Flexible Aircraft Corner Fitting for Leak-Tight Tolerance Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of rigid corner fittings in aircraft structures is complex and time-consuming due to the need for machining and adjusting contact surfaces to fit varying aircraft geometries, leading to significant assembly delays and additional costs.
Innovation Solution
A flexible corner fitting with fixing plates and edge corners made of flexible material, such as elastomer, allows for adjustment without machining or using shims, ensuring leak-tightness and accommodating mounting tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid corner fittings are used to ensure structural strength and leaktightness, then connection reliability is improved, but assembly time and complexity increase significantly due to machining and adjusting requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The corner fitting incorporates flexible material elements that change their physical state from rigid to compliant, allowing the fitting to adapt to geometric variations through elastic deformation rather than requiring machining adjustments. This parameter change enables the same component to maintain connection reliability while accommodating assembly tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces dynamic adaptability to the corner fitting by incorporating flexible material zones that can deform and adjust during assembly. This dynamic characteristic allows the fitting to automatically adapt to different aircraft geometries without requiring time-consuming machining operations, thus reducing assembly time while maintaining connection reliability.
2Strength
If rigid corner fittings are used to maintain structural integrity, then connection strength is improved, but adaptability to varying aircraft geometries deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The corner fitting is constructed as a composite structure combining rigid structural elements for strength with flexible material zones for adaptability. This composite design allows the fitting to maintain connection strength while the flexible zones enable geometric adaptation to varying aircraft structures without requiring custom machining for each aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible material zones within the corner fitting can change their physical parameters (shape, position) through elastic deformation, enabling the rigid structure to adapt to different aircraft geometries. This parameter change capability provides geometric adaptability while the rigid portions maintain connection strength.
3Manufacturing precision
If machining operations are performed on corner fittings to adapt to specific aircraft geometries, then precision of fit is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of machining the corner fitting to achieve precise fit, the invention uses flexible material zones that can elastically deform to accommodate geometric variations. This approach achieves fit precision through material property changes rather than complex machining operations, significantly reducing manufacturing process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible material zones act as sacrificial elements that absorb geometric variations through deformation. Rather than investing in complex machining processes to achieve precise fit, the design uses simpler, more cost-effective flexible materials that can be molded into the corner fitting, reducing both manufacturing complexity and cost.
4Adaptability or versatility
If shims are used to adjust corner fitting geometry, then adaptability to varying aircraft geometries is improved, but assembly complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the function of shims (geometric adjustment) directly into the corner fitting structure through flexible material zones. Instead of using separate shim components that complicate assembly, the flexible zones are integrated into the corner fitting itself, providing geometric adaptability while simplifying the overall assembly process by eliminating separate adjustment components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible material zones can change their physical parameters (shape, thickness, position) through elastic deformation, providing the same geometric adjustment function as shims but without requiring separate components. This parameter change capability is built into the corner fitting structure, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining geometric adaptability.
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
Reduces assembly delays and costs by enabling flexible adjustment to fit varying aircraft geometries while maintaining leak-tightness, eliminating the need for machining and shim usage.
Implementation Method 1
each of the at least three fixing plates being connected to each of the other at least three fixing plates by an edge corner made of flexible material
Implementation Method 2
the corner fitting having at least one O-ring made of flexible material overmolded around at least one drilling site
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible corner fitting configured to contribute to a connection between at least three walls of at least one aircraft box structure, and to make them leaktight with respect to liquids. The corner fitting has at least three fixing plates and at least three edge corners made of flexible material. Each of the at least three fixing plates is connected to each of the other at least three fixing plates by one of the edge corners made of flexible material. The edge corners made of flexible material ensure adjustment of the corner fitting without machining or the addition of shims.