Device linking the arming / disarming control to the opening handles of an aircraft door.
A mechanical linkage secures the arming/disarming control for aircraft door emergency systems, preventing accidental activation during normal openings and ensuring secure emergency readiness by linking it to the door handles, simplifying the operation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LATECOERE
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing aircraft door opening mechanisms face issues with accidental activation of the arming/disarming control for emergency systems, leading to potential damage or malfunction, especially during normal door openings, and additional locking steps complicate the process.
A mechanical linkage is coupled to the door opening handles, ensuring the arming/disarming control is secured in the disarmed position during normal openings and can only be activated when the door is fully closed, using a locking shaft, linking lever, and guide ramp to prevent accidental activation.
The solution ensures secure and transparent operation of emergency systems by preventing accidental activation during normal door openings, simplifying the process while maintaining emergency readiness.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Device for linking the arming / disarming control to the opening handles of an aircraft door. technical field
[0001] The invention relates to a linking device between, on the one hand, an arming / disarming control for emergency systems integrated into the architecture of an aircraft door, and on the other hand, the aircraft door opening handles. In critical situations (fire, emergency landing, water landing, etc.), known as emergencies, which require rapid and effective evacuation of the aircraft, pre-armed emergency systems are deployed when the door is opened. These emergency systems consist in particular of inflatable slides and backup actuators, which are therefore armed—that is, ready to be deployed—or disarmed—that is, deactivated—depending on the aircraft's situation.
[0002] In the aeronautical field, when semi-plug-type aircraft doors are closed and locked, sets of stops arranged around the perimeter of the door and their counterparts on the fuselage are mutually engaged, and the emergency systems are armed. To open the door in a so-called normal situation—that is, in operation outside of an emergency—the emergency systems must therefore be disarmed before the opening handles are activated. The present invention relates more particularly to doors with lateral release of the stops, that is, doors in which the disengagement of the stops for opening the door is achieved via lateral movement. STATE OF THE ART
[0003] Generally, an aircraft door can be opened by operating either an external handle or an internal handle. This door also includes an arming / disarming control for the emergency systems integrated into the door's architecture, this control being located inside the aircraft.
[0004] When the door is closed, the control system arms the emergency systems, which are then ready to be deployed when the door is opened in an emergency. When the door is opened under normal conditions, the control system is moved to the disarmed position before a door opening handle is activated, thus preventing the deployment of emergency systems such as slides. In the armed position, the emergency systems, particularly the slides, are ready to be deployed when the door is opened. These slides are attached to the fuselage at the bottom of the door, triggering their deployment when the door is opened in an emergency.
[0005] In practice, aircraft doors are held closed by two sets of stops arranged opposite each other on the door and its frame, respectively. These engaged stops prevent the door from opening during flight when the aircraft cabin is pressurized, as this pressure would tend to push the door out of its frame. One of the first steps when opening the door is therefore to disengage the stops. This disengagement is traditionally achieved by a vertical lifting movement of the door, which is advantageously used to lock the arming control in the disarmed position. However, during a lateral release of the stops, such a lock is no longer possible.
[0006] Furthermore, the arming / disarming control is generally installed on the door near the interior door handle. The door opening procedure is thus simplified by the proximity and ease of access of the arming / disarming control relative to the interior handle. However, this ease of access to the arming / disarming control, while advantageous for optimized door opening, is problematic because the arming / disarming control can then be easily activated accidentally when the door is open, which can damage the operation of the emergency systems and the door itself.
[0007] A locking mechanism for the arming / disarming control with a locking lever can be installed in the door architecture, but such a solution modifies the opening and closing steps of this door by introducing an additional locking step for the arming / disarming control. Adding an extra step is generally undesirable to limit the risk of errors resulting from forgetting or incorrectly performing this step, as these errors could damage the aircraft and endanger passageways. Description of the invention
[0008] The main objective of the invention is to solve the problem of securing the arming / disarming control of the emergency systems of an aircraft door in a manner transparent to the operator, i.e. without requiring additional handling by the operator when opening and closing the door.
[0009] To secure the arming / disarming control in the disarmed position when the door is open, the invention provides for coupling the arming / disarming control to the door opening handles by a mechanical linkage. This mechanical linkage allows the arming / disarming control to be operated independently only when the door is fully closed, as well as to lock this control in the disarmed position as soon as an opening in a so-called normal situation is initiated.
