System and method for packing inflatable safety equipment

Abstract

A method of packing inflatable safety equipment for an aircraft includes packing the inflatable safety equipment adjacent a door to be installed on an exterior of an aircraft and retaining the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door using a restraint of the inflatable safety equipment system. A method of deploying inflatable safety equipment includes releasing a door installed on an exterior of an aircraft such that the inflatable safety equipment is free to inflate and causing the inflatable safety equipment to inflate. An inflatable safety equipment system includes a door to be installed on an exterior of an aircraft and inflatable safety equipment retained in contact with the door.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PACKING INFLATABLE SAFETY EQUIPMENTFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The field of the invention relates to inflatable safety equipment, such as but not limited to inflatable safety equipment for an aircraft, and more particularly to enclosures for housing such inflatable safety equipment and systems and methods of packing inflatable safety equipment therein.BACKGROUND

[0002] Inflatable safety equipment is commonly provided on aircraft for providing means for rapid evacuation from the aircraft in the event of an emergency. Such inflatable safety equipment may include, but is not limited to, slides, slide / rafts, ramps, slide / ramps, helicopter floats, and life rafts. While some inflatable safety equipment may be installed or stowed within an interior of the aircraft, it is common to also install inflatable safety equipment on the exterior of the aircraft so as to not occupy usable space within a cabin of the aircraft. In such cases, the inflatable safety equipment is installed within an enclosure having a housing, a flange, and a door. The inflatable safety equipment may be provided within the housing, and the flange is provided to install the housing flush with the aircraft fuselage or wing. The door is installed on the enclosure once the inflatable safety equipment is packed into the housing.

[0003] Traditionally, in order to install the door, the evacuation equipment is folded and compressed into the enclosure housing and is held in place by a lacing cover, which commonly includes high strength fabric and cordage. Thus, when assembled, the lacing cover is between the evacuation equipment and the door and retaining the evacuation equipment within the enclosure housing. During an evacuation event, the door is opened, and the lacing cover must be released before the evacuation equipment is forced out of the enclosure and inflated rapidly. In other words, traditionally when the door is opened, the evacuation equipment is not free to inflate, and the lacing cover must first be removed or released. Additionally, or alternatively, the force of the inflating unit is enough to release or break through the lacing cover, and / or some lacing covers have connectors such as hook and loop fasteners and / or snaps holding them closed that are meant to break or open at a given force.

[0004] The enclosure housing has ty pically been constructed from a rigid material, such as a composite material, and has a complex shape following the contours and spaces in the inner framework of the aircraft fuselage. Such structures may be difficult and time-consuming to manufacture due to the geometry and physical requirements of the housing. The complex geometry of such housings also commonly requires additional provisions or equipment to ensure the evacuation equipment is properly ejected from the enclosure housing during deployment. The rigid material used to construct the housing furthermore adds significant weight, often making up more than half of the weight of the enclosure.SUMMARY

[0005] The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.

[0006] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of packing inflatable safety equipment for an aircraft includes packing the inflatable safety equipment adjacent a door to be installed on an exterior of an aircraft and retaining the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door using a restraint or restraint system. Restraint systems may include, but are not limited to, a series of webbing, a piece of fabric, cordage, covers (both rigid and non-rigid), combinations thereof, and / or other suitable systems as desired.

[0007] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a method of deploying inflatable safety equipment includes releasing a door installed on an exterior of an aircraft such that the inflatable safety equipment is free to inflate and causing the inflatable safety equipment to inflate.

[0008] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an inflatable safety equipment system includes a door, which may be installed on an exterior of an aircraft, and inflatable safety equipment retained in contact with the door.

[0009] Various implementations described herein can include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which cannot necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The specification makes reference to the following appended figures, in which use of like reference numerals in different figures is intended to illustrate like or analogous components.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an inflatable safety equipment system for an aircraft.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an inflatable safety equipment system for an aircraft according to embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an inflatable safety equipment system for an aircraft according to embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an inflatable safety equipment system for an aircraft according to embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates an inflatable safety equipment system for an aircraft in a deployed state according to embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Described herein are inflatable safety equipment systems and methods for storing inflatable safety equipment on an exterior of an aircraft. In various embodiments, the inflatable safety equipment systems described herein include inflatable safety equipment, such as but notlimited to a slide, slide / raft, ramp, slide / ramp, helicopter float, and / or life raft, retained adjacent a door of the inflatable safety equipment system. As such, unlike traditional approaches, in which a lacing cover retains inflatable safety equipment within a housing of an enclosure, the inflatable safety equipment described herein is retained adjacent and in contact with the door. Such a system and method of packing the inflatable safety equipment may eliminate the need for a traditional enclosure housing to contain the inflatable safety equipment. In certain embodiments, retaining the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door may allow for the enclosure housing to be reduced in weight, simplified, and / or eliminated.

