648results about "Aircraft doors" patented technology

A VTOL vehicle comprising a fuselage having forward and aft propulsion units, each propulsion unit comprising a propeller located within an open-ended duct wall wherein a forward facing portion of the duct wall of at least the forward propulsion unit is comprised of at least one curved forward barrier mounted for horizontal sliding movement to open the forward facing portion to thereby permit air to flow into the forward facing portion when the VTOL vehicle is in forward flight.

A vehicle including a fuselage having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, two Ducted Fan lift-producing propellers carried by the fuselage on each side of the transverse axis, a pilot's compartment formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and substantially aligned with one side of the fuselage, a payload bay formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and opposite the pilot's compartment, and two pusher fans located at the rear of the vehicle. Many variations are described enabling the vehicle to be used not only as a VTOL vehicle, but also as a multi-function utility vehicle for performing many diverse functions including hovercraft and ATV functions. Also described is an Unmanned version of the vehicle. Also described are unique features applicable in any single or multiple ducted fans and VTOL vehicles.

A method for retrieving personnel is provided. The method includes receiving a radio signal indicating a real-time position of personnel to be retrieved, deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle to the real-time position, receiving an indication that the personnel to be retrieved is on-board the unmanned aerial vehicle, and operating the unmanned aerial vehicle to move the personnel to a different location.

A door frame component of cast titanium for a door opening in an outer skin of an aircraft or space vehicle is provided, the component including a contact surface for bearing against the outer skin, wherein the contact surface is formed to correspond to an inner contour of the outer skin in such a manner that the contact surface essentially fills the contour. From a further viewpoint the invention makes available a structural fuselage part for an aircraft or space vehicle which comprises an outer skin which has a carbon fiber reinforced plastic material together with a door frame component of the type described.

A vehicle including a fuselage having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, two Ducted Fan lift-producing propellers carried by the fuselage on each side of the transverse axis, and a body formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers. Many variations are described enabling deflection and affection of flow streams and reduction of drag and momentum drag which improve speed and forward flight of the vehicle. Also described are unique features applicable in any single or multiple ducted fans and VTOL vehicles.

An actuator has an output ram driven to extend and retract by a rotating lead screw. The lead screw is coupled with a rotating input shaft via a lost-motion drive sleeve connected with the input shaft by cooperating threads so that rotation of the drive shaft causes both axial and rotational movement of the drive sleeve. The ram is locked in its retracted position by several radially-extending locking keys, one end of which engage an extension sleeve fixed with the ram and the other end of which are engaged by a lock sleeve. Rotation of the input shaft causes the drive sleeve to move axially and engage the lock sleeve, thereby pulling it to one side and allowing the locking keys to move radially out and disengage the extension sleeve to allow it to extend.

An aircraft may have a fuselage, a left wing extending from the fuselage, a right wing extending from the fuselage, a tail section extending from a rear portion of the fuselage, and a first engine and a second engine operably connected by a common driveshaft, wherein the first and second engines are configured for freewheeling such that if one of the first and second engines loses power the other of the first and second engines continues to power the aircraft.

A roll-on/roll-off, aircraft-borne sensor pod deployment system having an operator station and a sensor pallet system and method of using same. The operator station has a base platform, a shelter box mounted on the base platform for accommodating a human operator, and a computer installed inside the shelter box. The sensor pallet system has a base platform, a linear system mounted on the base platform, a rotational system mounted on the linear system, a mechanical arm attached to the rotational system, a sensor pod attached to the mechanical arm, and an electrical control system that provides power to the deployment system and controls movements of the sensor pallet system. In operation, the sensor pod can be retracted into a compact, stowing position, or extended out an opening in the aircraft for an unobstructed field of view. The deployment system optionally includes an apparatus and method for sealing the aircraft opening.

A hinge assembly for attaching a door structure to an aircraft fuselage is provided. The door structure is linked to the aircraft body structure by way of a programmable mechanical linkage that is attached to the hinge member. The programmable mechanical linkage is actuated along the hinge member so as to maintain the door structure attached thereto in a controlled angular relationship relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft fuselage through its attachment to the fixed aircraft frame.

