Aircraft Locking Spanner Assembly for Single-Motion Anchor Latching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft manufacturing faces challenges due to difficulty accessing small or awkward areas, leading to increased time, expense, and wear-and-tear on equipment and personnel.
Innovation Solution
A locking spanner assembly comprising a bracket, trigger, gate assembly, and locking member, which allows for easy attachment and detachment of a spanner bar to anchors using a single directional movement, facilitating secure locking and unlocking without requiring multiple tool actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional multi-step locking mechanisms are used in aircraft assembly, then secure locking is achieved, but manufacturing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple locking actions into a single integrated mechanism. The spanner assembly integrates the locking member, gate assembly, and trigger into one unified structure that performs securing, gating, and triggering functions simultaneously through a single insertion motion, eliminating the need for separate locking steps
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating. When the spanner assembly is inserted into the anchor, the trigger automatically engages with the anchor's protrusion, which automatically actuates the gate assembly to move from locked to unlocked position, and the locking member automatically secures itself without requiring additional manual operations
2Reliability
If complex multi-tool operations are required for spanner assembly locking, then secure attachment is achieved, but wear-and-tear on equipment and personnel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism uses the anchor's own protrusion feature to automatically trigger the locking sequence. The protrusion on the anchor directly engages the trigger's trigger tail, causing the entire gating and locking sequence to activate automatically through the anchor's presence alone, eliminating the need for external tools or complex manual operations
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is divided into distinct functional components (locking member, gate assembly, trigger) that operate independently but coordinate through a single input. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function reliably while the overall system remains simple to operate through unified insertion motion
3Reliability
If traditional locking mechanisms are used in constrained spaces, then secure locking is achieved, but access difficulty and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spanner assembly is designed as a compact, segmented structure where the locking member, gate assembly, and trigger are integrated in a space-efficient configuration. This allows the entire locking mechanism to fit within constrained aircraft spaces while maintaining full locking functionality through the compact arrangement of its segmented components
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism requires only a single insertion motion to activate, eliminating the need for multiple tool manipulations in difficult-to-reach areas. The automatic triggering mechanism ensures reliable locking even when access is limited, as the entire sequence activates through the simple act of inserting the spanner assembly into the anchor
Data Source
AI summary
A locking spanner assembly for an aircraft is disclosed. A clasp can be secured to an anchor by urging the clasp onto the anchor. The anchor contacts a trigger which opens a gate assembly to release a locking member which locks to the anchor. A lever arm allows for release which resets the clasp.