Evacuee-Centering Slide With Funnel Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency evacuation slides face challenges with asymmetric loading during water landings, leading to potential buckling due to uneven weight distribution, which necessitates additional reinforcements that increase weight and material usage.
Innovation Solution
The evacuee-centering evacuation slide design incorporates two angled funnel tubes that direct evacuees toward the lateral center of the slide, reducing asymmetric loading and minimizing the need for reinforcements by distributing weight more evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If reinforcements (transverse support tubes, longitudinal support tubes, greater diameter rails) are employed to accommodate asymmetric loading and reduce buckling probability, then structural strength and stability are improved, but the amount of fabric and weight of the evacuation system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lower inflatable tube is divided into three distinct sections: an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently - the upper section provides structural support, the middle section manages asymmetric loading, and the lower section ensures stable contact with the ground, thereby achieving structural strength without requiring extensive reinforcements throughout the entire tube.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the lower inflatable tube are designed with different properties and functions. The upper section has different structural characteristics than the middle and lower sections. This local differentiation allows the tube to handle asymmetric loading effectively at critical locations without requiring reinforcements throughout the entire structure, thus reducing overall weight and fabric usage.
2Reliability
If reinforcements are employed to accommodate asymmetric loading, then buckling resistance is improved, but the amount of fabric associated with forming the slide increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the lower inflatable tube into upper, middle, and lower sections with distinct functions, the design achieves buckling resistance at critical locations without requiring reinforcements throughout the entire tube length, thereby reducing the total amount of fabric needed compared to a uniformly reinforced design.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented tube design allows the structure to naturally distribute and manage asymmetric loading through its inherent geometry and section-specific properties, reducing the need for external reinforcements and thereby decreasing fabric requirements while maintaining buckling resistance.
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 design reduces the likelihood of buckling and allows for lighter, less costly evacuation systems by eliminating or reducing the need for transverse and center tubes, while maintaining structural integrity during emergency evacuations.
Implementation Method 1
a first inflatable tube assembly and a second inflatable tube assembly
Data Source
AI summary
An evacuation slide may comprise a sliding surface and an inflatable tube assembly located opposite the sliding surface. The inflatable tube assembly may be configured to direct an evacuee toward a lateral center of the sliding surface. The inflatable tube assembly may include a pair of funnel tubes extending from the sides of the slide toward the lateral center of the slide.