Aircraft door architecture comprising an emergency energy source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12491980-B2
Application number	US-202118255884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2021
Priority date	Dec 5, 2020
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

An aircraft door architecture having: a door ( 1 ); an ejector ( 3 ); an inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ); an emergency energy source ( 6 ) connected to the ejector ( 3 ) and to the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ); a control unit ( 9 ) having the two following operating states: a nominal operating state in which the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ) is kept in its retracted position and the emergency energy source is deactivated; an emergency operating state in which the emergency energy source ( 6 ) activates the actuation device of the ejector ( 3 ) in an emergency opening mode of the door ( 1 ), and activates the inflation device of the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ) in an emergency inflation mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An aircraft door architecture comprising:
a door ( 1 ) adapted to be mounted in an opening in a fuselage of an aircraft and adapted to occupy an open position and a closed position; an ejector ( 3 ) adapted to drive emergency opening of the door ( 1 ); an inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ) adapted to occupy a retracted storage position and a deployed evacuation position; a retaining bar actuator ( 5 ) that can be activated between: an arming position in which the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ) is retained; and a disarming position in which the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ) is released; an emergency energy source ( 6 ) connected to the ejector ( 3 ), to the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ), and to the retaining bar actuator ( 5 ), the emergency energy source ( 6 ) being adapted to activate an actuating device for actuating the ejector ( 3 ), an inflating device for inflating the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ), and the retaining bar actuator ( 5 ); a control unit ( 9 ) having the following two operating states: a nominal operating state in which the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ) is retained in the retracted position and the emergency energy source is deactivated; and an emergency operating state in which the emergency energy source ( 6 ) activates the actuating device in an emergency mode of opening the door ( 1 ) and activates the inflating device in an emergency inflation mode; wherein the emergency energy source ( 6 ) is an electric secondary cell; the ejector ( 3 ) includes an electric actuation device; the inflatable evacuation device ( 4 ) includes an electric inflation device; wherein the emergency energy source ( 6 ) includes a thermal battery; and wherein the emergency energy source includes a first thermal battery ( 6 A) adapted to power electrically the retaining bar actuator ( 5 ) and to activate a second thermal battery ( 6 B) of greater capacity than the first thermal battery ( 6 A), the second thermal battery ( 6 B) being adapted to power electrically the ejector ( 3 ) and the inflating device.

2 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 9 ) includes a control interface for a user, the control interface being adapted to drive the retaining bar actuator ( 5 ) to the arming position or the disarming position when the control unit ( 9 ) is in the nominal operating state.

3 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 9 ) further includes an opening from the exterior operating state in which the control unit ( 9 ) drives the retaining bar actuator ( 5 ) to the disarming position in the event of opening of the door ( 1 ) from the exterior.

4 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 3 , wherein in the opening from the exterior operating mode the control unit ( 9 ) activates the actuating device in a nominal mode of opening the door ( 1 ).

5 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the nominal operating state the control unit ( 9 ) is adapted to control the ejector ( 3 ) in accordance with a mode for assisting opening/closing of the door ( 1 ).

6 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the control interface for a user is adapted also to control the ejector ( 3 ) in the mode for assisting opening/closing of the door ( 1 ).

7 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the emergency energy source ( 6 ) is activated by a mechanical trigger ( 14 ) connected to a mechanism for opening/closing the door ( 1 ).

8 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the door ( 1 ) comprises an arming/disarming handle ( 18 ) and in that the mechanism for opening/closing the door comprises an opening handle that is mechanically connected to the mechanical trigger ( 14 ) by a coupling device ( 20 ) actuated by the arming/disarming handle ( 18 ).

9 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ejector ( 3 ) includes connectors for electrical connection to an onboard electrical network of an aircraft, the electric actuation device also being adapted to be activated by an aircraft onboard electrical network.

10 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 9 , further including an isolation box ( 7 ) having a mode enabling electrical connection of the ejector ( 3 ) and a mode for breaking that electrical connection.

11 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the isolation box ( 7 ) is activated in breaking mode upon activation of the emergency energy source ( 6 ).

12 . The aircraft door architecture as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the retaining bar actuator ( 5 ) includes connectors for electrical connection to an onboard electrical network of an aircraft, the retaining bar actuator ( 5 ) also being adapted to be activated by an aircraft onboard electrical network.

Assignees

• Latecoere

Inventors

• Devillez Sebastien

Classifications

• B64D25/14 Primary

  Inflatable escape chutes · CPC title

• B64C1/1423 Primary

  Passenger doors · CPC title