WO2010001210A2

WO2010001210A2 - Aircraft door with supporting control arm arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2010001210A2
Application number: PCT/IB2009/005997
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matthias Sterr; Dirk Trott
Original assignee: Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh
Priority date: 2008-07-01
Filing date: 2009-06-19
Publication date: 2010-01-07
Also published as: DE102008030696A1; WO2010001210A3

Abstract

An aircraft door in an aircraft fuselage (1), in particular a passenger door (2) for commercial aircraft, comprising a door leaf (3), a lever device (5, 7) for deflecting the weight of the door leaf (3) onto the aircraft fuselage (1), comprising two parallel control arms for parallel pivoting the door leaf (3) during opening and closing, in each case with a hinge (9; 13) on the door side and a hinge (11; 15) on the fuselage side, in each case comprising essentially vertical axes (27; 29), wherein the one hinge axis (29) on the fuselage side is arranged so as to be axially offset relative to the other hinge axis (27) on the fuselage side such that the connecting lines (6; 8) of the hinge axes, on the door side and on the fuselage side, of the respective control arm (5; 7) at no position of the door leaf (3) cover each other in a parallel manner during movement of said door leaf (3).

Description

Aircraft door with supporting control arm arrangement

The invention relates to an aircraft door in an aircraft fuselage, in particular to a passenger door for commercial aircraft, comprising a door leaf with a lever device for parallel pivoting of the door during opening and closing. The lever device comprises levers or control arms for deflecting the weight of the door leaf by way of a door frame to the aircraft fuselage. In each case the control arms comprise a hinge on the door side and a hinge on the fuselage side, each comprising an essentially vertical axis. The lever device guides the door along a circular path when said door is opened or closed, wherein the door leaf is moved so that it is essentially parallel to its initial position or to the aircraft fuselage. The opening movement is determined on the one hand by the prescribed opening cross section for the passengers with the door open, and on the other hand by an evacuation slide, which as a rule is affixed on the inside of the door leaf, which evacuation slide, stowed as a package, requires a certain amount of space between the open door leaf and the aircraft fuselage. This results in an opening angle, as a rule of between 120 and 140 degrees, which the supporting control arm covers.

Such an aircraft door is disclosed in DE 602 18 365 T2. It describes, in particular, a hinge connection device of a door leaf of an aircraft with a door frame or a door case. This device makes it possible to determine the path travelled by the door leaf during opening and closing the door. Said device furthermore makes it possible to control the alignment of the door so that this alignment remains essentially constant if the door moves along the above- mentioned path. To this effect said device makes use of an alignment means that can maintain an essentially constant alignment of the door leaf during its movement along a predetermined path. To this effect the hinge connection device comprises a main arm that is connected in an articulated manner with the door frame by way of a first axis; at least one secondary arm that is connected in an articulated manner with the main arm by way of a second axis, and with the door leaf by way of a third axis; as well as at least one operating lever that is connected in an articulated manner with the door frame by way of a fourth axis that is located near the first axis, and that is connected in an articulated manner with the secondary arm by way of an axis that is located near the second axis. This construction thus requires an elaborate and expensive lever system to make it possible, during opening, to hinge the door leaf out so that it is parallel to the aircraft fuselage. Alternative systems use chains or belts instead of levers.

A further alternative system makes use of the principle of parallel control arms. Two compression-tension rods that extend parallel are attached in an articulated manner in each case to the aircraft fuselage and to the door. In each case the hinge points have adequate clearance so that the parallel control arms in each position of the door between its completely closed and its open position form a parallelogram. The weight of the door is transmitted to the door frame by way of a supporting control arm, which apart from tensile forces and compression forces also needs to transmit moments of torsion and is thus constructed so as to be correspondingly solid.

It is the object of the invention to state an aircraft door with a simplified lever device.

