DUAL CONFIGURATION EVACUATION ASSEMBLY

• US 20180273190A1
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Published: 09/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: HAYNES, TIMOTHY C., SCHMIDT, RYAN
• Granted Patent: US 10,457,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2027/145 Inflatable ramps
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/22 Devices for holding or launching life-buoys, inflatable life-rafts, or other floatable life-saving equipment equipment for handling life-boats or the like B63B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/14 Inflatable escape chutes

Abstract

An evacuation assembly of an aircraft may include an evacuation slide and a sheet coupled to the evacuation slide. The sheet may be deployable in a negative lift configuration and a canopy configuration. In the negative lift configuration, the sheet may extend across at least a portion of an underside of the evacuation slide. In the canopy configuration, the sheet may extend over at least a portion of a top side of the evacuation slide. The evacuation assembly may also include a support that is coupled to and extends between the top side of the evacuation slide and the sheet in response to the sheet being in the canopy configuration.

Claims

1. An evacuation assembly of an aircraft, the evacuation assembly comprising:

an evacuation slide; and

a sheet coupled to the evacuation slide, wherein the sheet is deployable in a negative lift configuration and a canopy configuration.

2. The evacuation assembly of claim 1, wherein:

in the negative lift configuration the sheet extends across at least a portion of an underside of the evacuation slide; and

in the canopy configuration the sheet extends over at least a portion of a top side of the evacuation slide.

3. The evacuation assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the evacuation assembly comprises a support; and

the support is coupled to and extends between the top side of the evacuation slide and the sheet in the canopy configuration.

4. The evacuation assembly of claim 3, wherein:

the evacuation slide comprises a longitudinal axis and a first longitudinally extending border tube and a second longitudinally extending border tube that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis to form opposing lateral edges of the evacuation slide; and

the support is disposed in a middle section between the first longitudinally extending border tube and the second longitudinally extending border tube.

5. The evacuation assembly of claim 4, wherein:

the support is a first support; and

the evacuation slide comprises a second support that is longitudinally spaced apart from the first support and that is disposed in the middle section.

6. The evacuation assembly of claim 2, wherein a first portion of the sheet is permanently coupled to the evacuation slide and a second portion of the sheet is detachably coupled to the evacuation slide.

7. The evacuation assembly of claim 6, wherein:

the evacuation slide comprises a longitudinal axis, a first longitudinally extending border tube, and a second longitudinally extending border tube;

the first longitudinally extending border tube and the second longitudinally extending border tube extend parallel to the longitudinal axis to form opposing lateral edges of the evacuation slide;

the first portion of the sheet is permanently coupled to the first longitudinally extending border tube; and

the second portion of the sheet is detachably coupled to the second longitudinally extending border tube.

8. The evacuation assembly of claim 6, wherein:

the evacuation slide comprises a head portion and a toe portion;

the first portion of the sheet is permanently coupled to at least one of the head portion and the toe portion; and

the second portion of the sheet is detachably coupled to the other of the head portion and the toe portion.

9. The evacuation assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the sheet is a first sheet comprising a first portion and a second portion;

the evacuation assembly comprises a second sheet comprising a third portion and a fourth portion;

the first portion and the third portion are permanently coupled to the evacuation slide; and

the second portion and the fourth portion are detachably coupled together.

10. The evacuation assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the evacuation assembly comprises a support coupled to the top side of the evacuation slide;

the sheet is a first sheet comprising a first portion and a second portion;

the evacuation assembly comprises a second sheet comprising a third portion and a fourth portion;

the first portion and the third portion are permanently coupled to the evacuation slide;

the second portion and the fourth portion are detachably coupled to the underside of the evacuation slide in the negative lift configuration; and

the second portion and the fourth portion are detachably coupled to the support in the canopy configuration.

11. The evacuation assembly of claim 2, wherein in the negative lift configuration the sheet and the underside of the evacuation slide are cumulatively shaped and configured to produce negative lift in response to air flowing across the evacuation slide in a width direction, wherein the width direction is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the evacuation slide.

12. The evacuation assembly of claim 11, wherein the evacuation slide comprises a head portion and a toe portion, wherein the longitudinal axis extends centrally along a length of the evacuation slide from the head portion to the toe portion, wherein in the negative lift configuration a top length of a top air flow path across the top side of the toe portion of the evacuation slide in the width direction is less than a bottom length of a bottom air flow path across the sheet and the underside of the toe portion of the evacuation slide in the width direction.

13. An evacuation assembly of an aircraft, the evacuation assembly comprising:

an evacuation slide comprising a longitudinal axis and a first longitudinally extending border tube and a second longitudinally extending border tube that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis to form opposing lateral edges of the evacuation slide;

a sheet coupled to the evacuation slide, wherein;

the sheet is deployable in a negative lift configuration and a canopy configuration;

in the negative lift configuration the sheet extends across at least a portion of an underside of the evacuation slide; and

in the canopy configuration the sheet extends over at least a portion of a top side of the evacuation slide; and

a support coupled to and extending between the top side of the evacuation slide and the sheet in response to the sheet being in the canopy configuration, wherein the support is disposed in a middle section between the first longitudinally extending border tube and the second longitudinally extending border tube.

14. A method of using an evacuation assembly of an aircraft, the method comprising:

inflating an evacuation slide such that the evacuation slide is in slide mode, wherein in the slide mode a sheet is coupled to the evacuation slide in a negative lift configuration;

detaching the evacuation slide from the aircraft such that the evacuation slide is in raft mode; and

configuring the sheet in a canopy configuration.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein configuring the sheet in the canopy configuration is performed in response to the evacuation slide being in the raft mode.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein configuring the sheet in the canopy configuration is performed after detaching the evacuation slide from the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

in the negative lift configuration the sheet extends across at least a portion of an underside of the evacuation slide; and

in the canopy configuration the sheet extends over at least a portion of a top side of the evacuation slide.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a first portion of the sheet is permanently coupled to the evacuation slide and a second portion of the sheet is detachably coupled to the evacuation slide, wherein configuring the sheet in the canopy configuration comprises:

detaching the second portion of the sheet from the evacuation slide;

retracting the sheet from the underside of the evacuation slide;

extending the sheet over the portion of the top side of the evacuation slide; and

after extending the sheet over the portion of the top side of the evacuation slide, attaching the second portion of the sheet to the evacuation slide.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a support is coupled to the top side of the evacuation slide and is disposed in a middle section of the evacuation slide between two longitudinally extending border tubes, wherein extending the sheet over the portion of the top side of the evacuation slide comprises coupling the sheet to the support.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

a support is coupled to the top side of the evacuation slide;

the sheet is a first sheet comprising a first portion and a second portion;

a second sheet is coupled to the evacuation slide;

the second sheet comprises a third portion and a fourth portion;

the first portion and the third portion are permanently coupled to the evacuation slide;

the second portion and the fourth portion are detachably coupled together in the negative lift configuration; and

configuring the sheet in the canopy configuration comprises;

detaching the second portion from the fourth portion;

retracting the first sheet and the second sheet from the underside of the evacuation slide;

extending the first sheet and the second sheet over the portion of the top side of the evacuation slide; and

after extending the first sheet and the second sheet over the portion of the top side of the evacuation slide, attaching the second portion and the fourth portion to the support.