The system and apparatus of the present invention is generally comprised of a non-dedicated, temporarily installed, aircraft observer bubble door, chair, sonotube ejection system, mission electronics LRU rack and workstation assembly which are affixed to the Air Deployment System (ADS) rails, cargo tie down “D” rings, seat belt restraint ring bolt sockets, and litter bar of a host aircraft, thereby precluding the requirement for dedicated airframe modifications. One embodiment of the present invention also utilizes a multi-axis, articulated, foldable chair temporarily installed in conjunction with a segmented or one piece pressurized observer bubble door plug and door retraction system. The door plug assembly is designed to accommodate the simultaneous use of a sonotube stores launch system, a missile defense system, and an observer bubble window. The door plug also accommodates fitment around the envelope of a special mission strut which extends through the interior to the exterior of the host aircraft beneath the door plug's lower periphery. The door plug is also moveably mounted within a temporary retraction rail system which interfaces mechanically to the permanent door retraction rails and the aircraft floor or ADS rail system. When the host aircraft is not equipped with an ADS rail system, the retract rails, chair stanchion, mission electronics racks, and workstation assemblies are mounted to an adaptive floor plate (AFP) which can be modified to interface with various cargo floor “D” rings, or other cargo tie down mechanisms and bolt patterns such that several types of dissimilar aircraft can utilize the subject apparatus either with or without ADS rails installed. Once installed the subject apparatus can be stowed outboard of the fuselage cargo transit envelope to permit use of the ADS rail system in-flight, without affecting normal air drop operations, crew egress, the flight performance envelope, or emergency procedures of the host aircraft.

A method and apparatus for aligning a swing tail cargo door. An alignment system comprises an alignment ramp, a set of pull-in hook mechanisms, and a set of lock trains. The alignment ramp may be configured for initial alignment between a swing tail cargo door and an aircraft fuselage during closing of the swing tail cargo door. The set of pull-in hook mechanisms may be disposed along an interface between the swing tail cargo door and the aircraft fuselage and may be capable of a final alignment between the swing tail cargo door and the aircraft fuselage during the closing of the swing tail cargo door. The set of lock trains may be disposed along the interface and may be capable of locking a plurality of latch actuators in the latched position.

The invention relates to a door (8) designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, the door comprising a cockpit side (8a) and a cabin side (8b). According to the invention, the door comprises at least one trapdoor (22) capable of closing off a passageway (20) passing through the door and secondly being opened towards the cabin side, the door also comprising a locking/unlocking mechanism (30) of the trapdoor arranged on the cockpit side and that can automatically unlock the trapdoor when the difference between a cockpit pressure and a cabin pressure corresponding to the air pressures applied on the cockpit side and the cabin side of the door respectively is greater than a predetermined value.

The present invention relates to a fuselage nose door for sealing an opening in the hull of an aircraft. In order to make loading and unloading as efficient as possible, a door shell is proposed that is movably held between a closed setting and an open setting by a bearing device, wherein the door shell can be pivoted and shifted in relation to the bearing device. The invention also relates to an aircraft with such fuselage nose door. In addition, the invention also relates to a method for opening and closing an opening in the hull of an aircraft with a fuselage nose door, which has a door shell that is movably held by a bearing device between the closed setting and open setting, wherein the door shell is pivoted and shifted in relation to the bearing device in the opening and closing process.

An aircraft door includes a seal that integrates a flexible silicone seal portion and a rigid blade seal portion into a single continuous seal around the mold line gap between the door and frame. The arrangement allows for the use of space saving piano hinges to mount the door. The seal includes a rigid blade seal around three edges of the door and a flexible hinge cover seal adjacent to the hinge edge of the door. The flexible hinge cover seal is bonded to terminal blocks which in turn can be mounted to the door edge and to the door frame such that the flexible hinge cover seal covers the mold line gap adjacent to the hinge.

There is provided a space-saving and compact swing type door structure of an aircraft restroom, in which a door is automatically closed and which is easy to use for a passenger using the restroom. The swing type door (40) is slidably hung at its upper end edge (44) from a rail disposed at an upper portion of a door frame by a guide structure including a slide pin (46) and is turnably connected in a predetermined position different from the hung position to the door frame by a linkage (60). Swinging operation in opening the door (40) deforms a spring provided in an automatic closing device (50). When a hand is released from the door (40), the door (40) is constantly biased in a closing direction by spring resilience through the linkage (60) and automatically returns to a closed position. Therefore, the restroom becomes easy to use, an aisle in front of the restroom can be used in an emergency, and it is possible to avoid contingencies caused by false recognition of an escape hatch.