In an aircraft door of the type mentioned in the introduction this object is met in that the lever device comprises merely a second control arm which is also fastened in an articulated manner to the door leaf and to the aircraft fuselage by means of a hinge on the door side and a hinge on the fuselage side, and whose hinge axis on the fuselage side is arranged so as to be axially offset relative to the hinge axis on the fuselage side, of the first control arm, such that the connecting lines of the hinge axes on the door side and on the fuselage side both of the first control arm and of the second control arm at no position of the door leaf cover one another in a parallel manner during movement of said door leaf, but instead always form a parallelogram. As has hitherto been the case, the door with at least one of the two control arms continues to comprise a supporting control arm which, in particular, transmits the weight of the aircraft door onto the aircraft fuselage by way of the door frame. However, in the context of the invention it is immaterial which of the two control arms acts as the supporting control arm. However, according to the invention the door does not require an arrangement comprising two parallel control arms; instead it only comprises a second control arm. Nor does it need elaborate and expensive alignment means such as chains or belts. It thus pursues the principle of subsuming the functions of the supporting control arm and of a parallel control arm in one control arm, so that when compared to the state of the art on the one hand a parallel control arm can be done without, and on the other hand no elaborate and expensive lever- or chain- or belt mechanism is required.

Accordingly, the first and the second control arm are fastened to the door and to the door frame such that at all times during opening and closing of the door they form a parallelogram relative to one another. In this way the parallel movement of the door leaf relative to the aircraft fuselage can be ensured. This requires a non-coaxial arrangement of the hinges on the door side and on the fuselage side. For reasons associated with available space, the supporting control arm is, as a rule, designed so as to be kinked. Its axis of action extends by way of the straight connection between its two hinge points at its ends. In a projection view in the direction of view of the hinge axes, this axis must not concur with the corresponding axis of the other control arm. In this way the parallelogram that is required for parallel movement of the door leaf can be ensured in any position of the door during the opening- or closing movement of said door.

As a result of this requirement for maintaining a parallelogram and as a result of the available space in the region of the door frame there are particular geometric locations on which the hinge points can be arranged. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the axis of the hinge, on the fuselage side, of the one control arm can be arranged in a sector of a circle on the hinge axis of the other control arm, which as a result of its position is limited when the door is fully open on the one hand, and when the door is closed plus an angle of 180 degrees on the other hand. The hinge point of one control arm can thus be situated in a sector of a circle, which supplements to a semicircle that sector that is covered by the other control arm during the opening movement of the door. The invention can thus be credited with having developed a design specification that makes it possible to determine useable locations for the arrangement of the hinges of the now only two control arms according to the invention. It is not necessary for the hinges or the control arms to be arranged in the same plane as, for example, the parallel control arm in the state of the art. Instead they can be arranged in various planes, for example like the conventional control arms or parallel control arms.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one of the two control arms can be a parallel control arm or an actuating control arm. It differs from the supporting control arm in that it can only transfer tensile force or compressive force, but no moments, and thus no weight of the door leaf, onto the door frame. The second control arm, which is referred to as an actuating control arm because it lacks a second parallel control arm, thus only has a guide function; together with the supporting control arm it forms a parallelogram. Consequently it is not necessary to provide a second parallel control arm of the conventional type so that savings in cost and weight can be made. Furthermore, the space requirement of the lever device for controlling the opening movement of the door leaf is reduced.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the second control arm can also be a supporting control arm. It can also assume a supporting function and in addition can transfer part of the weight of the door leaf to the door frame. Consequently, the first supporting control arm can be dimensioned to be smaller and less solid. As a result of this, in confined spaces, the lever device of the door can be more flexibly adapted to the available space. It is not mandatory for the two supporting control arms to each take up half of the weight of the door leaf; instead they can transfer forces in almost any desired, including unequal, ratio, and can be dimensioned accordingly. Their external dimensions essentially also influence their place of affixation. The place of affixation, too, can be selected according to the selected dimensioning within the context of the above-mentioned arrangement rule and the space requirements.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the two supporting control arms can be arranged on the installed door with little spacing, one on top of the other, for example approximately in a middle region of the door leaf. Consequently there is no longer a need for a control arm to be arranged in the head region as is the case in the state of the art. Instead, in this way space can be obtained especially in the head region of the door, which enhances passenger safety. Furthermore, the narrow arrangement of the control arms close beside each other reduces the design interfaces between the door and the fuselage, because the introduction of force into the door is restricted to a small region. This can result in a simplified static construction of the door.

