Prefabricated Nose Landing Gear Module for Aircraft Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing time of aircraft, particularly transport aircraft, is prolonged due to the complexity and heaviness of nose landing gears, which require significant manufacturing and installation times, impacting overall aircraft production efficiency and costs.

Innovation Solution

A nose landing gear module is designed as a prefabricated, preassembled, one-piece unit with a deployable front landing gear and a securing system, allowing for direct mounting on the aircraft, enabling parallel manufacturing operations and reducing overall aircraft production time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional nose landing gear assembly methods are used, then structural strength and reliability are ensured, but manufacturing time and installation complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The nose landing gear system is divided into two independent parts: a pre-assembled module containing the gear mechanism and a separate gear housing. This segmentation allows the module to be manufactured and tested independently, then integrated into the aircraft structure, significantly reducing overall manufacturing time while maintaining structural integrity through dedicated connection elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The nose landing gear module is pre-assembled and pre-tested before integration into the aircraft. All internal components, mechanisms, and systems are configured and verified in advance within the module, allowing parallel manufacturing operations and eliminating time-consuming on-site assembly and debugging during aircraft production.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If traditional nose landing gear assembly methods are used, then proper structural integration is achieved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrationVSAvoidinstallation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The nose landing gear mechanism, its support structure, and connection elements are merged into a single integrated module. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components that need to be assembled and coordinated during installation, simplifying the integration process while maintaining proper structural connections to the aircraft fuselage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If nose landing gear is manufactured separately and assembled on-site, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing precision and assembly quality decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidassembly quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The module is pre-assembled with precise alignment and tight tolerances in a controlled manufacturing environment before integration into the aircraft. This preliminary assembly ensures high manufacturing precision and assembly quality, as all components are configured and secured with proper tolerances before final installation, eliminating the variability of on-site assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3626610B1Module for front landing gear for an aircraft
Publication Date: 2022.08.31 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)
  • EP3626610B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3626610B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3626610B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

- Front landing gear module for aircraft. - The front landing gear module (1) comprises an open box (2), said box (2) being provided with at least one door (5A, 5B) and containing a front landing gear (6) capable of being deployed, said module (1) being a single unit and also comprising a fastening system for attaching it to the aircraft (AC), which allows the module (1) to be manufactured in advance, before being integrated as a unit assembly into the structure of the fuselage (13) of the aircraft (AC), for example late in the manufacturing process, such modularity making it possible in particular to reduce the manufacturing time of the aircraft (AC).