Interface between the interior opening handle of an aircraft door and an electrical system for emergency opening assistance
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023801471
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-11-22
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-10
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-01
AI Technical Summary
Current aircraft door emergency opening systems face delays due to electrical energy activation latency when power is lost, especially when the slide is unlocked, as the electrical system is not essential and is shut off during engine failure, leading to increased opening efforts that regular personnel cannot manage without assistance.
A mechanical interface between the interior opening handle and an electrical energy reserve is introduced, allowing prior activation of the energy reserve through a simple operation of the handle, utilizing a transmission mechanism with a cam and clutch element that activates the energy reserve when the handle is rotated by a predetermined angle, ensuring immediate energy availability in emergency situations.
This solution enables rapid activation of the emergency electrical system upon handle rotation, ensuring the door can be opened quickly and securely even in critical situations, reducing latency and enhancing safety by integrating energy reserve activation with handle operation.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] DESCRIPTION
[0002] INTERFACE BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OPENING HANDLE OF AN AIRCRAFT DOOR AND AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY OPENING ASSISTANCE
[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD
[0004] The invention relates to the field of aeronautics and, more particularly, to safety devices integrated into the architecture of an aircraft door.
[0005] Generally speaking, such a door includes, in particular, an arming handle intended for the reversible activation of the security system and a main opening mechanism comprising interior and exterior operating handles.
[0006] The door's resistance to the pressure differential between the inside and outside of the aircraft cabin is achieved by means of stops installed around the edges of the opening and its frame. The operating handles primarily ensure the escape of these stops and the movement of the door to its fully open position.
[0007] In critical emergency situations (risk of fire, unsafe landing, serious technical problem, etc.), the door must be able to be opened quickly in a single operation.
[0008] However, due to operational constraints for flight crew, the forces exerted on the door operating handle for opening or closing must be limited in normal situations. However, in an emergency situation, the forces increase following the retraction of a train and the triggering of the slide. This increase in opening forces prevents normal crew from opening the door without the help of assistance devices.
[0009] Under these conditions, aircraft doors are generally equipped with a safety system providing assistance with opening and comprising either a hydro-pneumatic system where the emergency power source consists of a compressed air bottle, or in certain devices, an electrical system comprising, in particular, motors and actuators powered by a current source which guarantee an appropriate supply of mechanical power to guide and move the door according to pre-established kinematics. This electrical safety system is generally activated automatically in an emergency situation.
[0010] In a conventional aircraft door, the arming handle is used to activate or deactivate the emergency system. By placing this handle in the "armed" position, the operator activates the safety system and sets the lever in place that will activate the door opening actuator when the stops are fully released. Of course, moving the arming handle to the reverse ("disarmed") position will result in the opposite actions.
[0011] However, in the current door configuration, activating an electrical safety system is problematic for the following reasons.
[0012] Indeed, the door is not one of the flight systems considered essential and, therefore, for energy-saving reasons, it is cut off from its electrical power supply in the event of an aircraft engine failure. In this case, depending on the aircraft's ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards) qualification, a more or less long flight may result (the current maximum duration being 370 minutes).
[0013] In this case, if power loss detection is used to activate the emergency electrical circuit, it is then necessary to oversize the capacity of the energy source. It would be possible to activate the electrical energy reserve only simultaneously with the opening of the door, which would reduce the power consumption. However, this solution is likely to cause a latency time and therefore a delay in opening, which is detrimental to safety. This latency problem is, moreover, more severe if the slide is unlocked, when opened from the outside, by means of an electric actuator.
[0014] In this context, the invention sought a solution to resolve the technical problems posed by previous security systems by proposing a mechanical interface ensuring the prior activation of the electrical energy reserve by a simple operation of the internal operating handle.
[0015] In order to be compatible with the time sequencing requirements, this activation occurs by pivoting the handle from its initial position. Thus, according to the invention, a predetermined angle value of the interior handle (or exterior handle) relative to its closing position ensures that the door is supplied with electrical energy and that the emergency safety system will then be available at the slightest request.
[0016] This aim is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a mechanical interface between an interior actuating handle ensuring, by rotation around an axis, the opening of an aircraft door and a reserve of electrical energy intended to assist in the emergency opening of the door, said interface comprising, in particular, an arming handle movable between an armed position and a disarmed position and which is coupled to the interior actuating handle by means of a transmission mechanism, characterized in that said transmission mechanism comprises:
[0017] - a first lever connected, by one end, to the cocking handle and, by its other end, to a shaft carrying a second free lever on which is fixed a rod for activating the safety electric energy reserve and a clutch element cooperating in rotation with said first and second levers and,
[0018] - a cam mounted on said shaft and cooperating with a drive element carried by the actuating handle capable of carrying out, in the armed position of the arming handle, a prior rotation of the actuating handle through an angle of between 3° and 50° from its rest position, jointly causing the rotation of the cam, the pivoting of the second free lever, the translation of the rod and the activation of the electrical energy reserve.
