Aircraft Evacuation Slide With Buckling Bend Region
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inflatable aircraft evacuation slides designed for standard door sill heights may become too steep or inadequate when facing adverse aircraft tilts, leading to unsafe evacuation conditions, and extending the slide to accommodate high sill conditions can compromise beam strength and increase bulkiness.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a support structure with a bend region that allows the slide to buckle and change angle in response to load, featuring a first and second slide rail, a ground rail, and a lower drop-down support, enabling the slide to adjust its angle dynamically between high, normal, and low sill conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the slide is extended to accommodate high sill conditions, then the slide angle is reduced to safe levels, but the slide becomes bulkier and beam strength is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The slide is divided into multiple inflatable segments (first slide segment, second slide segment, third slide segment) that can be independently controlled. This allows the slide to be extended only when needed for high sill conditions while maintaining a compact form when not in use, resolving the contradiction between evacuation safety and storage bulkiness
Solution Approach 2:
The slide incorporates movable and adjustable components including extendable slide rails and可变 support structures that can dynamically adjust the slide configuration based on sill height conditions. This dynamic adaptability allows the slide to achieve safe angles for high sills without permanently increasing its stored volume
2Reliability
If the slide is extended to accommodate high sill conditions, then the slide angle is reduced to safe levels, but the beam strength is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The slide structure is segmented into multiple independent inflatable sections with individual support structures. This segmentation allows strength to be concentrated in localized segments rather than requiring the entire slide to be overly reinforced, maintaining beam strength while achieving safe angles for high sill conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The slide uses inflatable support structures and pneumatic elements to provide structural strength and maintain slide angle. The air pressure within the inflatable segments provides the necessary structural support, eliminating the need for heavy rigid beams and maintaining strength without compromising the slide angle for high sill conditions
3Reliability
If a longer slide is provided for high sill conditions, then evacuation safety is improved, but evacuation rate is slowed at normal sill
Solution Approach 1:
The slide configuration is made dynamic and adjustable, allowing the slide length and angle to be optimized for current conditions. At normal sill height, the slide maintains a shorter, steeper configuration for faster evacuation. When high sill conditions are detected, the slide extends and adjusts angle to ensure safe evacuation, thus optimizing evacuation rate for each condition
Solution Approach 2:
The slide system can change its geometric parameters (length, angle, configuration) based on detected sill height conditions. This parameter adjustment allows the slide to achieve optimal evacuation performance for both normal and high sill conditions, maintaining safety while maximizing evacuation rate for each scenario
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
This solution ensures safe and efficient evacuation by maintaining a suitable slide angle across varying sill conditions, reducing the slide's length and weight, and allowing for compact packing within the aircraft.
Implementation Method 1
the first slide rail, the second slide rail, and the ground rail form a continuous air filled tube when the support structure is inflated
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
According to various embodiments, disclosed is a slide (100) configured to be supported on a ground surface at a slide angle, comprising a support structure (104), a sliding surface (108) supported by the support structure (104), and a weakened support region (101) in the support structure (104), wherein the weakened support region (101) enables the slide (100) to buckle and the slide angle to change in response to a bending load imposed on the slide (100). According to various embodiments, the slide (100) is an aircraft evacuation slide.