Evacuation slide

• US 4,723,628 A
• Filed: 05/22/1986
• Issued: 02/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Fisher, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Machado, Reinaldo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin-Shue, A.
• Application Number:
  US06/865,699
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 182/48, 182/49, 182/76, 182/82, 182/70, 244/137 P, 244/DIG. 2, 193/25 B
• US Class Current: 182/48
• 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: B61B 12/005 Rescue devices for passengers safety devices for preventing accidents to passengers when entering or leaving railway vehicles B61K13/04; emergency escape closures in vehicle bottom in general B60J9/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/14 Inflatable escape chutes

Abstract

An inflatable escape slide having an inflatable platform that provide a horizontal walkway from an elevated vehicle such as a train. An inflatable slide portion is connected to the platform and is deployable in a longitudinal direction that is in the same general direction as the train thus ensuring deployment where clearance space to either side of the elevated train is limited. The escape slide and platform are an integral unit.

Claims

1. A self supporting inflatable evacuation device for emergency use from an elevated structure wherein such elevated structure has an elongated body with a longitudinal centerline, said inflatable device having a first inflatable portion that extends outwardly away in a first direction defining a platform from such elevated structure to be evacuated, said elongated body having one side surface with an opening for ingress and egress of passengers therefrom, inflating means operative upon actuation to deploy said self supporting evacuation device outwardly away from said elevated structure, said platform located adjacent said opening, said first inflatable portion is supported by a horizontally extending rigid support member to provide a cantilever support for said platform, said rigid support member moveable into said cantilever position upon deployment of said evacuation device, said rigid support member being a rigid door of a compartment that stores said first and said second portions in a deflated condition, said compartment being located beneath said elevated structure housing and inflating means, said inflatable device having a second inflatable portion with a flexible panel defining a slide surface extending perpendicularly from said first portion and parallel to said longitudinal centerline, said slide surface projecting downwardly at an angle to a foot end of said inflatable evacuation device, and one side surface of said escape slide lying in a vertical plane that lies closely adjacent to said one side surface of said elongated body.

2. An inflatable evacuation device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compartment and said rigid support member are exterior of said elevated supporting structure and adjacent said opening.

3. An inflatable escape slide adapted to extend from an elevated train structure having a longitudinal centerline, said train structure having a pair of generally planar side surfaces that are parallel to said longitudinal centerline, one of said side surfaces having an opening therein for the ingress and egress of passengers, said opening having a pair of sides and a bottom surface, the centerline of said opening lying along a line that is generally normal to said centerline of said train, said escape slide having an inflatable horizontally extending platform that has one side abutting said bottom surface of said opening, said escape slide having an integral portion with said platform inclined downwardly from said platform to a lower ground engaging surface, said escape slide is retained in an uninflated condition in a compartment directly below said opening, said compartment is an integral self contained unit mounted to the exterior of said train structure, said platform is supported solely by cantilever support means that is part of said compartment, and said downwardly inclined slide portion being parallel to said centerline of said train structure and having one side surface in vertical alignment with said side surface of said train structure operative to direct passengers away from said opening of said train structure.

4. An inflatable escape slide as set forth in claim 3 wherein said cantilever support means includes a rigid support member supporting inflatable tubes that support said platform.