[0017] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein utilize a restraint for retaining the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door. The restraint may be various devices, mechanisms, or combinations thereof suitable for retaining the inflatable safety equipment. As non-limiting examples, the restraint may be a flexible, compliant, and / or non- rigid material (collectively referred to herein as “non-rigid material”), may be at least partially non-rigid, and / or may be at least partially rigid. In certain embodiments, the restraint may be attached to a door, a mounting flange, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may include a girt attached directly to the mounting flange and to the inflatable safety equipment. In various embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may include the door attached to the inflatable safety equipment such that the door remains attached to the inflatable safety equipment upon deployment, thereby becoming part of the emergency evacuation equipment during and after the deployment event. In certain embodiments, the restraint may assist in expelling the inflatable safety equipment during a deployment event. In such embodiments, the restraint may be and / or may include various features or mechanisms for assisting with expelling of the inflatable safety equipment. As non-limiting examples, the restraint may include an inflatable section for expelling the equipment by inflating, the restraint may apply tension to the equipment, the restraint may be or include a mechanical stored energy device, the restraint may be or include an elastic band, elastomer spring, metallic spring, strain energy storing member, combinations thereof, and / or include other features or mechanisms as desired.

[0018] The systems and methods described herein may provide a simplified system for retaining inflatable safety equipment in a packed state providing weight savings, reduced manufacturing time, and reduced manufacturing costs compared to traditional rigid housings. The systems and methods described herein may also decrease deployment complexity and / orimprove deployment performance. In various embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may meet and / or exceeds the requirements according to TSO-C69c from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), entitled EMERGENCY EVACUATION SLIDES, RAMPS, RAMP / SLIDES, AND SLIDE RAFTS and published August 18, 1999 (“TSO- C69c’') (incorporated herein by reference) and / or TSO-C70b from the FAA, entitled LIFE RAFTS and published August 4, 2014 (“TSO-C70b”) (incorporated herein by reference). Various other benefits and advantages may be realized with the systems and methods described herein, and the aforementioned benefits and advantages should not be considered limiting.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an aircraft 100 with an inflatable safety equipment system 102. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a fuselage 104 of the aircraft 100 may include a cavity 106 open to the exterior of the aircraft 100. The particular location of the canty 106 on the fuselage 104 should not be considered limiting. Moreover, in additional and / or alternative embodiments, the cavity 106 may be defined on other exterior components of the aircraft 100, such as but not limited to a wing of the aircraft, a door of an aircraft, or the fuselage of the aircraft.

[0020] Traditionally, the inflatable safety equipment system 102 generally includes an enclosure 108 for holding one or more pieces of inflatable safety equipment 110 in a packed state. The inflatable safety equipment 110 may be various inflatable safety equipment as desired, such as but not limited to a slide, slide / raft, ramp, slide / ramp, helicopter float, and / or life raft. When assembled with the aircraft 100, the enclosure 108 may be positioned within the cavity 106.

[0021] The enclosure 108 generally includes a housing 112, a mounting flange 114, a door 116, and a lacing cover 118. The housing 112 defines a receiving area 120 for receiving the packed inflatable safety equipment 110 while also physically isolating the packed inflatable safety equipment 110 from interior components of the aircraft 100. The housing 112 is attached or joined to the mounting flange 114 such that the mounting flange 114 defines an opening 122 to the receiving area 120. When installed on the aircraft 100, the mounting flange 114 may be attached or otherwise supported on the aircraft 100 such that the mounting flange 114 is generally flush with the surrounding exterior of the aircraft 100 and forms a part of the fuselage 104, and the housing 112 is generally within the cavity 106. The lacing cover 118, which may include a high strength fabric and associated cordage, may retain or otherwise hold the folded inflatable safety equipment 110 within the receiving area 120. The door 116 may be positionedwithin the mounting flange 114 and over the lacing cover 118 to close the opening 122. In certain embodiments, similar to the mounting flange 114, the door 116 may be flush with the mounting flange 114 and thereby flush with the surrounding exterior of the aircraft 100 and forming a part of the fuselage 104. The door 116 may be supported on the mounting flange 114 using various mechanisms or techniques as desired. In various embodiments, the door 116 is supported on the mounting flange 114 such that the door 116 is movable away from the opening 122 during an activation event for the inflatable safety equipment 110, thereby allowing the inflatable safety equipment 110 to be deployed from the housing 112 after the lacing cover 118 is released. As discussed previously, such packaging solutions do not leave the inflatable safety equipment 110 free to inflate upon release of the door 116, and the lacing cover 118 must first be released, removed, or forced open by the deployment of the emergency inflatable equipment.

