Turbine Engine Harness Mounting Blocks for Easier Radial Arm Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

The complex assembly of electrical harnesses to a radial support arm in aircraft turbomachines is challenging due to difficulty in accessing fixing screws, leading to potential issues with harness pinching, poor positioning, or insufficient tightening, which complicates the assembly process and increases the risk of errors.

Innovation Solution

The turbomachine employs two independent mounting blocks, each associated with a group of harness sections, allowing for initial assembly of the blocks with the harness sections before attaching them to the support wall, using a bolting system that includes barrels and a shoulder for secure positioning and easy access, facilitating easier and more reliable connection of the harnesses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single mounting block is used to secure multiple harness sections to the support wall, then the harnesses are secured to the fixed structure, but the assembly becomes complex and difficult to access, leading to poor assembly quality and potential harness pinching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly qualityVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the mounting system into multiple independent mounting blocks (at least two), each responsible for securing a specific harness section. This segmentation allows each block to be independently assembled and secured to the support wall, simplifying the overall assembly process while maintaining secure harness attachment and improving accessibility during assembly operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If harnesses are already in place relative to the fixed structure before mounting, then the routing is secured, but accessibility to fixing screws is difficult, increasing the risk of insufficient tightening and poor positioning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidassembly accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting blocks are designed to be pre-assembled with the harness sections before the harnesses are routed through the support wall. This preliminary assembly allows operators to access all fixing screws and positioning elements easily, ensuring proper tightening and positioning. After assembly, the entire mounting block-harness unit is then installed to the support wall, maintaining both accessibility during assembly and positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multiple harness sections are attached to a single mounting block, then the fixed structure secures the routing, but the assembly process becomes complex with sequential attachment requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly efficiencyVSAvoidassembly sequence complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent assigns different harness sections to different mounting blocks, allowing parallel assembly operations. Each mounting block can be independently assembled with its associated harness sections and then independently secured to the support wall, eliminating sequential dependencies and improving assembly efficiency while reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4217591B1Turbine engine comprising improved harness support means
Publication Date: 2024.09.18 SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES SAS
  • EP4217591B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4217591B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4217591B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to an aircraft turbine engine (10) with main axis A, comprising: an arm (18) that is radial with respect to the main axis A, extending through an air flow duct (14); a support wall (22) belonging to the radial arm (18) and which has two openings (24); a plurality of electric harnesses (16) extending partially through the radial arm (18) and for which a section (26) of each harness (16) is secured to the support wall (22) of the arm (18); characterised in that it comprises two mounting blocks (20) each of which mounting block (20) is associated with a group of sections (26) of harness (16).