Vent structure
AssigneeMcDonnell Douglas Corporation
InventorDennis E. Murphy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vent structure for equalizing the pressure on opposite sides of a structure including a plenum formed at least in part by movable vent panel and a hinged panel supporting wall having overcenter biasing means, the plenum being pneumatically connected to the side of the structure which will be the high pressure side so that the condition requiring venting applies a differential pressure across the hinged wall which tends to force it overcenter against the overcenter biasing means thereby removing the normal support from the vent panel which moves to open a vent passageway. Spring-loaded flapper doors may be included in the plenum forming structure to enable relief of pressure in the opposite direction.
Claims18
A vent for equalizing the pressure on opposite sides of a structure comprising:
- a movable vent panel which in a first position restricts the flow from a first side of the structure to a second side thereof;
- and
- a plenum chamber pneumatically connected to the first side of the structure, said chamber having at least one movable wall having first and second sides, said first side of said movable wall being in pneumatic connection with the first side of the structure and said second side of said movable wall being in pneumatic connection with the second side of the structure so that differential pressure across the structure applies force to said wall, and bias means for urging said movable wall into a first position, said movable wall being operatively connected to said vent panel to maintain said movable vent panel in said first position thereof when said movable wall is in its first position whereby a predetermined differential pressure is capable of overpowering said bias means to move said movable wall to a position which allows said movable vent panel to move to a second position wherein flow from the first side of the structure to the second side is less restricted.
A ventilation structure for relieving differential pressure across the passenger floor of an aircraft comprising:
- a duct formed to duct air between the areas above and below the floor of the aircraft;
- a grille, hingedly mounted to the aircraft which has first and second positions, the first position restricting the flow in the duct between the areas above and below the floor of the aircraft;
- and
- a plenum assembly positioned in said duct behind said grille, said plenum assembly having at least one movable wall having first and second sides, said first side of said movable wall being in pneumatic communication with the above floor area through said grille so that differential pressure across said floor applies force to said wall, and bias means for urging said movable wall into a first position, said movable wall being operatively connected to said grille to maintain said grille in said first position thereof when said movable wall is in its first position, when differential pressure is applied to said movable wall it moves allowing said grille to rotate to said second position opening said duct to less restricted flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.