[0019] According to an advantageous characteristic of the interface of the invention, the cam is coupled to a return spring which is under tension. In the disarmed position, the tension is minimum and it is reinforced a first time during arming and then a second time when the main handle is actuated.
[0020] According to another advantageous characteristic, the first lever is mounted in free rotation on the shaft.
[0021] According to yet another characteristic of the interface of the invention, the second lever is mounted in free rotation on the shaft between the clutch element and the first lever.
[0022] Furthermore, the invention provides that the clutch element is integral with the cam via the support shaft which is parallel to the axis of the actuating handle.
[0023] According to a specific embodiment variant of the interface of the invention, the clutch element carries a first finger and a second finger, the first finger being driven by the second lever and positioned so as to abut against the second lever in the cocking position of the handle, while the second finger is positioned on the clutch element so as to abut against the first lever from the disarming position to the cocking position of the cocking handle and vice versa under the action of the spring. The second finger thus drives the second lever into the cocking position which makes it possible to activate the electrical energy reserve.
[0024] According to another particular variant embodiment of the interface of the invention, the drive element carried by the actuating handle is formed of a pin and the cam is formed of a ramp arranged opposite the pin.
[0025] According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the drive element and said cam are positioned relative to each other such that when the cocking handle is in the cocked position, the rotation of the actuating handle causes, via the drive element, the joint pivoting of the cam and the second lever via the shaft and the clutch element.
[0026] Conversely, the invention provides that the drive element and said cam are positioned relative to each other such that when the cocking handle is in the disarmed position, rotation of the actuating handle is free and the cam remains fixed.
[0027] Furthermore, the invention provides that the cocking handle is connected to the connecting arm by a set of connecting rods.
[0028] Consequently, thanks to the interface of the invention, the activation of the energy reserve is ensured, in the armed position, by pulling the rod under the simple action of the cam and therefore of the main actuating handle. Another object of the invention is an aircraft door provided with at least one handle for actuating the opening from the inside or from the outside and a safety system comprising an electrical energy reserve, said door being equipped with a mechanical interface as defined above.
[0029] The interface of the invention allows the use of an electrical architecture for doors with side release of the stops and the advantages associated therewith, namely, the pooling of the energy of the emergency systems and the device for deploying and inflating the slide and the so-called "swivelling" motor,
[0030] The invention relates to the provision of the electrical energy reserve in the event of emergency opening, and can also be applied to any type of door. In these other applications, it will be sufficient to keep the same arrangement opposite the axis of the handle.
[0031] PRESENTATION OF FIGURES
[0032] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the non-limiting description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings in which:
[0033] [Fig.l] is an overall side view of a preferred embodiment of the mechanical interface of the invention in the disarmed position with the actuating handle in the rest position.
[0034] [Fig.2] an overall side view of the mechanical interface of Figure 1 in the armed position with the actuating handle in the rest position.
[0035] [Fig.3] is a detailed sectional view along AA of the interface of Figure 1 in the armed position with the actuating handle in the rest position.
[0036] [Fig. 4] is a detailed perspective view of the interface of Figure 1 in the disarmed position with the actuating handle in the rest position.
[0037] [Fig. 5] is a detailed sectional view along BB of the interface of Figure 1 in the disarmed position with the actuating handle in the rest position.
[0038] [Fig. 6] is a detailed perspective view of the interface of Figure 1 in the armed position with the actuating handle in the rest position.
[0039] [Fig. 7] is a detailed sectional view along BB of the interface of Figure 1 in the armed position with the actuating handle in the rest position.
[0040] [Fig. 8] is a detailed perspective view of the interface of Figure 1 in the armed position with the actuating handle in an intermediate position for activating the safety electrical energy reserve.
[0041] [Fig. 9] is a detailed sectional view along BB of the interface of Figure 1 in the armed position with the operating handle in an intermediate position for activating the safety electrical energy reserve.
[0042] [Fig. 10] is a detailed sectional view along BB of the interface of Figure 1 in the armed position with the actuating handle in the final position for activating the safety electrical energy.
[0043] For greater clarity, identical or similar elements are indicated by identical reference signs in the following description and in the figures. Naturally, the embodiments of the invention illustrated schematically by the figures presented above and described below are given only as non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided within the scope of the invention that different embodiments can be proposed and combined with each other to propose others.
[0044] DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0045] The invention relates to aircraft doors and is more particularly concerned with the system for triggering the electrical energy necessary to open these doors in an emergency situation.
