Airplane door lock system

A method for controlling an entry to a cockpit area on board an airplane defined between an outer door leading to a passenger compartment and an inner door leading to a pilot's cabin, comprising the steps of:

• providing the inner door operative to move between a locked and open position;
• providing the outer door spaced from the inner and operative to move between a locked and open position;
• providing a plurality of sensors each being in communication with a respective one of the inner and outer doors and operative to generate a first input signal in response to a request to enter the restricted area from the pilot's cabin and a second input signal in response to a request to enter the restricted area from the passenger compartment;
• providing at least one door actuator operatively connected to the inner and outer door and operative to displace each of the inner and outer doors between respective open and locked positions;
• providing a control system in communication with the plurality of sensors and with the at least one door actuator and operative to sequentially
• a) receive the first input signal from the sensor coupled to the inner door,
• verify the locked position of the outer door,
• generate a first output signal enabling the at least one door actuator to displace the inner door to the open position thereof for a desired period of time only upon positive verification of the locked position of the outer door,
• generate a second output signal enabling the at least one door actuator to displace the inner door to the locking position, and
• generate a third output signal enabling the at least one door actuator to displace the outer door to the open position, thereby allowing a requestor to enter the passenger compartment;
• and
• b) receive the second input signal from the sensor coupled to the outer door,
• verify the locked position of the inner door,
• generate a fourth output signal enabling the at least one door actuator to displace the outer door to the open position thereof for a desired period of time only upon positive verification of the locked position of the inner door,
• generate a fifth output signal enabling the at least one door actuator to displace the outer door to the locking position upon termination of the desired period of time, and
• generate a sixth output signal enabling the at least one door actuator to displace the inner door to the open position in response to a request made inside the restricted if the request id made from inside the restricted area.