Moving Unit Mounting Mechanism for Aircraft Service Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
In aircraft and train passenger cabins, the existing moving units for service units like oxygen masks and reading lights face challenges in easily mounting and dismounting from track rails, especially when the number of seats changes, and require secure fixation to prevent unintentional dropping due to vibrations, while also needing to be compact and invisible to passengers.
Innovation Solution
A moving unit with a pair of track rails and moving blocks that allows easy mounting and dismounting by adjusting the interval between blocks, incorporating a compact mounting and dismounting mechanism hidden within the fixed portion and movable body, ensuring secure fixation and visibility minimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the movable body is firmly integrated to the track rails to prevent unintentional dropping, then reliability is improved, but the mounting and dismounting process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The moving blocks are designed to dynamically transition between two states: a mounted state where they are firmly integrated to the track rails through elastic pressing, and a dismounted state where they can be easily removed. The elastic members enable this dynamic transition by providing adjustable pressing forces that can be overcome during dismounting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing force parameter is changed between two levels: a high pressing force state during normal operation that ensures firm integration and prevents unintentional dropping, and a low pressing force state during mounting/dismounting that allows easy manipulation. This parameter change is achieved through the elastic members which can be compressed or extended.
2Ease of operation
If a mounting and dismounting mechanism is provided to enable easy attachment and detachment, then ease of operation is improved, but the size of the mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting and dismounting function is merged with the moving blocks themselves. The moving blocks serve dual purposes: they provide the rolling function for moving the service unit along the track rails, and they also serve as the mounting/dismounting mechanism through their elastic pressing connection to the rails. This eliminates the need for a separate mounting mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The moving blocks are designed with multi-functionality: they provide rolling motion along the track rails, support the service unit, enable easy mounting and dismounting through elastic pressing, and prevent unintentional dropping during operation. This universal design reduces the overall system volume by eliminating dedicated mounting mechanisms.
3Shape
If the mounting and dismounting mechanism is made compact to be invisible to passengers, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but the ease of operation for mounting and dismounting may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting and dismounting operation is extracted from a hidden mechanism and transferred to the visible moving blocks themselves. Operators can directly manipulate the moving blocks to mount or dismount service units, eliminating the need for complex hidden mechanisms. This maintains the compact aesthetic appearance while improving operational ease.
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
Enables convenient and secure mounting and dismounting of service units along track rails, preventing accidental dislodgment, while maintaining a compact and passenger-invisible design, enhancing assembly efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of elastic members respectively arranged between the movable body and the moving blocks
Implementation Method 2
each having rolling surfaces for rolling elements, which are formed along a longitudinal direction of the track rails, a plurality of moving blocks assembled to the track rails through intermediation of a large number of the rolling elements that roll on the rolling surfaces of the track rails
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Provided is a moving unit (1) capable of easily mounting and dismounting a movable body (41) to and from track rails (2A, 2B). The moving unit (1) includes the pair of track rails (2A, 2B), which are laid on a fixed portion at an interval therebetween, and respectively have guiding surfaces on surfaces opposed to each other, a plurality of moving blocks (3A, 3B), which are accommodated and arranged in an accommodating space sandwiched between the pair of track rails (2A, 2B), and are configured to travel on the guiding surfaces of the respective track rails (2A, 2B), and the movable body (41), which is arranged so as to be opposed to the fixed portion across the accommodating space, and is retained by the moving blocks (3A, 3B). The movable body (41) includes a mounting and dismounting mechanism, which is configured to change the interval between the moving block (3A, 3B) to be assembled to one of the track rails (2A, 2B) and the moving block (3A, 3B) to be assembled to another one of the track rails (2A, 2B) to cancel a contact state between the moving blocks (3A, 3B) and the respective track rails (2A, 2B) . The mounting and dismounting mechanism is accommodated together with the moving blocks (3A, 3B) in the accommodating space.