Escape slide stowage and deployment system

Abstract

A self-contained emergency evacuation system of the type including an inflatable escape slide is disclosed wherein a packboard and three hinged together deployment links form the system stowage pack which is secured to the floor of an aircraft adjacent to an upwardly and outwardly swinging emergency door. As the door opens, a deployment lanyard that is connected between a door-mounted arming and deployment mechanism and the upper portion of the stowage pack tips the stowage pack out of the aircraft door, with the deployment lanyard being automatically released as the stowage pack begins to fall under the force of gravity. Since the first of the three hinged together deployment links is hinged to the system base plate and swings into contact with the door sill region, the two other deployment links and packboard swing arcuately out of the aircraft. When the packboard begins to swing apart from the third deployment link, which is hinged to the upper edge of the packboard, an inflation lanyard is placed under tension. This operates valves that permit compressed air to flow from two compressed gas cylinders to turbine-type air fans that are mounted to the packboard bottom panel. Ambient air, entrained by the turbine-type air fans, rapidly inflates the escape slide as the packboard and lower deployment link swing into contact with the aircraft. A girt, which is formed in the upper end of the escape slide and encompasses a girt bar that is mounted to and contained in the first deployment link, comes under tension as inflation occurs to thereby stabilize the escape slide during the final phase of deployment and use.