[0046] In general and as illustrated by the attached figures 1 and 2, these doors comprise an interior actuating handle 1 ensuring, by rotation around an axis 1a, the opening of the door, a reserve of safety electrical energy (not shown) for assistance in the emergency opening of the door and a mechanical interface comprising, in particular, an arming handle 2 movable between a disarmed position (figures 1, 4 and 5) and an armed position (figures 2, 3, 6 and 7 to 10).
[0047] The cocking handle 2 is connected to the actuating handle 1 via a transmission mechanism which will be described below with reference to both figures 4 and 6 respectively, in the disarmed position and in the armed position, the handle 1 then being in the rest position and in figure 8 in the armed position with the handle angularly displaced here by 15°.
[0048] The security system generally comprises a source of electrical energy, and a circuit integrating motors powered by this source and which guarantee an appropriate supply of mechanical power, actuators coupled to the motors and intended to guide and move the door according to a pre-established kinematics. If necessary, a pump jointly ensures the inflation of an evacuation slide from a dedicated system located under the threshold of the door (these latter components are not shown in the figures because they are not directly concerned by the invention).
[0049] The invention consists of integrating a specific mechanical interface ensuring the prior activation of the electrical energy reserve by means of a simple operation of the interior operating handle 1 or, where appropriate, of the exterior handle.
[0050] More specifically, the invention provides that the activation of the electrical safety energy is pre-established, from the armed position of the arming handle 2 (figures 2, 3 and 5), thanks to a pivoting of the interior actuating handle 1 (figures 6 and 7) from its initial rest position corresponding to the locking of the door (figures 1 and 4).
[0051] Thus, according to the invention, a predetermined angle value of the interior actuating handle 1 relative to the closing position makes it possible to guarantee that the door is supplied with electrical energy and that the emergency safety system will then be available at the slightest request.
[0052] For this purpose, the interface of the invention comprises a transmission mechanism ensuring the connection between the cocking handle 2 and the actuating handle 1. This transmission mechanism comprises, respectively, an arm 21, a first end of which is connected to the handle 2 by a set of connecting rods 20 (figure 1) and which is movable in translation between the uncocked and cocked position of the handle 2. The second end of the arm 21 is coupled to a first lever 22 mounted in free rotation on a shaft 24 which extends parallel to the axis 1a of rotation of the actuating handle 1.
[0053] Below the first lever 22, a second lever 23 is mounted in free rotation on the shaft 24 of the transmission mechanism. This second lever 23 is, on the one hand, connected to a rod 3 ensuring, via an element 30 (figures 6 and 8), the activation of the safety electrical energy reserve and cooperates, on the other hand, with a clutch element 25.
[0054] This clutch element 25 is fixed on the shaft 24 under the second lever 23 and carries two peripheral fingers 25a, 25b extending diametrically opposite and parallel to the shaft 24. The two fingers 25a, 25b have precise angular positions on the periphery of the clutch element 25 and cooperate, by rotation of this element 25, alternately, with the second free lever 23 and the first cocking lever 22, as described below and illustrated by figures 4, 6 and 8.
[0055] In particular, the end piece of the second lever 23 ensures the attachment of the rod 3, while its edge 23a ensures the stop by contact with the finger 25a during the angular travel. Jointly, the lateral edge 22a of the first lever 22 ensures the stop of the finger 25b in its angular travel, as illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0056] The first finger 25a is thus positioned on the clutch element 25 so as to come into abutment against the connecting rod 23 in the cocking position of the handle 2, while the second finger 25b is positioned on the clutch element 25 so as to come into abutment against the first lever 22 from the disarming position to the cocking position of the cocking handle 2 and vice versa, thanks to the action of a return spring 5 which will be described later.
[0057] Thus, generally speaking, in the disarmed position (figure 4) the finger 25b is in contact with the first lever 22 and the finger 25a is free. Alternatively, when arming is carried out (figure 6), the finger 25b is pushed by the lever 22 and pivots around the axis of the shaft 24 at the same time as the finger 25a which then comes into contact with the second lever 23 by exerting a first traction on the rod 3 so as to take up any existing play.
[0058] On the shaft 24 and under the second lever 23 is further fixed a cam 4 positioned and coupled to the return spring 5, also fixed to the structure of the door or any other frame present in the door. In the armed position, the shaft 24 and the cam 4 have pivoted under the action of the first lever 22 and the clutch element 25 by putting the spring 5 under tension. Conversely, when disarming is carried out, the finger 25b follows the lever 22 thanks to the traction exerted by the return spring 5 coupled to the cam 4 but which nevertheless remains under tension.
