Vehicle Vent Window Frame Assembly Without Drill-Hole Cracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vent window assemblies in vehicles, particularly aircraft, face issues with stress concentration-induced cracks from mechanical fasteners and adhesive failures, which complicate field replacement and increase costs and weight.
Innovation Solution
A vent window assembly design that eliminates the need for mechanically-loaded drill holes by using a clip or clamp connection between two support frames attached to the main window pane, enhancing stiffness and allowing for easy disassembly, while incorporating sealing elements for improved water tightness and reduced vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If screws or bolts are used to fasten the vent window assembly to the main window pane, then the assembly is securely fixed, but stress concentration cracks develop around the drill holes due to repeated flight loads and aging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful drill holes and mechanical fasteners (screws/bolts) from the system by introducing a clamp connection that attaches to the frame assembly rather than the window pane itself. This extraction eliminates the stress concentration points that cause cracks while maintaining secure fastening through the clamp's engagement with the frame structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame assembly serves as an intermediary element between the vent window assembly and the main window pane. The clamp connects to this intermediary frame structure, distributing loads away from the window pane material and preventing direct stress concentration on the acrylic surface, thereby eliminating crack initiation points.
2Reliability
If adhesive bonding is used to attach the vent window frame to the main window pane, then flight loads are transmitted homogeneously, but the bonding process requires specifically trained operators and complicates field replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the assembly into separable components: the vent window assembly with its frame and clamp, and the main window pane. This segmentation allows the vent window assembly to be detached and replaced independently without affecting the main window pane, enabling easy field replacement while maintaining homogeneous load distribution through the clamp's rigid connection to the frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism (adhesive) with a mechanical clamp connection system. This substitution provides both homogeneous load distribution through the rigid clamp-frame interface and ease of repair through simple mechanical attachment that can be quickly released and reattached without specialized training or tools.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple drill holes are created in the main window pane for fasteners, then the vent window assembly can be securely mounted, but the window pane becomes more susceptible to cracking and requires higher manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fastening function from the window pane material itself and relocates it to the frame assembly structure. The clamp connects to the frame's external geometry rather than requiring holes through the window pane, eliminating the need for precise hole drilling and positioning while maintaining secure mounting through the clamp's engagement with the frame's structural elements.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid fastening system is used to ensure structural integrity, then the assembly is stable, but the weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin-walled clamp structure that provides rigid fastening function while minimizing material usage and weight. The clamp's design utilizes efficient structural geometry to achieve the required stability and load-bearing capacity with minimal mass, avoiding the need for heavy bolts, nuts, and reinforced hole areas that would increase weight.
Data Source
AI summary
A window for a vehicle with a main window pane having a vent window opening, and a vent window assembly mounted to the main window pane. The vent window assembly comprises: a movable vent window pane adapted for closing the vent window opening in closed state of the vent window assembly; a first vent window frame assembly comprising a first support frame arranged on a first surface of the main window pane; and a second vent window frame assembly comprising a second support frame arranged on a second surface of the main window pane, wherein the second vent window frame assembly is rigidly attached to the first vent window frame assembly at the vent window opening such that the first and second vent window frame assemblies fasten each other at the main window pane.