The present invention relates to handle assemblies for engaging and disengaging a locking device and, more particularly, to flush door handle assemblies for controlling the opening and closing of aircraft access doors.
An integral part of an aircraft fuselage is the cargo door assembly through which cargo is loaded to and unloaded from the aircraft. The door assemblies of modern commercial aircraft include latch mechanisms that lock the door in place when it is closed and unlock the door when it is opened. The actual opening and closing of the door assemblies are controlled by handle assemblies that actuate the latch mechanisms. Most of the handle assemblies are provided with interior and exterior handles so that the door assemblies in which they are installed may be opened or closed from either inside or outside the aircraft.
An aircraft door handle assembly is typically designed to perform a number of different functions and to operate properly regardless of the harshness of the environmental conditions to which it may be exposed. Most handle assemblies are constructed so that either the interior or exterior handle can be used to actuate the latching mechanism regardless of which handle was last used to actuate the mechanism. This is primarily a safety feature to allow a cargo handler to open the door from the inside of the cargo hold in case the door was closed while the handler was still inside the cargo hold.
The typical handle assembly includes an exterior, or outside handle that is normally stored flush with the outer skin of the aircraft so as to not degrade the aerodynamic efficiency of the fuselage. The handle assembly must keep the outside handle locked in place so that it does not “pop out” in flight regardless of the large pressure differentials that may develop between the inside of the aircraft, which is pressurized, and the outside low ambient pressure at high altitudes. Inadvertent extension of the outside handle can disrupt the airflow around the aircraft and degrade aerodynamic performance. Moreover, extension of the outside handle could lead to its movement so as to cause self-actuation of the handle assembly and the associated latch mechanism. With an unpressurized cabin this could result in the door inadvertently opening while the aircraft is in flight. Moreover, a handle assembly must also be designed to operate even though its exterior components may be exposed to significant amounts of rain or snow.
Aircraft door handle assemblies have been provided that meet one or more of these design criteria. Some aircraft door handle assemblies are constructed so that they are integrally connected to the doors in which they are employed. In the event the handle assembly requires extensive maintenance, the assembly cannot be simply replaced; the whole aircraft must be taken out of service.
In light of the shortcomings in the prior art, there exists a need for an improved door handle assembly for controlling the opening and closing of an aircraft door.
This invention relates generally to a handle assembly for controlling the opening and closing of an aircraft door. More particularly, this invention is directed to a door handle assembly with three overlapping concentric shafts. The inner shaft is telescoping and connected to an exterior handle. The outer shaft is connected to an interior handle. A cylindrical shaft attached to a housing body is nestled between the outer and inner shafts thereby acting as an intermediate shaft between the inner and outer shaft. The outer shaft connected to the inside handle is axially fixed and is connected to the door latch mechanism so as to control the opening and closing of the aircraft door. The shaft associated with the exterior handle telescopes away from the outer shaft and interlocks with that shaft for rotation only when the exterior handle is extended by a specific distance.
The handle assembly of one embodiment of this invention includes an inner shaft that is attached to an exterior handle that is normally flush with the outer skin of the aircraft. An outer shaft is disposed completely around an intermediate shaft that is disposed around the inner shaft. The outer shaft has an exposed end, to which an interior handle and a linkage for actuating the door latch mechanism are attached. The inner shaft has an axial slot with a circumferential slot adjoined to one end of the axial slot. The outer shaft has a hole normal to its outer surface passing through its side from its outer diameter through to its inner diameter. A stop pin fitting is fixed to the outer shaft and also passes through the outer and intermediate shaft nestled between the inner and outer shaft so that the pin engages the axial slot of the inner shaft.
Alternatively, the inner shaft has a hole that is perpendicular to the inner shafts cylindrical axis. This hole passes through the entire inner shaft providing support to a cam follower pin. The intermediate shaft has a uniquely shaped slot which allows the cam follower pin to pass through the intermediate shaft and allow the cam follower pin to engage and disengage the outer shaft depending on the position of the inner shaft. The outer shaft has two channels cut on the inside surface of it running parallel to its axis. These channels have a slightly larger width than the cam follower pin. The channels run completely out one end of the shaft on the same end, the other end of the channels end at a specified distance and intersect another set of channels that run radially around the axis of the shaft. These radial channels run in specified degrees (about one third the circumference of the outer shaft diameter).