[0022] FIGS. 2-5 illustrate an inflatable safety equipment system 202 according to embodiments of the disclosure. Compared to the inflatable safety equipment system 102, the inflatable safety equipment system 202 retains the packed inflatable safety equipment 110 adjacent the door 116. In some embodiments, the inflatable safety equipment is retained directly against the door 116 and such that the inflatable safety' equipment 110 is in contact with the door 116. In other embodiments, a piece of material may be provided between the inflatable safety equipment and the door 116 while the inflatable safety equipment is retained adjacent the door 116. In various embodiments, the inflatable safety equipment system 202 optionally omits the housing 112, thereby providing weight savings and simplified installation. However, in other embodiments, the housing 112 may be included and / or the housing 112 may be modified to be reduced in weight and / or simplified.

[0023] As illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, the inflatable safety equipment system 202 includes one or more restraints 224 which retain the inflatable safety equipment 110 in contact with the door 116. While a single restraint 224 is illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, any number may be utilized as desired.

[0024] The one or more restraints 224 may be various devices, features, or combinations thereof suitable for retaining the inflatable safety equipment 110 in contact with the door 116. As non-limiting examples, the one or more restraints 224 may include, but are not limited to, a high strength fabric or flexible composite material, a textile or nonwoven fabric, a high strength film, a rigid restraint or material, a semi-flexible composite material, a series ofwebbing, a piece of fabric, cordage, combinations thereof, and / or other suitable restraints and / or restraint systems as desired. In some non-limiting examples, the non-rigid material may include a substrate with a polyethylene (PE), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polypropylene (PP), polyester, polyamide (PA), aromatic polyamide, aramid, polyolefin, aromatic polyester, polyarylate, other liquid crystal polymers, nylon, combinations thereof, and / or other substrate materials for a high strength fabric or flexible composite material. In some embodiments, the restraint 224 is at least partially flexible and / or the restraint 224 includes one or more flexible or non-rigid portions. Additionally, or alternatively, the restraint 224 may be at least partially rigid and / or the restraint 224 includes one or more rigid portions. In one non-limiting example, the restraint 224 may be completely flexible or non- rigid.

[0025] The one or more restraints 224 may be provided in various forms suitable for retaining the inflatable safety equipment 110 in contact with the door 116. As non-limiting examples, the one or more restraints 224 may form a cover, optionally at least a partially flexible cover, that substantially covers the inflatable safety equipment 110, the one or more restraints 224 may be provided as one or more bands, and / or the one or more restraints 224 may be otherwise utilized as desired.

[0026] The one or more restraints 224 may be attached to various components of the inflatable safety equipment system 202 as desired. As non-limiting examples, the one or more restraints 224 may be attached to the mounting flange 114 (see, e.g., FIGS. 2 and 3), attached to the door 116 (see, e.g., FIG. 4), or any combination thereof. In one non-limiting example, a restraint 224 may be attached to both the mounting flange 114 and the door 116.

[0027] In some embodiments, the one or more restraints 224 may assist in expelling the inflatable safety equipment 110 from the inflatable safety equipment system 202 during a deployment event. In such embodiments, the one or more restraints 224 optionally may include various features or mechanisms for assisting with expelling of the inflatable safety equipment 110. As one non-limiting example, the one or more restraints 224 may be kept under tension such as via cordage and / or the restraints being and / or including one or more elastic bands. As another non-limiting example, the one or more restraints 224 may be or include a mechanical stored energy device. As yet another non-limiting example, the one or more restraints 224 may include an inflatable section for expelling the equipment by inflating. Various other featuresand / or combinations of features may be utilized as desired to assist expelling the inflatable safety equipment 110.

[0028] In certain embodiments, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the inflatable safety equipment 110 retained adjacent the door 116 may allow for a girt 226 of the inflatable safety equipment 110 to be attached directly to the mounting flange 114. In such embodiments, the girt 226 attached to the inflatable safety equipment 110 and directly to the mounting flange 114 may provide a simplified installation with decreased deployment complexity and increased deployment performance, among other benefits.

