Collapsible aspirator barrel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683095-B2
Application number	US-201615368172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

An aspirator includes an aspirator body having at least one flapper door designed to allow intake of a gas from an environment of the aspirator. The aspirator also includes an aspirator barrel having an end tip, a compressible spring, and a fabric positioned about the compressible spring, and designed to extend in response to receiving the gas and to transfer the gas from the aspirator body to the inflatable flotation device. The aspirator also includes a gas valve designed to receive a fluid from a compressed fluid source. The aspirator also includes a nozzle positioned within the aspirator body, coupled to the gas valve, and designed to receive the fluid via the gas valve and to direct at least a portion of the fluid towards the aspirator barrel such that the at least one flapper door allows the gas to flow from the environment into the aspirator barrel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for inflating an inflatable flotation device, comprising:
the inflatable flotation device;
an aspirator body having at least one flapper door configured to allow intake of a gas from an environment of the aspirator;
an aspirator barrel coupled to the aspirator body and the inflatable flotation device, having an end tip, a compressible spring, and a fabric positioned about the compressible spring, and configured to extend in response to receiving the gas and to transfer the gas from the aspirator body to the inflatable flotation device;
a gas valve coupled to the aspirator body and configured to receive a fluid from a compressed fluid source; and
a nozzle positioned within the aspirator body, coupled to the gas valve, and configured to receive the fluid via the gas valve and to direct at least a portion of the fluid towards the aspirator barrel such that the at least one flapper door allows the gas to flow from the environment into the aspirator barrel,
wherein the end tip of the aspirator barrel is formed from a rigid material and has a glass coating to reduce friction between the end tip and the inflatable flotation device during extension of the aspirator barrel,
wherein the inflatable flotation device is folded in response to being stowed such that the folding resists extension of the compressible spring, and
wherein the compressible spring is configured to extend to cause the aspirator barrel to extend within the inflatable flotation device in response to an unfolding of the inflatable flotation device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the aspirator is configured to be used with an evacuation system of an aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the compressible spring of the aspirator barrel includes at least one of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or steel and the fabric of the aspirator barrel includes at least one of a neoprene, a urethane, an aramid fiber, or a para-aramid fiber.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a cap configured to:
be disposed on the end tip of the aspirator barrel;
prevent at least one of the gas or the fluid from flowing into the inflatable flotation device during at least a portion of extension of the aspirator barrel within the inflatable flotation device; and
allow at least one of the gas or the fluid to flow into the inflatable flotation device response to pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching a predetermined pressure.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the cap includes a burst disk configured to rupture in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching the predetermined pressure.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the cap includes a snap-fit feature configured to release from the end tip in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching the predetermined pressure.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising an adhesive attaching the cap to the end tip and configured to allow the cap to detach from the end tip in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching the predetermined pressure.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the predetermined pressure is selected such that the aspirator barrel is in a fully extended position in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel being the predetermined pressure.

9. An evacuation system for use with an aircraft, comprising:
an inflatable flotation device configured to float in response to being inflated;
a compressed fluid source configured to store a fluid in a compressed state; and
an aspirator having:
an aspirator body having at least one flapper door configured to allow intake of a gas from an environment of the aspirator;
an aspirator barrel coupled to the aspirator body and the inflatable flotation device, having an end tip, a compressible spring, and a fabric positioned about the compressible spring, and configured to extend in response to receiving the gas and to transfer the gas from the aspirator body to the inflatable flotation device;
a gas valve coupled to the aspirator body and configured to receive the fluid from the compressed fluid source; and
a nozzle positioned within the aspirator body, coupled to the gas valve, and configured to receive the fluid via the gas valve and to direct at least a portion of the fluid towards the aspirator barrel such that the at least one flapper door allows the gas to flow from the environment into the aspirator barrel,

wherein the end tip of the aspirator barrel is formed from a rigid material and has a glass coating to reduce friction between the end tip and the inflatable flotation device during extension of the aspirator barrel,
wherein the inflatable flotation device is folded in response to being stowed such that the folding resists extension of the compressible spring, and
wherein the compressible spring is configured to extend to cause the aspirator barrel to extend within the inflatable flotation device in response to an unfolding of the inflatable flotation device.

10. The evacuation system of claim 9 wherein the aspirator further includes a cap configured to:
be disposed on the end tip of the aspirator barrel;
prevent at least one of the gas or the fluid from flowing into the inflatable flotation device during at least a portion of extension of the aspirator barrel within the inflatable flotation device; and
allow at least one of the gas or the fluid to flow into the inflatable flotation device response to pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching a predetermined pressure.

11. The evacuation system of claim 10 wherein the cap includes at least one of:
a burst disk configured to rupture in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching the predetermined pressure; or
a snap-fit feature configured to release from the end tip in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching the predetermined pressure.

12. The evacuation system of claim 10 wherein the aspirator further includes an adhesive attaching the cap to the end tip and configured to allow the cap to detach from the end tip in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel reaching the predetermined pressure.

13. The evacuation system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined pressure is selected such that the aspirator barrel is in a fully extended position in response to the pressure within the aspirator barrel being the predetermined pressure.

14. The evacuation system of claim 9 wherein the compressible spring of the aspirator barrel includes at least one of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or steel and the fabric of the aspirator barrel includes at least one of a neoprene, a urethane, an aramid fiber, or a para-aramid fiber.

15. An aircraft having an evacuation system, the aircraft comprising:
a fuselage;
an inflatable flotation device removably coupled to the fuselage and configured to float in response to being inflated;
a compressed fluid source coupled to the inflatable flotation device and configured to store a fluid in a compressed state; and
an aspirator coupled to the inflatable flotation device and having:
an aspirator body having at least one flapper door configured to allow intake of a gas from an environment of the aspirator;
an aspirator barrel coupled to the aspirator body and the inflatable flotation device, having an end tip, a compressible spring, and a fabric positioned about the compressible spring, and configured to extend in response to receiving the gas and to transfer the gas from the aspirator body to the inflatable flotation device;
a gas valve coupled to the aspirator body and configured to receive the fluid from the compressed flu

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Haynes Timothy C
• Bahena Daniel

Classifications

• F04F5/20 Primary

  for evacuating · CPC title

• F04F5/466

  with a plurality of nozzles arranged in parallel · CPC title

• B64D25/14 Primary

  Inflatable escape chutes · CPC title

• F04B37/10

  for special use (for evacuating by absorption or adsorption F04B37/02; for evacuating by thermal means F04B37/06) · CPC title

• B64D25/18

  Flotation gear · CPC title