Method for arming/disarming an aircraft door evacuation slide and implementation mechanism

Abstract

The objective of the invention is to replace the rope bar of the door evacuation slide with individual connections. According to a preferred embodiment, the mechanism for arming/disarming an aircraft door evacuation slide (1, 15, 16) includes two releasable connectors (21) disposed to either side of the base of the door and each includes two half connectors (21s, 21i), a so-called upper half connector (21s, 41, 4a, 42) rigidly connected to the door (1) and having an attachment device (33) for attachment to the slide, and a so-called lower half connector (21i) fixed to the cabin floor (6). Each upper half connector (21s) includes a movable inner part controlled by a ring (43) and housed in the corresponding lower half-connector (21i). The mechanism can also include an electric motor coupled to two rods (31), each rod (31) being capable of rotating the control ring (43) of each upper half connector (21s) between two angular positions: an armed position and a disarmed position.

Claims

1. A method for arming mode and disarming mode of an evacuation slide (3) of an aircraft door (1) connected to a cabin floor (6) of the aircraft, the method comprising: activating the arming mode (ARM) for lowering the aircraft door (1) into a closed position to engage half connectors (21s, 21i; 22s, 22i) forming at least two releasable connections (21, 22) coaxial with an axis perpendicular to the cabin floor (6); rigidly connecting the half connectors (21s, 21i; 22s, 22i) of each connection (21, 22) to the door (1) and to the cabin floor (6), respectively; locking the connections (21, 22) by driving, using a locking motion (T1, R1) triggered by a control (51) of an energy source (23); wherein said locking step includes driving in rotation (R2) about the axis of each connection (21, 22) induced by driving in translation (T2) by coupling with the energy source (23) until a configuration is reached locking the connections (21, 22); wherein in the event of an emergency evacuation, unfurling and inflating the evacuation slide (3) attached only to each connection (21, 22), and the disarming mode (DISARM) unlocking said connections by a mechanically driven reverse motion (T2, R2) and then raising the door (1) to decouple the connections (21, 22) before opening the door.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting parts (21i, 22i) are rigidly connected to the cabin floor (6) form extensions emerging from the floor (6).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting parts (21s, 21i; 22s, 22i) are aligned during the lowering of the door (1) by fixing the connecting parts (21s, 22s) rigidly connected to the door (1) via an elastic joint (45).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving in rotation (R1, R2) causes pivoting of a mobile subassembly (72) of one of the parts (21s, 22s) of each connection (21, 22) between two angular positions (Ad, Aa), a locking position in which the subassembly (72) is arranged in a housing (10) of the other part (21i, 22i) in accordance with a locking configuration and a releasable position in which the subassembly (72) and the housing (10) have complementary configurations.

5. A mechanism for at least one of arming and disarming an evacuation slide (3) of an aircraft door (1) connected to a cabin floor (6) of the aircraft comprising: two releasable connectors (21, 22) disposed on respective opposite sides of a bottom (1i) of the aircraft door (1) and each releasable connector including an upper half-connectors (21s, 22s) and a lower half connector (21i, 22), the upper half connector and the lower half connector are coaxial with an axis perpendicular to the cabin floor, the upper half-connector (21s, 22s) is rigidly connected to the door (1) and includes an attachment device (33) to attach to the evacuation slide (3), the lower half-connector (21i, 22i) is fixed to the cabin floor (6) and to a latch (7) for locking and unlocking the upper half-connector (21s, 22s) and the lower half-connector (21i, 22i), each latch (7) includes a part mobile (72) in rotation about the axis of the half-connectors (21s, 22s; 21i, 22i) and is adapted house in the corresponding lower half-connector (21i, 22i), and wherein the mechanism (2) further includes: an energy source (23) coupled to two links (31, 32), each link (31, 32) adapted to move in translation parallel to the floor by the energy source (23) to drive the mobile part (72) of a latch (7) in rotation (R1, R2) between two angular positions: an angular position (Aa) locking the locking configuration of the walls (91) of a base (9b) of the corresponding lower half-connector (21i, 22i), and a releasable angular position (Ad) of complementary configuration of the walls (72a, 91) of said part (72) and said base (9b).

6. The mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein each lower half-connector (21i, 22i) is a threshold fitting that includes a base (8) adapted to fix to the floor (6), the base (8) resting on the floor (6) so that no cavity is formed between the base (8) and the floor (6).

