Polyarticulated Aerial Workstation for Aircraft Cockpit Fastener Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of fasteners in an aircraft cockpit is challenging due to limited accessibility and difficulty in automation, requiring manual intervention with both hands and adaptability, especially when windscreens are not installed.
Innovation Solution
A polyarticulated aerial workstation with a seat and arm system that allows for translation and pivoting movements, equipped with a motorized restraint system and programmable controller, enabling safe and efficient access to elevated points on the aircraft for installing fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If operators work from outside the nose passing through windscreen openings, then some fasteners are accessible, but the positioning tool takes up too much space in the cockpit and certain fasteners remain inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by positioning the operator inside the cockpit on an aerial workstation rather than having them work from outside the nose. This dimensional change allows the operator to access fasteners in three-dimensional space within the cockpit, eliminating the space occupation problem of external positioning tools while improving accessibility to all fastener locations including those in the avionics bay and cockpit area
Solution Approach 2:
The aerial workstation acts as an intermediary device between the operator and the fasteners. It provides a stable, space-efficient platform that positions the operator precisely where needed within the cockpit, mediating the interaction between the operator and the confined workspace without requiring the operator to maneuver bulky external positioning equipment
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual intervention with both hands is used for fastener installation, then adaptability is achieved, but automation is difficult since the operation is not 100% reproducible
Solution Approach 1:
The aerial workstation incorporates dynamic positioning capabilities with articulated arms and joints that can be programmatically controlled. This allows the system to adapt to different fastener locations and configurations through programmed motion sequences, maintaining versatility while enabling automation. The dynamic structure can reproduce positions and orientations required for fastener installation without requiring manual two-handed operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by transitioning from manual two-handed manipulation to programmed positional control. The aerial workstation can be programmed with specific coordinates, angles, and movement sequences for fastener installation, transforming the process into a reproducible automated operation while maintaining adaptability through programmable parameter adjustment for different aircraft configurations
Data Source
AI summary
An aerial workstation which comprises a seat having a sitting portion, a backrest that is connected by a first articulation that allows the backrest to pivot relative to the sitting portion, and an arm configured to position the seat in various positions and orientations in space as required. The aerial workstation makes it possible to be able to translate the seat in a cockpit in an introduction direction, and to make it pivot about a pivot axis that coincides with the direction of introduction within the cockpit.