Inflation assemblies for evacuation systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11639227-B2
Application number	US-202016927714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2020
Priority date	Jul 13, 2020
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

An inflation assembly for an evacuation system may comprise a manifold defining an interior volume and a plurality of inflators fluidly coupled to the manifold. Each inflator of the plurality of inflators may include a solid gas generating material and an igniter configured to ignite in response to receiving an ignite signal. The solid gas generating material may be configured to generate a gas in response to an ignition of the igniter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inflation assembly for an inflatable device, comprising:
a manifold defining an interior volume;
a plurality of inflators fluidly coupled to the manifold, wherein each inflator of the plurality of inflators includes:
a solid gas generating material; and
an igniter configured to ignite in response to receiving an ignite signal, wherein the solid gas generating material is configured to generate a gas in response to an ignition of the igniter; and

a controller operationally coupled to the plurality of inflators, wherein the controller is configured to:
identify a desired flowrate to maintain a fan in a turbine fan fluidly coupled to the manifold at a desired rotation per minute;
identify a desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold to maintain the desired flowrate;
determine a time delay between each of a plurality of ignite signals to maintain the desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold;
receive an indication of a current pressure within the interior volume of the manifold; and
send a plurality of ignite signals to the plurality of inflators, each ignite signal in the plurality of ignite signals delayed by a respective time delay based on maintaining the desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold and the current pressure.

2. The inflation assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the first sensor is configured to measure at least one of a temperature, a wind speed, or a sill height.

3. The inflation assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a second sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the second sensor is configured to measure a pressure of the inflatable device.

4. The inflation assembly of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a number of ignite signals to send to the plurality of inflators based on an output from at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor.

5. An evacuation system, comprising:
an inflatable device;
an inflation assembly configured to inflate the inflatable device, the inflation assembly comprising:
a manifold defining an interior volume and having an outlet fluidly coupled to the inflatable device; and
a plurality of inflators fluidly coupled to the manifold, wherein each inflator of the plurality of inflators includes a solid gas generating material and an igniter configured to ignite in response to receiving an ignite signal; and

a controller operationally coupled to the plurality of inflators, wherein the controller is configured to:
identify a desired flowrate to maintain a fan in a turbine fan fluidly coupled to the manifold at a desired rotation per minute;
identify a desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold to maintain the desired flowrate;
determine a time delay between each of a plurality of ignite signals to maintain the desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold;
receive an indication of a current pressure within the interior volume of the manifold; and
send a plurality of ignite signals to the plurality of inflators, each ignite signal in the plurality of ignite signals delayed by a respective time delay based on maintaining the desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold and the current pressure.

6. The evacuation system of claim 5 , wherein the turbine fan is configured to deliver ambient air to the inflatable device in response to receiving fluid from the manifold.

7. The evacuation system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor operably coupled to the controller and configured to measure a pressure within the inflatable device.

8. The evacuation system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a number of ignite signals to send to the plurality of inflators based on an output from the pressure sensor.

9. The evacuation system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a sensor operably coupled to the controller and configured to measure at least one of a temperature, a wind speed, or a sill height, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a number of ignite signals to send to the plurality of inflators based on an output from the sensor.

10. A system for controlling ignition of an inflation assembly for an inflatable device, the system comprising:
a controller;
the inflation assembly comprising:
a manifold defining an interior volume;
a plurality of inflators fluidly coupled to the manifold; and
a turbine fan fluidly coupled to the manifold;

a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
identifying a desired flowrate to maintain a fan in the turbine fan fluidly at a desired rotation per minute;
identifying a desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold to maintain the desired flowrate;
determining a time delay between each of a plurality of ignite signals to maintain the desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold;
receiving an indication of a current pressure within the interior volume of the manifold; and
sending a plurality of ignite signals to the plurality of inflators, each ignite signal in the plurality of ignite signals delayed by a respective time delay based on maintaining the desired pressure of the interior volume of the manifold and the current pressure.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, by the controller, a signal from a sensor; and
determining, by the controller, a number of ignite signals to send based on the signal from the sensor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the signal from the sensor comprises an environmental temperature measurement, and wherein the controller sends a first number of ignite signals if the environmental temperature measurement is greater than a threshold temperature and a second number of ignite signals if the environmental temperature measurement is less than or equal to the threshold temperature, the second number of ignite signals being greater than the first number of ignite signals.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the signal from the sensor comprises a pressure measurement of the inflatable device, and wherein the controller sends a first number of ignite signals if the pressure measurement is greater than a threshold pressure and a second number of ignite signals if the pressure measurement is less than or equal to the threshold pressure, the second number of ignite signals being greater than the first number of ignite signals.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the signal from the sensor comprises a sill height measurement, and wherein the controller sends a first number of ignite signals if the sill height measurement is less than or equal to a threshold sill height and a second number of ignite signals if the sill height measurement is greater than the threshold sill height, the second number of ignite signals being greater than the first number of ignite signals.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Shen Guangqing
• Werbelow Jeffrey Martin

Classifications

• B64D25/14 Primary

  Inflatable escape chutes · CPC title

• B01J7/00

  Apparatus for generating gases (production of inert gas mixtures B01J19/14; for generating specific gases, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. C01B, C10J {; in "air bags" on vehicles B60R21/26; for starter gas F02C7/26; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure F42B3/04}) · CPC title

• C06D5/04

  by auto-decomposition of single substances · CPC title