7. The mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein each lower half-connector (21i, 22i) has an upper end (9) of globally conical shape having walls forming shoulders (91) that extend radially to form the base (9b) and between the upper end (9) and the base (8), a cylindrical intermediate portion (10) radially smaller than the shoulders (91) and adapted to form with the upper end (9) a housing for the mobile part (72) of the corresponding latch (7).

8. The mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein each upper half-connector (21s, 22s) includes a pillar (42) adapted to mount perpendicularly to the floor (6) in an arm (41, 41a) for fixing the upper half-connector to the door (1) and a control ring (43) mobile in rotation mounted on the pillar (42) and connected to the links (31, 32), and each locking and unlocking latch (7) are mounted on the pillar (42) and includes a casing (71) and the links (31, 32) drive the mobile part (72) by the control ring (43).

9. The mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mobile internal part (72) and the control ring (43) are coupled via connections by lugs (43e) and notches (72e).

10. The mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pillar (42) is mounted in the arm (41, 41a) via an elastic joint (45) adapted to absorb misalignments between the two half-connectors (21s, 21i; 22s, 22i).

11. The mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein position sensors (47, 48) are mounted on the mobile control ring (43) to determine the angular position (Aa, Ad) of said ring (43) and to deduce from the position of the latches (7) and the armed and disarmed status of the evacuation slide (3).

12. The mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein the casing (71) of the latch (7) includes pins (33) for attaching the evacuation slide (3).

13. The mechanism as claimed in claim 8, wherein the casing (71) of the latch (7) includes a cylindrical internal wall (73) forming a face (73a) for centering the threshold fitting (21i, 22i).

14. The mechanism as claimed in claim 11, wherein each mobile internal part (72) is provided with a target (72c) for the position sensors (47, 48) of the latch (7).

15. The mechanism as claimed in claim 14, wherein the target (72c) of the mobile internal parts (72) forms a pull-tab that is maneuvered to arm and disarm the evacuation slide (3) in the event of failure of an electric motor (23) used as an energy source.

16. The mechanism as claimed in claim 15, wherein the motor (23) is a bistable electrical actuator of solenoid type.

17. The mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein an indicator lamp (5a, 5b) informing the operator of the armed and the disarmed status of the aircraft door and a door computer (14) manage the arming and disarming angular positions (Aa, Ad) of the upper half-connectors (21s, 22s).

18. The aircraft comprising a door (1) equipped with two upper half-connectors (21s, 22s), latches (7), and an energy source coupled to the links for driving the mobile parts of each upper half-connector (21s, 22s) in rotation according to angular locking and releasable positions of the mechanism (2) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the upper half-connectors (21s, 22s) are adapted to associate with the threshold fittings (21i, 22i) of said mechanism (2).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Other data, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent on reading the following non-limiting description with reference to the appended figures which show:

(2) FIG. 1, a partially cutaway front view of an aircraft door seen from inside the aircraft, equipped with one example of an arming/disarming mechanism in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2, a lateral view of the door and one of the releasable connectors of the mechanism from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3, a sectional view of the connector according to FIG. 2;

(5) FIGS. 4a and 4b, a sectional view and a partially exploded view of the upper half-connector of the example of a connector in accordance with the invention connected to a driving link and position sensors;

(6) FIGS. 5a to 5c, perspective, sectional and exploded views of an example of a half-connector latch in accordance with the invention;

(7) FIGS. 6a to 6c, two lateral views and a top view of an example of a threshold fitting in accordance with the invention;

(8) FIGS. 7a and 7b, a part-sectional top view of one of the connectors and a view of the arming/disarming mechanism in accordance with the invention in the disarming or DISARM position, and

(9) FIGS. 8a and 8b, part-sectional top views of the connector and the arming/disarming mechanism in accordance with FIGS. 7a and 7b in the arming or ARM position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) Throughout the text, the terms “upper” and “lower”, “vertical” and “horizontal” and their derivatives relate to locations of elements or parts of elements positioned relative to the level of the (land or water) landing or takeoff surface in the broad sense considered as a horizontal reference plane.

(11) Referring to FIG. 1, a partially cutaway front view of an aircraft door 1 as seen from inside the aircraft is shown. This door 1 is the usual passenger front entry/exit door. It is notably equipped with a raising/lowering handle 11, an arm 12 for opening the door 1 in order to enable passengers to enter or exit and an arming/disarming mechanism 2 in accordance with the invention.

