INFLATABLE LIFE RAFT ESCAPE SLIDE

• US 3,860,984 A
• Filed: 06/25/1973
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John M. Fisher
• Original Assignee: John M. Fisher
• Inventors: Fisher, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US05/373,119
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 244/137P 9/11A,2A 193/25B 182/48,20 14/27 52/2,225
• US Class Current: 441/41
• 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

An improved inflatable life raft escape slide having a plurality of inflatable tube members that are cooperable with a panel member to provide a sliding surface. Such tube members are strengthened by one or more narrow transversely extending inflatable tube members having struts interconnecting the underside thereof so that when all the tube members are fully inflated the slide assumes a truss-like structure capable of supporting substantial loads. Such slide member is cooperative with a deflatable pusher member that deploys the slide and wherein such slide converts into a raft.

Claims

1. An inflatable escape slide raft comprising an inflatable upper section and an inflatable lower section, said upper section having a slideway surface for the discharge of aircraft passengers therefrom, detachable means operative to connect and disconnect said slide raft to and from an aircraft;

a pusher tube mounted at one end of said slide raft;

said pusher tube having a chamber communicating with said upper and lower section through separate flapper valve means, truss means secured to the underneath portion of said slide structure to maintain said slide structure in rigid condition upon inflation of said upper and lower sectionS, a pressurizing gas means mounted on said slide raft, valve means mounted on said gas means operative upon actuation to release pressurized gas from said gas means, aspirator means interconnecting said valve means on said pressurized gas means and said pusher tube for controlled inflation of said upper and lower sections, and said aspirator means operative upon exhaust of all gases from said gas means to collapse said pusher tube and protect said flapper valve means.

2. An inflatable escape slide raft as set forth in claim 1 wherein said truss means includes rod means mounted on the intermediate under-surface portion of said slide structure, and cable means interconnecting said rod means with the respective ends of said slide raft.

3. An inflatable escape slide raft as set forth in claim 2 wherein said upper section has auxiliary tube means operatively connected to said upper section for inflation therefrom, and the uppermost surface portion of said auxiliary tube means being in alignment with the uppermost portion of said upper section on full inflation of said auxiliary tube means and said upper section.

4. An inflatable escape slide raft as set forth in claim 3 wherein cover means are provided for said aspirator means to limit the water intake into said pusher tube to limit the ballast effect of said pusher tube.

5. An inflatable escape slide as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lower section has a panel member that extends across the entire underneath portion thereof for cooperation with said slideway surface of said upper section to define an insulated chamber to insulate passengers on said slideway.

6. An inflatable escape slide as set forth in claim 5 wherein said chamber defined by said panel member on said lower section has check valve means for pressurization thereof.

7. An escape life raft slide assembly comprising an elongated flexible wall fluid-distensible tubular sectioned structure;

said slide assembly having a slideway surface thereon for supporting passengers evacuating said aircraft, truss means secured to the underneath portion of said slide assembly for supporting said raft in its distensible condition;

a distensible pusher tube connected to one end of said tubular sectioned structure for rapidly deploying said slide assembly;

pressurized gas means mounted adjacent to said pusher tube for pressurizing said pusher tube and said tubular sectioned structure;

aspirator means interconnecting said pusher tube and said pressurized gas means;

one way valves interconnecting said pusher tube and said tubular sectioned structure to permit pressurization of said tubular sectioned structure when said pusher tube is pressurized, and said aspirator means operative to deflate said pusher tube upon exhaust of all of the fluid from said pressurized source.

8. An escape life raft slide assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said truss means comprises rod means having one of their ends secured to the intermediate under surface portion of said raft, cable means interconnecting the other ends of said rod means to the respective ends of said slide assembly to provide for rigid reinforcement to said raft upon full distension of said tubular sectioned structure.

9. An escape life raft slide assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said slide assembly has auxiliary tube means, valve means interconnecting said auxiliary tube means with said tubular sectioned structure for transferring pressurized air from said tube members to said auxiliary tube means.

10. An inflatable escape slide raft comprising an inflatable upper section and an inflatable lower section;

said upper section having a slideway surface for the discharge of aircraft passengers;

said escape slide raft having a cross section with a width greater than the height thereof;

said upper and lower sections having a plurality of inflatable tube members extending longitudinally thereof, and a plurality of laterally extending members interconnecting said longitudinally extending tube membeRs;

said laterally extending members extendingacross the under surface of said raft to provide body and stability thereto;

strut means having their one ends attached to the intermediate under surface portion of said lower section;

cables extending from the respective end portions of said lower section for connection to the other ends of said struts to provide a rigid truss-like supporting means upon inflation of said upper and lower sections;

an inflatable pusher tube is mounted adjacent the lower portion of one end of said lower section for rapidly deploying said slide raft, said pusher tube interconnected with said inflatable upper and lower sections with one-way valves; and

said pusher tube having an aspirator interconnecting a pressurized gas source to said pusher tube to inflate said sections and subsequent deflation of said pusher tube.