Ejection device, ejectable hatch and aircraft having at least one ejectable hatch
View Patent ↗An ejection device for an aircraft hatch having at least one articulation hinge. The articulation hinge is provided with a lower element designed to be mounted in rotation on structure of the aircraft, and an upper element designed to be joined to the hatch panel. The lower element and the upper element are connected to one another in a reversible manner. The ejection device has guide means in which the upper element of the articulation hinge is engaged, to hold the upper element in the axis of rotation (A) of the lower element during the activation of the hatch. The upper element of the articulation hinge can be separated from the guide means beyond a critical swing angle, so that the upper element is separated from the lower element of the articulation hinge. The invention also concerns an ejectable hatch for an aircraft.
1. An ejection device for an aircraft hatch comprising:
at least one articulation hinge constructed to support the hatch for pivoting movement on the aircraft about an axle providing a pivot axis, said articulation hinge having a first element connected to the hatch at one end and a second element, releasably attached to the other end of the first element, said second element being attached to the aircraft by the axle for pivotal movement about the axis;
a guide assembly further comprising a guide ramp mounted on the axle and having a fixed channel constructed therein, and a guide roller assembly mounted on the first element and engaging the guide ramp for sliding motion in the fixed channel; and
further wherein the radial movement of the first element with respect to the second element is restricted by the guide assembly in order to maintain the first element attached to the second element during normal pivotal movement of the hatch, and to permit the first element to be detached from the second element, wherein the guide roller freely rolls out an open end of the guide ramp, if the hatch is opened through an angle in excess of a critical angle.
2. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein said channel is constructed in the form of a segment of a circle of predetermined radius and extending through a predetermined critical angle, and the first element of the articulation hinge can be separated from the guide assembly when pivoted beyond the critical angle of said hinge, so that the first element separates from the second element of the articulation hinge.
3. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the guide ramp comprises opposing guide rails fastened to structure of an aircraft on the axle and the guide roller comprises a double guide roller joined to the first element of the articulation hinge, said double guide roller being able to slide in the opposing guide rails of the guide ramp so as to hold said first element in a fixed radial position with the second element during normal operation.
4. The ejection device according to claim 3 , further comprising that the guide ramp is provided with an upper end open towards the outside, so as to permit the withdrawal of the guide roller from the guide ramp when the hatch is opened beyond the critical angle of the articulation hinge.
5. The ejection device according to claim 3 , further comprising that the guide ramp is flared at the level of an upper end of said ramp so as to allow a radial displacement of the first element of the articulation hinge relative to the first element.
6. An ejectable hatch for aircraft having an ejection device according to claim 1 .
7. The ejectable hatch according to claim 6 , wherein the articulation hinge is interposed between a lower edge of a hatch frame, and a lower edge of a frame of the aircraft so that the extent that the hatch may be opened is limited by the ground during normal operation.
8. The ejectable hatch according to claim 6 , further comprising a hatch damping system and deactivation means that can disconnect the hatch damping system from said hatch.