When an aircraft door with which this invention is used is opened or closed from the inside, the interior handle is used to rotate the outer shaft in order to actuate the latch mechanism. The rotation to open or close the door is allowed by the pin fixed to the outer shaft rotating freely within the inner shaft's circumferential slot. The pin is free to rotate in this circumferential slot only when the exterior handle is retracted to its stored position; thereby allowing the interior handle to rotate independently of the exterior handle to open and close the door. Alternatively, the rotation to open or close the door is allowed by the cam follower pin fixed to the inner shaft moving freely in the radial channel of the outer shaft therefore allowing the outer shaft and the interior handle to rotate freely. The cam follower pin is free to rotate in this radial channel only when the exterior handle is retracted to its stored position; thereby allowing the interior handle to rotate independently of the exterior handle to open and close the door.
When the exterior handle is used to open or close the door, the handle is initially pulled away from the aircraft. In one embodiment, this movement extends the inner shaft so that the pin fixed to the outer shaft is captured only by the axial portion of the slot on the inner shaft so as to cause the inner and outer shafts to rotate in unison. The exterior handle can then be turned so as to cause rotation of the shafts and actuation of the latch mechanism. The amount of rotation and the amount of axial extension of the exterior handle before rotation can occur is controlled by the interaction of pin shafts that are attached to the inner shaft with each pin having integral bearings that are in contact with the curved slots in the cylindrical housing body that is nestled between the outer and inner shaft. In another embodiment, this movement extends the inner shaft so that the cam follower pin fixed to the inner shaft is engaged only by the axial portion of the channel in the outer shaft so as to cause the inner and outer shafts to rotate in unison. The exterior handle can then be turned so as to cause rotation of the shafts and actuation of the latch mechanism. The amount of rotation and the amount of axial extension of the exterior handle before rotation can occur is controlled by the interaction of the cam follower pin and the uniquely shaped slot on the intermediate shaft. This slot is shaped in such a way that as the exterior handle (which is fixed to the inner shaft) is extended away from the aircraft skin it cannot rotate until it is a specified distance away from the aircraft skin. Once the external handle is extended past this specified distance, the limit of rotation continues to increase until its full limit. With the external handle in the fully extended position the operator can rotate the handle from its lowest limit to its highest limit of rotation.
The door handle assembly of this invention can be used to open or close an aircraft door regardless of which handle was last used to set the door state. While the door handle assembly of this invention can perform these functions, it is constructed out of relatively few parts. The only components that move are those attached to the inner and outer shafts. As a result, this door handle assembly is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Also, given the limited number of components, the assembly is relatively easy to install and maintain. Still another advantage of this handle assembly is that its components do not significantly add to the overall weight of the aircraft in which it is employed. Notably, the overall weight of this assembly is less than the weight of the original latch assembly.
Moreover, the components that form the door handle assembly of this invention are essentially all contained in the outer shaft or attached to the exterior handle. The assembly can be fitted into a small handle box that is mounted to the aircraft. If the assembly requires extensive maintenance, it can readily be removed from an aircraft and a replacement assembly substituted therefore. Thus, an aircraft only need be taken out of service for a minimal amount of time should it become necessary to work on the outdoor handle assembly of this invention.
Another aspect of the present invention is a flush door latch assembly used to secure a hinged aircraft access door having exterior and interior sides, said latch assembly comprising an actuator; a spring-loaded rotatable exterior handle assembly, having an extended position and a retracted position, the exterior handle assembly engaging the actuator in the extended position and disengaging from the actuator in the retracted position from the exterior side of the access door; a housing pan, disposed around the exterior handle and fixedly mounted to the aircraft access door, and having a recess to receive and stow the exterior handle in its retracted position; and a rotatable interior handle fixedly connected to the actuator to actuate the latch assembly from the interior side of the access door.
Consequently, for a better understanding of the present invention, its functional advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, claims and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
The following detailed description is one embodiment of the current invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made for at least the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
In the first embodiment of invention, a door handle assembly is used to control the latch mechanism of an aircraft door so that the door can be opened or closed from either the inside or outside the aircraft. The door handle assembly includes an outer shaft assembly that is connected to the latch mechanism so as to control the opening and closing of the door, an inner shaft assembly that is overlapped by a housing body and cylindrical housing shaft assembly on whose outer diameter the outer shaft assembly rotates. The cylindrical housing shaft has curved slots that control the motion of the inner shaft assembly so that the inner shaft assembly can only be rotated after it is telescopically extended outward from the cylindrical housing shaft by a fixed amount. Further, an interior handle is attached to the outer shaft assembly so as to rotate the outer shaft assembly. The interior handle is also referred to as the internal handle or the inside handle.
