Airfoil for steadying an evacuation slide

• US 10,654,574 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Kruts, Ivan, Volny, Jaro S., Hartman, Drew
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US15/449,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20180251225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/14 Inflatable escape chutes

Abstract

An inflatable slide for use in an emergency evacuation system of an aircraft includes a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface and that is configured to inflate in response to receiving a flow of fluid. The inflatable slide further includes a first lanyard coupled to the main body. The inflatable slide further includes an airfoil coupled to the first lanyard and configured to exert a force on the main body in a downward direction corresponding to a direction of gravity in response to receiving a wind flow.

Claims

1. An inflatable slide for use in an emergency evacuation system of an aircraft, comprising:

a main body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, a second side, and a width extending from the first side to the second side, the main body being configured to inflate in response to receiving a flow of fluid;

a first lanyard coupled to the main body;

a second lanyard located nearer the second side than the first lanyard;

a first slip ring slidably coupled to the first lanyard and a second slip ring slidably coupled to the second lanyard; and

an airfoil coupled to the first slip ring and the second slip ring to facilitate movement of the airfoil towards at least one of the first side or the second side, the airfoil being configured to exert a force on the main body in a downward direction corresponding to a direction of gravity in response to receiving a wind flow, wherein the first slip ring and the second slip ring facilitate movement of the airfoil towards the first side and the second side of the main body via the first lanyard and the second lanyard.

2. The inflatable slide of claim 1, wherein the first lanyard includes a split yoke.

3. The inflatable slide of claim 1, wherein the airfoil includes a flexible fabric and at least one cord.

4. The inflatable slide of claim 3, wherein the flexible fabric includes a nylon-based fabric and the at least one cord includes a nylon kernmantle rope.

5. The inflatable slide of claim 1, wherein the first lanyard includes at least one leader coupled to the airfoil, and wherein the airfoil includes a rigid airfoil body having an airfoil bottom surface having an outward curvature and an airfoil top surface such that a lower pressure is experienced at the airfoil bottom surface than at the airfoil top surface in response to the airfoil receiving the wind flow.

6. An evacuation system for use with an aircraft, comprising:

an aspirator configured to output a flow of fluid; and

an inflatable slide having;

a main body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, a second side, and a width extending from the first side to the second side, the main body being configured to inflate in response to receiving the flow of fluid from the aspirator,

a first lanyard coupled to the main body, a second lanyard located nearer the second side than the first lanyard,

a first slip ring slidably coupled to the first lanyard and a second slip ring slidably coupled to the second lanyard, and

an airfoil coupled to the first slip ring and the second slip ring to facilitate movement of the airfoil towards at least one of the first side or the second side, the airfoil being configured to exert a force on the main body in a downward direction corresponding to a direction of gravity in response to receiving a wind flow, wherein the first slip ring and the second slip ring facilitate movement of the airfoil towards the first side and the second side of the main body via the first lanyard and the second lanyard.

7. The evacuation system of claim 6, wherein the first lanyard includes a split yoke.

8. The evacuation system of claim 6, wherein the airfoil includes a flexible fabric and at least one cord.

9. The evacuation system of claim 8, wherein the flexible fabric includes a nylon-based fabric and the at least one cord includes a nylon kernmantle rope.

10. The evacuation system of claim 6, wherein the first lanyard includes at least one leader coupled to the airfoil, and wherein the airfoil includes a rigid airfoil body having an airfoil bottom surface having an outward curvature and an airfoil top surface such that a lower pressure is experienced at the airfoil bottom surface than at the airfoil top surface in response to the airfoil receiving the wind flow.

11. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage; and

an evacuation system coupled to the fuselage and having;

an aspirator configured to output a flow of fluid, and

an inflatable slide having;

a main body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, a second side, and a width extending from the first side to the second side, the main body being configured to inflate in response to receiving the flow of fluid from the aspirator,

a first lanyard coupled to the main body,

a second lanyard located nearer the second side than the first lanyard,

a first slip ring slidably coupled to the first lanyard and a second slip ring slidably coupled to the second lanyard, and

an airfoil coupled to the first slip ring and the second slip ring to facilitate movement of the airfoil towards at least one of the first side or the second side, the airfoil being configured to exert a force on the main body in a downward direction corresponding to a direction of gravity in response to receiving a wind flow, wherein the first slip ring and the second slip ring facilitate movement of the airfoil towards the first side and the second side of the main body via the first lanyard and the second lanyard.

12. The aircraft of claim 11, wherein the airfoil includes a flexible fabric and at least one cord.