Rotating Wheel Maintenance Device for Aircraft Soda Blasting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Technicians face fatigue and difficulty when performing maintenance on heavy aircraft wheels due to the need to manually handle and maneuver these wheels during soda blasting procedures, which can be tiring and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A wheel maintenance device with a rotating base and multi-axis rollers allows for easy rotation of the wheel about various axes, enabling technicians to access all surfaces with reduced effort during maintenance procedures like soda blasting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If technicians manually handle and maneuver heavy aircraft wheels during soda blasting procedures, then the wheel maintenance task can be completed, but technician fatigue increases and operation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotating support device as an intermediary between the technician and the heavy wheel. The device includes a rotating base with rollers that support the wheel, allowing the technician to manipulate the wheel easily through rotational motion without directly bearing the wheel's weight. This mediator transfers the manipulation task from manual handling to a mechanical assistance system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic elements including a rotating base that can rotate horizontally and rollers that can rotate vertically, enabling the wheel to be positioned and manipulated in multiple orientations. This dynamic support system adapts to different maintenance needs by allowing smooth transitions between different wheel positions and angles.
2Reliability
If technicians manually maneuver heavy aircraft wheels to access all surfaces, then complete inspection is possible, but time and effort are significantly consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating base with horizontal rotation capability and the rollers with vertical rotation capability work together to enable quick repositioning of the wheel. The technician can rotate the base to bring different wheel surfaces into view and use the rollers to adjust the wheel's tilt angle, significantly reducing the time needed to access all inspection surfaces compared to manual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The support device separates the wheel support function from the inspection function. The rotating base handles the horizontal positioning while the rollers handle vertical positioning, dividing the complex manipulation task into simpler, independent rotational movements that can be performed quickly and efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for wheel maintenance includes a base configured to rotate about a vertical rotational axis and a frame mounted to the base that has a pair of opposing longitudinal members and a pair of opposing transverse members. First and second rollers are spaced apart from one another and coupled to the pair of opposing transverse members. Both the first and second rollers rotate about a longitudinal rotational axis orthogonal to the vertical rotational axis. In this way, when a wheel is positioned on the first and second rollers, the wheel may be rotated about the vertical rotational axis and a wheel rotational axis during a maintenance procedure.