Inflatable Girt Chambers for Evacuation Slide Wind Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current evacuation slide joining regions, typically using fabric girt sleeves, exhibit low resistance to bending and torsion, leading to twisting and lateral displacement during high wind conditions, which can result in failure of wind qualification tests.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable girt system with multiple interconnected inflatable chambers is coupled to the evacuation slide, providing increased resistance to bending and twisting through fluid pressure, stabilizing the slide during high wind conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a fabric girt sleeve is used to join the evacuation slide to the girt bar, then the joining region is simple and flexible, but the resistance to bending and torsion is insufficient, causing twisting and lateral displacement under wind loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using an inflatable girt structure with multiple interconnected chambers that can be inflated with air or gas. When inflated, these chambers create a rigid framework that provides substantial resistance to bending and torsion forces during wind events, transforming the soft fabric sleeve into a structurally sound joining region without requiring complex mechanical reinforcement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the girt structure from deflated (flexible) to inflated (rigid). By controlling the inflation state of the chambers, the joining region can dynamically adjust its stiffness and strength characteristics to match the operational requirements, providing flexibility during normal conditions and rigidity during wind events
2Stability of the object's composition
If the girt sleeve is made more rigid to resist twisting, then resistance to torsion improves, but the ability to absorb lateral loads and adapt to deployment variations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the girt structure into multiple separate inflatable chambers instead of using a single rigid structure. This segmentation allows each chamber to independently deform and absorb lateral loads while collectively providing torsional resistance, combining the benefits of rigidity and flexibility through distributed structural elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining flexible fabric materials with pressurized gas chambers. The fabric provides flexibility and adaptability while the pressurized chambers provide rigidity and torsional resistance, achieving a synergistic effect where the composite structure performs better than either material alone
3Strength
If multiple inflatable chambers are used to increase structural rigidity, then resistance to bending and twisting improves, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple inflatable chambers into a single integrated girt structure where the chambers are interconnected and work together as one unified system. This combining approach provides the structural rigidity of multiple chambers while simplifying the overall device by integrating them into a single functional unit rather than separate components
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
The inflatable girt system reduces head end twist and lateral displacement, improving the evacuation slide's performance in wind qualification tests by maintaining structural integrity and reducing displacement.
Implementation Method 1
providing increased resistance to bending and twisting through fluid pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
An inflatable girt (140) for an evacuation slide may comprise a sleeve section (148), an upper section (144) coupled to the sleeve section (148), and a lower section (146) coupled to at least one of the sleeve section (148) and the upper section (144). The sleeve section (148) defines a plurality of first inflatable chambers (160). The upper section (144) defines a plurality of second inflatable chambers (162). The lower section (146) defines a plurality of third inflatable chambers (164).