Soft cover release mechanism for evacuation slides

• US 9,849,994 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Ryan, Rautenbach, Helperus Ritzema
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/348,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• 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: F15B 15/14 of the straight-cylinder type

Abstract

An emergency evacuation assembly may comprise an inflatable slide, a soft cover containing the inflatable slide, a lace holding the soft cover closed, a pin retaining the lace, and a pneumatic actuator configured to release the lace by pulling the pin. In various embodiments, the pneumatic actuator may include a housing, a cylinder disposed within the housing, a plunger disposed within the cylinder, a seal disposed within the cylinder, and a spring disposed within the housing.

Claims

1. A pneumatic actuator, comprising:

a housing;

a cylinder disposed within the housing;

a plunger disposed within the cylinder;

a seal disposed within the cylinder;

a spring disposed within the housing and configured to apply a force to the plunger; and

an arm coupled to the plunger, wherein the pneumatic actuator is configured to be connected to a pin for an evacuation slide.

2. The pneumatic actuator of claim 1, further comprising an arm coupled to the plunger.

3. The pneumatic actuator of claim 2, further comprising an interface disposed on the arm.

4. The pneumatic actuator of claim 2, further comprising an inlet fluidly coupled to the cylinder between the plunger and the seal.

5. The pneumatic actuator of claim 4, wherein the spring and the seal are disposed on opposite sides of the plunger.