The invention provides a double-bent-section and semi-blocking type cargo space door of a civil airplane. The double-bent-section and semi-blocking type cargo space door of the civil airplane has the structure as follows: a handle shaft in a cargo space door is connected with an outer handle mechanism; a ventilation opening mechanism is linked with a handle shaft; locking mechanisms are arranged at the left and right ends of the handle shaft; each locking mechanism is provided with a visual investigation mechanism capable of checking a rotary position of the handle shaft; the handle shaft is linked with a latch shaft; latch mechanisms are arranged at the two ends of the latch shaft; the handle shaft is further linked with an opening mechanism; the opening mechanism comprises a crank II hinged to the cargo space door and an opening mechanism connecting rod connected with a suspension arm; and the cargo space door is linked to do up and down movement relative to a machine body structure. The cargo space door is at a convergence section of the machine body, is a double-bent-section cargo space door and has the advantages of high safety, strong operability and high commonality.

An inflatable evacuation slide system includes an inflatable evacuation slide stored in a packboard compartment the cover panel of which is retained by a plurality of frangible pneumatic latches. The frangible pneumatic latches each comprise a tension member one end of which is attached to the packboard housing and the other end of which is releasably attached to the cover panel. In normal operation, a pneumatic signal operating on an actuator piston withdraws the piston to allow the latch mechanism to release the cover panel. In the event of a failure of the release mechanism, since the releasable latch secures the cover panel to the frangible tension member rather than to the packboard directly, the force of the inflating evacuation slide breaks the frangible member allowing the cover panel to drop away with only a brief delay in slide deployment.

The present invention provides a door operating system for opening and closing a door covering an exit opening of an aircraft. More particularly, the present invention provides a door operating system for opening and closing a plug type door typically located on the lower passenger deck of an aircraft. The door operating system includes a frame that is connected to the door of the aircraft and defines a pivot for the door. Connected to the frame is a torque drum and linkage system. The door operating system also includes a motor and a cable drum attached to the opposite end of the track. A cable is connected to the cable drum, the torque drum, and the frame. When opening the door, the motor turns the cable drum, which thereby pulls the cable. The cable rotates the drive torque drum and causes the door to be rotated about the pivot thereby moving the door upwardly and inwardly away from the exit opening. After the door has moved away from the exit opening, the cable pulls the frame such that the frame slides along the track and is moved lengthwise with respect to the aircraft away from the exit opening. To close the door, the above operations are reversed. As an aid to opening and closing the door, the door operating system also includes an interlock system that prevents the door from being moved lengthwise along the track until the door has been fully rotated upwardly and inwardly by the torque drum.

When a single door for opening and closing an opening in a body is opened outward with its lower part as a fulcrum, a plurality of plate-shaped steps of a foldable boarding ramp provided on an inner face of the door are swung in association with one another from a stored position along the inner face of the door to a deployed position to be used for ingress and egress of the passengers. Since the boarding ramp is folded into the stored position, it does not impair the space of a passenger compartment. Further, since the steps are folded into a position so as not to interfere with a window provided in an upper part of the door, they do not give an oppressed feeling to the passengers in the passenger compartment. The step is deployed to cover the window provided in the upper part of the door during use.

An aircraft fuselage 10 comprising a cargo storage compartment 18, a rear bulkhead 16 at the rear of the compartment for withstanding internal air pressure in the fuselage, a closeable opening 20 in the rear bulkhead 18 through which an elongate item of cargo 25 can be passed, and an opening 26 in the rear of the fuselage 10 through which the said item 25 passes to be despatched from the aircraft with the fuselage 10 de-pressurised.

A method and apparatus for boarding an aircraft. Passengers may be lined up in a first line and a second line relative to a doorway for the aircraft. A flow of the passengers in the first line and the second line may be controlled through a corridor connecting the doorway to a first aisle and a second aisle in an interior of the aircraft. The flow of the passengers may pass through a number of spaces in the corridor. The number of spaces may be reserved for a number of crew members during an emergency operation in which the passengers exit the aircraft.

A door opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the door from the inside of a fuselage. A door pivotally supported at an opening portion of the fuselage includes first and second position restricting links each having one end pivotally supported on the fuselage with a door driving link having one end pivotally supported on the door. The other end of the second position restricting link is pivotally supported on a middle portion of the door driving link. The door opening/closing operation lever is provided at one end with a grip with the other end pivotally supported on the other end of the door driving link. The middle portion of the door opening/closing operation lever is pivotally supported on the other end of the first position restricting link. By pulling the grip toward the inside of the fuselage and thereafter pushing downward, the door can be closed.