Energy dissipating emergency evacuation slide
First Claim
1. An emergency evacuation slide for a person to slide down from an upstream end of said slide at a higher elevation to a downstream end of said slide at a lower elevation,comprising a slide support member and at least one slide module arranged on said slide support member, whereineach said slide module comprises an elastically elongatable first web segment and a second web segment connected to a downstream end of said first web segment,said second web segment comprises an anti-slip upper surface area and a frictional lower surface area with a defined coefficient of friction,an upstream end of said first web segment is fixedly mechanically secured relative to said slide support member,a downstream end of said second web segment is fixedly mechanically secured relative to said slide support member, anda first remaining portion of said first web segment other than said upstream end of said first web segment and a second remaining portion of said second web segment other than said downstream end of said second web segment are not secured and are left loosely movable relative to said slide support member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An emergency evacuation slide has an internal energy dissipation characteristic so that the slide is especially suitable for evacuation of persons from a relatively great height. By dissipating the energy internally in the slide rather than by frictional heating of the clothing and skin of the evacuating persons, the danger of skin burns and other injuries to the persons is reduced or avoided. The slide surface of the slide is made up of a plurality of slide modules that each include an elastically elongatable segment, an interconnecting segment, and an anti-slip segment, which are respectively connected together one after another. The anti-slip segment has an upper anti-slip surface with a high coefficient of friction so that the anti-slip segment remains in static frictional contact and moves along with the evacuating person. The bottom surface of the anti-slip segment has a predefined coefficient of friction. The upstream end of the elongatable segment and the downstream end of the anti-slip segment are connected mechanically to a slide support body. As a person slides down the slide, the anti-slip segment moves downward along with the person and the downstream end thereof curls or rolls under itself, while the elongatable segment stretches elastically. Energy is dissipated by internal friction within the elastic elongatable segment and by friction of the bottom surface of the anti-slip segment curling or rolling under itself.
12 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An emergency evacuation slide for a person to slide down from an upstream end of said slide at a higher elevation to a downstream end of said slide at a lower elevation,
comprising a slide support member and at least one slide module arranged on said slide support member, wherein each said slide module comprises an elastically elongatable first web segment and a second web segment connected to a downstream end of said first web segment, said second web segment comprises an anti-slip upper surface area and a frictional lower surface area with a defined coefficient of friction, an upstream end of said first web segment is fixedly mechanically secured relative to said slide support member, a downstream end of said second web segment is fixedly mechanically secured relative to said slide support member, and a first remaining portion of said first web segment other than said upstream end of said first web segment and a second remaining portion of said second web segment other than said downstream end of said second web segment are not secured and are left loosely movable relative to said slide support member.
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19. A combination of an aircraft having an exit door, and an emergency evacuation slide for a person to slide down from an upstream end of said slide at a higher elevation to a downstream end of said slide at a lower elevation, wherein:
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said upstream end of said slide is connected to said aircraft at said exit door, said emergency evacuation slide comprises a slide support member and at least one slide module arranged on said slide support member, each said slide module comprises an elastically elongatable first web segment and a second web segment connected to a downstream end of said first web segment, said second web segment comprises an anti-slip upper surface area and a frictional lower surface area with a defined coefficient of friction, an upstream end of said first web segment is fixedly mechanically secured relative to said slide support member, a downstream end of said second web segment is fixedly mechanically secured relative to said slide support member, and a first remaining portion of said first web segment other than said upstream end of said first web segment and a second remaining portion of said second web segment other than said downstream end of said second web segment are not secured and are left loosely movable relative to said slide support member.
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23. An emergency evacuation slide for a person to slide down from an upstream end of said slide at a higher elevation to a downstream end of said slide at a lower elevation, wherein:
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said slide comprises a slide support member and at least one slide module arranged on said slide support member, each said slide module comprises an elastically elongatable first web segment and a second web segment connected to a downstream end of said first web segment, said second web segment comprises an anti-slip upper surface area and a frictional lower surface area with a defined coefficient of friction, an upstream end of said first web segment is mechanically secured relative to said slide support member, a downstream end of said second web segment is mechanically secured relative to said slide support member, said second web segment comprises a sliding interconnection segment that is connected to said downstream end of said first web segment and an anti-slip segment that is connected to a downstream end of said sliding interconnection segment and that includes said downstream end of said second web segment, said anti-slip segment includes said anti-slip upper surface area thereon, and said sliding interconnection segment has a sliding surface with a coefficient of friction less than that of said anti-slip upper surface area. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification