Electricity dispersion for aircraft evacuation assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10329031-B2
Application number	US-201615186135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft evacuation assembly for electricity dispersion may include a composite packboard housing defining a packboard compartment, wherein the composite packboard housing is electrically nonconductive, and a girt mounted to the composite packboard housing and disposed in the packboard compartment. The evacuation assembly may further include a metal stud extending through the composite packboard housing, wherein the metal stud includes a first end portion disposed external to the packboard compartment and a second end portion disposed internal to the packboard compartment in electrical contact with the girt. The evacuation assembly may further include a flexible strip attached to an external surface, relative to the packboard compartment, of the composite packboard housing. The flexible strip may be electrically conductive and the flexible strip may extend between and electrically connect the first end portion of the metal stud and an electrical interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An evacuation assembly for an aircraft, the evacuation assembly comprising:
a composite packboard housing that is electrically nonconductive, the composite packboard housing defining a packboard compartment;
a girt mounted to the composite packboard housing and disposed in the packboard compartment;
an evacuation slide that is electrically conductive, wherein the evacuation slide is mechanically mounted and electrically connected to the girt;
a metal stud extending through the composite packboard housing, wherein the metal stud comprises a first end portion disposed external to the packboard compartment and a second end portion disposed internal to the packboard compartment, wherein the second end is electrically connected to the evacuation slide; and
a flexible strip that is electrically conductive, wherein the flexible strip is attached to and directly contours an external surface, relative to the packboard compartment, of the composite packboard housing, wherein the external surface of the composite packboard housing is an inboard surface of the aircraft and is thus not an externally facing surface of an exterior skin of the aircraft, wherein the flexible strip extends between and electrically connects the first end portion of the metal stud and an electrical interface, wherein the electrical interface is configured to be electrically connected to a main electrical ground of the aircraft
wherein the evacuation assembly comprises an electrically conductive path from the evacuation slide, through the girt, through the composite packboard housing via the metal stud, and across the external surface of the composite packboard housing via the flexible strip to the electrical interface.

2. The evacuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein cumulative electrical resistance of the electrically conductive path is less than 1 mega ohm.

3. The evacuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible strip comprises a fabric base and an electrically conductive coating coupled to the fabric base.

4. The evacuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the external surface is inboard relative to the aircraft.

5. The evacuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible strip comprises electrically conductive threads interwoven with at least one of fabric threads, plastic threads, composite threads, and carbon fibers.

6. The evacuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible strip comprises a contact adhesive for attaching to the external surface of the composite packboard housing.

7. The evacuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible strip has a thickness, in a direction perpendicular to the external surface of the composite packboard housing, less than about 0.1 inches.

8. The evacuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the metal stud is a structural fastener that extends completely through the composite packboard housing and the second end portion of the metal stud is mechanically coupled to the girt.

9. The evacuation assembly of claim 8 , wherein the girt is electrically conductive.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Schmidt Ryan
• Prevost Craig Erwin

Classifications

• B64D45/02 Primary

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• B64D25/08 Primary

  Ejecting or escaping means · CPC title

• B64D25/14

  Inflatable escape chutes · CPC title