Split Tubular Bulkhead Seal Fitting for Tool-Free Wiring Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pass-through fittings for aircraft require multiple spacers and specialized tooling for installation and disconnection, making the process time-consuming and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A pass-through bulkhead seal fitting with a tubular multi-piece body and separable multi-piece nut that allows for easy assembly and disassembly without the need for spacers or specialized tools, featuring a rotatable nut with detents for anti-rotation and a simplified design that reduces the number of parts from nine to four, facilitating quicker installation and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fittings use multiple spacers and metal locking rings to maintain pressurization and protect wiring, then the sealing and structural integrity are improved, but the device complexity and installation time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (body, locking mechanism, sealing elements) into an integrated polymer fitting. The locking features and sealing surfaces are built into the monolithic polymer structure, eliminating the need for separate metal locking rings and multiple spacers while maintaining the required sealing integrity and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polymer material to replace traditional metal components. The polymer provides both structural integrity and sealing properties in a single material, eliminating the need for composite assemblies of metal parts and reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional fittings require specialized tooling for installation and disconnection, then the connection reliability is improved, but the ease of operation and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the fitting with self-locking features that engage automatically during installation without requiring specialized tools. The locking mechanisms are built into the polymer structure to self-secure the connection, while still providing reliable sealing and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring tools to force components together, the design inverts the approach by using elastic polymer deformation to enable tool-free assembly. The flexibility of the polymer allows manual compression and locking, while the same material provides the locking force for reliable connection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fittings use multiple spacers to account for bulkhead thickness variations, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the elastic properties of polymer material to create a dynamic fitting that can deform and adapt to different bulkhead thicknesses. The polymer body can elastically compress and expand to accommodate thickness variations, eliminating the need for multiple rigid spacer components of different sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid metal to elastic polymer, allowing the fitting to dynamically adjust its dimensions through elastic deformation. This enables a single fitting design to accommodate a range of bulkhead thicknesses without requiring multiple discrete components.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples disclosed herein generally relate to a pass-through bulkhead seal fitting for use in the aircraft industry. In one example, a pass-through bulkhead seal fitting includes a male fitting comprising a tubular body that is separable to receive existing wiring, and a nut that is separable to receive existing wiring and being rotatable in a single direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the male fitting.