Patent Application
20190316416
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft evacuation assemblies, and more specifically to rescue ladders.
In the event of an emergency water landing, aircraft typically include inflatable structures that may be used as at least one of a slide to exit the aircraft or a flotation device (e.g. life raft) separate from the aircraft. In the event of a person going overboard, it is beneficial to have a rescue ladder readily accessible to assist in bringing the person from the water onto the inflatable structure safely.
According to various embodiments, a rescue ladder is described herein. The rescue ladder may include a cross member disposed between a first longitudinal member and a second longitudinal member and coupled to the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member. The rescue ladder may include a handle member coupled to at least one of the first longitudinal member, the second longitudinal member, or the cross member. According to various embodiments, the handle member comprises a buoyant material configured to float in water. According to various embodiments, the handle member comprises a webbing material disposed radially outward of a buoyant material configured to float in water. According to various embodiments, the handle member comprises a loop handle. According to various embodiments the handle member comprises a support cable disposed across and coupled with the first and the second longitudinal members. According to various embodiments, the rescue ladder may include a third longitudinal member disposed between the first longitudinal member and second longitudinal member. According to various embodiments, the rescue ladder couples with an inflatable structure. According to various embodiments, the inflatable structure is at least one of a life raft or slide.
According to various embodiments, an inflatable structure is disclosed. The inflatable structure may include a rescue ladder having at a first end and a second end. The rescue ladder may include a cross member disposed between a first longitudinal member and a second longitudinal member and coupled to the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member, wherein the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member extend from the first end to the second end, wherein the first longitudinal member is bonded to the inflatable structure at the first end at a first attachment point above a horizontal centerline of the inflatable structure, wherein the second longitudinal member is bonded to the inflatable structure at the first end at a second attachment point above a horizontal centerline of the inflatable structure. The rescue ladder may include a handle member coupled to at least one of the first longitudinal member, the second longitudinal member, or the cross member. According to various embodiments, the handle member comprises a buoyant material configured to float in water. According to various embodiments, the handle member comprises a webbing material disposed radially outward of a buoyant material configured to float in water. According to various embodiments, the handle member comprises a loop handle. According to various embodiments, the handle member comprises a support cable disposed across and coupled with the first and the second longitudinal members. According to various embodiments, the rescue ladder may include a third longitudinal member disposed between the first longitudinal member and second longitudinal member, wherein the third longitudinal member is bonded to the inflatable structure at the first end at a third attachment point above a horizontal centerline of the inflatable structure. According to various embodiments, the rescue ladder couples with an inflatable structure. According to various embodiments, the inflatable structure is at least one of a life raft or slide.
According to various embodiments, a method of making a rescue ladder for an inflatable structure is disclosed. The method may include coupling a first longitudinal member of the rescue ladder to the inflatable structure at a first attachment point above a horizontal centerline of the inflatable structure. The method may include coupling a second longitudinal member of the rescue ladder to the inflatable structure at a second attachment point above the horizontal centerline of the inflatable structure. According to various embodiments, the method may include coupling a handle member to at least one of the first longitudinal member or the second longitudinal member. According to various embodiments, the method may include coupling a cross member to the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member.
The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
The detailed description of various embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various embodiments by way of illustration. While these various embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical, chemical, and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected, or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full, and/or any other possible attachment option. Surface shading lines may be used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials. In some cases, reference coordinates may be specific to each figure.
In various embodiments,
In various embodiments, and with reference to
In various embodiments, and with reference to
Rescue ladder 200 may comprise a first longitudinal member 214 and a second longitudinal member 216. First longitudinal members 214 and a second longitudinal member 216 may extend from the first end 210 of rescue ladder 200 to the second and 212 of rescue ladder 200. Rescue ladder 200 may comprise a third longitudinal member 218 disposed between first longitudinal member 214 and a second longitudinal member 216. Third longitudinal member 218 may extend from the first end 210 of rescue ladder 200 to the second and 212 of rescue ladder 200. Rescue ladder 200 may comprise additional longitudinal members disposed between first longitudinal member 214 and a second longitudinal member 216. The first longitudinal member 214, second longitudinal member 216, and third longitudinal member 218 may be disposed parallel to one another and may be evenly spaced from one another.
At first end 210 of rescue ladder 200, the first longitudinal member 214, second longitudinal member 216, and third longitudinal member 218 may each be bonded to the inflatable structure by any suitable bonding method, for example, but not limited to, stitching or gluing.
With reference to
As shown in
Referring back to
Rescue ladder 200 may comprise handle member 222 coupled with at least one of the first longitudinal member 214, the second longitudinal member 216, or the cross member 220. Handle member 222 may comprise a loop handle or a plurality of loop handles (e.g. three loop handles). Handle member 222 may comprise a buoyant material (e.g. foam) configured to float in water. Handle member 222 may comprise a webbing material disposed radially outward of a buoyant material. Handle member 222 may be configured so that a person may use the handle member 222 as a grip or to pull onto (i.e. above, positive y-direction) the rescue ladder. In various embodiments, a person on the inflatable structure may use handle member 222 as a grip to pull towards the inflatable structure when assisting the person onto the inflatable structure.
In various embodiments, and with reference to
In various embodiments and with reference to
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Different cross-hatching is used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials.
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “various embodiments”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
