Airplane Trolley Door Locking by Gravity-Assisted Axial Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airplane trolleys have a weight issue due to heavy lock mechanisms, which increases fuel consumption and requires a lighter design while maintaining safety and certification standards.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight door locking mechanism that uses the door's own weight and gravity to secure the door in place, eliminating the need for a separate handle and heavy transmission mechanisms, with locking means engaging at multiple points to distribute forces effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional lock mechanism with handle and transmission mechanism is used, then the door can be locked securely, but the weight of the trolley increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the heavy transmission mechanism and separate handle from the door assembly. The locking function is achieved directly through the door's movement along the pivot axis, eliminating unnecessary components while maintaining secure locking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The door itself performs the locking function by moving along the pivot axis to engage locking means with the housing. The door's own weight and gravity assist in the locking action, making the system self-sufficient without requiring separate handles or complex transmission mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a separate handle and transmission mechanism are incorporated in the door, then the door can be locked, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate handle and transmission mechanism from the door, extracting these complex components entirely. The locking function is achieved through the door's direct movement along the pivot axis, significantly simplifying the overall mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking function is merged with the door's pivoting motion itself. The door moves along the pivot axis to engage locking means directly, combining the door's primary function with the locking function into a single integrated action.
3Shape
If a flat handle in a shallow cavity is used, then the trolley maintains a streamlined design, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of manipulating a small flat handle in a shallow cavity, the user operates the door by lifting it slightly to move along the pivot axis. This inverts the traditional handling approach, using the door's own movement rather than manipulating a separate small component.
Solution Approach 2:
The door's own weight and gravity assist in the locking operation. When the user lifts the door slightly, gravity helps guide it into the locked position along the pivot axis, making the operation intuitive and easy to perform.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the overall weight of the trolley, simplifies operation, enhances reliability by eliminating moving parts, and meets safety standards by securely holding contents during sudden accelerations.
Implementation Method 1
The force of gravity exerted on the door will then counteract a movement out of this position.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for accommodating objects, in particular for use in an airplane, comprising a housing, which has an access opening, as well as a door which is connected to the housing by at least one hinge so as to be pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The hinge defines a pivot axis for pivoting the door. The access opening is at least partially clear in the open position of the door and the access opening is at least partially closed off by the door in the closed position of the door. The door is lockable relative to the housing in its closed position. The door, in its closed position, is movable in a direction which extends substantially parallel to the pivot axis between a locked position and an unlocked position. The door, in its locked position, is locked relative to the housing, and the door, in its unlocked position, is pivotable about the pivot axis.