Removable Stiffener Skeleton for Rotary Wing Aircraft Firewall Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing firewall arrangements in rotary wing aircrafts lack sufficient stiffness and rigidity during maintenance phases, leading to potential damage and increased risk of injury to technicians, while existing stiffening frameworks are bulky and heavy, increasing the aircraft's overall weight.

Innovation Solution

A self-supporting stiffener skeleton with foldable supporting arms and legs that can be clipped together, providing additional stiffness to the firewall arrangement during maintenance and easily removable to avoid adding weight to the aircraft in normal operating mode.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a stiffening framework is permanently installed on the firewall arrangement, then the structural integrity during maintenance is improved, but the aircraft's overall weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidaircraft weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The stiffening framework is designed as a removable assembly that can be dynamically installed during maintenance phases and removed during normal operations. This dynamic configuration allows the system to have high stiffness when needed while maintaining lightweight characteristics during flight, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The stiffening framework is divided into multiple separable components including side stiffeners and front stiffeners that can be independently installed and removed. This segmentation enables the framework to provide enhanced structural support during maintenance while allowing easy removal to avoid permanent weight addition to the aircraft.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If the firewall arrangement is made more rigid permanently, then the risk of damage during maintenance is reduced, but the adaptability for different maintenance configurations is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to damageVSAvoidmaintenance configuration flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The firewall arrangement incorporates adjustable stiffening elements that can be configured in different positions and configurations depending on the specific maintenance task. The side stiffeners and front stiffeners can be positioned to provide support where needed, allowing the system to adapt to various maintenance scenarios while maintaining enhanced structural protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4001105B1A stiffener skeleton for a firewall arrangement of a rotary wing aircraft
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUT GMBH
  • EP4001105B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4001105B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4001105B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a stiffener skeleton 30 that is configured to be mounted to an upper deck 6 of a rotary wing aircraft in a maintenance phase, comprising an upper stiffening structure 32 with a plurality of supporting arms 32a, 32b, 32c for providing upside stiffening support, and a lateral stiffening structure 33 with a plurality of supporting legs 33a, 33b, 34a, 34b for providing lateral stiffening support, wherein the plurality of supporting arms 32a, 32b, 32c and the plurality of supporting legs 33a, 33b, 34a, 34b form a self-supporting frame structure.