Ergonomic Ladder With Hinged Rungs For Aircraft Fuselage Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ladders used in aircraft assembly are heavy, obstruct access, and require mechanics to adopt awkward postures, leading to injuries and reduced work quality due to their design and weight, which complicates tasks like drilling and rivet installation on the curved fuselage.

Innovation Solution

A lightweight ergonomic ladder with curved side rails, fixed rungs, and hinged rungs that pivot between secured and retracted positions, allowing access to areas behind the ladder without reaching outside the side rails, and composed of fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials for reduced weight and increased structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a conventional heavy ladder is used to access the fuselage, then the ladder provides structural support and stability, but the weight exceeds 65 pounds making it difficult to handle and requiring multiple people to set up

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveladder structural supportVSAvoidladder weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The ladder is constructed from aluminum alloy or composite materials that provide high strength-to-weight ratio, maintaining structural support capability while reducing weight to under 35 pounds for single-person handling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The ladder is designed as a telescopic structure with segmented side rails that can be extended or retracted, allowing the ladder to maintain strength when extended while reducing weight and storage space when collapsed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the ladder is positioned with rungs fixed in place, then the ladder provides stable support, but the rungs obstruct the mechanic's access to the working zone directly behind the ladder

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveladder stabilityVSAvoidaccess to working zone

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The ladder incorporates movable rungs that can be rotated from a horizontal support position to a vertical retracted position, allowing the rungs to provide stability when needed and clear access paths when the mechanic needs to reach behind the ladder

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanic can pre-position the movable rungs in the retracted state before approaching the working zone, ensuring unobstructed access is already available before beginning the task

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10294720B2Ergonomic ladder

Publication Date: 2019.05.21 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A ladder includes a pair of generally curved side rails arranged in a spaced apart manner, a plurality of fixed rungs disposed between the side rails, a plurality of pairs of rung supports, and a plurality of hinged rungs. Each of the pairs of rung supports is horizontally aligned with each other and disposed on respective inner sides of the side rails. The rung supports are spaced apart from the fixed rungs along lengths of the side rails. Each rung support includes a flanged end portion having an aperture therein. Each hinged rung is associated with a respective pair of rung supports. Each hinged rung has a first end pivotally coupled to the flanged end portion of a first rung support in the respective pair of rung supports such that each hinged rung is pivotal between a secured position between the rung supports and a retracted position.