Portable tray and installation method
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Solution Overview
Problem
In environments like aircraft maintenance, it is challenging to position work surfaces close to the work area due to elevated bays, leading to foreign object debris (FOD) issues as tools and parts are inadvertently left or lost inside the bay.
Innovation Solution
A removably mounted tray with hanger assemblies that can be quickly installed along the edge of an open bay, providing a shelf for tools and parts within reach of technicians, reducing the need for portable carts and minimizing bending, and featuring adjustable components to fit various geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a work bench or cart is positioned within a technician's reach in an elevated bay, then accessibility to tools is improved, but the risk of foreign object debris (FOD) increases due to the enclosed bay space
Solution Approach 1:
The work surface is extracted from the enclosed bay environment and repositioned to an external location adjacent to the bay opening. This removes tools and parts from the hazardous enclosed space where FOD can occur, while maintaining technician accessibility through strategic positioning near the work area.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray serves as an intermediary work surface between the technician and the bay interior. It provides a stable platform for tools and parts that is neither inside the enclosed bay nor requires the technician to bend to ground level, effectively mediating the workspace requirements while eliminating FOD risks.
2Productivity
If tools and parts are placed inside the bay during servicing, then work efficiency is improved, but the risk of tools being left inside or lost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Tools and parts are extracted from the bay interior and placed on the external tray. This maintains work efficiency by keeping tools within technician reach while ensuring accountability, as items on the external tray are visible and can be easily tracked and removed after service completion.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a ground-based work surface is used to support tools beneath the bay, then FOD risk is reduced, but technician effort and bending increase
Solution Approach 1:
The work surface is transitioned from ground level (vertical dimension) to an elevated position adjacent to the bay opening. This dimensional change reduces technician bending effort while maintaining external positioning that eliminates FOD risks associated with enclosed bay storage.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed work bench is installed in the bay area, then work surface stability is improved, but adaptability to different bay geometries decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The tray mounting system incorporates adjustable and removable components that allow adaptation to different bay geometries. The tray can be positioned at various locations adjacent to different bay openings and secured using flexible mounting methods, providing both stability during use and adaptability across different installation scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A tray used to support maintenance tools and service materials along an open bay in the side of a vehicle. The tray prevents these items from being damaged, or becoming foreign objects or debris that enter the open bay. The tray includes hanger assemblies that releasably attach the tray to bay door latches. Adjustable length standoffs connect the tray to the side of the vehicle to support and prevent swaying of the tray.