Aircraft Emergency Hatch Using Fabric Elasticity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency hatches in aircraft are heavy due to their rigid construction, which complicates their design and increases the overall mass of the aircraft, necessitating a lighter alternative that maintains functionality.
Innovation Solution
The emergency hatch is designed using a fabric that is permanently connected to the structure, featuring a locking/unlocking mechanism with a rod and lever system, allowing the hatch to pivot and open using elasticity rather than weight, thereby reducing mass while maintaining functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the emergency hatch is constructed with rigid material, then it provides sufficient strength and structural continuity, but it increases the on-board mass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional rigid panel hatch with a flexible fabric membrane that is permanently connected to the structure. The fabric is tensioned between the structure and the locking/unlocking mechanism, allowing it to provide the necessary strength and continuity while being significantly lighter than a rigid panel of equivalent strength.
2Ease of operation
If the emergency hatch uses weight to facilitate opening, then it ensures reliable opening function, but it requires heavy rigid components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the gravity-based opening mechanism with an elasticity-based system. The fabric membrane's elastic properties provide the force needed to facilitate opening, eliminating the need for heavy components that rely on gravitational force.
3Weight of moving object
If the emergency hatch is made lightweight using fabric, then it reduces on-board mass, but it may compromise structural strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure by permanently connecting the fabric membrane to the rigid structure through a locking/unlocking mechanism. This combination allows the lightweight fabric to provide the necessary strength and continuity when tensioned, while maintaining the ability to open when unlocked.
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 on-board mass of the aircraft by utilizing the elasticity of the fabric to facilitate opening, ensuring the emergency hatch can still effectively close and open the evacuation opening without relying on heavy rigid components.
Implementation Method 1
The fact of choosing an emergency hatch in the form of a fabric makes it possible to reduce the on-board mass compared to a hatch of the prior art. Preferably, the canvas is elastic or comprises at least one elastic band so that the canvas is taut when it closes the evacuation opening. This configuration favors the transition from the locked state to the unlocked state.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an aircraft cockpit comprising an escape opening closed by an emergency door (60) and an escape hatch (72). The escape hatch (72) comprises a fabric panel (84) and a locking/unlocking mechanism (88) configured to occupy a locked state in which the fabric panel (84) closes the escape opening (58) and an unlocked state in which the fabric panel (84) opens the escape opening (58).