Suspended Load Cable Sock for Hovering Aircraft Rebound Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft hovering systems face risks of steel cables or ropes rebounding elastically and impacting the aircraft, particularly the rotors, during breakage, posing safety hazards while maintaining structural integrity and ease of inspection.
Innovation Solution
The use of elastically deformable cables and ropes surrounded by socks that contain the elastic return, ensuring the cables and ropes remain within protective casings, preventing impact on the aircraft and maintaining structural properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel cable or rope is used for suspending loads from hovering aircraft, then the structural properties and load-bearing capacity are maintained, but elastic rebound upon breakage causes impact risk against the aircraft and rotors
Solution Approach 1:
A guide structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the cable/rope and the aircraft body. This guide structure channels the elastic rebound trajectory away from the aircraft and rotors, allowing the cable to break safely without causing harm. The guide structure acts as a mediator that transforms the harmful rebound motion into a safe trajectory.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention accepts the elastic rebound as an inevitable harmful effect but converts it into a beneficial outcome by directing it through the guide structure. The rebound energy that would otherwise damage the aircraft is redirected to follow a safe path, effectively transforming the harmful elastic property into a controlled and safe phenomenon.
2Reliability
If protective measures are added to contain elastic rebound, then safety against impact is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is designed as a lightweight, flexible component rather than a heavy rigid enclosure. This thin-film or shell-like structure provides the necessary guidance function while minimizing weight and complexity additions to the aircraft system.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide structure is divided into multiple segments or sections that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows the structure to follow the cable's natural path and provides flexibility in installation and maintenance, reducing overall system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the cable length is increased to improve inspection accessibility, then ease of operation is improved, but elastic rebound distance and impact risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure serves as a mediator that decouples the cable length from the rebound impact distance. By providing a designated path through the guide, the cable can be longer for inspection purposes while the guide ensures the rebound follows a controlled trajectory that does not extend the hazard zone.
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
The socks effectively manage the elastic rebound, reducing the risk of damage to the aircraft and rotors, while preserving the cables' and ropes' mechanical properties and ease of inspection, without significantly increasing weight.
Implementation Method 1
In case of breakage of the cable (13) itself, the sock (20) is configured to contain the elastic return of the cable (13)
Data Source
AI summary
There is described an aircraft configured to be able to hover, comprising a fuselage; and a support element adapted to support a load, made of elastically deformable material and constrained to said fuselage; the support element being movable in an operating position in which it is arranged at least partially outside said fuselage and supports said load; the aircraft comprises a sock surrounding the support element arranged in said operating position; the sock is configured to contain the elastic return of the support element, in case the support element arranged in said operating position is sheared off.