Radome Latch and Keeper Shear Resistance Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft radome attachment mechanisms fail to balance aerodynamic compatibility with ease of maintenance access and secure locking, as they are either difficult to manipulate or prone to inadvertent release under flight conditions.
Innovation Solution
A latch and keeper assembly system with a hook member, pivotally attached to a handle, and an eyebolt engagement structure, featuring a shear pin mechanism for secure attachment and a release trigger for preventing inadvertent disengagement, ensuring the radome is securely fastened while allowing easy access for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a latch mechanism is designed for easy manipulation during maintenance, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability may worsen due to potential inadvertent release
Solution Approach 1:
The release trigger is pre-configured to require a deliberate action to disengage the latch from the keeper. The trigger mechanism prevents accidental release by requiring intentional activation, thereby addressing the contradiction between ease of operation and prevention of inadvertent release.
Solution Approach 2:
The release trigger acts as an intermediary mechanism between the operator and the latch-keeper connection. It mediates the disengagement process by requiring deliberate activation, thus maintaining reliability while preserving ease of operation for authorized maintenance activities.
2Reliability
If the latch and keeper are designed for secure locking during flight, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation may worsen due to difficulty in manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the handle member for operation, the hook member for engagement, and the release trigger for controlled disengagement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, achieving secure locking during flight while maintaining ease of manipulation during maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism transitions between dynamic states: engaged during flight for secure locking, and disengaged during maintenance for easy access. The release trigger enables controlled transition between these states, achieving both secure locking capability and ease of operation at appropriate times.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the radome attachment mechanism is designed for aerodynamic compatibility, then drag is reduced, but device complexity may increase due to flush mounting requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The latch and keeper assemblies are nested within the radome structure, with the latch housing mounted flush to the radome surface and the keeper integrated into the fuselage. This nesting approach achieves aerodynamic compatibility by minimizing protrusions while managing the complexity of flush mounting through integrated design.
Data Source
AI summary
A latch and keeper combination is utilized for securing a radome to an aircraft fuselage. The keeper has a keeper housing and an eyebolt member which extends toward the latch from the keeper housing. The latch has a pivoting handle member pivotally attached to a latch housing. A hook member depends from the handle member. Once the hook member is generally placed about the eye bolt, depressing the handle member further causes the hook to rotate within the latch housing. As the handle member is completely depressed, the hook member fully engages the eye bolt, while at the same time members axially extend from the latch to engage the keeper which provides a resistance to shear between the latch and keeper. The apparatus may also have a safety which prevents the handle from fully closing until the eye bolt is fully engaged by the hook member, thereby providing visual confirmation that the latch has completely engaged the keeper.