(12) This arming/disarming mechanism 2 enables use of an evacuation slide 3 stored in the box 4 formed at the bottom of the door 1 in the event of emergencies that necessitate evacuation of the occupants of the aircraft. This mechanism 2 is triggered by pressing a DISARM control button 51 or an ARM control button 52. Light-emitting diodes 5a and 5b are disposed facing the buttons 51 and 52 to indicate the armed or disarmed status, respectively, of the mechanism. Alternatively, back-lit or equivalent buttons may replace the diodes.

(13) The lower face 4i of the box 4 is situated at substantially the same level as the lower face 1i of the structure of the door. The mechanism 2 includes two releasable connectors 21 and 22 disposed on respective opposite sides of the bottom of the door. Each connector 21, 22 comprises two half-connectors, a so-called upper half-connector 21s, 22s fixed to a reinforcing structure 16 of the door 1 and a so-called lower half-connector 21i, 22i. Each lower half-connector 21i, 22i is formed by a so-called threshold fitting fixed to the cabin floor 6. In FIG. 1, the door 1 has been lowered into the closed position and the half-connectors 21s and 22s are engaged on the threshold fittings 21i and 22i. In the figures in which a single connector 21 or half-connector 21i, 21s is shown, the description is valid for the other connector 22 or half-connector 22i, 22s.

(14) The mechanism 2 also includes a bistable electric motor 23 of solenoid type controlled by a door computer 14 and actuated by the control buttons 51 and 52. The motor 23 is coupled to two links 31 and 32, each link driving a respective upper half-connector 21s, 22s in rotation between a so-called arming locking position (ARM) and a so-called disarming releasable position (DISARM), which positions are described in detail hereinafter.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the door 1 and the releasable connector 21, FIG. 3 providing a sectional view of the connector 21. The door 1 consists of a panel 15 and a reinforcing structure 16 in which is notably housed the equipment that controls, actuates and manages the door 1.

(16) The upper half-connector 21s includes attachment pins 33 for the evacuation slide 3 stored in the box 4 and an arm 41 fixing it to the box 4. This female half-connector 21s is coupled to a male threshold fitting 21i fixed to the cabin floor 6 to form the releasable connector 21 as explained hereinafter.

(17) The upper half-connector 21s includes a pillar 42 mounted vertically and perpendicularly to the floor 6 by the fixing arm 41, a control ring 43 mobile in rotation mounted on the pillar 42 and connected to the driving link 31, and a locking/unlocking latch 7 also mounted on the pillar 42.

(18) In the FIG. 3 sectional view, there are more specifically distinguished the elastic material—for example silicone—joint 45 by means of which the pillar 42 is mounted in the annular support 41a of the fixing arm 41. This elastic joint 45 is intended to absorb misalignments between the half-connectors, for example during their connection during lowering of the door into the closed position or during relative movements between the door and the fuselage in flight.

(19) In this FIG. 3 sectional view there also appears a mobile part 72 internal to the latch 7 which is coupled to the mobile control ring 43 to be driven in rotation as described below.

(20) Referring to the sectional and partly exploded views of the upper half-connector 21 in FIGS. 4a and 4b, position sensors 47 and 48 are advantageously mounted on the pillar 42 of the upper half-connector 21s via a support 40c. These sensors 47 and 48 associated with a target 72c on the latch 7 (see FIG. 5c) make it possible to track the movement of the latch, to ensure it functions correctly, to determine the angular position of the ring 43 (cf. FIGS. 7a and 7b), and to deduce therefrom the armed/disarmed status of the evacuation slide.

(21) Moreover, these views show the coupling of the driving link 31 to the mobile ring 43 by an annular end fitting 31a formed at the end of the link 31 connected with a lug 43a on a base 40 fixed to the upper face 43s of the ring 43. FIG. 4b also shows three lugs 43e on a lower face 43i of the control ring 43, these lugs being intended to be coupled to the mobile internal part 72 of a latch 7.

(22) The latch 7 is described in detail now with reference to the perspective, sectional and exploded views of FIGS. 5a to 5c, respectively. The latch 7 comprises an external casing 71 and the mobile internal part 72. The external casing 71 has pins 33 for attaching the evacuation slide and advantageously an internal wall 73 including a cylindrical central bore 73a for centering the threshold fitting 21 i (cf. FIGS. 6a to 6c).

