Deployable Egress Ramp for Overhead Crew Rest Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The arrangement of passenger suites and furniture on commercial aircraft can obstruct egress from crew rest areas located in overhead areas, leading to longer evacuation times and potential safety issues, as evacuees may need to enter passenger suites or step on obstacles, which may not be designed to support the weight of evacuees.
Innovation Solution
An egress apparatus comprising a ramp or platform and guide panel system that deploys from a closed state to an open state, allowing evacuees from crew rest areas to exit directly into the main passenger cabin without entering passenger suites or stepping on obstacles, by extending from the crew rest area opening to a desired area in the aircraft cabin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional hatchway is used for egress from the crew rest area, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the evacuation path is obstructed by passenger suites and furniture, requiring evacuees to step on obstacles or enter passenger suites
Solution Approach 1:
The egress apparatus transitions from a static conventional hatchway to a dynamic deployable structure. The ramp and guide panel system can be deployed or retracted as needed, allowing the structure to adapt between normal operation and emergency evacuation modes. This dynamic capability enables the system to provide an optimized evacuation path only when required, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and evacuation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a spatial dimension to the egress path by deploying three-dimensional ramp structures and guide panels that extend from the hatchway into the passenger cabin space. This dimensional transformation creates a sloped, guided pathway that elevates evacuees above obstacles, converting a two-dimensional floor-level exit into a three-dimensional elevated path that clears obstructions.
2Area of stationary object
If the crew rest area is located in the overhead area to maximize main deck space, then revenue-generating space is increased, but the egress path is blocked by passenger suites and furniture below
Solution Approach 1:
The ramp structure serves as an intermediary element between the overhead crew rest area and the main passenger cabin. This intermediate structure bridges the vertical and horizontal gap, providing a transitional pathway that connects the elevated exit to a safe destination in the main cabin without requiring evacuees to directly contact or step on furniture and equipment below.
Solution Approach 2:
The egress system is segmented into distinct functional components: the hatchway opening, the deployable ramp structure, the guide panels, and the target area in the main cabin. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the ramp provides structural support and elevation, while the guide panels provide directional guidance - thereby achieving effective egress despite the overhead location constraint.
3Reliability
If a deployable ramp egress apparatus is used to provide clear evacuation path, then evacuation safety is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide panels utilize thin, lightweight structural elements that can be easily fabricated and deployed. These thin-film or thin-walled panel structures provide sufficient structural integrity for guiding evacuees while minimizing manufacturing complexity and material requirements, thereby reducing the overall fabrication difficulty despite the enhanced safety functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for exiting a crew rest area located in an overhead area in an aircraft. An opening in the crew rest area is located in an overhead area in the aircraft. An egress apparatus is configured to move between a closed state and an open state. The egress apparatus is configured to direct a person moving on the egress apparatus from the opening to a passenger cabin in the aircraft when the egress apparatus is in the open state.