Aircraft outflow valve

An outflow valve for use in an aircraft, said outflow valve comprising:

• a frame configured for coupling to an aircraft, said frame comprising a body, a forward flange extending above said body, and a rearward portion;
• a gate pivotally coupled to said frame at a pivot point that is substantially coplanar with said frame and located substantially midway between a first edge of said gate and a second edge of said gate, said gate pivotally moveable between a closed position to substantially block airflow between an interior of the aircraft and an exterior of the aircraft, an intake position to direct airflow from the exterior toward the interior of the aircraft through a first gap defined between the first edge of said gate and said forward flange, and an exhaust position to direct airflow from the interior toward the exterior of the aircraft through a second gap defined between the second edge of said gate and the rearward portion of said frame, wherein the second gap changes size at a lower rate than the first gap as said gate pivotally moves between the closed and intake positions, wherein the first edge of said gate is located adjacent said frame forward flange substantially throughout pivotal movement of said gate between the closed position to the exhaust position, wherein a distance between the first edge of said gate and said frame forward flange is greater than a distance between the first edge of said gate and the rearward portion of said frame when said gate is in the intake position, and a distance between the first edge of said gate and said frame forward flange is less than a distance between the first edge of said gate and the rearward portion of said frame when said gate is in the exhaust position.

A method of exhausting air from an aircraft comprising:

• pivotally opening a gate coupled to a frame of an outflow valve from a closed position substantially parallel with an external surface of an aircraft to an exhaust position defining an angle to the external surface of the aircraft greater than zero to permit airflow from an interior of the aircraft to an exterior of the aircraft through a first gap defined between a first edge of said gate and a rearward portion of said frame, and to permit airflow from the exterior of the aircraft to the interior of the aircraft through a second gap defined between a second edge of said gate and a flange extending in a substantially normal direction relative to the frame towards the interior of the aircraft, wherein the second gap changes size at a lower rate than the first gap as said gate pivotally moves between the closed and exhaust positions, wherein the gate pivots about a pivot point that is substantially coplanar with the frame and located substantially midway between opposing distal edges of the gate, wherein a distance between the first edge of the gate and a forward portion of the frame is greater than a distance between the first edge of the gate and the rearward portion of the frame when the gate is in the intake position, and a distance between the first edge of the gate and the forward portion of the frame is less than a distance between the first edge of the gate and the rearward portion of the frame when the gate is in the exhaust position;
• and
• maintaining the second gap substantially constant to substantially minimize airflow into the interior of the aircraft between the first edge of the gate and the frame.