Frangible Sensor Holding Fixture for Aircraft Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of sensor harnesses in aircraft and other vehicles is labor-intensive and prone to human error due to the need for precise mechanical and electrical positioning of sensors, leading to significant downtime.
Innovation Solution
A fixture with a clip portion, support portion, and arm portion is used to hold sensors in predetermined positions, featuring a frangible seam that ruptures under applied force for easy removal, allowing for efficient installation and prevention of relative movement between sensor portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If technicians precisely set both mechanical and electrical positions of sensors simultaneously during installation, then positioning accuracy is improved, but installation time and labor intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is pre-configured with predetermined mechanical and electrical positions for the sensor before installation begins. The clip portion and arm portion are positioned in advance to hold the sensor at the exact required locations, eliminating the need for technicians to manually adjust and measure positions during the installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture acts as an intermediary device that simultaneously maintains both the mechanical position (through the clip portion holding the first sensor portion) and electrical position (through the arm portion holding the second sensor portion). This mediator device ensures both positioning requirements are met without requiring complex manual coordination.
2Manufacturing precision
If technicians manually position and adjust sensors during installation, then positioning precision is improved, but susceptibility to human error increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is designed to automatically maintain the sensor in the correct position without requiring continuous manual adjustment or monitoring by the technician. The frangible seam automatically ruptures when the sensor is installed, releasing the fixture without requiring additional manual intervention, thereby reducing opportunities for human error.
3Manufacturing precision
If a reusable fixture is used to hold the sensor during installation, then positioning accuracy is improved, but fixture removal complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture incorporates a frangible seam that is designed to rupture and discard the fixture after a single use. This disposable approach eliminates the complexity of designing reusable fixtures with release mechanisms, while still providing the benefit of predetermined positioning during the critical installation phase. The fixture is simple and inexpensive enough that its single-use nature does not create economic concerns.
Data Source
AI summary
Fixtures for releasably holding a sensor having a first sensor portion and a second sensor portion, methods for making such fixtures, and methods for installing a sensor harness, are provided. In one example, a fixture includes a clip portion that is configured to hold a first sensor portion of a sensor. A support portion is coupled to and extends away from the clip portion. An arm portion is coupled to and extends away from the support portion. The arm portion is configured to hold a second sensor portion of the sensor. The fixture has a frangible seam formed therein that ruptures in response to an applied force for removing the fixture from the sensor.