Continuously tensioned truss strap

• US 10,647,437 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Volny, Jaro S., Hartman, Drew
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/714,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20190092482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 244138 R, 244905
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 1/20 by making use of sliding-ropes, sliding-poles or chutes, e.g. hoses, pipes, sliding-grooves, sliding-sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/14 Inflatable escape chutes

Abstract

A support arrangement for an inflatable evacuation system may comprise an inflatable member configured to be elongated and stiffened in a longitudinal direction in response to being in an inflated condition, a protrusion extending orthogonal to a surface of the inflatable member, a tensile member attached at least two locations to the inflatable member on opposing sides of the protrusion and being slidably engagable over the protrusion so as to maintain about equal tension in the tensile member on opposing sides of the protrusion, and a sleeve attached to the protrusion configured to maintain the tensile member laterally relative to the protrusion even as the tensile member is able to slide longitudinally.

Claims

1. A support arrangement for an inflatable evacuation system, comprising:

an inflatable member configured to be elongated and stiffened in a longitudinal direction in response to being in an inflated condition;

a protrusion extending orthogonal to a surface of the inflatable member;

a tensile member attached at least two locations to the inflatable member on opposing sides of the protrusion and being slidably engagable over the protrusion so as to maintain about equal tension in the tensile member on opposing sides of the protrusion; and

a sleeve attached to the protrusion configured to maintain the tensile member laterally relative to the protrusion even as the tensile member is able to slide longitudinally.

2. The support arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a first strap disposed within a void space.

3. The support arrangement of claim 2, wherein the first strap is configured to slide along a base portion in response to a tension force.

4. The support arrangement of claim 3, wherein the base portion is coupled to a surface.

5. The support arrangement of claim 4, wherein the first strap further comprises a first end coupled proximate a head end of an evacuation slide and a second end coupled proximate a toe end of the evacuation slide.

6. The support arrangement of claim 5, wherein the base portion comprises a same material as a sliding surface of the evacuation slide.

7. The support arrangement of claim 4, further comprising a second strap coupled to one of the base portion or a sleeve portion.

8. The support arrangement of claim 2, wherein the first strap comprises one of a corded or woven material, an elastomer, an aramid, a para-aramid, a nylon, a ballistic nylon, a polypropylene, a polyethylene, an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, a polyester, or a cotton.