Aircraft Door Slide Arming Sensor System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing systems for operating aircraft doors are prone to inadvertent emergency escape slide deployment due to high mechanical forces required for disarming and the complexity of the kinematic chain, which can lead to mechanical failures and false alarms, making it difficult for cabin crew to operate the doors safely.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an operating handle with a lever and grip, a slide arming means, a control unit, and a sensor that detects hand proximity to prevent inadvertent slide deployment by providing a warning and automatically disarming the slide when the door is about to be opened, eliminating the need for direct mechanical connection between the slide arming lever and girt bar, thus simplifying the operation and reducing mechanical failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a kinematical chain of several levers and rods is used to couple the slide arming lever to the girt bar, then the slide arming mechanism can be mechanically connected to the escape slide, but the required force for moving the slide arming lever becomes rather high and mechanical failures may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex kinematical chain of levers and rods from the system. Instead of using mechanical linkages to couple the slide arming lever to the girt bar, the invention uses a direct electrical connection through a sensor and control unit that detects handle movement and automatically arms or disarms the slide, thereby removing the source of high mechanical forces and potential mechanical failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system (kinematical chain of levers and rods) with an electrical/electronic system. A sensor detects the position and movement of the operating handle, and a control unit processes this information to control the slide arming mechanism, substituting mechanical force transmission with electrical signal transmission and eliminating the need for complex mechanical linkages.
2Reliability
If warning means are provided to alert operators about slide arming status, then inadvertent slide deployment can be prevented, but the system complexity increases with additional sensors and control units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the operating handle serve multiple functions: it operates the door and simultaneously serves as the slide arming/disarming mechanism. The sensor that detects handle movement is integrated into the existing handle structure, and the control unit uses the same movement detection signal for both door operation control and slide arming control, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing mechanical movement of the operating handle to automatically trigger the slide arming and disarming functions without requiring separate controls or additional manual actions. The sensor detects the handle's position and movement, and the control unit automatically responds by arming or disarming the slide, making the system self-regulating and reducing the need for complex warning and control mechanisms.
3Loss of time
If the sensor is positioned close to the grip (within 60 cm), then hand proximity can be detected in time to provide warnings, but the detection field may cover too large an area causing false alarms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a focused detection field with specific spatial characteristics. The sensor is configured to detect hand proximity only in a localized area around the grip, using the geometric relationship between the sensor position, the grip position, and the expected hand approach path to define a precise detection zone that minimizes false alarms while maintaining early detection capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively prevents inadvertent slide deployments by providing timely warnings and simplifying the operation of the aircraft door, reducing the risk of mechanical failures and false alarms, while maintaining ergonomic design and existing handle interfaces, allowing safe and efficient door operation.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor for detecting the distance to or the proximity of an object... The sensor is adapted for detecting the proximity of a hand of a user in a field around the grip
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (4) for operating an aircraft door (2) comprises an operating handle (8) having a lever (10) and a grip (12), a slide arming means (11), which is movable between a first position representing an armed state and a second position representing a disarmed state, a control unit (6) coupled with the slide arming means (11), warning means (18,20) arranged in the vicinity of the slide arming means (11) and a sensor (34). The slide arming means (11) is adapted for producing a first control signal representing a movement of the slide arming means between the first and second position. The sensor (34) is arranged at a distance to the grip (12), which distance does not exceed 60 cm when the operating handle (8) is closed. The sensor (34) is adapted for detecting the proximity of a hand of a user in a field around the grip (12), which field covers a distance of at least 10 cm and not exceeding 50 cm to the grip (12) and for producing a proximity signal representing the proximity of a hand of a person. The control unit (6) is adapted for operating the warning means (18,20) on receiving the proximity signal of the sensor (34) in order to raise attention to the slide arming means (11) when the slide arming means (11) is in the first position.