[0029] Optionally, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, the inflatable safety equipment system 202 may include the door 116 attached to the inflatable safety equipment 110 such that the door 116 remains attached to the inflatable safety equipment 110 and thereby becomes a part of the inflatable safety equipment 110 during and after a deployment event. In such embodiments, the door 116 may be attached to the inflatable safety equipment 110 via the restraint 224 (e.g., the restraint 224 is attached to both the inflatable safety equipment 110 and the door 116) and / or using other attachment mechanisms or features as desired. In FIG. 5, the inflatable safety equipment 110 is a slide 228 with a sliding surface 230, although in other embodiments, the inflatable safety equipment 110 may be other equipment as desired. In various embodiments, the door 116 remaining attached to the inflatable safety equipment 110 may decrease deployment complexity and increased deployment performance, among other benefits.

[0030] The inflatable safety equipment system 202 described herein may provide improved installation and improved deployment compared to traditional approaches. As a non-limiting example, and referring to FIG. 2, a method of packing the inflatable safety equipment 110 may include packing the inflatable safety equipment 110 adjacent the door 116 and retaining the inflatable safety equipment 110 adjacent the door 116 using the restraint 224. Such a method may include installing the packed and retained inflatable safety equipment 110 on the aircraft 100 by positioning the door 116 within the opening 122 defined by the mounting flange 114. As another non-limiting example, a method of deploying inflatable safety equipment may include releasing the door 116 installed on the exterior of the aircraft 100. In certain embodiments, because the inflatable safety equipment 110 is retained adjacent the door 116, releasing the door 116 thereby allows the inflatable safety equipment 110 to freely inflate, and a separate lacing cover 118 does not need to be released. The method may include causing theinflatable safety equipment 110 to inflate after the door 116 is released using various suitable inflation systems or mechanisms.

[0031] A collection of exemplary embodiments is provided below, including at least some explicitly enumerated as an “Illustration” providing additional description of a variety of example embodiments in accordance with the concepts described herein. These illustrations are not meant to be mutually exclusive, exhaustive, or restrictive; and the disclosure not limited to these example illustrations but rather encompasses all possible modifications and variations within the scope of the issued claims and their equivalents.

[0032] Illustration 1. A method of packing inflatable safety equipment for an aircraft, the method comprising: packing the inflatable safety equipment adjacent a door of an inflatable safety equipment system, the door configured to be installed on an exterior of an aircraft; and retaining the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door using a restraint of the inflatable safety equipment system.

[0033] Illustration 2. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein the inflatable safety equipment comprises a slide, slide / raft, ramp, slide / ramp, helicopter float, or life raft.

[0034] Illustration 3. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein retaining the inflatable safety equipment comprises retaining the inflatable safety equipment in contact with the door using the restraint.

[0035] Illustration 4. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein the restraint is a non-rigid cover.

[0036] Illustration 5. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein the restraint is at least partially flexible.

[0037] Illustration 6. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein the restraint is at least partially rigid.

[0038] Illustration 7. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein packing the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching a girt to the inflatable safety equipment and to a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system or attaching the girt to the aircraft.

[0039] Illustration 8. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein retaining the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching the restraint to at least one of the door or a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system in which the door is positioned.

[0040] Illustration 9. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein retaining the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching the restraint to both the door and the mounting flange.

[0041] Illustration 10. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein packing the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching the door to the inflatable safety equipment such that the door remains attached to the inflatable safety equipment upon deployment.

[0042] Illustration 11. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, further comprising positioning the door within an opening defined by a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system, wherein the mounting flange is configured to be mounted on the exterior of the aircraft.

[0043] Illustration 12. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, further comprising installing the door on the exterior of the aircraft such that the restraint extends at least partially into a cavity in the exterior of the aircraft such that the restraint is an innermost portion of the inflatable safety equipment system within the cavity.

[0044] Illustration 13. A method of deploying inflatable safety equipment, the method comprising: releasing a door of an inflatable safety equipment sy stem, the door installed on an exterior of an aircraft such that the inflatable safety equipment is free to inflate; and causing the inflatable safety equipment to inflate.

[0045] Illustration 14. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, further comprising expelling the inflatable safety equipment at least partially using a restraint of the inflatable safety equipment system attached to the door, wherein the restraint retains the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door in an undeployed state.

[0046] Illustration 15. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, further comprising expelling the inflatable safety equipment at least partially using a restraint of the inflatable safety equipment system attached to a mounting flange of theinflatable safety equipment system, wherein the restraint retains the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door in an undeployed state.

[0047] Illustration 16. The method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein causing the inflatable safety equipment to inflate comprises maintaining attachment between the door and the inflatable safety equipment.

