Actuatable emergency exit door and an aircraft or space craft with a pressurized cabin having such an actuatable emergency exit door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10647403-B2
Application number	US-201715785821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

An actuatable emergency exit door with a door actuating device that comprises at least two connection rods that are pivotally mountable to an associated structural frame that is adapted for accommodating the actuatable emergency exit door in closed state, the at least two connection rods being provided for enabling an opening movement of the actuatable emergency exit door with respect to the associated structural frame during opening, wherein at least one door-mounted goose neck-shaped structure is mountable to the associated structural frame for enabling an initial translational opening movement and subsequently a swiveling opening movement of the actuatable emergency exit door with respect to the associated structural frame during opening. The invention is further related to an aircraft or space craft with a pressurized cabin having such an actuatable emergency exit door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuatable emergency exit door actuatable between different operating positions relative to an associated structural frame that is adapted for accommodating the actuatable emergency exit door in closed state, the door having a door actuating device that comprises at least two connection rods, at least one goose neck-shaped structure and at least one spring member, wherein the at least two connection rods are pivotally mountable to the associated structural frame and being provided for enabling an opening movement of the actuatable emergency exit door with respect to the associated structural frame during opening, wherein the at least one goose neck-shaped structure is enabling an initial translational opening movement and subsequently a swiveling opening movement of the actuatable emergency exit door with respect to the associated structural frame during opening,
wherein the at least one goose neck-shaped structure is door-mounted by being at least rigidly attached to a door corpus of the actuatable emergency exit door, at least one of the at least two connection rods is pivotably mountable to the associated structural frame and coupled to the at least one spring member, the at least one spring member is rigidly attached to the door corpus and is provided for biasing the actuatable emergency exit door during opening into a fully opened position in which the actuatable emergency exit door entirely frees exit through the associated structural frame.

2. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one spring member comprises at least one energy storage device, wherein a load generated by the at least one energy storage device during opening of the actuatable emergency exit door into the fully opened position is reacted into the associated structural frame for generating an opening moment.

3. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one spring member is in an overcentered position if the actuatable emergency exit door is in a fully closed position, wherein the at least one spring member in the overcentered position loads the actuatable emergency exit door into the fully closed position.

4. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 3 ,
wherein the at least one spring member is in an opening support position during opening of the actuatable emergency door, wherein the at least one spring member in the opening support position loads the actuatable emergency exit door into a fully opened position, the at least one spring member being moved during opening of the actuatable emergency door from the overcentered position into the opening support position.

5. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 1 ,
wherein a fully opened position retaining device is provided.

6. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 5 ,
wherein the fully opened position retaining device comprises a gust lock device that is provided for blocking a swiveling movement of the actuatable emergency exit door relative to the at least two connection rods from the fully opened position into an egress obstructing position.

7. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 6 ,
wherein at least one of the at least two connection rods is provided with a locking bolt that is automatically engaged by the gust lock device when the actuatable emergency exit door reaches the fully opened position during opening.

8. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 7 ,
wherein the gust lock device comprises a locking lever for engaging the locking bolt in a locking position.

9. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 8 ,
wherein the gust lock device comprises a spring element that biases the locking lever into the locking position.

10. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 9 ,
wherein the locking lever is hinged-mounted to a door corpus of the actuatable emergency exit door.

11. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 1 ,
wherein the door actuating device further comprises at least one latch roller that is provided for latching, in a latching position, the actuatable emergency exit door in closed state.

12. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 11 ,
wherein the door actuating device further comprises at least one overcenter connection rod that is provided for blocking the at least one latch roller in the latching position in the closed state of the actuatable emergency exit door.

13. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 12 ,
wherein the door actuating device further comprises at least one latch compression spring that biases the at least one overcenter connection rod into an associated overcentered position in the closed state of the actuatable emergency exit door.

14. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 1 ,
wherein the associated structural frame is defined by a fuselage of an aircraft or space craft with a pressurized cabin, wherein the actuatable emergency exit door defines an emergency exit hatch.

15. An aircraft or space craft with a pressurized cabin, comprising an actuatable emergency exit door according to claim 1 .

16. An actuatable emergency exit door actuatable between different operating positions relative to an associated structural frame adapted for accommodating the actuatable emergency exit door in closed state, the door having a door actuator comprising at least two connection rods, at least one goose neck-shaped structure and at least one spring, wherein the at least two connection rods are pivotally mountable to the associated structural frame to enable an opening movement of the actuatable emergency exit door with respect to the associated structural frame during opening, wherein the at least one goose neck-shaped structure enables an initial translational opening movement and subsequently a swiveling opening movement of the actuatable emergency exit door with respect to the associated structural frame during opening,
wherein the at least one goose neck-shaped structure is rigidly attached to a door corpus of the actuatable emergency exit door, at least one of the at least two connection rods is pivotably mountable to the associated structural frame and coupled to the at least one spring, the at least one spring is rigidly attached to the door corpus and to bias the actuatable emergency exit door during opening into a fully opened position in which the actuatable emergency exit door entirely frees exit through the associated structural frame.

17. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 16 ,
wherein a load generated by the at least one spring during opening of the actuatable emergency exit door into the fully opened position is reacted into the associated structural frame for generating an opening moment.

18. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 17 ,
wherein the at least one spring is in an overcentered position if the actuatable emergency exit door is in a fully closed position, wherein the at least one spring in the overcentered position loads the actuatable emergency exit door into the fully closed position.

19. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 18 ,
wherein the at least one spring is in an opening support position during opening of the actuatable emergency door, wherein the at least one spring in the opening support position loads the actuatable emergency exit door into a fully opened position, the at least one spring being moved during opening of the actuatable emergency door from the overcentered position into the opening support position.

20. The actuatable emergency exit door of claim 16 ,

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH

Inventors

• Merkel Christoph
• Ward Stephen
• Vinarsky Michal
• Naumann Florian

Classifications

• B64C1/143 Primary

  of the plug type · CPC title

• B64C1/14 Primary

  Windows; Doors; Hatch covers or access panels; Surrounding frame structures; Canopies; Windscreens {accessories therefor, e.g. pressure sensors, water deflectors, hinges, seals, handles, latches, windscreen wipers}(fairings movable in conjunction with undercarriage elements B64C25/16; bomb doors B64D1/06) · CPC title

• B64C1/1461

  Structures of doors or surrounding frames · CPC title

• E05F1/08

  spring-actuated {, e.g. for horizontally sliding wings (counterbalancing sliding or lifting wings E05D; springs per se F16F, e.g. gas-springs F16F9/00)} · CPC title

• E05Y2900/502

  for aircraft or spacecraft · CPC title