Mechanical aircraft sill height indicator

• US 9,914,544 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Hartman, Drew, Volny, Jaro S.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hara, Brian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hutchens, Christopher D
• Application Number:
  US14/829,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20170050737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 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: B64C 1/1461 Structures of doors or surrounding frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/14 Inflatable escape chutes

Abstract

An evacuation system is provided. The system may comprise a door sill, a girt coupled to the door sill, a slide coupled to the girt, and a measurement device coupled the girt and/or the slide. The measurement device may further comprise a line having a predetermined length and a weight coupled to the line, and the measurement device may be configured to adjust a length of the slide in response to a position of the weight. A method is also provided. The method includes opening a door to expose a door sill, inflating the emergency slide with the emergency slide coupled to the door sill, and deploying a measurement device configured to measure a height of the door sill from a surface. The measurement device may comprise a line coupled to the door sill and a buoyant weight coupled to the line, and wherein the line has a predetermined length.

Claims

1. A method for deploying an aircraft emergency slide, comprising:

opening an aircraft fuselage door to expose an aircraft fuselage door sill;

deploying a measurement device prior to inflating the aircraft emergency slide, the measurement device configured to measure a height of the aircraft fuselage door sill from an exit surface,

wherein the measurement device comprises a line coupled to the aircraft fuselage door sill and a weight coupled to the line;

and at least one of partially or completely inflating the aircraft emergency slide, responsive to the measuring device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight comprises at least one of a survival kit or a canopy pouch.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising inflating an extension of the aircraft emergency slide in response to the measurement device being in a fully extended state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft emergency slide is coupled to the aircraft fuselage door sill through a girt and the measurement device is coupled to the girt.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the line comprises at least one of a rope, a cable, a wire, a lanyard, and a braiding.