Aeroplane equipped with an internal escape hatch incorporating a pressure regulating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9540110-B2
Application number	US-201514750114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 27, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An aeroplane includes an external skin and an internal bulkhead delimiting a cabin, and an escape opening passing through the external skin and the internal bulkhead. The escape opening is closed off by an external escape hatch disposed flush with the external skin. The aeroplane also includes an internal escape hatch that closes off the escape opening disposed flush with the internal bulkhead, and pressure regulating means capable of automatically triggering an opening of the internal escape hatch or a part of the internal escape hatch when a pressure differential on both sides of the internal escape hatch exceeds a determined value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aeroplane comprising an external skin and an internal bulkhead delimiting a cabin, and comprising an escape opening passing through said external skin and said internal bulkhead, said escape opening being closed off by an external escape hatch disposed flush with the external skin, wherein the aeroplane comprises:
an internal escape hatch that closes off said escape opening disposed flush with the internal bulkhead; and
pressure regulating means capable of automatically triggering an opening of said internal escape hatch or a part of said internal escape hatch when a pressure differential on both sides of said internal escape hatch exceeds a determined value.

2. The aeroplane according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulation means comprise at least one stop movable along a sliding axis between a protruding position in which the at least one stop retains the internal escape hatch and a retracted position in which at least one stop no longer retains the internal escape hatch and allows the internal escape hatch to be opened.

3. The aeroplane according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one stop comprises a return means which thrusts the at least one stop into the protruding position, said return means being gauged as a function of the pressure differential needed to provoke the automatic triggering of the opening.

4. The aeroplane according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one stop comprises a front face with a first inclined surface which makes it possible to convert a thrust force of the catch perpendicular to the sliding axis into a movement of the at least one stop along the sliding axis against the return means.

5. The aeroplane according to claim 4 , wherein the front face comprises a second inclined surface symmetrical to the first inclined surface relative to the sliding axis.

6. The aeroplane according to claim 2 , wherein the internal escape hatch comprises a catch movable between a locked state and an unlocked state, said catch bearing against the at least one stop in the locked state for keeping said internal escape hatch in a closed position, and wherein the catch comprises at least one arm fixed to a shaft that pivots about a rotation axis with respect to a holder connected to the internal escape hatch, said rotation axis and said arm being configured such that in the locked state, the arm or an element carried by the arm is in contact with the at least one stop, and such that in the unlocked state, the arm or an element carried by the arm is spaced apart from the at least one stop and allows the internal escape hatch to be opened.

7. The aeroplane according to claim 6 , wherein the arm carries at its free end a roller configured to roll against the stop.

8. The aeroplane according to claim 6 , wherein the internal escape hatch is connected to the aeroplane by at least one strap.

9. The aeroplane according to claim 8 , wherein, in order to be connected to the internal escape hatch, each strap comprises a ring, and
wherein the shaft which supports the catch comprises, for each strap, a hook having an end which bears against a bearing surface when the catch is in the locked state and which is spaced apart from said bearing surface when the catch is in the unlocked state, the hook passing through the ring in the locked state.

10. The aeroplane according to claim 9 , wherein each bearing surface comprises a pointed end inclined towards the inside of the cabin.

11. The aeroplane according to claim 1 , wherein the internal escape hatch comprises an opening, and
wherein the pressure regulation means comprise an overpressure panel configured to block said opening, said overpressure panel being linked to the rest of the internal escape hatch by a link which prevents any movement of the overpressure panel towards the inside of the cabin and which allows movement of the overpressure panel in the direction of the external escape hatch when a force exerted on the overpressure panel in the direction of the external escape hatch exceeds a certain threshold.

12. The aeroplane according to claim 11 , wherein the link comprises lugs made of ferromagnetic material, fixed onto the outer face of the overpressure panel and which come to protrude at the periphery of said overpressure panel, for each lug, a holder fixed onto the remainder of the internal escape hatch and a magnetic element fixed onto the holder and disposed under the lug.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Salgues Patrick
• Neveu Anne-Laure

Classifications

• B64C1/1423 Primary

  Passenger doors · CPC title

• B64D13/04 Primary

  Automatic control of pressure · CPC title

• B64C1/32

  Severable or jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape · CPC title