[0010] More specifically, the present invention relates to an assembly comprising: - an emergency system arming / disarming control; - an interior handle for opening an aircraft door, the interior handle pivoting around a main rotation shaft; - an external aircraft door opening handle that unilaterally drives the internal handle, and - a linking device between the arming / disarming control, the outer handle and the inner handle.
[0011] The linking device comprises: - a locking shaft; - a linking lever formed of a body between two ends called pivoting end and driving end, the linking lever rotating at its pivoting end around the locking shaft and being driven at its driving end by the arming / disarming control; - a guide ramp comprising at least one wall and extending transversely to a median area of the body of the connecting lever; - a two-ended locking rod, one end of which, called the transfer end, is driven by the main rotation shaft and the other end, called the locking end, is in contact with the guide ramp, and - a means for stopping the locking end, the stopping means being at the end of the guide ramp.
[0012] Advantageously, the stop means allows the locking end of the lever to be blocked, thus securing the link between the arming / disarming control and the interior aircraft door opening handle. Under these conditions, when the opening handle is actuated, the connecting lever is blocked by the locking rod stop means at the beginning of the opening handle's movement, and the arming / disarming control is locked in the disarmed position. This kinematic, in which the arming / disarming control can only be locked in the disarmed position, is particularly advantageous, as the door can then be opened or closed without changing the disarming position of the arming / disarming control, thus providing the desired security for this control. Therefore, arming the arming / disarming control is only possible when the door is closed.
[0013] Advantageously, this linking device also secures the arming / disarming command and allows the door to be opened simply and automatically in an emergency, and in particular without intervention specific and / or additional operator control, whether using the internal or external handle. In the latter case, the system allows for disarming.
[0014] Advantageously also, the unilateral drive of the inner handle by the outer handle allows on the one hand the movement of the inner handle in accordance with the actuation of the outer handle and on the other hand a disengagement of the outer handle when the inner handle is operated to open the door.
[0015] According to certain preferred embodiments: - the body of the linkage lever has a delta-type fin with a tip and a base, the tip coinciding with the pivoting end of the linkage lever and the base extending transversely along the middle area of the body of the linkage lever; - the guide ramp extends over the base of the delta-type fin; - the guide ramp is curved to accompany the rotation of the linkage lever; - the locking end of the locking rod has a locking pin in contact with the guide ramp; - the guide ramp is a channel which has two walls between which the locking pin moves; - the so-called simple guide ramp has only one wall; - a return mechanism maintains the contact of the locking pin on the single wall of the guide ramp; - the stopping mechanism is a notch at the end of the guide ramp; - the locking rod is self-adjusting in length; - the locking rod is articulated and has two arms, a transfer arm and a locking arm pivoting relative to each other around a common articulation axis; - each arm of the articulated locking rod has a stop which aligns the two arms with respect to each other; - the locking rod includes a means for stabilizing alignment return, and - the locking shaft includes a means for rotating the link lever; - the outer handle drives the connecting lever, and - the linkage device includes a cam arranged on the main rotation shaft and connected to the locking rod.
[0016] Advantageously, when the locking rod is not engaged in the stop, the interior opening handle can be operated to open the door without changing the position of the arming / disarming control, as the position of the locking pin is self-adjusting. This configuration allows, in particular, direct opening of the door with the emergency systems armed.
[0017] Advantageously also, when the locking rod is not opposite the stopping means, the use of the external handle causes the locking shaft to rotate to the disarmed position, which avoids the deployment of emergency systems when opening from the outside. PRESENTATION OF THE FIGURES
[0018] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed embodiment, without limiting its scope, by reference to the accompanying figures which represent, respectively:
[0019] - the [Fig. 1], a view of the interior of the aircraft of an aircraft door in its management ;
[0020] - Figures 2a, 3a and 4a, views of the interior of the aircraft of the door handles and the linking device at different phases of the arming / disarming command;
[0021] - Figures 2c and 4c, exterior views of the aircraft of the door handles and of the linking device in the respectively armed and disarmed position of the arming / disarming command;
[0022] - Figures 5a and 6a, views of the interior of the aircraft of the door handles and the linkage device at different stages of the actuation of the inner handle with the arming / disarming control in the disarmed position;
[0023] - Figures 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b, 11, enlarged views of the linking device;
[0024] - Figures 7, 8 and 9, views of the interior of the aircraft of the door handles and the linkage device at different stages of the actuation of the inner handle with the arming / disarming control in the armed position;
[0025] - Figures 10, 11a, 12a and 13, views of the interior of the aircraft of the handles door and connecting device during operation of the exterior handle in an emergency, and
[0026] - Figures 11b and 12b, exterior views of the aircraft of the door handles and of the linking device at different stages of the actuation of the external handle in an emergency situation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Figure 1 illustrates an aircraft door 1 installed in an aircraft fuselage 1, with the door 1 then closed. The fuselage structure consists of frames 1b and longerons 1 that support panels 1d, one of these panels having an opening into which the door 1 is inserted. This door 1 is connected to the fuselage by a door arm 1 that guides the opening and closing of the door 1 when the interior handle 2a is operated.
