Multi-phased evacuation system
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorsDaniel Bahena, Timothy C Haynes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An evacuation system may comprise a first plurality of tubes configured to inflate by an aspirator and pressure cylinder upon deployment from an aircraft. The evacuation system may further comprise a second plurality of tubes coupled to the first plurality of tubes. The second plurality of tubes may be configured to be in deflated state when the evacuation system is in a slide configuration. The second plurality of tubes may be configured to be in an inflated state when the evacuation system is in a raft configuration.
Claims18
A dual inflation assembly, comprising:
- a first plurality of tubes in fluid communication with each other, the first plurality of tubes configured to inflate from a first deflated state to a first inflated state and form a slide configuration of an evacuation system of an aircraft;
- and
- a second plurality of tubes coupled to the first plurality of tubes, the second plurality of tubes in fluid communication with each other, the second plurality of tubes configured to be in a second deflated state in the slide configuration, wherein:
- the second plurality of tubes are configured to inflate and form a raft configuration including a support structure comprising the first plurality of tubes and a railing structure comprising the second plurality of tubes, and
- the second plurality of tubes are fluidly isolated from the first plurality of tubes.
An aircraft including an evacuation system, the evacuation system comprising:
- a first plurality of tubes;
- an aspirator coupled to the first plurality of tubes, the aspirator in fluid communication with a pressure cylinder and configured to inflate the first plurality of tubes from a first deflated state to a first inflated state upon deployment of the evacuation system into a slide configuration;
- a second plurality of tubes coupled to the first plurality of tubes;
- a reactant packet disposed within the second plurality of tubes, the reactant packet including a chemically reactive material configured to react to produce a gas and inflate the second plurality of tubes from a second deflated state to a second inflated state;
- and
- a sliding surface disposed between the first plurality of tubes and the second plurality of tubes,
- wherein the second plurality of tubes are fluidly isolated from the first plurality of tubes and comprise a railing.
A method of converting a dual inflation assembly of an evacuation system from a slide configuration to a raft configuration, comprising:
- receiving, by a processor, a parameter measurement from a sensor;
- detecting, by the processor, that a first plurality of tubes of the dual inflation assembly is acting as a flotation device in response to receiving the parameter measurement;
- commanding, by the processor, a trigger system to apply a current to a reactant packet disposed in a second plurality of tubes of the dual inflation assembly, the second plurality of tubes coupled to the first plurality of tubes in a first inflated state, wherein the second plurality of tubes inflate from a second deflated state to a second inflated state in response to the current igniting an electrical ignitor of the reactant packet and activating the reactant packet to produce a gas, wherein:
- the second inflated state of the second plurality of tubes forms the raft configuration including a support structure comprising the first plurality of tubes and a railing structure comprising the second plurality of tubes, and
- the second plurality of tubes are fluidly isolated from the first plurality of tubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.