The present disclosure relates generally to the field of aircraft and, more specifically, to a barrier door system to prevent access to a flight deck of an aircraft.
Aircraft have a flight deck that includes flight instruments, instrument panels, and various controls that enable the flight personnel to operate the aircraft. The flight deck is positioned towards the front of the aircraft and is usually a separate compartment away from the cabin area where passengers sit during flight. A flight deck door further separates the flight deck from the cabin area.
The flight deck door is closed and locked during flight. This allows the flight personnel to concentrate on operating the aircraft and prevents entry of unauthorized persons onto the flight deck. However, the flight deck door may be opened during flight for various reasons. One occurrence is when flight personnel use the lavatory which is located in the cabin area of the aircraft. Other occurrences are when food and/or drinks that are prepared in the galley of the cabin area are delivered to the flight personnel on the flight deck, and when flight personnel leave the flight deck during a break.
Opening of the flight deck door could present an opportunity for an unauthorized person to gain entry to the flight deck.
A physically installed system is needed that would inhibit and/or sufficiently delay a person in the cabin area from reaching the flight deck door when the flight deck door is open. The delay in their movement towards the flight deck would allow the flight deck door to be closed and locked prior to the person reaching the door.
One aspect is directed to a barrier door system to control movement of persons through an opening within a cabin area of an aircraft. The barrier door system comprises a track with an elongated shape comprising a first end configured to be located away from the opening and a second end configured to be located in proximity to the opening. A barrier door comprises a plurality of panels that are pivotally connected together and one or more pins that extend outward from a top edge of the barrier door and are configured to engage with the track. The plurality of panels are configured to pivot together in a folded configuration at the stowed position. The plurality of panels are configured to pivot outward away from the track in an extended configuration to extend across the opening at the deployed position.
In another aspect, the one or more pins extend outward from a single one of the plurality of panels.
In another aspect, the track comprises a top side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side that are spaced apart and extend from the top side, and an opening formed between distal ends of the first lateral side and the second lateral side with the opening comprising a first width and the one or more pins comprise a second width with the second width being greater than the first width to maintain the one or more pins engaged to the track when moving between the stowed position and the deployed position.
In another aspect, a notch is positioned in the first lateral side of the track and in closer proximity to the second end than to the first end with the notch having a width that is greater than the second width for one of the pins to move through when moving the barrier door from the folded configuration to the extended configuration.
In another aspect, the plurality of panels are aligned parallel to one another in the folded configuration.
In another aspect, a lock is positioned on a forward side of the barrier door and away from a rear side of the barrier door with the lock configured to maintain the barrier door in the extended configuration.
In another aspect, wheels are mounted to the barrier door and extend outward from a bottom edge of the barrier door.
One aspect is directed to a barrier door system to control movement of persons through an opening within a cabin area of an aircraft. The barrier door system comprises a track comprising an interior space positioned within a body. A barrier door is mounted to the track with the barrier door comprising a first panel, one or more additional panels connected to the first panel, and a first pin and a second pin that extend outward from a top edge of the first panel with the first pin and the second pin sized to fit within the interior space of the track. The barrier door is configured to move along the track and configurable between a folded configuration and an extended configuration. The folded configuration comprises both the first pin and the second pin positioned within the interior space and the first panel and the one or more additional panels folded together. The extended configuration comprises the first pin positioned within the interior space and the second pin positioned out of the interior space and away from the track with the barrier door pivoted relative to the track and with the first panel and the one or more additional panels being unfolded to extend across the opening.
In another aspect, the first pin comprises a greater length than the second pin and extends outward from the top edge of the first panel a greater distance than the second pin.
In another aspect, the first panel and the one or more additional panels are pivotally connected together and are in an overlapping arrangement in the folded configuration and are in an end-to-end arrangement in the extended configuration.
In another aspect, a notch extends through the body of the track with the notch comprising a greater width than the second pin for the second pin to move through the notch when moving the barrier door from the folded configuration to the extended configuration.
In another aspect, the body of the track comprises a top side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side that are spaced apart and that extend from the top side, and an opening formed between distal ends of the first lateral side and the second lateral side and the notch extends through the first lateral side.
In another aspect, the first pin and the second pin each comprise a neck that extends outward from the top edge of the first panel and a head positioned at an end of the neck with the head comprising a greater width than the neck.
In another aspect, wheels are positioned along a bottom edge of the barrier door.
In another aspect, a lock is positioned on the barrier door with the lock being exposed on just a front side of the barrier door.
One aspect is directed to a method of controlling movement of passengers through an opening within a cabin area of an aircraft. The method comprises: locating a barrier door that is mounted to a track at a stowed position along the track that is away from the opening with the barrier door in a folded configuration; translating the barrier door along the track away from the stowed position to a deployed position while the barrier door remains engaged with the track; and after moving the barrier door to the deployed position, pivoting the barrier door relative to the track and extending the barrier door to an extended configuration and extending the barrier door across the opening.
In another aspect, the method further comprises pivoting a first panel of the barrier door relative to the track and moving a second pin that extends outward from the first panel through a notch in the track while maintaining a first pin that extends from the first panel engaged with the track.
In another aspect, the method further comprises pivoting the barrier door to the extended configuration across the opening and aligning the barrier door perpendicular to the track.
In another aspect, the method further comprises sliding the barrier door from a first end of the track at the stowed position to a second end of the track at the deployed position.
In another aspect, the method further comprises sliding the barrier door from the stowed position that is in proximity to a flight deck to the deployed position at a front of a passenger section of the cabin area.
The features, functions and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various aspects or may be combined in yet other aspects, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and the drawings.
