Semi-plug side-release aircraft door slide arming device.
A floor-integrated mechanism for aircraft door slides with lateral disengagement addresses space constraints by using a control lever and activation mechanism to ensure reliable slide deployment without electric motors, maintaining stable hook positions for emergency openings.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2023007143
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-07-05
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-04
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-07-05
AI Technical Summary
The installation of electrically actuated hook retraction mechanisms for aircraft door slides with lateral disengagement poses challenges due to space constraints in aircraft floors, which are often occupied by electrical harnesses and air conditioning pipes.
A mechanism is integrated into the aircraft floor that allows the engagement of slide attachment hooks without electric motors, using a control lever and activation mechanism with a drive lever and fork, which is flush with the floor, enabling lateral disengagement of door stops without obstacles.
This solution simplifies integration into the aircraft floor, eliminates the need for electric motors, and ensures reliable deployment of the slide in emergency situations by maintaining the hook fitting in stable armed or disarmed positions, even without electrical power.
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Device for arming a semi-plug aircraft door slide with side release. Technical field
[0001] The invention relates to a device for arming an aircraft door slide. More particularly, the present invention relates to "semi-plug" type doors with lateral release, that is to say doors which, when closed, are supported on their frame by the pressure exerted inside the aircraft and the disengagement of the stops for the opening of the door is carried out according to lateral kinematics.
[0002] In the aeronautical field in particular, the doors are equipped with an inflatable slide for emergency passenger exit, these slides being deployed for example during an unplanned landing. Indeed, the cabin floor is too high above the ground to allow passengers and flight crew to evacuate the aircraft and reach the ground without exposing themselves to serious injuries. STATE OF THE ART
[0003] The slide is generally stored in a box fixed to the lower part of the door and has a hanging bar at one of its ends, this bar being parallel to the floor. The deployment of the slide takes place in three stages: - the actuation of a slide arming control, this control being located on the door and causing the engagement of the hook bar in fittings integrated into the floor of the aircraft cabin; - the opening of the door which releases the deflated slide which falls out of the cabin, and - the inflation of the slide, the end opposite that of the attachment bar coming into contact with the ground.
[0004] The control, generally on the door, allows the slide to be armed or disarmed: when the control is armed, the hook bar is engaged in the fittings integrated into the floor and when the control is disarmed, the connection of the hook bar to the fittings is disengaged.
[0005] When an aircraft door is closed, door stops are in contact with the stops of the door frame. The first step in opening a door then consists of disengaging these stops. In current semi-plug doors, a lifting movement allows these stops to be disengaged. This kinematics then makes it possible to use fixed hooks on the floor to separate the hook bar from the door. However, for doors with lateral disengagement of the stops, these hooks Fixed hooks represent an additional obstacle during the kinematics of disengagement of the stops. Thus, systems allowing the engagement of the hook bar at the end of the disengagement movement of the stops have been developed. In these systems, the hooks are arranged under the floor and driven by an electric motor to make them flush when the emergency systems are activated so that any opening in this state causes the slide to deploy.
[0006] However, the installation of an electrically actuated hook retraction mechanism poses problems of installation and integration of these movable hooks as well as the actuating motors in the floor of the aircraft, the space being generally occupied by electrical harnesses and air conditioning pipes. Statement of the invention
[0007] The main objective of the invention is to solve the problem of installing a mechanism for retracting the slide attachment hooks integrated into the floor in a kinematics of lateral disengagement of the stops of an aircraft door.
[0008] To free the kinematics of lateral disengagement of the stops from any obstacle and to reduce the size of the mechanism for activating the hook bar under the floor of the aircraft cabin, the invention provides for integrating into the floor a hook activation mechanism allowing the engagement of the hook bar of the slide, this activation mechanism being flush with the floor, and thus allowing kinematics of lateral disengagement of the stops from the aircraft door without obstacle.
[0009] More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for arming a slide of a semi-plug door with lateral release of an aircraft, the door delimiting in the closed position an interior and an exterior of the aircraft, this door comprising: - an internal face oriented towards the interior of the aircraft; - a lower edge in the vicinity of a floor inside the aircraft; - a deployable slide hook bar mounted on the inside face of the door, and - an arming / disarming control for the deployable slide, this control being movable between an arming position, in which the arming device is capable of hooking the hooking bar when the door opens, and a disarming position in which the hooking bar is freely movable relative to the arming device.
[0010] The arming device comprises: - at least one control lever mounted on the door and having an attachment end and a free end, each control lever being movable between an arming position and a disarming position in accordance with the arming / disarming command, and - an activation mechanism by control lever, each activation mechanism being installed in the floor and having a drive lever equipped with a fork driven by said control lever, the drive lever being connected to a hook fitting for engaging the hook bar, the hook fitting being protruding in the armed position and flush with the floor in the disarmed position.
