Translating Equipment Rack for Aircraft Internal Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current equipment bays in aircraft require more space than desired, leading to reduced access and increased maintenance time due to limited aisle space and varying component sizes, and often necessitate external access through pressurized hatches and specialized safety systems, which add weight and expense.
Innovation Solution
A translating rack system with movable segments and a translation mechanism that allows internal access to components within the aircraft, enabling movement of rack segments into other areas for access without requiring additional doors, thus optimizing space and reducing maintenance complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If equipment bays are designed with more space for access, then maintenance access is improved, but aircraft space utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rack system incorporates movable rack segments that can be dynamically repositioned along translation tracks. The rack segments move from a stored position in the equipment bay to an accessible position within the cabin, allowing the same physical space to serve different functions at different times. This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction by providing easy maintenance access when needed while maintaining compact space utilization during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions equipment access from a two-dimensional planar arrangement within the equipment bay to a three-dimensional configuration where racks can be positioned along vertical and horizontal translation tracks. This dimensional expansion allows maintenance personnel to access equipment from multiple directions and positions, improving ease of operation without requiring additional horizontal space in the equipment bay.
2Ease of repair
If external access hatches are provided for equipment maintenance, then equipment accessibility is improved, but aircraft weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the equipment access function from the aircraft structure itself and relocates it to the movable rack system. Instead of adding external hatches and access mechanisms to the aircraft body, the racks are moved internally along translation tracks to accessible positions within the cabin. This extraction eliminates the need for complex external access systems while maintaining equipment accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack system provides self-service access by incorporating its own translation mechanism that can move rack segments independently along tracks. The system uses actuators and control mechanisms integrated into the rack structure itself, eliminating the need for external access systems, pressurized hatches, or specialized safety systems. This self-service capability reduces overall system complexity while maintaining ease of repair.
3Productivity
If fixed rack positions are used in equipment bays, then structural simplicity is maintained, but maintenance efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rack system is divided into multiple independent movable segments that can be individually positioned along translation tracks. Each segment can be moved separately to access specific equipment components, allowing maintenance personnel to work on different parts of the equipment simultaneously or independently. This segmentation improves maintenance efficiency by enabling parallel work on multiple components without requiring movement of the entire rack system.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack segments are pre-positioned along translation tracks in predetermined locations that correspond to different equipment components. Maintenance personnel can quickly move specific segments to the required positions before beginning work, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations or manual positioning. This preliminary arrangement of rack segments in accessible positions significantly improves maintenance efficiency while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method comprising a rack and a translation mechanism. The rack may be configured to hold components. The rack may comprise movable rack segments that are movable independently of each other. The translation mechanism may be configured to move a portion of the movable rack segments relative to another portion of the movable rack segments inside a platform such that internal access to at least a portion of the components is provided inside the platform.