The flight deck 110 includes one or more seats 111 for flight personnel including but not limited to the pilot, co-pilot, and other authorized persons. Various controls and instrument panels (not illustrated) are located for use by the flight personnel to control the aircraft 100.
The cabin area 103 is positioned along the fuselage 101 rearward of the flight deck 110. The cabin area 103 includes a passenger section 121 with seats 105 arranged in rows along one or more aisles 106. In some examples such as a commercial airline, the seats 105 extend throughout the cabin area 103. In other examples in which the aircraft 100 is used for cargo transport, a limited number of seats 105 are positioned in the cabin area 103.
Monuments 112 are mounted to the structural members of the aircraft 100 within the fuselage 101. The monuments 112 are shaped and sized for a function with examples including but not limited to galleys, lavatories, walls, and stowage units. In some examples, the monuments 112 are shaped and sized to extend from the floor to the ceiling of the cabin area 103, and between a wall 114 of the fuselage 101 to an aisle 106.
In some examples, the cabin area 103 includes a vestibule 120 positioned between the flight deck 110 and the passenger section 121. In some examples, the vestibule 120 is positioned at one of the exterior doors 104 and includes space to allow for passengers to enter and exit the aircraft 100. Additionally or alternatively, the vestibule 120 provides an area for flight personnel to sit during takeoff and landing, for the flight personnel to prepare food/drinks, and for passengers to access a lavatory.
One or more openings 113 are formed within the cabin area 103. In some examples as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The present application is directed to a barrier door system 10 configured to delay and/or prevent a passenger in the cabin area 103 from moving through an opening 113 and gaining access to the flight deck 110. The barrier door system 10 includes a barrier door 20 that can be deployed across the opening 113. The barrier door 20 functions to delay the movement of a person moving from the cabin area 103 towards the flight deck 110.
The aircraft 100 is configured for the barrier door 20 to be deployed across one or more openings 113.
Windows 25 can be positioned in one or more of the panels 21. In some examples, the windows 25 include a transparent sheet such as plexiglass. In other examples, the windows 25 are open. Handles 26 are included in one or more of the panels 21 to move the barrier door 20 between the folded and extended configurations and between the stowed and deployed positions. In some examples, the handles 26 include openings that extend through a central section of the panel 21 or include a cut out along a side of the panel 21. This provides for the faces of the panels 21 to abut together when folded in the stowed position (see
In some examples, one or more locks 28 provide for securing the barrier door 20 in the extended configuration. In some examples, the locks 28 are accessible from just a front side of the barrier door 20 (i.e., the side that faces towards the flight deck 110 when in the deployed position). This positioning provides access to the locks 28 by flight personnel and prevents access by a passenger coming from the passenger section 121. The locks 28 are configured to engage with one or more of a monument 112, floor 107, ceiling 108, or other aircraft structure to secure the deployed position. In some examples, the locks 28 includes a hook that is rotatable between locked and unlocked positions, and a dial that is turned by the flight personnel to adjust the positioning. In another example, the locks 28 include a plunger that extends outward from the panel 21 to engage with a receptacle in the monument 112. In another example, the locks 28 include an elongated members such as a chain, cable, wire that connects to a clasp.
Wheels 29 are mounted to one or more of the panels 21 at the bottom edges 23. The wheels 29 are configured to provide for movement of the barrier door 20 along the floor 107 of the cabin area 103. In some examples, the wheels 29 are pivotally mounted to provide for the various movements between the folded and extended configurations and translation along the track 40. In some examples, the barrier door 20 is mounted to the aircraft 100 just through the pins 30 that engage with the track 40. The barrier door 20 is not mounted to the floor 107, but rather contacts the floor 107 through the wheels 29.
The barrier door 20 is engaged with the track 40 through one or more pins 30. The pins 30 extend outward from the top edge 22 or bottom edge 23 of one or more of the panels 21. In one example, pins 30 extend outward from a single panel 21. In other examples, pins 30 extend outward from multiple panels 21.
The track 40 provides for translating the barrier door 20 between the stowed and deployed positions. As illustrated in
The track 40 is shaped to provide for the pins 30 to be engaged and to translate along the length. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The barrier door 20 is selectively positionable along the track 40 between the stowed position and the deployed position. In some examples, the stowed position is away from the opening 113. In one example as illustrated in
In some examples as illustrated in
The deployed position locates the barrier door 20 in proximity to the opening 113. In some examples, the deployed position is within the opening 113. In other examples, the deployed position is away from the opening 113 but in close enough proximity for the barrier door 20 to extend across the opening in the extended configuration.
In some examples, the barrier door 20 is extended by the panels 21 being unfolded by pivoting about the hinges 27 to an elongated shape. In some examples, the panels 21 are aligned in an end-to-end arrangement with the lateral edges 24 aligned and the centerlines C in a straight line. The barrier door 20 has a length measured between the outer lateral edge of the first panel 21 and the outer lateral edge of the last panel 21 to extend from the track 40 across the opening 113.
For deployment, the barrier door 20 is moved in the direction of arrow A along the track 40 as illustrated in
The barrier door 20 is returned to the stowed position in a reverse order. The panels 21a, 21b are folded back together and the pin 30b of panel 21a is moved through the notch 47 and back into the interior space 46. The panels 21a, 21b are then translated along the track 40 to the stowed position.
In some examples, the barrier door 20 is in the folded configuration when moving along the track 40 between the stowed position and the deployed position. In other examples, the barrier door 20 is partially or fully extended when moving along the track 40.
In some examples as illustrated in
The barrier door 20 can include various numbers of panels 21. In some examples, the barrier door 20 includes a single panel 20. In other examples, the barrier door 20 includes two or more panels 21. In multi-panel barrier doors 20, the different panels 21 can includes the same or different shape and size.
The present invention may be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.