[0059] The interface of the invention provides that the cam 4 of the transmission mechanism cooperates with a drive element 10 carried by the actuating handle 1. The cooperation between the cam 4 and this element 10 is achieved in such a way that the second lever 23 pivots under the action of the finger 25a when the cam 4, integral with the clutch element 25 via the shaft 24, is rotated by the handle 1, via the drive element 10, and then exerts a second traction on the rod 3 to activate the electrical energy reserve, as illustrated in FIG. 8. Figures 9 and 10 illustrate, respectively, an intermediate position (at 9°) and a final position (here at 15°) of the actuating handle 1 corresponding to the activation of the electrical energy reserve.
[0060] The drive element 10 is carried by a branch 11 extending transversely to the axis 1a. The element 10 is intended to move in a plane parallel to the cam 4 so that, in the armed position of the arming handle 2, a rotation of the actuating handle 1 through an angle of between 3° and 50° and, preferably, between 10° and 15°, around the axis 1a from its rest position causes, jointly, a pivoting of the cam 4 driven by the element 10.
[0061] According to a specific embodiment of the interface of the invention, the drive element 10 carried by the actuating handle 1 is formed of a pin and the cam 4 is formed of an L-shaped section ramp arranged opposite the pin. The pin 10 and the ramp 4 are positioned relative to each other so that when the handle 2 is in the armed position, the rotation of the actuating handle 1 causes the pin to press against the ramp and the latter to pivot.
[0062] In the same way, the pin 10 and the ramp 4 are positioned relative to each other so that when the arming handle 2 is in the disarmed position (figure 4), the rotation of the actuating handle 1 is free and the pin is outside the ramp which, for its part, remains fixed as do the second lever 23 and the rod 3, the electrical safety system then being kept inactive.
Claims
he CLAIMS 1. Transmission and mechanical interface mechanism between an interior actuating handle (1) ensuring, by rotation around an axis (1a), the opening of an aircraft door and a reserve of electrical energy intended to assist in the emergency opening of the door, said interface comprising, in particular, an arming handle (2) movable between an armed position and a disarmed position and which is coupled to the interior actuating handle (1) by means of the transmission mechanism, characterized in that said transmission mechanism comprises: - a first lever (22) connected, by one end, to the cocking handle (2) and, by its other end, to a shaft (24) carrying a second free lever (23) supporting a rod (3) for activating the safety electrical energy reserve and a clutch element (25) cooperating in rotation with the second lever (23) and the first lever (22) and, - a cam (4) mounted on said shaft (24) and cooperating with a drive element (10) carried by the actuating handle (1) capable of carrying out, in the armed position of the arming handle (2), a preliminary rotation of the actuating handle (1) by an angle of between 3° and 50° from its rest position and of driving, jointly, the rotation of the cam (4), the pivoting of the second lever (23), the translation of the rod (3) and the activation of the electrical energy reserve.
2. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said cam (4) is coupled to a return spring (5) whose tension is reinforced in the armed position of the handle (2) and reduced in the disarmed position.
3. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first lever (22) is mounted in free rotation on the shaft (24). 4 Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second lever (23) is mounted in free rotation on the shaft (24) between the first lever (22) and the clutch element (25).
5. Transmission and mechanical interface mechanism according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the clutch element (25) is integral with the cam (4) via the shaft (24).
6. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shaft (24) and the axis (1a) of the actuating handle (1) are parallel to each other.
7. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said clutch element (25) carries a first finger (25a) and a second finger (25b), the first finger (25a) being driven by the second lever while being positioned so as to come into abutment against the second lever (23) in the cocking position of the handle (2).
8. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to claims 2 and 7, characterized in that the second finger (25b) is positioned on the clutch element (25) so as to come into abutment against the first lever (22) from the disarming position to the arming position of the handle (2) and vice versa under the action of the spring (5).
9. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive element (10) carried by the actuating handle (1) is formed of a pin and in that said cam (4) is formed of a ramp arranged opposite the pin.
10. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said drive element (10) and said cam (4) are positioned relative to each other in such a way that when the cocking handle (2) is in the cocked position, the rotation of the actuating handle (1) causes, via the drive element (10), the joint pivoting of the cam (4) and the second lever (23) via the shaft (24) and the clutch element (25).
11. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said drive element (10) and said cam (4) are positioned relative to each other in such a way that when the cocking handle (2) is in the disarmed position, rotation of the actuating handle (1) is free and the cam remains fixed.
12. Mechanical transmission and interface mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cocking handle (2) is connected to the first lever (22) by a set of connecting rods (20).
13. Aircraft door provided with at least one handle for actuating the opening from the inside or from the outside and a safety system comprising an electrical energy reserve, said door being equipped with a mechanical interface according to one of the preceding claims.