CA1040935A

CA1040935A - Emergency evacuation package assembly

Info

Publication number: CA1040935A
Application number: CA251,394A
Authority: CA
Inventors: John M. Fisher
Original assignee: BF Goodrich Corp
Current assignee: Goodrich Corp
Priority date: 1976-04-29
Filing date: 1976-04-29
Publication date: 1978-10-24
Also published as: GB1560272A; JPS52132600A

Abstract

EMERGENCY EVACUATION
PACKAGE ASSEMBLY

ABSTRACT
An emergency evacuation package assembly for use on aircraft, water vessels or other structures from which human beings must be quickly evacuated in an emergency comprises a container having packed therewithin an inflatable emergency evacuation device such as a raft, slide or slide raft combina-tion. The package also includes a lanyard or painter line which extends from the inflatable device for anchoring to the structure and which functions upon deployment of the device to initiate inflation. The lanyard is further provided with a safety loop intermediate the ends thereof which is secured to a portion of the container to safeguard against inadvertent or premature application of tension to the lanyard which would effect inflation of the device. Upon deployment, the safety loop is released from the container so that inflation can proceed at the proper time.

Description

lQ~935 BACKGROUND
This invention relates to package assemblies for in~latable emergency evacuation devices and particularly to such package assemblies which include a lanyard or tension member ~or "automatically" inflating the device upon deploy-ment.
Many inflatable emergency evacuation devices such as rafts, slides or slide-raft combinations are equipped with lanyards or tension members which operate to automatically inflate the evacuation device upon its deployment for use in an emergency. These lanyards basically are cable-like members with one end secured to the device and the other end securable to the structure from which escape is to be made.
Upon deployment of the device in an emergency situation, the-lanyard becomes taut and actuates the inflation system carried - ..
by the device usually through a valve means.
~ue to their relatively infrequent use, inflatable devices of the type mentioned are compactly stored in a con-tainer for stowage in a readily accessible location on the ~-structure where they are to be used. The containers within --which the devices àre packed are oftentimes of quite sophisti-cated construction designed to be ~uickly disassembled for undelayed release and proper deployment of the inflatable device. ^
In these package assemblies, a portion of the æctua-tion lanyard, usually that portion adjacent the end of the lanyard which is to be secured or anchored to the structure, is left exposed. ~ecause of this, it is possible to initiate : .
~nflation of the inflatable escape device while packed within ~-. . - .
the container by an accidental or inadvertent pull on this exposed portion of the lanyard.
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SUMMARY
It is an object o~ the present invention to provide a packaging assembly for an inflatable device having an actuating lanyard in which assembly means are provided to safeguard against accidental or otherwise premature in~lation o~ the device.
It is another object to provide a package assembly including a container, an inflatable emergency evacuation device and actuating lanyard ~or the device packed in the container, and means carried by ~he container and lanyard to prevent premature inflation of the device while the device is packed within the container.
These and other objects of the present invention which will be evident from the ~ollowing detailed description are achieved by a package assembly including a container, an --inflatable emergency evacuation device packed within and easily releasable ~rom the container and an inflation actuation lan~
yard having one end connected to the device, its other end ~-securable to a structure and a looped portion betwen the lanyard ends which is secured to a portion of the container.
When the device is to be deployed, the portion of the container ~ -to which the looped portion o~ the lanyard is attached separ- ;
ates thereby ~reeing the looped portion and permitting the -. .
lanyard to actuate the in~lation system in the usual manner.
While packed~ however, the device cannot be in~lated premature-ly because tension applied to the lanyard will be absorbed by the portion of the container to which the looped portion of the lanyard is secured. ;
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ~
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In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the -invention in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment: -Fig. 1 is a perspective view o~ a package assembly ---'~ .

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~4~3~35 with portions omitted or broken away for clarity; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the package assembly of Fig. 1 with selected portions broken away and omitted.
DETAILED DESCIPTION
In the drawings, an emergency evacuation package assembly 10 of the general type used on aircraft is shown.
The assembly comprises a container 12 which includes a rigid boxlike structure comprising four rigid side wall portions 14, 15, 16, 17 and a rigid rear wall portion 18. The container 12 further comprises a flexible front wall portion 20 composed of separate flexible sections 22 and 24 ~oined together by suitable lacing 26. One end of flexible wall portion 20 is fixed to rigid side wall 17 by suitable means (not shown) ~ - :
1 15 while the other end of flexible wall portion 20 is secured to rigid wall portion 15 by means to be hereinafter described.
~ The rigid box-like structure of container 12 may be of any suitable material such as reinforced rigid plastic or steel.
~` Flexible wall portion 20 may be of any flexible material :
~ 20 found suitable such as a strong canvas-like fabric material.
I The package assembly 10 further includes an inflat-able emergency evacuation device 30 compactly arranged within -container 12. While the structural details of the inflatable -device 30 are not critical to the present invention, containers - ~
25 12 as shown are typically designed for evacuation devices such - -as inflatable escape slides or slide-raft combinations, it `
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being understood that other package aæsemblies for storing other typeæ of inflatable devices such as rafts are considered with-in the scope of this invention. The slide or slide raft 30 ~
30 can be any of the typical commonly known designs and usually ~ -includes an apron-type extension or "girt panel" 32 extending from the container 12 adjacent rigid wall portion 15. Thiæ

