Door which is intended to be positioned between the cockpit and the cabin of an aircraft

• US 7,568,659 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Malaval, Philippe, Prost, Dominique, Pujol, Olivier, Roques, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): SWIATEK, ROBERT P
• Application Number:
  US10/538,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20060048449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,070 Days
• Field of Search: 244/121, 244/129.4, 244/129.5, 49/31, 49/56, 49/57, 493/71, 49/62
• US Class Current: 244/121
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1407 Doors; surrounding frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1423 Passenger doors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1469 Doors between cockpit and cabin
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/009 comprising decompression panels or valves for pressure equalisation in fuselages or floors
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0028 doors or door arrangements specially adapted to restrict unauthorized access
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/102 opening under pressure on the surface of the door itself E05C19/02 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a door (8) designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, the door comprising a cockpit side (8a) and a cabin side (8b). According to the invention, the door comprises at least one trapdoor (22) capable of closing off a passageway (20) passing through the door and secondly being opened towards the cabin side, the door also comprising a locking/unlocking mechanism (30) of the trapdoor arranged on the cockpit side and that can automatically unlock the trapdoor when the difference between a cockpit pressure and a cabin pressure corresponding to the air pressures applied on the cockpit side and the cabin side of the door respectively is greater than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. Door designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, said door having a cockpit side and a cabin side, characterised in that it comprises at least one trapdoor capable of firstly closing off a passageway provided through said door and secondly of opening towards the cabin side of this door, the door also comprising a mechanism for locking/unlocking of the trapdoor at least one arranged on the cockpit side of the door and capable of automatically unlocking the trapdoor at least one when the difference between a cockpit pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cockpit side of said door and a cabin pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cabin side of said door, is greater than a predetermined value, characterised in that the locking/unlocking mechanism is mounted on the trapdoor at least one of the door, the locking/unlocking mechanism comprising:

a secondary trapdoor comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being subject to the cockpit pressure,

a membrane defining a chamber and being provided with a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed to the second surface of the secondary trapdoor, and the second end being fixed to a portion of the trapdoor at least one provided with at least one through orifice, at least a part of the second surface of the secondary trapdoor subjected to cabin pressure, and

means of transmission of movement connected firstly to the secondary trapdoor capable of moving when the cockpit pressure and the cabin pressure are different, and secondly to at least one bolt that cooperates with a trapdoor frame provided on the door and defining said passageway,

the secondary trapdoor comprising an upper end and a lower end, the lower end being connectedly hinged onto the trapdoor and the upper end being connectedly hinged to the movement transmission means.

2. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that said predetermined value of the air pressure difference is such that it can generate a sufficient force on the trapdoor at least one to cause automatic opening of the unlocked trapdoor towards the cabin side of said door.

3. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the movement transmission means for each bolt in the locking/unlocking mechanism includes:

a connecting rod, provided with a first end and a second end, the first end being connectedly hinged to the upper end of the secondary trapdoor, and

a sliding transmission rod provided with a first end and a second end, the first end being connectedly hinged to the second end of said connecting rod, and the second end being connectedly fixed to said bolt.

4. Door according to claim 3, characterised in that for each bolt in the locking/unlocking mechanism, the movement transmission means also comprise a guide bushing fixed to the trapdoor in said door, and inside which the transmission rod is free to slide.

5. Door according to claim 4, characterised in that each bolt in the locking/unlocking mechanism is fixed to a lever that can be actuated in order to release said trapdoor manually, a return spring of the bolt being arranged between said lever and the guide bushing of the movement transmission means.

6. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the movement transmission means for said at least one bolt in the locking/unlocking mechanism also include anti-acceleration means designed to stop the movement of a transmission rod when the transmission rod is moving at a speed greater than a predetermined speed.

7. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that for each bolt in the locking/unlocking mechanism, the movement transmission means also comprise stop means provided with an inertial mass that can move automatically from a withdrawn position to a stop position, following a shock that occurs on the door with an intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined intensity, so as to form a stop for a stop device fixed to said bolt.

8. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the locking/unlocking mechanism also includes a balancing system for the secondary trapdoor, said balancing system being designed to prevent any movement of the secondary trapdoor that could cause unlocking of this trapdoor following a shock applied on said door.

9. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the locking/unlocking mechanism is protected by a protection cover installed on the cockpit side on the trapdoor in said door.

10. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that said the portion of the trapdoor provided with at least one through orifice is covered by a filter arranged on the cabin side of said door and concealing the location of each orifice, said filter being held in contact with the trapdoor by a bullet-proof protection grill assembled on said trapdoor.

11. Door according to claim 10, characterised in that the bullet-proof protection grill is assembled on the trapdoor using a plurality of studs passing through said trapdoor, and that can only be disassembled from the cockpit side of said door.

12. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the trapdoor comprises a lower part provided with pivot hooks designed firstly to hold the trapdoor in a passageway closing position when it is locked, and secondly to enable pivoting of said trapdoor towards the cabin side when it is unlocked.

13. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the trapdoor comprises an upper part provided with means of retaining said trapdoor in the passageway.

14. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a main door body and the trapdoor at least one that can be mounted on the main door body in order to close off said passageway, the trapdoor at least one fitted with the locking/unlocking mechanism being fully removable from the main door body.

15. Door according to claim 14, characterised in that the main door body and the trapdoor are made from a bullet-proof material.

