Emergency exit door for an aircraft cabin, with opening assist mechanism
An emergency exit door ( 2 ) for an aircraft cabin, the door includes an opening-assist mechanism and an opening/closing device having a control lever ( 7 ), which can selectively be actuated to either unlock the door ( 2 ) and permit the action of the door ( 2 ) opening assist mechanism or to lock the door ( 2 ). The control lever ( 7 ) includes an adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) for adjusting the lever arm, the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) being moveable between at least two positions: an opening-action position and a closing-action position, the lever arm (LO) of the control lever ( 7 ) in the opening-action position being shorter than the lever arm (LF 1 , LF 2 ) of the control lever ( 7 ) in the closing-action position.
1. An emergency exit door ( 2 ) for an aircraft cabin with an opening-assist mechanism and an opening/closing device comprising:
a control lever ( 7 ) including:
a lever body ( 13 ) and a handle ( 9 ) to selectively unlock the door ( 2 ) enabling operation of the opening-assist mechanism of the door ( 2 ), and to lock the door ( 2 ); and
an adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) for a lever arm, the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) being moveable between an opening-action position and a closing-action position;
wherein the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) includes:
a pivot ( 11 ) enabling a rotation between the lever body ( 13 ) and the handle ( 9 ), the handle ( 9 ) being perpendicular to the lever body ( 13 ) when the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) is in the closing-action position, and the handle ( 9 ) being aligned longitudinally with the lever body ( 13 ) when the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) is in the closing-action position; and,
a telescopic arm ( 14 ), the handle ( 9 ) is mounted on the telescopic arm ( 14 ), the telescopic arm ( 14 ) moves the handle ( 9 ) away from the pivot ( 11 ) so that a length (LF 2 ) of the lever arm in closing mode is longer than a length (LO) of the lever arm in opening mode.
2. The door as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) includes an opening-action position bolt ( 12 ).
3. The door as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the door includes an opening-assist device ( 6 ).
4. The door as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the opening-assist device has at least one spring ( 6 ) pressing the door ( 2 ) open.
5. The door as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the door includes locking elements ( 4 ) located on lateral edges of the door, the locking elements ( 4 ) unlock the door ( 2 ) when the control lever is actuated, moving the door downward in relation to a fuselage of the aircraft cabin, such that the opening-assist device is also helped by the action of the weight of the door ( 2 ).
6. A method for actuating an emergency exit door for an aircraft cabin as claimed in claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
with the control lever ( 7 ) in opening mode in which the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) is in the opening-action position, opening the door ( 2 ) by opening the control lever ( 7 ) and allowing the opening-assist mechanism of the door to operate,
moving the door ( 2 ) against the fuselage ( 7 ) of the aircraft,
moving the adaptation mechanism ( 10 ) to the closing-action position, thereby placing the control lever ( 7 ) in closing mode, and
locking the door ( 2 ) by closing the control lever ( 7 ).
7. The door as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the length (LF 2 ) of the lever arm in closing mode is twice the length (LO) of the lever arm in opening mode.
8. The door as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lever body ( 13 ) of the control lever ( 7 ) is telescopic.