In order to further stabilise the movement of the supporting control arms, in a further advantageous embodiment an intermediate link can be incorporated in an articulated manner between the two supporting control arms. The intermediate link moreover provides an advantage in that it can serve as an installation aid during installation and de-installation of the door. In this process it defines the mutual alignment or position of the supporting control arms, thus facilitating attachment of said control arms to the hinge receiving points on the fuselage side.

Below, as an example, the principle of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. The drawing shows:

Fig. 1 a diagrammatic view of a closed aircraft door, in an aircraft fuselage, with two control arms; and

Figs 2a-d a simplified perspective view of the aircraft door in various positions.

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic vertical section view of a section of an aircraft fuselage 1 with an aircraft door 2. The door leaf 3 is attached to a door frame (not shown) of the aircraft fuselage 1 by way of two supporting control arms 5, 7 that are held in an articulated manner. The inner supporting arm 5 comprises a hinge 9 on the door side and a hinge 1 1 on the fuselage side. Likewise, the outer supporting control arm 7 comprises a hinge 13 on the door side and a hinge 15 on the fuselage side. The supporting control arms 5, 7 are only diagrammatically indicated by the connecting lines 6, 8 of their hinges 9, 1 1 or 13, 15. The hinge 1 1 on the fuselage side makes possible a circular movement of the supporting control arm 5 on a circular path 17 along which it travels during opening and closing of the door 2. Correspondingly, the hinge 15 on the fuselage side makes possible movement of the supporting control arm 5 on a circular path 19. Consequently, the door leaf 3, too, when it is operated, travels along a circular path (not shown). The circular paths 17, 19, like their pivot points, namely the hinges 1 1 , 15, are arranged so as to be offset in relation to one another.

The connecting line 6 of the inner supporting control arm 5 and the connecting line 8 of the outer supporting control arm 7 are shown in a position, indicated by a solid line, in a closed position of the door 3. The connecting lines 6\ 8¹ in an open position of the door 3 are indicated by dashed lines. In the open position there is no collision between the supporting control arms 5, 7 and the fuselage 1 , because in contrast to their connecting lines 6, 8 or 6', 8' they extend at an angle, as will be shown later.

Position number 21 designates a sector of the circular path 17 of the inner supporting control arm 5. On the one hand it is limited by the course of the connecting line 6¹ during a complete opening of the aircraft door 2. The other radial delimitation represents the extension of the connecting line 6 in its course, with the aircraft door 2 closed, to the opposite edge of the circular path 17, i.e. the diameter of the circular path 17 on the axis of the inner supporting control arm 5 with the door 2 closed. The sector 21 indicates the construction space in which the hinge 15, on the fuselage side, of the outer supporting control arm 7 is to be placed so that the two control arms 5, 7 or the symbolising connecting lines 6, 8 in each position of the door 2 form a parallelogram, thus making parallel displacement of the door 2 possible. In this arrangement the mutual plane of the hinges 1 1 , 15 on the fuselage side is unimportant. For reasons of space and for the sake of simplicity, they will be arranged one on top of the other, but they can also be in the same plane.

Figure 2a shows a simplified perspective view of the aircraft door 2 of Figure 1 in the closed state. The inner supporting control arm 5 and the outer supporting control arm 7 extend so as to be essentially horizontal and connect the door leaf 3 to a door frame 23 on the aircraft fuselage 1. In each instance the hinges 9, 13 of the supporting control arms 5, 7 are fastened to the door leaf 3, while their hinges 1 1 , 15 on the fuselage side are fastened to the door frame 23. The latter defines a rectangular door aperture 30 in the aircraft fuselage 1.

The inner supporting control arm 5 and the outer supporting control arm 7 are arranged so as to be spatially close beside each other. Their close mutual spacing both on the door leaf 3 and on the door frame 23 reduces the region of the design interfaces between the supporting control arms 5, 7 and the door leaf 3 on the one hand, and the door frame 23 on the other hand to a spatially small section. This simplifies the design of both the door leaf 3 and of the door frame 23. In particular, the statics of the door leaf 3 can be structured more easily in this way.

