Device for operating at least one aircraft door comprising a control handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087664-B2
Application number	US-201615013876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An operating device for operating at least one door of an aircraft comprises a chassis that is fixed and secured to a fuselage of the aircraft, a control handle that is rotationally and translationally movable with respect to the chassis, a mechanism for converting a rotational movement of the control handle into an opening movement of the door. The translational movement allows the control handle to be in an in position in which it is aligned with the exterior surface of the fuselage and an out position in which it projects beyond the exterior surface of the fuselage. The control handle includes a cylindrical body and a head connected to one end of the body. The head of the control handle includes a fixed part rigidly connected to the body of the control handle and extending perpendicular thereto, and a movable part rotatably connected to the body and having a folded-down position against the fixed part and a deployed position in which the control handle has a T shape.

First claim

The invention is:

1. A device for operating at least one door of an aircraft which comprises a fuselage with an exterior surface, the device comprising a chassis that is fixed and secured to the fuselage of the aircraft, a control handle that is rotationally movable with respect to the chassis, and a mechanism for converting a rotational movement of the control handle into an opening movement of the door, wherein
the control handle is translationally movable with respect to the chassis between an in position in which the control handle is aligned with the exterior surface of the fuselage and an out position in which the control handle projects beyond the exterior surface of the fuselage,
the control handle comprises a cylindrical body with an axis and a head connected to one end of the cylindrical body,
the chassis comprises a guide for guiding the body of the control handle in an out direction,
the chassis and/or the fuselage comprise an indentation configured to house the head of the control handle in the in position,
at least one first return mechanism configured to push the control handle toward the out position, an end stop for limiting the movement of the control handle against the at least one first return mechanism and securing the control handle in the out position, and a first locking/unlocking mechanism configured to lock the control handle in the in position, and
the head of the control handle comprises:
a fixed part rigidly connected to the cylindrical body of the control handle and which extends perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical body, and
a mobile part connected to the cylindrical body by an articulation, the mobile part being configured to be in a folded-down position folded down against the fixed part of the handle and be in a deployed position in which the control handle forms a T shape, wherein the T shape is formed by the cylindrical body, the fixed part extending longitudinally in a first direction which is perpendicular to the cylindrical body and the mobile part extending laterally in a second direction that is perpendicular to the cylindrical body and opposite to the first direction.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first locking/unlocking mechanism comprises a latch supported by the head of the control handle and a catch secured to the chassis, the latch and the catch being configured to engage with each other when the first locking/unlocking mechanism is in the first state.

3. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second locking/unlocking mechanism configured to lock the mobile part of the head of the control handle in the folded-down position or in the deployed position in a first state and to release the mobile part in a second state.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the second locking/unlocking mechanism comprises a latch supported by the mobile part of the head of the control handle and two catches which are supported by the fixed part of the head of the control handle, the latch and the two catches being configured so that the latch engages with a first catch of the two catches when the mobile part is in the folded-down position and engages with a second catch of the two catches when the mobile part is in the deployed position.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the latch is movable between a first position and a second position which respectively correspond to the first state and the second state of the second locking/unlocking mechanism, the latch comprising a first hook configured to engage with the first catch secured to the chassis when the latch is in the first position, and a second hook configured to engage with second catch supported by the fixed part of the head of the control handle when the latch is in the first position, the control handle comprising a second return mechanism configured to push the latch into the first position.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprises a third locking/unlocking mechanism configured to lock rotation of the control handle in a first state and to allow the control handle to rotate in a second state.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the third locking/unlocking mechanism comprises a ball-lock pin inserted into the control handle, the ball-lock pin comprising at least one control and balls, the balls being radially movable between an out position and a retracted position corresponding to the first state and the second state of the third locking/unlocking mechanism respectively, the control allowing control over the position of the balls.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the chassis comprises, for each ball, a housing configured to house a ball when the control handle is in the out position and the balls are in the out position.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the end stop includes a first shoulder carried by the body of the control handle and configured to contact with a second shoulder on the chassis.

10. An operating device for operating a door of an aircraft, comprising:
a chassis connected to a fuselage of the aircraft and having a first housing substantially perpendicular to the fuselage and a guide inside of the fuselage,
a rotatable control handle having a cylindrical body and a head connected to one end of the body, the body being housed within the first housing of the chassis, and
a conversion mechanism for opening the door in response to rotations of the control handle, wherein
the body of the control handle is guided by the guide of the chassis to move between an in position in which the control handle is aligned with an exterior surface of the fuselage and an out position in which the control handle projects beyond the exterior surface of the fuselage,
the operating device includes a first spring configured to push the control handle toward the out position, a stop for limiting the movement of the control handle against the first spring and securing the control handle in the out position, and a first locking mechanism configured to lock the control handle in the in position in a locked state,
the head of the control handle includes:
a fixed part rigidly connected to the body of the control handle and extending perpendicular thereto, and
a movable part rotatably connected to the body, having a folded-down position against the fixed part of the handle and a deployed position in which the control handle forms a T shape, wherein the T shape results from the fixed part and mobile part both extending longitudinally in a first direction which is perpendicular to the body of the control handle, and the mobile part extending laterally in second direction which perpendicular to the body of the control handle and opposite to the first direction.

11. The operating device according to claim 10 , wherein the chassis or the fuselage include an indentation configured to house the head of the control handle in the in position.

12. The operating device according to claim 10 , wherein the stop includes a first shoulder carried by the body of the control handle and configured to contact with a second shoulder on the first housing of the chassis.

13. The operating device according to claim 10 , wherein the first lock mechanism includes a latch supported by the head of the control handle and a catch secured to the chassis, the latch and the catch engaging with each other when the first locking mechanism is in the locked state.

14. The operating device according to claim 10 , further comprising a second locking mechanism configured to lock the movable part in a locked state and to release the movable part in a unlocked state.

15. The opera

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Auriac Vincent

Classifications

• E05C3/122

  flush · CPC title

• B64C25/16

  Fairings movable in conjunction with undercarriage elements · CPC title

• E05B5/00 Primary

  Handles completely let into the surface of the wing {(E05B85/10 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E05C5/04 Primary

  performing both movements simultaneously, e.g. screwing into a keeper · CPC title

• E05C19/12

  pivotally mounted {around an axis (E05C3/045, E05C3/40 take precedence)} · CPC title