Mobile Aircraft Secondary Barrier Cart for Flight Deck Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial passenger aircraft lack a secondary barrier system to prevent individuals from sprinting and diving into the Flight Deck during flight, making them vulnerable to potential attacks, and existing solutions like the Garofani Installed Physical Secondary Barrier (GIPSB) are expensive, bulky, and prone to damage, leading to aircraft downtime and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
The Anti-Terrorist Anti-Personnel Mobile Commercial Passenger Aircraft Physical Secondary Barrier Forward Galley Cart (ASBC) provides a lightweight, easily deployable, and cost-effective solution that locks into the galley entrance, featuring an expandable rigid or fabric barrier to stop attackers for at least five seconds, allowing pilots to secure the Flight Deck door and initiate emergency landing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional installed physical secondary barrier (GIPSB) is built into the aircraft, then Flight Deck security is improved, but manufacturing cost, installation cost, and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a mobile cart that can be dynamically positioned and locked into the Flight Deck entrance when needed, rather than a fixed permanent structure. The cart features movable components including a barrier that can be extended or retracted, and locking mechanisms that engage with the aircraft structure only when the cart is in the protected position. This dynamic approach provides security on demand while maintaining ease of movement and storage elsewhere in the aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier system is divided into separate modular components: the cart body, the barrier panel, locking mechanisms, and mounting interfaces. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured, maintained, and replaced. The barrier itself can be a separate panel that attaches to the cart, enabling flexibility in material selection and ease of replacement if damaged, without requiring replacement of the entire system.
2Reliability
If a heavy and bulky barrier system is installed, then security protection is improved, but the system becomes prone to damage from passenger and crew traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile cart design allows the barrier to be dynamically positioned only when security is needed, rather than being permanently stationed in a high-traffic area. The cart can be moved to protected positions away from passenger aisles and crew corridors when not in use, minimizing exposure to accidental impacts from luggage, passengers, and galley carts. The locking mechanism ensures the barrier is secure only when properly engaged with the aircraft structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier panel may utilize flexible or semi-flexible materials that can absorb minor impacts without structural damage, while maintaining effectiveness against deliberate attacks. The cart body itself can be designed with protective features that distribute impact forces, and the barrier can be a thin but strong material that is difficult to breach but lightweight enough to minimize traffic-related damage risks.
3Reliability
If a permanent barrier is built into the aircraft, then security is improved, but maintenance time and aircraft downtime increase when damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier system is segmented into replaceable modules, with the barrier panel being a separate component from the cart body. If the barrier is damaged, only the panel needs to be replaced, not the entire cart or mounting structure. The cart itself remains a reusable platform that can be quickly reconfigured or relocated. This modular approach enables rapid replacement of damaged components without extensive disassembly or aircraft modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier panel may be designed as a consumable or easily replaceable component, potentially using materials that can be quickly manufactured and installed. If the barrier is compromised, a replacement panel can be installed rapidly without requiring complex tools or extensive technical expertise, minimizing aircraft downtime. The cart body and locking mechanisms are designed for long-term reuse.
4Ease of operation
If an inward-opening Flight Deck door is used, then ease of operation is improved, but vulnerability to attack increases due to door swing against pilot
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile cart serves as an intermediary barrier positioned between the attacker and the Flight Deck door. The cart's barrier panel can be extended to physically block the entrance, preventing the attacker from reaching the door regardless of its opening direction. The cart itself acts as a buffer zone, allowing the pilot to retreat behind the cart barrier while maintaining the ability to operate the door. This intermediary structure decouples the door's opening direction from its security effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
The Aircraft Secondary Barrier Cart includes a main housing, with at least two retractable cables with metallic safety-hooks at the ends that connect to the two female loops behind each bulk-head. When deployed, the two cables hold the barrier cart in place. The two retractable cables are connected to a ratcheting system to stabilize and strengthen the barrier cart's stability after deployment. The ratcheting system includes a release lever to disengage the two main-housing cables before stowage. The barrier cart includes a folding-barrier with elastic and polymer safety-hooks sewn in. When the curtain or net gets expanded, its safety-hooks attach to several female loops riveted into the upper portion of the forward galley entrance.