Telescoping Aircraft Panel Door Linkage Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft panel doors, whether swinging or sliding, occupy excessive space and weight, limiting mobility and comfort due to their design requirements, which is not optimal for aircraft compartment layouts.
Innovation Solution
A two-panel door system where a first panel is hingedly connected to the door frame and a second panel slides or telescopes within the first panel, using a linkage mechanism to reduce the door's width when open, allowing for efficient space utilization and reduced obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional swinging door is used, then the door can effectively partition compartments, but it occupies a large amount of cross-aisle space when open
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into two separate panels: a first panel hingedly connected to the door frame and a second panel slidably connected to the first panel. This segmentation allows the door to function effectively for compartment partitioning while reducing the space occupied when open, as the second panel can be positioned within the first panel's plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-plane door design to a two-dimensional configuration where the second panel moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first panel. This dimensional change enables the door to maintain its partitioning function while minimizing cross-aisle space occupation when open.
2Area of stationary object
If a conventional sliding door is used, then the door can reduce cross-aisle space occupation, but it occupies twice the depth space to achieve the same closure area
Solution Approach 1:
The second panel is designed to be positioned within the plane of the first panel when the door is open, creating a nested configuration. This nesting principle allows the door to achieve compact space occupation without requiring twice the depth space, as the panels overlap rather than extend fully in sequence.
3Reliability
If a conventional door design is used, then the door can provide adequate closure area, but it adds unnecessary weight
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the door into two smaller panels rather than using a single large panel, the overall weight is reduced while maintaining the required closure area. The segmented design allows for more efficient material distribution and reduced structural requirements compared to a conventional single-panel door of equivalent size.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 2D~2E
AI summary
In a preferred embodiment, a telescoping panel door for an aircraft compartment includes a first panel configured for hinged connection to a surface of a door frame, a second panel, and a linkage fixing a distance that the second panel can extend from the door frame, where the second panel is configured for connection to the door frame via the linkage. The door operates such that, in a closed position, the second panel is extended from an interior of the first panel, the first and second panels cooperate to completely cover an opening defined by the door frame, and the linkage is generally parallel to the plane defined by the door frame. In an open position, the second panel is retracted into the interior of the first panel by operation of the linkage and the first and second panels are nested to reduce a distanced spanned by the panels.