Aircraft Egress Platform and Guide Panel for Crew Rest Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The arrangement of passenger suites and furniture on aircraft main decks interferes with the effective use of conventional escape hatchways from crew rest areas located overhead, leading to increased egress times and potential safety issues, as evacuees may need to navigate through passenger suites or step on obstacles, which may not comply with safety regulations.
Innovation Solution
A deployable egress apparatus comprising a platform and guide panel attached to a vertical structure, which extends outward from the hatch opening in the overhead area, allowing evacuees to exit directly to a desired area in the main cabin without entering undesired spaces like passenger suites or stepping on obstacles, by moving from a closed to an open state when the hatch is opened.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional escape hatchways are used from overhead crew rest areas, then the egress path is straightforward through the hatch opening, but evacuees may step on obstacles or need to navigate through passenger suites, increasing egress time and creating safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary egress apparatus consisting of a platform and guide panel that mediates between the overhead hatch opening and the main cabin floor. This intermediary structure provides a clear path for evacuees, eliminating the need to step on obstacles or navigate through passenger suites, thus reducing egress time while avoiding harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the egress path into a third dimension by deploying a platform that reaches down from the overhead hatch to the main cabin floor. This vertical dimensionality change allows evacuees to bypass obstacles on the main deck level without increasing horizontal egress distance, effectively reducing overall egress time while avoiding harmful obstacles.
2Adaptability or versatility
If passenger suites and furniture are arranged on the main deck, then revenue-generating passenger comfort is improved, but the egress path from overhead crew rest areas is blocked, requiring evacuees to step on obstacles or navigate through suites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic egress apparatus that can be deployed when needed. The platform and guide panel are not permanently fixed but are activated during emergency egress, allowing the aircraft to maintain flexible passenger suite arrangements for revenue purposes while providing a clear egress path when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The egress apparatus is segmented into separate components (platform, guide panel, support structures) that can be independently positioned and configured. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different aircraft layouts and passenger suite arrangements while maintaining effective egress capability.
3Reliability
If a deployable egress apparatus with platform and guide panel is implemented, then a clear egress path is provided avoiding obstacles and passenger suites, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the egress function from the fixed aircraft structure and implements it as a separate, deployable apparatus. This extraction allows the egress system to be optimized for safety and reliability while being installed in existing aircraft without major structural modifications, managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The egress apparatus is designed with universal components that can serve multiple functions: the platform provides both the egress path and structural support, while the guide panel serves both as a directional guide and as a barrier to prevent deviation from the safe egress path. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, managing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for exiting an overhead area in an aircraft. An egress apparatus is automatically moved from a closed state to an open state in response to opening a hatch that closes an opening in an overhead area in an aircraft. The apparatus comprises a platform attached to a substantially vertical structure by a first hinge structure. A guide panel is attached to the platform by a second hinge structure. The apparatus is configured to be moved from a closed state to an open state. The platform extends outward from the substantially vertical structure and under the opening in an overhead area in an aircraft when the apparatus is the open state. The guide panel extends upward from the platform when the apparatus is in the open state.