Evacuation slide having trapezoidal outline

• US 6,799,741 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Meng, Haiwen, Horvath, William J., Danielson, Leibert
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TIEN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/177,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 244/905, 244/137.2, 193/25.B, 182/48
• US Class Current: 244/137.2
• 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 inflatable evacuation slide for emergency evacuation of an aircraft comprises a pair of main support tubes supporting a flexible sliding surface. The main support tubes taper from a widest point near the exit opening of the aircraft to a narrowest point at the foot end of the slide. This arrangement of main support tubes, together with the toe end transverse tube and the head end transverse tube, form a quasi-trapezoidal truss structure, which is inherently more stable than the rectangular slides of the prior art.

Claims

1. An inflatable escape slide assembly adapted to be extended in a deployed condition 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 said inflatable escape slide assembly to a foot end of said inflatable escape slide assembly;

a first main support tube and a second main support tube, said first main support tube being attached to the first lateral edge of said flexible panel and said second main support tube being attached to the second lateral edge of said flexible panel for supporting said flexible panel between said first main support tube and said second main support tube;

a head end transverse tube attached to said first and second main support tubes proximal said head end of said inflatable escape slide, said head end transverse tube comprising in plan view a substantially straight inflatable tubular member abutting said elevated supporting surface;

said first and second main support tubes each comprising a substantially straight inflatable tubular member having a major longitudinal axis, said first and second main support tubes extending from a location proximal the head end of said inflatable escape slide assembly toward the foot end of said inflatable escape slide assembly;

said first and second main support tubes being disposed in a spaced-apart configuration with the major longitudinal axes of said first and second main support tubes tapering towards each other in plan view from a widest point proximal the head end of said escape slide assembly to a narrowest point proximal the foot end of said escape slide assembly to form a substantially trapezoidal outline in plan view.

2. The inflatable escape slide assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a toe end transverse tube for maintaining the foot end of said first and second main support tubes in said spaced-apart configuration, said toe end transverse tube being shorter in length than said head end transverse tube.

3. The inflatable escape slide assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said first and second main support tubes comprise cylindrical tubes of substantially constant circular cross section.

4. The inflatable escape slide assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a third main support tube and a fourth main support tube, said third main support tube being disposed below and attached to said first main support tube and said fourth main support tube being disposed below and attached to said second main support tube, said first, second, third and fourth main support tubes cooperating to provide strength and rigidity to said escape slide assembly under load.

5. The inflatable escape slide assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said first main support tube is longer than said second main support tube such that said escape slide assembly in plan view is canted toward said second main support tube relative to the head end of said escape slide assembly to form a skewed trapezoidal outline in plan view.

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

an inflator for providing a source of pressurized gas; and

an inflatable escape slide pneumatically connected to said inflator;

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

a first main support tube and a second main support tube, said first and second main support tubes being attached to said first and second lateral edges of said flexible panel for supporting said flexible panel;

a head end transverse tube attached to said first and second main support tubes proximal said head end of said inflatable escape slide, said head end transverse tube comprising in plan view a substantially straight inflatable tubular member the majority of the length of which is adapted to abut said elevated supporting surface;

said first and second main support tubes each comprising a substantially straight cylindrical inflatable tubular member having in plan view a longitudinal axis, said first and second main support tubes extending from a location proximal the head end of the inflatable escape slide to a location proximal the foot end of the inflatable escape slide;

said first and second main support tubes being disposed in a spaced-apart configuration with the longitudinal axes of said first and second main support tubes tapering towards each other in plan view from a widest point proximal the head end of said escape slide to a narrowest point proximal the foot end of the escape slide, said longitudinal axes of said first and second main support tubes in plan view intersecting said head end transverse tube.

7. An inflatable escape slide system adapted to extend from an elevated supporting surface to a lower supporting surface, said inflatable escape slide system comprising:

an inflator for providing a source of pressurized gas; and

an inflatable escape slide pneumatically connected to said inflator;

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

a first main support tube and a second main support tube, said first and second main support tubes being attached to said first and second lateral edges of said flexible panel for supporting said flexible panel;

said first and second main support tubes each comprising a substantially straight cylindrical inflatable tubular member having in plan view a longitudinal axis, said first and second main support tubes extending from a location proximal the head end of the inflatable escape slide to a location proximal the foot end of the inflatable escape slide;

a head end transverse tube attached to said first and second main support tubes proximal said head end of said inflatable escape slide, said head end transverse tube comprising in plan view a substantially straight inflatable tubular member having a longitudinal axis;

a toe end transverse tube attached to said first and second main support tubes proximal said toe end of said inflatable escape slide, said toe end transverse tube having a longitudinal axis;

said first and second main support tubes being disposed in a spaced-apart configuration with the longitudinal axes of said first and second main support tubes tapering towards each other in plan view from a widest point proximal the head end of said escape slide to a narrowest point proximal the foot end of the escape slide, said longitudinal axes of said first and second main support tubes intersecting said longitudinal axes of said head end transverse tube and said toe end transverse tube in plan view to form a trapezoid.

8. The inflatable escape slide assembly of claim 7, further comprising:

a third main support tube and a fourth main support tube, said third main support tube being disposed below and attached to said first main support tube and said fourth main support tube being disposed below and attached to said second main support tube, said first, second, third and fourth main support tubes cooperating to provide strength and rigidity to said escape slide assembly under load.

9. The inflatable escape slide assembly of claim 7, wherein:

said first main support tube is greater in length than said second main support tube such that said escape slide assembly in plan view is canted toward said second main support tube relative to the head end of said escape slide assembly to form a skewed trapezoid in plan view.