Mechanical programming system and method for controlling the orientation of a door

An aircraft, comprising:

• a fuselage having a door opening and a cabin door;
• an arm coupling the cabin door to a side of the door opening in a manner such that the arm is rotatable about an arm-body hinge axis at an arm-body interface and the cabin door is rotatable about an arm-door hinge axis at an arm-door interface, and the arm has arm outer surfaces defining an arm envelope;
• a mechanical programming system, comprising:
• at least one track formed in the arm;
• at least two links pivotably connected in series and extending between the arm-body interface and the arm-door interface and configured to transmit rotational motion of the arm about the arm-body hinge axis to the cabin door for rotation about the arm-door hinge axis, and at least one of the links has two track engaging elements that are non-coaxial and configured to engage the link with the at least one track;
• and
• wherein the at least one track has a directional path shape configured to cause an orientation of the link having the two track engaging elements to change as the two track engaging elements slide along the at least one track in a manner maintaining the cabin door generally parallel to the door opening during an opening sequence of translating the cabin door from a closed position to an open position while allowing non-parallel orientations of the cabin door at one or more points during the opening sequence, and the directional path shape is configured such that the link having the two track engaging elements is within the arm envelope during at least a portion of the opening sequence.

A method of controlling an orientation of a door relative to a body during an opening sequence of translating the door from a closed position to an open position, comprising:

• supporting a door using an arm coupling the door to a side of a door opening in a body in a manner such that the arm is rotatable about an arm-body hinge axis at an arm-body interface and the door is rotatable about an arm-door hinge axis at an arm-door interface, and the arm has arm outer surfaces defining an arm envelope;
• rotating the arm about the arm-body hinge axis;
• transmitting rotational motion of the arm to the door via at least two links pivotally connected in series and extending between the arm-body interface and the arm-door interface, and at least one of the links has two track engaging elements that are non-coaxial and which couple the link to at least one track having a directional path shape formed in the arm;
• and
• changing an orientation of at least one of the links via sliding movement of the two track engaging elements along the directional path shape of the at least one track when transmitting rotational motion of the arm to the door via the at least two links in a manner maintaining the door generally parallel to the door opening during the opening sequence while allowing non-parallel orientations of the door at one or more points during the opening sequence, and such that the link having the two track engaging elements is within the arm envelope during at least a portion of the opening sequence.