[0048] Illustration 17. An inflatable safety equipment system comprising: a door configured to be installed on an exterior of an aircraft; and inflatable safety equipment retained in contact with the door.

[0049] Illustration 18. The inflatable safety equipment system of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, further comprising a restraint, wherein the restrain retains the inflatable safety equipment in contact with the door.

[0050] Illustration 19. The inflatable safety equipment system of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein the restraint is attached to at least one of the door or a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system, the mounting flange defining an opening in which the door is positioned.

[0051] Illustration 20. The inflatable safety equipment system of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein at least one of: the door is attached to the inflatable safety equipment such that the door remains attached to the inflatable safety equipment upon deployment; or a girt is attached to both the inflatable safety equipment and a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system, the mounting flange defining an opening in which the door is positioned.

[0052] Illustration 21. The inflatable safety equipment system or method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein the restraint is a semi-rigid cover or a non-rigid cover.

[0053] Illustration 22. The inflatable safety equipment system or method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein one or more pieces of material are between the door and the inflatable safety equipment.

[0054] Illustration 23. The inflatable safety equipment system or method of any preceding or subsequent illustration or combination of illustrations, wherein the inflatable safety equipment is retained directly against and in contact with the door.

[0055]

[0056] The subject matter of embodiments is described herein with specificity to meet statutory' requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described. Directional references such as “up,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “front,” and “back,” among others, are intended to refer to the orientation as illustrated and described in the figure (or figures) to which the components and directions are referencing. In the figures and the description, like numerals are intended to represent like elements. As used herein, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes singular and plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0057] All ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of “1 to 10” should be considered to include any and all subranges between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more, e.g., 1 to 6.1, and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less, e.g., 5.5 to 10.

[0058] The above-described aspects are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure. Moreover, although specific terms are employed herein, as well as in the claims that follow, they are used only in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for the purposes of limiting the described embodiments, nor the claims that follow.

Claims

CLAIMSThat which is claimed is:

1. A method of packing inflatable safety equipment for an aircraft, the method comprising: packing the inflatable safety equipment adjacent a door of an inflatable safety equipment system, the door configured to be installed on an exterior of an aircraft; and retaining the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door using a restraint of the inflatable safety equipment system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflatable safety equipment comprises a slide, slide / raft, ramp, slide / ramp, helicopter float, or life raft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein retaining the inflatable safety equipment comprises retaining the inflatable safety equipment in contact with the door using the restraint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the restraint is a non-rigid cover, a semi-rigid cover, or a rigid cover.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the restraint is at least partially flexible.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the restraint is at least partially rigid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein packing the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching a girt to the inflatable safety equipment and to a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system or attaching the girt to the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retaining the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching the restraint to at least one of the door or a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system in which the door is positioned.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein retaining the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching the restraint to both the door and the mounting flange.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein packing the inflatable safety equipment comprises attaching the door to the inflatable safety equipment such that the door remains attached to the inflatable safety equipment upon deployment.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the door within an opening defined by a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system, wherein the mounting flange is configured to be mounted on the exterior of the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing the door on the exterior of the aircraft such that the restraint extends at least partially into a cavity in the exterior of the aircraft such that the restraint is an innermost portion of the inflatable safety equipment system within the cavity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more pieces of material are between the inflatable safety equipment and the door.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflatable safety equipment is in contact with the door.

15. A method of deploying inflatable safety equipment, the method comprising: releasing a door of an inflatable safety equipment system, the door installed on an exterior of an aircraft such that the inflatable safety equipment is free to inflate; and causing the inflatable safety equipment to inflate.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising expelling the inflatable safety equipment at least partially using a restraint of the inflatable safety equipment system attached to the door or attached to a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system, wherein the restraint retains the inflatable safety equipment adjacent the door in an undeployed state.

17. An inflatable safety equipment system comprising: a door configured to be installed on an exterior of an aircraft; and inflatable safety equipment retained in contact with the door.

18. The inflatable safety equipment system of claim 17, further comprising a restraint, wherein the restrain retains the inflatable safety equipment in contact with the door.

19. The inflatable safety equipment system of claim 18, wherein the restraint is attached to at least one of the door or a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system, the mounting flange defining an opening in which the door is positioned.

20. The inflatable safety equipment system of claim 17, wherein at least one of: the door is attached to the inflatable safety equipment such that the door remains attached to the inflatable safety equipment upon deployment; or a girt is attached to both the inflatable safety equipment and a mounting flange of the inflatable safety equipment system, the mounting flange defining an opening in which the door is positioned.

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