16. Door according to claim 1, characterised in that the passageway is sufficiently large to enable evacuation of personnel through said passageway.

17. Door system designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, said system comprising a doorframe and a door with a cockpit side and a cabin side, the doorframe being capable of partially covering the cabin side of said door and preventing this door from being opened in any direction except towards the cockpit side, characterised in that said door is a door according to claim 1.

18. Door designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, said door having a cockpit side and a cabin side, the door comprising:

at least one trapdoor capable of firstly closing off a passageway provided through said door and secondly of opening towards the cabin side, the trapdoor at least one includes a locking/unlocking mechanism arranged on the cockpit side and capable of automatically unlocking the trapdoor at least one when a difference between a cockpit pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cockpit side of said door and a cabin pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cabin side is greater than a predetermined value, the locking/unlocking mechanism mounted on the trapdoor at least one and including;

a secondary trapdoor comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being subject to the cockpit pressure;

a membrane defining a chamber and being provided with a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed to the second surface of the secondary trapdoor, and the second end being fixed to a portion of the trapdoor at least one provided with at least one through orifice, wherein at least a part of the second surface of the secondary trapdoor is subjected to cabin pressure; and

a transmission element coupled to the secondary trapdoor, wherein the transmission element is capable of being moved when the cockpit pressure and the cabin pressure are different, the transmission element coupled to at least one bolt that cooperates with a trapdoor frame provided on the door and defining said passageway, the locking/unlocking mechanism including an anti-acceleration element configured to stop the movement of a transmission rod when the transmission rod is moving at a speed greater than a predetermined speed.

19. Door designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, said door having a cockpit side and a cabin side, the door comprising:

at least one trapdoor capable of firstly closing off a passageway provided through said door and secondly of opening towards the cabin side, the trapdoor at least one includes a locking/unlocking mechanism arranged on the cockpit side and capable of automatically unlocking the trapdoor at least one when a difference between a cockpit pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cockpit side of said door and a cabin pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cabin side is greater than a predetermined value, the locking/unlocking mechanism mounted on the trapdoor at least one and including;

a secondary trapdoor comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being subject to the cockpit pressure;

a membrane defining a chamber and being provided with a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed to the second surface of the secondary trapdoor, and the second end being fixed to a portion of the trapdoor at least one provided with at least one through orifice, wherein at least a part of the second surface of the secondary trapdoor is subjected to cabin pressure, the portion of the trapdoor at least one covered by a filter arranged on the cabin side of said door and concealing the location of each orifice, said filter being held in contact with the trapdoor at least one by a bullet-proof protection grill assembled on said trapdoor at least one; and

a transmission element coupled to the secondary trapdoor, wherein the transmission element is capable of being moved when the cockpit pressure and the cabin pressure are different, the transmission element coupled to at least one bolt that cooperates with a trapdoor frame provided on the door and defining said passageway.

20. Door designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, said door having a cockpit side and a cabin side, the door comprising:

at least one trapdoor capable of firstly closing off a passageway provided through said door and secondly of opening towards the cabin side, the trapdoor includes a locking/unlocking mechanism arranged on the cockpit side and capable of automatically unlocking the trapdoor at least one when a difference between a cockpit pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cockpit side of said door and a cabin pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cabin side is greater than a predetermined value, the locking/unlocking mechanism mounted on the trapdoor at least one and including;

a secondary trapdoor comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being subject to the cockpit pressure,

a balancing system for the secondary trapdoor configured to prevent any movement of the secondary trapdoor to avoid unlocking of the trapdoor following an external shock applied to said door;

a membrane defining a chamber and being provided with a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed to the second surface of the secondary trapdoor, and the second end being fixed to a portion of the trapdoor at least one provided with at least one through orifice, wherein at least a part of the second surface of the secondary trapdoor is subjected to cabin pressure; and

a transmission element coupled to the secondary trapdoor, wherein the transmission element is capable of being moved when the cockpit pressure and the cabin pressure are different, the transmission element coupled to at least one bolt that cooperates with a trapdoor frame provided on the door and defining said passageway.

21. Door designed to be inserted between a cockpit and a cabin of an aircraft, said door having a cockpit side and a cabin side, the door comprising:

at least one trapdoor capable of firstly closing off a passageway provided through said door and secondly of opening towards the cabin side, the trapdoor includes a locking/unlocking mechanism arranged on the cockpit side and capable of automatically unlocking the trapdoor at least one when a difference between a cockpit pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cockpit side of said door and a cabin pressure corresponding to the air pressure applied against the cabin side is greater than a predetermined value, the locking/unlocking mechanism mounted on the trapdoor at least one and including;

a secondary trapdoor comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being subject to the cockpit pressure,

a membrane defining a chamber and being provided with a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed to the second surface of the secondary trapdoor, and the second end being fixed to a portion of the trapdoor at least one provided with at least one through orifice, wherein at least a part of the second surface of the secondary trapdoor is subjected to cabin pressure; and

a transmission element coupled to the secondary trapdoor, wherein the transmission element is capable of being moved when the cockpit pressure and the cabin pressure are different, the transmission element coupled to at least one bolt that cooperates with a trapdoor frame provided on the door and defining said passageway, the transmission element including a stop element having an inertial mass configured to automatically move from a withdrawn position to a stop position following a shock that occurs on the door with an intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined intensity.