Latécoère

Oldham Joint With Hyper Elastic Contact Area

In aircraft door design, a challenge is that typical loads are quite low compared to sizing loads. Oldham joints are currently used in several doors because they simplify the interface between mechanism and structure. However, oldham joints can still have issues with high contact pressure, friction, and wear and tear. Significant weight and cost reductions may be possible with a design that could better accommodate those maximum loads and address the issues with current oldham joints using hyperelastic materials. The student team worked to identify a hyperelastic material able to meet Latécoère's door mechanism requirement and create a design and establish analysis to show compliance. Finally, they created a prototype for manufacture and testing.