Luggage Bin Power Assist Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power assist devices for luggage bins in aircraft can become stuck in closed or intermediate positions due to faults in the electronic control system or touch sensor, preventing the luggage bin from being opened or closed.
Innovation Solution
The power assist device incorporates at least two cooperating locking elements that can be moved between an activation position and a locked position, ensuring a friction fit in the inactive state and releasing in the active state, allowing manual operation even if the electronic control system fails, with a toggle mechanism and electromagnet for efficient state changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the power assist device uses an electronic control system with a touch sensor to detect the open position and activate the gas spring, then the assist force is applied automatically when needed, but the system may become stuck in closed or intermediate positions due to faults in the electronic control system or touch sensor
Solution Approach 1:
A mechanical linkage acts as an intermediary between the touch sensor and the gas spring activation. This linkage includes a lever arm that mechanically connects the sensor's detection to the valve actuation, ensuring that even if the electronic control fails, the mechanical connection maintains reliable activation of the gas spring when the shell is in the open position.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely electronic control system with a hybrid system that incorporates mechanical elements. The mechanical linkage and lever arm provide a backup path for activation that does not depend on electronic signals, substituting mechanical reliability for electronic vulnerability in the critical activation path.
2Reliability
If the gas spring is blocked in an intermediate position due to a fault in the electronic control system, then the shell cannot be opened or closed, but adding redundant mechanical locking elements increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the locking function with the existing mechanical linkage structure. The lever arm that already exists in the mechanical linkage is used to simultaneously perform the activation function and the locking function. By combining these functions into a single component, the patent prevents accidental blocking without adding separate redundant locking elements, thus avoiding increased device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the touch sensor and electronic control system are used to detect shell position and control gas spring activation, then automatic assist force application is achieved, but the system is vulnerable to failures that prevent manual operation
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical linkage serves as an intermediary that translates the shell's physical position into a mechanical activation signal for the gas spring. This intermediary mechanism ensures that the shell's position directly controls the activation without requiring complex electronic sensing and control, maintaining ease of manual operation while reducing control system complexity.
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
This design ensures the luggage bin can be reliably opened and closed by the user, preventing accidental blocking and allowing luggage removal, even in the event of control system failures.
Implementation Method 1
a power assist mechanism to apply an assist force to the shell counteracting the load where the power support mechanism has a mechanical spring whose end areas can move in an actuation direction toward one another against the return force of the spring
Implementation Method 2
The actuation mechanism has at least two cooperating locking elements of which a first locking element is connected to the first abutment point and a second locking element is connected to the second abutment point
Data Source
AI summary
A power assist device for use in a luggage bin with a drop-down shell has a load measuring mechanism, a power assist mechanism, and an actuation mechanism. The load measuring mechanism is changed from the inactive operating state to the active operating state by the actuation mechanism when the load determined by the load measuring mechanism exceeds a specified threshold that is larger than an assist force. The actuation mechanism has cooperating locking elements of which a first element is connected to a first abutment point and a second element is connected to a second abutment point. The locking elements can move relative to one another such that, in an inactive operating state, the one locking element meshes with a friction fit into the cooperating other locking element and releases it in an active operating state.