Arranging the hinges 9, 13 on the door side in the middle region of the door leaf 3 furthermore in their lower region leaves space for the arrangement of a case (not shown) of a folded evacuation slide. The case projects inwards from the door leaf 3, thus requiring a corresponding spacing of the door leaf 3 from the aircraft fuselage 1 in its open position according to Figure 2d.

Both the inner supporting control arm 5 and the outer supporting control arm 7 in their course from the hinge 9, 13 on the door side to the hinge 1 1 , 15 on the fuselage side are designed so as to be kinked. This makes it possible to swing the door leaf 3 wide open in its open state (compare Figure 2d). Consequently the supporting control arms 5, 7 require only a minimum of space in the door aperture 30 that is defined by the door frame 23. Consequently the door aperture 30 need only be insignificantly larger in order to reliably ensure a prescribed exit cross section of the door 2 for passengers. Furthermore, Figure 2d shows that as a result of the arrangement according to the invention of the supporting control arms 5, 7 the opening region of the door 2 is almost unimpeded. In particular in the head region, there is no danger of passengers bumping against parallel control arms as they are conventionally affixed.

The opening movement of the door 2 is possible as a result of the arrangement, according to the invention, of the hinges 1 1 , 15, on the fuselage side, of the supporting control arms 5, 7. As shown in Figures 2a to 2d, they are arranged one on top of the other.

They comprise pivot axes 27, 29 on which the supporting control arms 5, 7 pivot. According to the invention, the hinge 15, on the fuselage side, of the outer supporting control arm 7 is arranged in sector 21 , described in Figure 1 , of the fuselage-side hinge 1 1 of the inner supporting control arm 5. Consequently, in any position of the door 3 the supporting control arms 5, 7 form a parallelogram so that when the door leaf 3 is moved it is displaced parallel to the aircraft fuselage 1.

Figures 2b and 2c show positions of the door 2 between the closed state (compare Figure 2a) and the open state (compare Figure 2d) during the opening movement. List of reference characters:

1 Aircraft fuselage

2 Aircraft door 3 Door leaf

5 Inner supporting control arm

6 Connecting line

7 Outer supporting control arm

8 Connecting line 9 Hinge on the door side

1 1 Hinge on the fuselage side

13 Hinge on the door side

15 Hinge on the fuselage side

17 Circular path 19 Circular path

21 Sector

23 Door frame

27 Pivot axis of the hinge 1 1

29 Pivot axis of the hinge 15 30 Door aperture

Claims

1. An aircraft door in an aircraft fuselage (1 ), in particular a passenger door (2) for commercial aircraft, comprising a door leaf (3) with a lever device (5, 7) for deflecting the weight of the door leaf (3) onto the aircraft fuselage (1 ), comprising two parallel control arms for parallel pivoting the door leaf (3) during opening and closing, in each case with a hinge (9; 13) on the door side and a hinge (1 1 ; 15) on the fuselage side, in each case comprising essentially vertical axes (27; 29), wherein the one hinge axis (29) on the fuselage side is arranged so as to be axially offset relative to the other hinge axis (27) on the fuselage side such that the connecting lines (6; 8) of the hinge axes, on the door side and on the fuselage side, of the respective control arm (5; 7) at no position of the door leaf (3) cover each other in a parallel manner during movement of said door leaf (3).

2. The aircraft door (2) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the axis (29) of the hinge (15), on the fuselage side, of the one control arm (7) is arranged in a sector (21 ) of a circle (17) on the axis (27) of the hinge (1 1 ), on the fuselage side, of the other control arm (5), which as a result of its position is limited when the door leaf (3) is fully open on the one hand, and when the door (2) is closed plus an angle of 180 degrees on the other hand.

3. The aircraft door (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by a supporting control arm as the first control arm (7) and by an actuating control arm as the second control arm (5).

4. The aircraft door (2) according to any one of the above claims, characterised by a second supporting control arm (5) as a second control arm.

5. The aircraft door (2) according to the above claim, characterised in that both supporting control arms (5, 7) are arranged on the installed door leaf (3) with little spacing, one on top of the other.

6. The aircraft door according to the above claim, characterised by an intermediate link that is incorporated in an articulated manner between the two supporting control arms.