(23) Moreover, a system for indexing the position of the mobile part 72 is advantageously provided: here this known indexing system is mounted in a housing 49 formed in the example shown in the casing 71 at the root of a pin 33. The indexing system functions in conjunction with a recessed marker 46 formed in a vertical annular wall 72v of the part 72.

(24) Once mounted, the vertical annular wall 72v is integrated into a corresponding interstice of the casing 71. This annular wall 72v has on its upper face 72s three depressed notches 72e, each of these notches being able to accept a lug 43e formed on the lower face 43i of the control ring 43 (cf. FIG. 4b). Each lug can then move along a circular opening 721 on the upper face 71s of the casing 71.

(25) The lower part of the annular wall 72v of the mobile part 72 is extended by a horizontal wall 72h. This horizontal wall 72h includes a central bore 72a with a configuration adapted to the configuration of the threshold fitting in order to define locking and releasable positions as described in detail hereinafter.

(26) Moreover, the mobile part 72 includes a target 72c for the position sensors 47, 48 of the latch (cf. FIGS. 4a and 4b). The target 72c forms a pull-tab that can be maneuvered by hand to arm or disarm the door in the event of failure of the electric motor.

(27) The lateral views and the top view of FIGS. 6a to 6c show a threshold fitting 21 i of the connector 21 (cf. FIGS. 2 and 3) adapted to be connected to the upper half-connector 21s described above. This threshold fitting 21i includes a base 8 intended to be fixed to the cabin floor 6 (cf. FIG. 1), the base 8 resting on this floor 6 so that no cavity is formed between the base 8 and the threshold.

(28) The threshold fitting 21i has a so-called upper end 9 of globally conical shape including four shoulders 91 that extend radially and above a cylindrical base 9b. A cylindrical intermediate portion 10 radially smaller than the shoulders 91 extends axially between this cylindrical base 9b and the base 8. This smaller intermediate portion 10 houses the horizontal wall 72h of the bore 72a in the mobile part 72 (cf. FIG. 5b): the configuration of this wall 72h is complementary to that of the cylindrical base 9b so that:

(29) in certain angular positions of the part 72, the wall 72h of this part is in corresponding relationship with that of the base 9b—releasable positions for the part 72 and therefore for the latch 7—and, once the part 72 is at the level of the intermediate portion 10,

(30) +/−45° rotations of the mobile part 72 from the preceding positions lock this part between the shoulders 91 of the base 9b and the base 8 of the threshold fitting 21 i: the latch 7 is then locked to the threshold fitting (locking positions).

(31) The top views of FIGS. 7a and 7b show the connector 2 partly in section and the arming/disarming mechanism 2 in the disarming position DISARM. To reach this position, the motor 23 is actuated by the control button 51 and the door computer 14 (FIG. 1) so that the movement in translation T1 of the driving links 31 and 32 causes pivoting in rotation R1 of the control ring 43 by a disarming angle Ad (relative to a reference R.sub.0) for which the latches 7 are not in a locking position on the threshold fitting 21i. In this position, the latches 7 and therefore the connections 21, 22 are released: the door can be raised to decouple the connections and then opened with the arm 12 (FIG. 1) in the normal way.

(32) In order to place the mechanism 2 in the arming mode ARM, a reverse motion—reverse movement in translation of the links 31, 32 driving reverse rotation of the control ring 43—is triggered by the control button 51 of the motor 23 and the door computer 14 (FIG. 1).

(33) Refer to FIGS. 8a and 8b, which repeat the top views of FIGS. 7a and 7b in the ARM position. In this position, the door 1 is in the closed position and the latches 7 are locked in a locking angular position on the threshold fittings 21 i by rotation of the control ring 43 by an arming angle i. To this end, the links 31, 32 are actuated in accordance with a locking motion triggered via the electric motor 23 by the control button 52 and the door computer 14 (FIG. 1).

(34) By virtue of this motion, the movement in translation T2 of the driving links 31 and 32 causes pivoting in rotation R2 of the control ring 43 by the angle Aa: the connectors 21 and 22 are locked and raising and then opening the door causes unfurling and inflation of the evacuation slide 3 (FIG. 1).

(35) The driving in rotation causes pivoting of a mobile subassembly of one of the parts of each connection between two extreme positions, a locking position in which the subassembly is arranged in a housing of the other part in accordance with a locking configuration and a releasable position in which the subassembly and the housing have complementary configurations.

(36) The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown.