Hinged Barrier Door Lock for Flight Deck Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft flight deck doors are vulnerable to unauthorized access when opened during flight, necessitating a system to inhibit and delay unauthorized entry from the cabin area.
Innovation Solution
A hinged lock system for a multiple-panel door with a strike section and latch section, allowing selective pivoting movement and locking mechanisms to secure the door in an extended configuration, featuring a hinge that controls directional pivoting to enhance security and a time-delayed unlocking mechanism to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the flight deck door is opened during flight, then the flight crew can access the cabin area for legitimate purposes, but unauthorized persons can gain entry to the flight deck
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier door is deployed in advance of any potential unauthorized access attempt. When the flight deck door is opened, the barrier door automatically or manually deploys to block the cabin area approach, creating a preliminary physical obstacle that forces unauthorized persons to take a longer route, thereby buying time for the flight crew to respond and re-secure the flight deck door.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier door acts as an intermediary physical barrier between the flight deck door and the cabin area. Instead of directly securing the flight deck door itself, the system introduces a secondary barrier that intercepts and delays potential threats in the cabin area, allowing the primary flight deck door to remain secured while still permitting legitimate access through controlled means.
2Reliability
If a barrier door is deployed to block unauthorized access, then security is enhanced, but the door cannot be folded or stored when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier door employs a hinged, multi-panel construction that allows it to dynamically change configuration between a deployed blocking position and a folded stowed position. The hinge mechanism enables the barrier door to adapt its shape and position based on operational requirements, transforming from a rigid static structure into a flexible dynamic system that can be stored when not needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier door is divided into multiple hinged panels that can fold relative to each other. This segmentation allows the barrier door to be collapsed into a compact configuration for storage when security threats are not present, while still maintaining the capability to deploy into a full blocking position when needed. The segmented design reduces the space required for stowing the barrier door.
3Productivity
If the lock system allows rapid opening for authorized personnel, then operational efficiency is improved, but security against forced entry is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lock system incorporates preliminary authentication mechanisms that verify authorized personnel before enabling rapid opening. Sensors, biometric scanners, or coded access systems perform verification in advance, and only after successful authentication does the lock disengage to allow quick opening. This preliminary action ensures security is maintained while enabling efficiency for authorized users.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock system operates in periodic cycles of locked secure state and unlocked open state. During normal operation, the lock remains engaged in a secure locked state. When authorized access is required, the system transitions to an unlocked state for brief periodic intervals, allowing rapid opening, then returns to the locked state. This periodic action pattern maintains security while enabling operational efficiency during authorized access windows.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A lock for a multiple panel door. The lock includes a strike section configured to be mounted to a first panel and with the strike section having a receptacle. A latch section is configured to be mounted to a second panel and with the latch section having a bolt selectively movable between an unlocked position that is away from the receptacle and a locked position that is positioned in the receptacle. A hinge pivotally connects the strike section and the latch section. The strike section and the latch section are selectively movable about the hinge to enable relative pivoting movement between the first panel and the second panel.