[0011] Advantageously, the slide arming device is easy to integrate into the door and the floor: the arming / disarming control actuates the control lever(s) directly and without assistance and therefore according to simplified kinematics. In addition, the drive lever is mechanically actuated by the control lever, eliminating the need for an electric motor. This device is therefore particularly suitable for opening an aircraft door in an emergency situation in which the electrical power supply would not be available to disarm the door in the event of opening from the outside.
[0012] Advantageously also, the activation mechanism is small, thus facilitating its integration into the floor of the aircraft.
[0013] According to certain preferred embodiments: - each control lever rotates at its attachment end relative to the door; - the arming device comprises two control levers and two activation mechanisms; - a synchronization axis is connected to the two control levers in order to operate them simultaneously; - the free end of each control lever remains above the floor in the armed position and in the disarmed position; - in each activation mechanism, the drive lever and the hook fitting are linked by gears; - the activation mechanism comprises an upper plate in continuity with the floor, this plate having an opening for the exit of the hook fitting; - the upper plate has a slot into which the control lever is inserted in rotation during the driving of the drive lever when moving from the armed position to the disarmed position and when moving from the disarmed position to the armed position; - the drive lever is bistable between two stable positions corresponding respectively to the armed and disarmed position of the hook fitting; - the bistable drive lever is connected to the upper plate by two means of stabilization reminders; - the return means consist of helical springs; - the arming device includes a hook fitting position sensor, and - the fork includes at least one “U” shaped discharge chamfer.
[0014] Advantageously, the use of two control levers and two activation mechanisms allows for safe exit and deployment of the slide by providing a double attachment of the slide to the floor of the aircraft.
[0015] Advantageously also, the synchronization axis makes it possible to restrict the volume of each activation mechanism which are thus synchronized without being directly connected to each other, thus providing a gain to the installation in the aircraft.
[0016] Also advantageously, the bistable system makes it possible to maintain the hook fitting stably either in its armed position or in its disarmed position. Thus, since any intermediate position between the armed position and the disarmed position is unstable, the hook fitting can only adopt its extreme positions. PRESENTATION OF FIGURES
[0017] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following reading of a detailed exemplary embodiment without limiting its scope, with reference to the appended figures which represent, respectively:
[0018] - [Fig.l], a view from below of an aircraft door;
[0019] - [Fig.2], a perspective view of two activation mechanisms before their insertion into the floor;
[0020] - [Fig.3], a perspective view of the arming device in the armed position with the slide thus armed;
[0021] - [Fig.4], a perspective view of the arming device in the disarmed position with the slide thus disarmed;
[0022] - Figures 5 and 5a, a perspective view of an activation mechanism of the hooks;
[0023] - figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, perspective views of the arming device during a slide disarming sequence;
[0024] - figures 6a and 9a, views from another perspective of the mechanism activation;
[0025] - [Fig. 11], a perspective view of the kinematics of the control arming / disarming, and
[0026] - [Fig. 12], a front and sectional view along plane A of the drive lever. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] [Fig.l] illustrates a view from below of the internal face 1b of a door 1a installed on an aircraft fuselage 1d, this door 1a delimiting in the closed position an interior INT and an exterior EXT of the aircraft (see also [Fig.6]). The internal face 1b is oriented towards the interior INT of the aircraft. The door 1a is of the "semi-plug" type, that is to say that when it is closed, the door is held in contact with the fuselage 1d by the pressure exerted inside the aircraft without being able to exit it. This maintenance is achieved by door stops 1c and fuselage stops 1f installed respectively on the door 1a and on the fuselage 1d, these stops 1c, 1f being in contact with each other. The opening of this semi-plug door 1a is achieved by lateral release of the stops according to suitable kinematics.
[0028] The door 1a has a lower part delimited by a lower edge 1e in the vicinity of the floor 1g in which two activation mechanisms 5 are installed allowing the engagement of the slide hook bar 11. In this lower part of the internal face 1b of the door 1a is mounted a box 1h in which the slide is located, capable of being deployed in the event of emergency opening of the door 1a of the aircraft.
[0029] To achieve this deployment, the slide hook bar 11 engages in the hook fittings 5e of the activation mechanisms 5 installed in the floor 1g when these have been actuated by the arming / disarming control 2 positioned on the internal face 1b of the door. This arming / disarming control 2 is movable between an arming position, in which the arming device 3 is able to hook the hook bar 11 when the door 1a opens, and a disarming position in which the hook bar 11 is freely movable relative to the arming device 3. In addition, the hook bar 11 here has two bars 1j positioned at its ends to be hooked each by one of the activation mechanisms 5 when they are in the armed position.