[0028] A set of stops If are engaged when door la is closed, locking door la in its closed position and preventing it from moving outwards from the aircraft. To open the door, a first step of disengaging the stops is therefore necessary.
[0029] An arming / disarming control 3a is installed in the vicinity of the inner handle 2a. This arming / disarming control 3a - here in the armed position - is connected by a set of connecting rods 3b to an engagement bar 3c which controls the arming / disarming of the emergency systems, in particular the inflatable slides installed in boxes (not shown) at the bottom of the doors.
[0030] Figures 2a and 2c show the linkage device 5 between the arming / disarming control 3a of the emergency systems, and the aircraft door opening handle 4a and 2a external handle. The internal handle 2a pivots about a main rotation shaft 2b and is driven unilaterally by the external handle 4a. The linkage device 5 detailed in Figure 2b comprises: - a locking shaft 5a; - a linking lever 6 formed of a body 6a between two ends called pivoting end 6c and driving end 6d, the linking lever 6 rotating at its pivoting end 6c around the locking shaft 5a and being driven at its driving end 6d by the arming / disarming control 3a; - a guide ramp 6e comprising a wall and extending transversely along a median area 6b of the body 6a of the connecting lever 6; - a locking connecting rod 7 with two ends, one end of which, called the transfer end 7a, is driven by the main rotation shaft 2b and the other end, called the locking end 7b, is in contact with the guide ramp 6e, and - a means for stopping the locking end 7b, the stopping means being at the end of the guide ramp 6e.
[0031] The arming / disarming control 3a is connected on one side by a set of connecting rods 3b to the emergency systems as shown in [Fig. 1], and on the other side to the linkage lever 6 by a drive mechanism 3d. This drive mechanism 3d, here conventionally composed of connecting rods and shafts, allows the linkage lever 6 to rotate around the locking shaft 5a. Thus, when the arming / disarming control 3a moves from the armed position to the disarmed position, the linkage lever 6 moves from its armed position illustrated in [Fig. 2b] to its disarmed position illustrated in [Fig. 4b], an intermediate position being shown in [Fig. 3b]. During disarming, the notch 6f on the linking lever 6 is therefore brought close to the locking end 7b of the locking rod 7, the notch 6f subsequently acting as the stopping means at the end of the guide ramp 6e.
[0032] The drive mechanism 3d is bidirectional in connection between the arming / disarming control 3a and the linkage lever 6. A rotation of the linkage lever 6 also drives the arming / disarming control 3a between its two arming and disarming positions.
[0033] Figures 2a and 2c also show the exterior door handle 4a. This exterior handle 4a is connected to the interior handle 2a and the locking shaft 5a. The handle connection 4b – arranged between the interior handle 2a and the exterior handle 4a – allows: - on the one hand, to dissociate the kinematics of the handles during the opening of the door with the interior handle 2a, the exterior handle 4a then remaining immobile as illustrated in figures 4a, 5a and 6a, and - on the other hand, to secure the inner handle 2a with the outer handle 4a when the latter is used to open the door as illustrated in figures 10, 11a, 12a and 13.
[0034] Figure 2b details the mechanical linkage between the connecting lever 6 and the main rotating shaft 2b, the latter being driven in rotation by the inner handle 2a. The locking rod 7 rotates about the axis 7j of the cam lever 7k in conjunction with a cam 7c arranged on the main rotating shaft 2b. The locking rod 7 comprises two articulation arms, a transfer arm 7d and a locking arm 7e, these arms pivoting relative to each other about a common articulation axis 7f. Each articulated arm of the locking rod 7 has a stop (not shown) that aligns the two arms with respect to each other, this alignment being stabilized by an alignment stabilizer spring 7g fixed to each arm. The locking rod 7 is then straight in its nominal position.To maximize the effect of the alignment stabilizing spring 7g, the attachment points are in this example offset from the common articulation axis 7f.