In a typical embodiment, the door handle assembly is provisioned to accept an interior handle provided by an installer of door handle assembly. Rotation of the inner shaft assembly is controlled by an exterior handle assembly attached thereto. The inner shaft assembly and outer shaft assembly are connected by a stop pin fitting that is attached to the outer body of the outer shaft assembly and passes through the cylindrical housing shaft into an axial slot feature of the inner shaft. The axial slot of the inner shaft is terminated by a circumferential slot feature. When the exterior handle is extended, its motion is positively controlled by two pin shafts mounted to it with each pin shaft having an integral bearing that follow the path of the slots in the cylindrical housing shaft. The exterior handle can rotate the outer shaft assembly and interior handle by its connection to the inner shaft assembly and stop pin fitting that is fixed to the outer shaft assembly.
Referring now to the drawings,
The counterbalance mechanism 88 comprises a pulley and cable assembly 32 that has the pulley 89 spring loaded and fixed to the door 14. The pulley 89 is connected to the fuselage floor beam 90 by a steel cable 91. When the roller cam and track mechanism 26 release the door from the closed position, the force of the spring loaded pulley 32 acts on the pulley cable 91. The pulley cable 91 reacts to pull the door upward and inward toward the fuselage floor beam 90 until the door rests on a stop pad 94 attached to the fuselage floor beam 90.
As depicted in
The outside handle 52, as depicted in
The outer shaft 58 is formed from an integral section of metal and has a main body 100 in the form of an open ended cylinder. The inside surface of the outer shaft rotates on the outer surface of the central supporting shaft 77. The outer shaft 58 is formed with three circumferential flange tangs 106 extending away from the main body 100. The central flange 106 attaches to a pull-rod 108 that acts directly on a shaft 109 that is attached to the roller cam and track mechanism 26 that opens and closes the door.
The Flush Door Latch Assembly is used to secure a hinged aircraft access door. The assembly comprises a spring-loaded outer handle assembly, an actuator, and housing. (See
Refer to Table 1 for the Technical Properties of the Flush Door Latch Assembly.
See
a. Operation
Rotation of either the inner or outer handle causes a corresponding rotation of the actuator. When the actuator is in the closed position, the spring-loaded handle is stowed flush with the housing. With the outside handle in the stowed position, the inside handle may be rotated to actuate the latch assembly.
Procedures for assembly are listed below.
The Illustrative Parts List is divided into 6 columns. The information supplied in each column is given below.
A. FIG. Item Column
b. Part Number Column
c. Material Description Column
This column identifies the base material from which the component is manufactured.
D. Nomenclature Column
As depicted in
As described in
1. General Description of Operation
The Flush Door Latch Assembly is used as the mechanical means to open, close, and secure a hinged aircraft access door. The assembly consists of a spring-loaded exterior handle assembly, an actuator, a housing pan, and an internal handle. The internal handle is fixed to the actuator, and the exterior handle engages the actuator when it is extended by the operator. The external handle disengages the actuator and automatically re-stows itself when the operator releases the exterior handle. The external handle is also referred to as the outside handle or the exterior handle.
Refer to Table 2 for the Technical Properties of the Flush Door Latch Assembly for the second embodiment.
See
See
a. Operation
Rotation of either the inner or outer handle causes a corresponding rotation of the actuator. When the actuator is in the closed or retracted position, the spring loaded exterior handle is stowed flush with the housing pan. With the exterior handle in the stowed position, the interior handle may be rotated to actuate the latch assembly.
2. Illustrative Parts List (IPL) for
The Illustrative Parts List (IPL) is divided into 6 columns. The information supplied in each column is given below:
A. FIG. Item Column
B. Part Number Column
C. Material Description Column
This column identifies the base material from which the component is manufactured.
D. Nomenclature Column
3. Procedures
NOTE: Numbers in parentheses refer to IPL Figure item numbers.
It should be understood that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It should also be understood that the present invention is not limited to the designs mentioned in this application and the equivalent designs in this description, but it is also intended to cover other equivalents now known to those skilled in the art, or those equivalents which may become known to those skilled in the art in the future. For example, alternative embodiments of the invention may be desirable to provide an outer shaft at a variable axial position in the aircraft fuselage 18, and an inner shaft attached to the outside handle that telescopes outwards when the outside handle is extended. Specific subassemblies of components of this invention similarly may differ widely from what has been described. For instance, in some embodiments of the invention, it may be desirable to form the handle housing body and cylindrical intermediate supporting shaft as a single piece. Moreover, it should be clear that the invention can be practiced without all the disclosed features of the described embodiment. For example, in some versions of the invention it may not be necessary to provide the interior handle box 28.
This non-provisional application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/002,546, entitled “Cargo Door Handle”, filed on May 23, 2014. This application is also a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/720,642 filed on May 22, 2015. This application incorporates the disclosures of all applications mentioned in this paragraph by reference as if fully set forth herein.
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Entry |
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Hartwell Corporation, web page and speciifications. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180128024 A1 | May 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14720642 | May 2015 | US |
Child | 15667378 | US |