[0030] [Fig.2] shows a perspective view of the installation of the two activation mechanisms 5 in the cabin floor 1g. These two activation mechanisms 5 are independent of each other, advantageously reducing their size and the space required for their installation in the floor 1g of the aircraft.
[0031] [Fig.3] and [Fig.4] show a perspective view of the slide box Ih when it is armed and disarmed respectively and when the door has reached the position where the bars Ij are opposite the hooks 5e. In the armed position ([Fig.3] and enlargement A1), the hook fittings 5e protrude from the floor 1g and the bars Ij of the hooking bar 11 are engaged in these hook fittings 5e when the door 1a opens, the continuation of the opening movement then causing the slide to deploy. In the disarmed position ([Fig.4]), the hook fittings 5e are retracted and flush with the floor 1g. The bars Ij are therefore not caught by the hook fittings 5e when the door 1a opens and then do not cause the slide to deploy.
[0032] [Fig.5] illustrates an activation mechanism 5 which has a drive lever 5a, one end of which, the switching end 5b (which is free) is equipped with a fork 5c. At the other end, the rotation end 5d, the drive lever 5a pivots between an armed position (see [Fig.6]) and a disarmed position (see [Fig. 10]). The drive lever 5a is connected to the hook fitting 5e for engaging the hook bar 11. In this variant, the connection is made by gears 5j and the rotation of the drive lever 5a moves the hook fitting 5e between its armed position and its disarmed position. The gears 5j are protected by a cover 5n shown in [Fig.5a], this cover providing protection in particular against dust and particles which could damage or block the gears. As an alternative to gears, a direct or connecting rod connection is possible between the drive lever 5a and the hook fitting 5e.
[0033] The drive lever 5a is bistable between two stable positions corresponding respectively to the armed position and the disarmed position of the hook fitting 5e. The rotation end 5d of the bistable drive lever 5a is connected to the upper plate 5g by two stabilizing return means, here helical springs 5f. In [Fig.5], the drive lever 5a is in the armed position, the disarmed position being illustrated in [Fig.10]. The bistable drive lever 5a therefore secures the positioning of the hook fitting 5e either in the armed position or in the disarmed position, and any intermediate position which would lead to a malfunction or damage to the door 1a is thus avoided. In addition, the second spring directly secures the 5th hook fitting in the same two extreme positions, thus making the system redundant and ensuring that even if one of the springs breaks, the armed or disarmed position is secure.The transition from one stable position to another is detailed in the views shown in [Fig.6] to [Fig.10].
[0034] Figures 6 to 10 illustrate the steps of the transition from the armed position to the disarmed position of the arming device 3. The transition from the disarmed position to the armed position is carried out by considering these figures in reverse order.
[0035] The arming device 3 comprises two control levers 4 mounted on the lower edge 1c and on the internal face 1b of the door 1a. The control levers 4 have an attachment end 4a as well as a free end 4b with a cylindrical tip, each control lever 4 being movable between an arming position and a disarming position, in accordance with the arming / disarming command of the device 3. Each control lever 4 is rotatable at its attachment end 4a relative to the door 1a. Alternatively, each control lever 4 is movable in translations to actuate the drive levers 5a and move from the arming position to the disarming position.
[0036] The arming device 3 also comprises an activation mechanism 5 by control lever 4, the fork 5c of each activation mechanism 5 being driven by the corresponding control lever 4. The connection between the drive levers 5a and the hook fittings 5e is made by gears 51 of different kinematics to the gears 5j of [Fig.5]. A synchronization axis 4c is connected to the two control levers 4 in order to actuate them simultaneously and to drive the two activation mechanisms 5.
[0037] [Fig.6] shows the arming device 3 in the armed position: - the 5th hook fittings are protruding; - the free end 4b of the control lever 4 is above the floor, and - the drive lever 5a, and in particular the fork 5c, is close to the free end 4b.
[0038] The bistable drive lever 5a is held in the armed position by the helical springs 5f. Actuation of the arming / disarming control 2 causes the rotation of the synchronization shaft and the control levers 4 which engage in the forks 5c as illustrated in [Fig.7], to drive them as illustrated in [Fig.8] and in [Fig.9]: the driving of the forks 5c then causes the rotation of the hook fittings 5e ([Fig.8]) and their retraction into the floor 1g ([Fig.9]).
[0039] At the end of the sequence shown in [Fig.9], the control lever 4 comes out of the fork 5c, the bistable drive lever 5a as well as the hook 5e then being brought into the disarming position by the helical springs 5f as illustrated in [Fig.10]. In the disarming position of the arming device 3, the hook fitting 5e is retracted into the floor 1g and the free end 4b of the control lever 4 is again above the floor.
