the pin's position create an equipotential state where the shaft is naturally constrained against rotation without requiring excessive assembly force or complex mechanical advantage.
3Stability of the object's composition
If end stops are used to prevent translational movement of the shaft, then connection stability is improved, but radial stresses are introduced into the clevis branches during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The guide ring serves as a cushioning element that is already in place before the shaft is inserted. It provides a guided, controlled pathway for shaft insertion, distributing the assembly forces evenly and preventing sudden impacts or misalignments that would generate radial stresses in the clevis branches. The end stops then engage gently to prevent translational movement without causing stress concentration.
Data Source
AI summary
A pivoting connection device connects at least two components and comprises a guide ring, positioned in an orifice of a first branch of a clevis, which guide ring has a tubular body together with a flange pressing against the interior face of the first branch, a cylindrical shaft connecting the clevis and an arm, having a first end stop, configured to prevent translational movement of the cylindrical shaft in a first sense and a second end stop configured to prevent translational movement of the cylindrical shaft in a second sense, the opposite to the first sense, an immobilizing system configured to immobilize the cylindrical shaft in terms of rotation with respect to the guide ring, the guide ring comprising a first longitudinal groove or slot configured to allow the first end stop to pass.