[0035] Furthermore, the body 6a of the connecting lever 6 comprises a delta-type fin 6g with a tip 6h and a base 6i. The base 6i coincides with the pivoting end 6c of the connecting lever 6, and the base 6i extends transversely along the mid-section 6b of the body 6a of the connecting lever 6. In addition, the guide ramp 6e is curved to accommodate the rotation of the connecting lever 6 and extends over the base 6i of the fin 6g. The guide ramp 6e is described as simple, meaning that it has only one wall in this example. The locking end 7b of the locking rod comprises a locking pin 7h which is in contact with the guide ramp 6e.
[0036] Alternatively, the guide ramp has two walls between which the locking pin travels, the guide ramp then forming a channel. A return means, here a retaining spring 7i between the articulation axis 7f and the door la (cf. [Fig.1], not shown in [Fig.2b]), holds the locking rod 7 against the cam 7c.
[0037] Figure 3a and the detail in Figure 3b show an intermediate stage between the armed position of the arming / disarming control 3a in Figure 2a and the disarmed position of this control in Figure 4a and Figure 4b, respectively. The change of position is achieved by a rotation of the arming / disarming control 3a, which causes the connecting lever 6 to rotate around the locking shaft 5a. During this rotation of the connecting lever 6, the locking pin 7h – of the locking rod 7 – moves along the guide ramp 6e to reach the inlet 6j of the notch 6f when the arming / disarming control 3a is in the disarmed position.
[0038] When the arming / disarming control 3a is in the disarmed position, the door la can then be safely opened by operating the inner handle 2a. Two intermediate opening stages are shown in [Fig. 5a] and [Fig. 6a], with the inner handle 2a pivoting around the main rotation shaft 2b. As soon as the inner handle 2a begins to rotate, the locking rod 7 is driven by the cam 7c, and the locking pin 7h is brought opposite the inlet 6j of the notch 6f. Driven by the cam 7c, the locking pin 7h then engages in the notch 6f, rotationally locking the connecting lever 6 and thus also locking the arming / disarming control 3a during the opening of the door la. Figures 5b and 6b of the linkage device 5 also illustrate this locking of the linkage lever 6 by the locking pin 7h.
[0039] In an emergency, the door is opened by operating the interior handle 2a, with the arming / disarming control 3a in the armed position as illustrated in Figures 2a, 7, 8, and 9, which relate to the door handles and the linkage device at different stages of the interior handle operation. When the rotation of the interior handle 2a is initiated, the cam 7c drives the locking rod 7. When the arming / disarming control 3a is in the disarmed position, the resulting movement of the locking rod 7 positions the locking pin 7h opposite the opening 6j of the notch 6f. When the arming / disarming control 3a is in the armed position, the locking rod 7 is driven in the same way as in the disarmed position thanks to the articulation axis 7f linking the transfer arm 7d to the locking arm 7e as well as the spring 7g.Indeed, the rotation of the cam 7c first brings the locking pin 7h into contact with the ramp 6e, then causes the locking rod 7 to break around the articulation axis 7f, thus self-adjusting to the kinematics of the linkage device 5. The locking rod 7 and the linkage lever 6 then remain in this position until the door is fully open.
[0040] In an alternative emergency door opening method, the door is opened by operating the exterior handle 4a. Referring to [Fig. 10], the door (not shown) is closed and the arming / disarming control 3a is in the armed position. In emergency opening from the outside, only the exterior handle 4a is accessible, and this handle disarms the arming / disarming control 3a before opening the door to prevent any deployment of emergency systems that could hinder rescue efforts. The exterior handle 4a includes a disarming ramp 4c that guides a disarming arm 5b attached to the locking shaft 5a. As illustrated more specifically in Figures 1a and 12a, operating the exterior handle 4a causes the disarming arm 5b to rotate, and therefore the locking shaft 5a to rotate.
[0041] Figure 2c shows a view of the linkage device 5 from outside the aircraft, and illustrates in particular the disarming lug 5c integral with the locking shaft 5a and the disarming arm 5b, the disarming lug 5c being connected to the door la by a lug spring 5e. The disarming lug 5c and the disarming arm 5b, held to the door la by the lug spring 5e, are then decoupled from the linkage lever 6, which can thus pivot freely relative to the locking shaft 5a when the arming / disarming control 3a is actuated as shown in Figure 4c. Indeed, actuating the arming / disarming control 3a brings the linkage lever 6 into contact with the disarming lug 5c without rotating the locking shaft.However, when the door is opened by the external handle 4a, the disarming arm 5b rotates the locking shaft 5a and the disarming lug 5c, which in turn drives the linkage lever 6 as illustrated in figures 11b and 12b. The linkage lever 6 thus driven disarms the arming / disarming control 3a.
