Duct Stringer Bayonet Coupling for Secure Fluid Conduit Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing duct stringers in aircraft lack a secure and straightforward method to connect fluid transporting conduits, which can lead to instability and potential fluid flow interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A duct stringer with a female bayonet fitting integrated into the duct wall, allowing for secure engagement with a male bayonet fitting on fluid transporting conduits, utilizing slots and retaining recesses for alignment and locking, and a threaded pin for additional security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional connection methods are used for fluid conduits to duct stringers, then installation is simple, but connection security and stability are insufficient leading to potential fluid flow interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into distinct male and female bayonet fittings, with the female fitting integrated into the duct stringer and the male fitting on the conduit. This segmentation allows for standardized, secure engagement while maintaining simplicity in each individual component.
Solution Approach 2:
The male bayonet fitting is nested within the female bayonet fitting during engagement. The tabs of the male fitting insert through slots in the female fitting and are retained by recesses, creating a nested configuration that provides secure connection without excessive external complexity.
2Reliability
If protruding members are added to the duct wall for connection, then connection security improves, but electrostatic build-up and fluid flow issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding members (tabs) are extracted from the duct wall itself and placed on the separate male fitting component. This allows the duct wall to remain smooth and flush, eliminating electrostatic build-up and flow issues, while the tabs on the male fitting provide the necessary connection security when engaged with the female fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having protruding members on the duct wall (female side), the connection features are inverted and placed on the male fitting. The female fitting has recesses that receive the tabs, reversing the traditional approach and eliminating harmful protrusions from the duct interior.
3Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is implemented, then disengagement prevention improves, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bayonet fitting enables dynamic engagement through a simple rotational motion. The tabs slide through the slots during insertion and then lock into the recesses with a quarter-turn rotation, providing secure disengagement prevention while maintaining ease of installation and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex multi-component locking mechanism is replaced with a simple bayonet-style rotational lock. The slots and recesses work together with basic mechanical geometry to provide secure locking without requiring additional fasteners, threads, or complex actuation mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A duct stringer forms at least part of a duct with a closed cross-section which is adapted to transport fluid. The duct stringer has a duct wall and a female bayonet fitting in the duct wall. The female bayonet fitting is configured to engage with a male bayonet fitting on a fluid transporting conduit to connect the fluid transporting conduit with the duct.