[0040] The activation mechanism comprises an upper plate 5g in continuity with the floor 1g (see the description with reference to [Fig.3] and [Fig.4]). The upper plate 5g further comprises a slot 5i (see [Fig.5a]) into which the control lever 4 is inserted in rotation (see [Fig.8]) during the driving of the drive lever 5a when moving from the armed position to the disarmed position and when moving from the disarmed position to the armed position.
[0041] The activation mechanism also includes a position sensor 5k of the hook fitting 5e, this sensor making it possible to confirm to the pilot of the aircraft the armed or disarmed position of the hook fitting 5e. As illustrated in [Fig.6a] and [Fig.9a], the hook fitting 5e pivots around an axis 5p and has on the end opposite the hook a target 5m of the position sensor 5k. When the hook fitting 5e is protruding, the target 5m is facing the position sensor 5k (see [Fig.6a]). When the hook fitting 5e is retracted by pivoting around its axis 5p, the target 5m also rotates around the 5p axis and moves away from the 5k position sensor (see [Fig.9a]) which no longer detects it.
[0042] [Fig. 11] shows the arming / disarming control 2 as well as the connecting kinematics 2a for controlling the rotation of the synchronization shaft 4c and the control levers 4. In this embodiment, a rotation of the arming / disarming control 2 drives a set of connecting rods 2b which results in the rotation of the synchronization shaft 4c. Other types of control (electric, hydraulic) can control the rotation of the control levers 4.
[0043] [Fig. 12] illustrates a front and sectional view along plane A of the drive lever 5a. The fork 5c arranged at the switching end 5b has a double evacuation chamfer 5q in the shape of a “U” (see the sectional view). Advantageously, this double chamfer 5q allows the evacuation of dust from the drive lever 5a and therefore also from the activation mechanism 5. Indeed, the accumulation of this dust in the fork 5c can block the entry of the control lever 4 and therefore the resetting / disarming of the hook fittings 5e.
Claims
Claims
1. Arming device (3) for a slide of a semi-plug door (la) with lateral release of an aircraft, the door (la) delimiting in the closed position an interior (INT) and an exterior (EXT) of the aircraft, this door (la) comprising: - an internal face (1b) oriented towards the interior (INT) of the aircraft; - a lower edge (le) in the vicinity of a floor (1g) inside (INT) of the aircraft; - a deployable slide hook bar (li) mounted on the inner face (1b) of the door (la), and - a deployable slide arming / disarming control (2), this control (2) being movable between an arming position, in which the arming device (3) is capable of hooking the hook bar (li) when the door (la) opens, and a disarming position in which the hook bar (li) is freely movable relative to the arming device (3);the arming device (3) being characterized in that it comprises: - at least one control lever (4) mounted on the door (la) and having an attachment end (4a) and a free end (4b), each control lever (4) being movable between an arming position and a disarming position in accordance with the arming / disarming command (2), and - an activation mechanism (5) per control lever (4), each activation mechanism (5) being installed in the floor (1g) and having a drive lever (5a) equipped with a fork (5c) driven by said control lever (4), the drive lever (5a) being connected to a hook fitting (5e) for engaging the hook bar (li) protruding in the armed position and flush with the floor (1g) in the disarmed position.;
2. Arming device (3) according to claim 1 in which each control lever (4) is rotatable at its attachment end (4a) relative to the door (la).
3. Arming device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 2 wherein the arming device (3) comprises two control levers (4) and two activation mechanisms (5).
4. Arming device (3) according to claim 3 in which a synchronization axis (4c) is connected to the two control levers (4) in order to operate them simultaneously.
5. Arming device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the free end (4b) of each control lever (4) remains above the floor (1g) in the arming position and in the disarming position.
6. Arming device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein, in each activation mechanism (5), the drive lever (5a) and the hook fitting (5e) are linked by gears (5j).
7. Arming device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in which the activation mechanism (5) comprises an upper plate (5g) in continuity with the floor (1g), this upper plate (5g) having an opening (5h) for the exit of the hook fitting (5e).
8. Arming device (3) according to claim 7 in which the upper plate (5g) comprises a slot (5i) in which the control lever (4) is inserted in rotation during the driving of the driving lever (5a) when passing from the arming position to the disarming position and when passing from the disarming position to the arming position.
9. Arming device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in which the drive lever (5a) is bistable between two stable positions corresponding respectively to the armed and disarmed position of the hook fitting (5e).
10. Arming device (3) according to claim 9 in combination with any one of claims 7 to 8, in which the bistable drive lever (5a) is connected to the upper plate (5g) by two stabilizing return means.
11. Arming device (3) according to claim 10 in which the return means consist of helical springs (5f).
12. Arming device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in which the arming device (3) comprises a position sensor (5k) of the hook fitting (5e).
13. Arming device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in which the fork (5c) comprises at least one “U” shaped evacuation chamfer (5q).