1~4~)~35 girt panel 32 normally comprises a rigid bar receiving section 34 at its end which bar (not shown) is fastened to the aircraft adjacent an exit door thereby anchoring the slide or slide/
raft. The container 20 is normally disposed in a compartment within the door of the aircraft and stored there until it is necessary to deploy the slide or slide/raft contained therein.
The slide or slide/ra~t 30 along with its girt panel 32 is typically composed of a rubber impregnated nylon ~abric.
The package assembly 10 further comprises an infla-tion actuation or "firing" lanyard or painter line 40 used to "automatically" initiate inflation of the evacuation device 30 upon its release from the container 12. The slide device 30 typically carries its own inflation system and one end (not shown) of the lanyard is operatively connected to a component of the system such as a valve which operates to initiate inflation. The other end 42 of lanyard 40 passes through a ' -tab member 36 on girt panel 32. When girt panel 32 is anchored to the aircraft, as hereinbefore described, end 42 of lanyard ~ -40 also becomes anchored. A hand loop 44 is provided at lan- -yard end 42 for use in the event lanyard 40 fails to automatic-ally inflate the device 30 as designed. Ba'sically the lanyard 40 is a predetermined length of steel cable or strOng cord which, upon deployment of the evacuation device, becomes taut between its anchored end 42 and the end connected to the inflation system and the tension between the ends causes pull upon the inflation system component, such as a valve, to open ' the same and initiate inflation of the devi'ce 30. ' `~
Most package assemblies, such as 10, are structurally ' adapted for quick release of the evacuation device from the container. As statea previously, the package assembly 10 as shown is adapted for stowage in a compartment within a door of an aircraft. Aircraft doors are usually provided -~0~35 with mechsS~.isms which operate h an emergency situation to release the flexible front wall portion 20 from its connec-tion to rigid wall portion 15. Speci~ically, these mechan-isms withdraw a release cable 50 which has a plurality of branch cables 52, 54, 56. The branch cables 52, 54 and 56 are fitted through the ends e~ rigid conical projections 21, 23 and 25 which protrude through suitably sized openings within wall portion 15. These projections are secured to the marginal edge portion of section 24 of cover 20. When release cable 50 is pulled by mechanism (not shown) as hereinbefore described, branch cables 52, 54 and 56 release from projec-tions 21, 23 and 25 respectively, freeing ~ront ~lexible cover portion 20. The inflatable device is then allowed to slide from container 12 as it is pulled by girt panel 32 as the aircra~t door opens. ;
Because a portion of the lanyard 40 is exposed or protrudes from the package assembly 10 as depicted, it could be possible to prematurely inflate the device 30 while packed -in container 12 by inadvertent or accidental tension o~ lanyard 42. To sa~eguard against such an occurrence, and as seen more clearly in Fig. 2, actuation lanyard 40 according to the pres-~ ent invention is provided with a loop 44 through which rigid ~;
s, pro~ection 21 passes. As shown, by the example of projection -. .
21 in Fig. 2, each o~ the projections 21, 23 and 25 project - -from a marginal edge 26 o~ section 24 o~ flexible wall portion 20. The projections pass through girt panel 32 which is pro-vlded with a suitable opening for each M exible cover projec-tion used. The pro~ection 21, however, also passes through closed loop 44 o~ lanyard 1~. Each conical pro~ection then passes through suitable openings in the rigid wall 15 for ~ -j attachment to the respective release branch cables 52, 54 and 1¢)4~)~35 It is readily seen that securing the actuation lan-yard 40 to the containex 12 by placing the closed loop portion 44 around one of the releasable projections, such as 21, any tension applied to the exposed or protruding portions of lan-yard 40, (ie. those portions of lanyard 40 between the loca-tion of loop 44 and the lanyard end 42),wllile the devlce is packed in container 12, will have no effect upon the remaining unexposed portions of lanyard 40 and thus, premature inflation of device 30 is negated.
In an emer~ency situàtion, when flexible wall portion -20 disconnects from rigid wall portion 15 as described above, conical pro~ection 21 will slip out of loop 44 on lanyard 40 thereby freeing the lanyard to perform its automatic inflation function.
It is clear that the foregoing describes the present invention according to a presently preferred embodiment and that modifications and alterations are possible which are to be me~sured by the ~cope of the following c ims.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a package assembly for use in emergency evacuation of humans from a structure, which package assembly includes a container, an inflatable emergency evacuation device packed within and releasable from the container and an inflation actuation lanyard operative upon release of the device from the container to undergo tension and thereby initiate inflation of the device said lanyard having a first end connected to the device and a second end adapted for anchorage to the structure, the improvement wherein a section of said lanyard between said first and second ends is attached to a portion of the container such that tension applied to the lanyard between said section and said second end will not affect the lanyard between said first end and said section and wherein said container comprises means to release said section of lanyard from its attachment to said container upon release of said device from the container.

2. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said section of lanyard comprises a closed loop.

3. The assembly defined in claim 2 wherein the container comprises a flexible wall portion, a rigid wall portion, and at least one member projecting from said flexible wall portion and connected to said rigid wall portion and wherein said closed loop is disposed around said projecting member.

4. The assembly defined in claim 3 wherein said means to release said loop comprises means to disconnect said projecting member from said rigid wall portion.