Explosively activated egress area
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsLaurence J. Bement, James W. Bailey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lightweight, add-on structure which employs linear shaped pyrotechnic charges 40 to smoothly cut an airframe 10 along an egress area periphery 30 and compromises reaction surfaces 62 attached to the exterior surface of the airframe's skin 20 and designed to restrict the skin deflection and jettison that portion of the airframe within the egress area periphery 30 and retention surfaces 72 and sealing walls 78 attached to the interior surface of the airframe's skin 20 and designed to shield the interior of the aircraft during detonation of the pyrotechnic charges 40.
Claims17
A mechanism using pyrotechnics to cut an egress area within an existing structure which separates an interior and exterior region comprising:
- a structure means for separating exterior and interior regions;
- said structure means having a periphery to an egress area and includes a skin attached to frame structural support members;
- explosive charge means held against said structure means for cutting said structure means along said periphery;
- said explosive charge means being flexible linear-shaped charges;
- said flexible linear-shaped charges passing through and around said structural supporting members for cutting said skin and structural supporting members along said periphery;
- reaction surface means attached to the exterior surface of said structure means for receiving explosive forces from said explosive charge means, and limiting deformation of said structure means;
- and
- said explosive charge mena and said reaction surface means are arranged and constructed to cut smooth edges along said periphery, and jettison that portion of said structure means within said periphery when said explosive charge means are initiated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.