High strength T-joint for inflatable tube structures

• US 6,581,334 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Oney, Ted H., Meng, Haiwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Glessner, Brian E.
• Application Number:
  US10/003,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20030085567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 52/21.1, 52/21.8, 403/187, 403/188, 285/133.11, 285/133.5, 285/133.6, 285/919, 138/120, 138/98, 182/48, 244/905, 244/137.2, 277/602, 277/608
• US Class Current: 52/2.18
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 31/02 for branching hoses
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 45/00 Pipe units with cleaning aperture and closure therefor

Abstract

A high strength T-joint for inflatable tubular is formed by forming a butt joint between the end of a first two tubular member and the side wall of a second tubular member. The opening in the side wall of the second tubular member is sized to match the end of the transverse support member so that a sealing flange can be applied to the inner surface of the joint to provide an airtight seal. A reinforcing flange comprising a disk-shaped piece of fabric having a center opening, is then bonded over the opening in the second tubular member. The center opening in the reinforcing flange is substantially smaller than the opening in the side rail member. Therefore the reinforcing flange substantially reduces the size of the discontinuity in the side wall of side rail member, thereby substantially increasing the circumferential (“hoop”) load capacity of the side wall of the side rail member and substantially increasing the rupture pressure of the joint.

Claims

1. A reinforced T-junction between a first pressurized flexible tubular member having an arcuate wall with an opening therein, said arcuate wall defining a radially inward and a radially outward direction, and a second pressurized flexible tubular member extending generally radially outward from said first pressurized flexible tubular member, said second pressurized flexible tubular member having a first end, a second end, and a side wall defining an inner and an outer surface, said T-junction comprising:

a butt joint between said first end of said second pressurized flexible tubular member and said arcuate wall of said first pressurized flexible tubular member, said butt joint formed by abutting said first end of said second inflatable tubular member against said arcuate wall of said first pressurized flexible tubular member such that said first end of said first pressurized flexible tubular member covers said opening;

a first reinforcing flange, said first reinforcing flange comprising a flexible member having a flange portion and a radially outwardly extending body portion, said flange portion being bonded to said radially inward surface of said arcuate wall of said first pressurized flexible tubular member, and said outwardly extending body portion being bonded to said inner surface of said second pressurized flexible tubular member; and

a second reinforcing flange, said second reinforcing flange comprising a flexible sheet having a front surface, a back surface and an aperture extending through from said front surface to said back surface, said second reinforcing flange being bonded to said radially inward surface of said arcuate wall, such that said aperture in said second reinforcing flange is positioned over and partially obstructs said opening in said arcuate wall.

2. The reinforced T-junction of claim 1, wherein:

said opening in said arcuate wall is sized to match the cross sectional area of said second flexible tubular member proximal said first end.

3. The reinforced T-junction of claim 1, further comprising:

a third reinforcing flange, said third reinforcing flange comprising a flexible member having a flange portion bonded to said radially outward surface of said second reinforcing member and a radially outward extending body portion bonded to an inner surface of said first reinforcing flange.

4. The reinforced T-junction of claim 1, wherein:

the aperture in said second reinforcing flange has a cross sectional area that is less than 40% percent of the cross sectional area of the opening in said arcuate wall.

5. The reinforced T-junction of claim 1, wherein:

said first pressurized flexible tubular member comprises a first side rail of an inflatable escape slide assembly adapted to extended from an elevated supporting surface to a lower supporting surface and said second pressurized flexible tubular member comprises a transverse support member attached to said first side rail member for holding said first side rail member in a spaced-apart configuration from a second side rail member.

6. An inflatable escape slide assembly adapted to extended from an elevated supporting surface to a lower supporting surface, said inflatable escape slide assembly comprising:

a flexible panel defining a slide surface having first and second lateral edges and extending from a head end of the inflatable escape slide assembly to a foot end of the inflatable escape slide assembly;

first and second side rail members attached to said first and second lateral edges of said flexible panel, said first and second side rail members each comprising an inflatable tubular member extending from the head end to the foot end of the inflatable escape slide assembly, said first and second side rail members being disposed in a spaced-apart configuration for supporting said flexible panel; and

a transverse support member attached to said first side rail member, said transverse support member comprising an inflatable tubular member having first and second ends and a side wall defining an interior cross sectional area proximal said first end, said transverse support member being attached to said first side rail member by means of a T-junction, said T-junction comprising an opening in a side wall of said first side rail member said opening having an inner edge defining a cross sectional area of said opening, said cross sectional area of said opening being less than said interior cross sectional area of said transverse support member, said first end of said transverse support member being sealingly attached to said first side rail member, whereby said side wall of said transverse support member surrounds and is outboard of said inner edge of said opening.

7. The escape slide of claim 6, wherein:

said transverse support member comprises a member holding said first and second side rail members in a spaced-apart configuration.

8. The escape slide of claim 6, wherein:

said transverse support member comprises a transverse truss adapted to support a strap in a spaced apart configuration relative to said first and second side rails.

9. The escape slide of claim 6, wherein:

said T-j unction further comprises a butt joint between said first end of said transverse support member and said side wall of said first side rail member, said butt joint being formed by abutting said first end of said transverse support member to said first side rail member and bonding a first reinforcing layer to an interior surface of said butt joint.

10. The escape slide of claim 9, wherein:

said T-junction further comprises a second reinforcing layer, said second reinforcing layer comprising a washer-shaped layer bonded to said interior surface of said butt joint on top of said first reinforcing layer, said second reinforcing layer having an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein said inner edge defines said cross sectional area of said opening to be less than said interior cross sectional area of said transverse support member.

11. The escape slide of claim 10, wherein:

said T-junction further comprises a third reinforcing layer bonded to said first reinforcing layer, said third reinforcing layer comprising a cup shaped layer of fabric bonded to an interior facing surface of said first reinforcing layer and bonded to a radially outward surface of said second reinforcing layer.

12. A reinforced T-junction between a first pressurized flexible tubular member having an arcuate wall with an opening therein, said arcuate wall defining a radially inward and a radially outward direction, and a second pressurized flexible tubular member extending generally radially outward from said first pressurized flexible tubular member, said second pressurized flexible tubular member having a first end, a second end, and a side wall defining an inner and an outer surface, said T-junction comprising:

a flanged joint between said first end of said second pressurized flexible tubular member and said arcuate wall of said first pressurized flexible tubular member, said flanged joint formed by bonding a flange extending radially outward from said side wall of said first pressurized tubular member to an open first end of said second pressurized flexible tubular member; and

a reinforcing flange, said reinforcing flange comprising a flexible sheet having a front surface, a back surface and an aperture extending through from said front surface to said back surface, said reinforcing flange being bonded to said radially inward surface of said arcuate wall, such that said aperture in said reinforcing flange is positioned over and partially obstructs said opening in said arcuate wall.