Door translation hinge assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512512-B2
Application number	US-202016860508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2020
Priority date	Apr 28, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An aircraft door translation hinge assembly connects a passenger door of an aircraft to the aircraft fuselage structure and enables the passenger door to move through a desired opening motion. The opening motion of the passenger door is controlled by a simplified mechanism that utilizes a pair of linkages connected by a cam surface follower that engages in sliding engagement with a cam surface. The simplified mechanism controls a pivoting movement of the passenger door as the passenger door is first opened, and then controls a translation movement of the passenger door as the passenger door is continued to be opened from a passenger door opening in the aircraft fuselage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door translation hinge assembly comprising:
a hinge box having a length between a first end of the hinge box and a second end of the hinge box, the first end of the hinge box being connected to an aircraft fuselage structure;
a cam surface on the hinge box;
a first linkage having a length between a first end of the first linkage and a second end of the first linkage, the first end of the first linkage being connected to the aircraft fuselage structure;
a second linkage having a length between a first end of the second linkage and a second end of the second linkage, the first end of the second linkage being connected to a door fitting; and,
a cam surface follower connected to the second end of the first linkage and connected to the second end of the second linkage, the cam surface follower engaging with the cam surface for sliding movement of the cam surface follower along the cam surface.

2. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the cam surface being a cam slot, the cam slot having a length; and,
the cam surface follower being received in the cam slot for movement of the cam surface follower along the length of the cam slot.

3. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
the cam surface follower being a pivot connection between the second end of the first linkage and the second end of the second linkage, the pivot connection enabling relative pivoting movement between the first linkage and the second linkage about the cam surface follower.

4. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first end of the first linkage being connected to the aircraft fuselage structure by a first linkage pivot connection that enables relative pivoting movement between the first linkage and the aircraft fuselage structure about the first linkage pivot connection.

5. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
the first end of the second linkage being connected to the door fitting by a second linkage pivot connection that enables relative pivoting movement between the second linkage and the door fitting about the second linkage pivot connection.

6. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
the first end of the hinge box is connected to the aircraft fuselage structure by a first pivot connection that enables relative pivoting movement between the hinge box and the aircraft fuselage structure about a first pivot axis.

7. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 6 , further comprising:
the second end of the hinge box is connected to the door fitting by a second pivot connection that enables relative pivoting movement between the hinge box and the door fitting about a second pivot axis.

8. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
the door fitting being attached to an aircraft door, the door fitting being connected to the first end of the second linkage and the door fitting being connected to the second end of the hinge box.

9. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first linkage having a fixed length between the first end of the first linkage and the second end of the first linkage.

10. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
the second linkage having a fixed length between the first end of the second linkage and the second end of the second linkage.

11. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the cam surface being positioned on the hinge box intermediate the first end of the hinge box and the second end of the hinge box.

12. A door translation hinge assembly comprising:
a hinge box having a length between a first end of the hinge box and a second end of the hinge box, the first end of the hinge box being connected to an aircraft fuselage structure;
a cam surface on the hinge box;
a door fitting on an aircraft door;
a door pivot assembly connecting the door fitting to the second end of the hinge box, the door pivot assembly enabling relative pivoting movement between the second end of the hinge box and the door fitting;
a linkage having a length between a first end of the linkage and a second end of the linkage, the first end of the linkage being connected to the door fitting; and,
a cam surface follower connected to the second end of the linkage, the cam surface follower engaging with the cam surface for sliding movement of the cam surface follower along the cam surface.

13. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
the cam surface being a cam slot, the cam slot having a length; and,
the cam surface follower being received in the cam slot for movement of the cam surface follower along the length of the cam slot.

14. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
the first end of the hinge box being connected to the aircraft fuselage structure for relative pivoting movement between the hinge box and the aircraft fuselage structure.

15. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
the first end of the linkage being connected to the door fitting by a pivot connection that enables relative pivoting movement between the linkage and the door fitting.

16. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
the linkage being a second linkage, the second linkage having a length between a first end of the second linkage and a second end of the second linkage, the first end of the second linkage being connected to the door fitting; and,
a first linkage having a length between a first end of the first linkage and a second end of the first linkage, the first end of the first linkage being connected to the aircraft fuselage structure by a pivot connection that enables relative pivoting movement between the first linkage and the aircraft fuselage structure.

17. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 16 , further comprising:
the cam surface follower being connected to the second end of the second linkage; and,
the second end of the first linkage being connected to the cam surface follower.

18. The door translation hinge assembly of claim 17 , further comprising:
the cam surface follower being a pivot connection between the second end of the first linkage and the second end of the second linkage, the pivot connection enabling relative pivoting movement between the first linkage and the second linkage about the cam surface follower.

19. A method of enabling translation movement of an aircraft door relative to an aircraft structure, the method comprising:
connecting a first end of a first linkage to the aircraft structure, the first linkage having a length between the first end of the first linkage and a second end of the first linkage;
connecting a first end of a second linkage to the aircraft door, the second linkage having a length between the first end of the second linkage and a second end of the second linkage;
connecting a first end of a hinge box to the aircraft structure and connecting a second end of the hinge box to the aircraft door;
connecting a cam surface follower to the second end of the first linkage and to the second end of the second linkage; and,
engaging the cam surface follower with a cam surface on the hinge box for sliding movement of the cam surface follower along the cam surface.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
engaging the cam surface follower with the cam surface in a c

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Means Ryan M
• Huynh Kenny K
• Peterson Wayne H
• Fleming Michael A

Classifications

• E05Y2201/638

  Cams; Ramps · CPC title

• E05D3/06

  with two or more pins (E05D7/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05D3/18

  with sliding pins or guides · CPC title

• B64C1/143 Primary

  of the plug type · CPC title

• E05D7/009 Primary

  Elongate hinges, e.g. piano-hinges · CPC title