[0042] When the arming / disarming control 3a is in the disarmed position, the door can then be opened without the deployment of the safety systems, and in particular the inflatable slide installed on the door. When the door is opened by actuating the exterior handle 4a, the linkage 4b between the exterior handle 4a and the interior handle 2a also actuates the interior handle 2a, as illustrated in Figures 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, and 13. This linkage 4b allows the handles to be disengaged when the interior handle 2a is actuated and to be joined when the exterior handle 4a is actuated. This joining is achieved by pushing in the flap 4d of the exterior handle 4a. In [Fig. 4c], this flap 4d is not pushed in; opening the door by the interior handle 2a does not actuate the exterior handle 4a. In [Fig.11b], the flap 4d is pushed in and opening the door by the outside handle 5c causes the inside handle 2a to move.
[0043] On the other hand, during external opening with an armed door, prior to disarming, the rotation of the cam 7c causes contact between the locking pin 7h and the guide rail 6e, with rotation of the transfer arm 7d relative to the locking arm 7e. As illustrated in [Fig. 11c], the spring 7g keeps the locking pin 7h in contact with the wall of the guide rail 6e. During disarming, controlled by the external handle, the locking pin 7h will slide along the rail 6e until it enters the notch 6f.
Claims
Demands
1. Assembly comprising: - an emergency system arming / disarming control (3a); - an interior handle (2a) for opening the aircraft door (la), the interior handle (2a) pivoting about a main rotation shaft (2b); - an exterior handle (4a) for opening an aircraft door (la) unilaterally driving the interior handle; and - a linking device (5) between the arming / disarming control (3a), the exterior handle (4a) and the interior handle (2a), the linking device (5) being characterized in that it comprises: - a locking shaft (5a); - a linking lever (6) formed of a body (6a) between two ends called pivoting end (6c) and driving end (6d), the linking lever (6) rotating at its pivoting end (6c) around the locking shaft (5a) and being driven at its driving end (6d) by the arming / disarming control (3a);- a guide ramp (6e) comprising at least one wall and extending transversely to a median zone (6b) of the body (6a) of the connecting lever (6); - a locking rod (7) with two ends, one end of which, called the transfer end (7a), is driven by the main rotation shaft (2b) and the other end, called the locking end (7b), is in contact with the guide ramp (6e), and - a means for stopping the locking end (7b), the stopping means being at the end of the guide ramp (6e).
2. Assembly according to claim 1 in the body (6a) of the linking lever (6) comprises a delta-type fin (6g) with a tip (6h) and a base (6i), the tip (6h) coinciding with the pivoting end (6c) of the linking lever (6) and the base (6i) extending transversely along the median area (6b) of the body (6a) of the linking lever (6).
3. Assembly according to claim 2 in which the guide ramp (6e) extends over the base (6i) of the delta-type fin (6g).
4. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the guide ramp (6e) is curved.
5. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the locking end (7b) of the locking rod (7) has a locking pin (7h) in contact with the guide ramp (6e).
6. Assembly according to claim 5 in which the guide ramp (6e) is a channel which has two walls between which the pin of the locking rod (7h) passes.
7. Assembly according to claim 5 in which the guide ramp (6e) referred to as simple comprises a single wall.
8. Assembly according to claim 7 wherein a return means maintains contact of the locking pin (7h) on the single wall of the guide rail (6e) during emergency opening by means of the outer handle
9. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the stopping means is a notch (6f) at the end of a guide ramp (6e).
10. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the locking rod (7) is self-adjusting.
11. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the locking rod (7) is articulated and comprises two arms, a transfer arm (7d) and a locking arm (7e) pivoting about a common articulation axis (7f).
12. Assembly according to claim 11 in which each articulated arm (7) has a stop which aligns the two arms with respect to each other under the effect of a spring 7g.
13. Assembly according to any one of claims 11 to 12 wherein the locking rod (7) includes an alignment stabilizing return means.
14. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13 in which the locking shaft (5a) includes a means for rotating the linking lever (6).
15. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the outer handle (4a) drives the linking lever (6).
16. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the connecting device (5) comprises a cam (7c) arranged on the main rotation shaft (2b) and in connection with the locking rod (7).