Connection assembly for aircraft door

Abstract

A connection assembly for an emergency aircraft door. The assembly includes a first pair of non parallel links pivotally attached to the fuselage and a second pair of non parallel links attached to the door. One of the links of the first pair is pivotally connected to both links of the second pair, and one of the links of the second pair is pivotally connected to both links of the first pair. A compact assembly can be achieved.

1 . A connection assembly connecting a door to a fuselage section of an aircraft to move the door from a closed position to an opened position, the assembly comprising:
 a pair of first links each having a first connection point pivotally attached to the fuselage at a respective fuselage location, a second connection point spaced apart from the first connection point and a first link axis extending between the first and second connection points thereof, the first link axes being non parallel to one another, the fuselage locations being spaced apart and defining a first reference axis extending therebetween;   a pair of second links each having a first connection point pivotally attached to the door at a respective door location, a second connection point spaced apart from the first connection point and a second link axis extending between the first and second connection points thereof, the second link axes being non parallel to one another, the door locations being spaced apart and defining a second reference axis extending therebetween;   one of the first links interconnecting the second connection points of the second links, with a first connection axis being defined through the second connection points of the second links and having a different orientation than the first link axis of the one of the first links; and   one of the second links interconnecting the second connections points of the first links, with a second connection axis being defined through the second connection points of the first link and having a different orientation than the second link axis of the one of the second links.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the pair of first links and the pair of second links are provided adjacent each one of two sides of the door. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first connection axis is non parallel to the second reference axis when the door is in the closed position. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first connection axis is approximately parallel or parallel to the second reference axis when the door is in the opened position. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the second connection axis is non parallel to the first reference axis. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein with the door in the closed position, the first link axes extend at about 7 degrees from one another and the second link axes extend at about 62 degrees from one another. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein with the door in the closed position, the first link axes extend from 6.7° to 7.4° from one another and the second link axes extend from 59° to 65° from one another. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein with the door in the closed position, the first link axes extend from 5.6° to 8.4° from one another and the second link axes extend from 50° to 74° from one another. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein with the door in the closed position, the first connection axis and the second reference axis extend at about 8 degrees from one another, and the second connection axis and the first reference axis extend at about 23 degrees from one another. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein with the door in the closed position, the first connection axis and the second reference axis extend from 7.6° to 8.4° from one another, and the second connection axis and the first reference axis extend from 22° to 24° from one another. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein with the door in the closed position, the first connection axis and the second reference axis extend from 6.4° to 9.6° from one another, and the second connection axis and the first reference axis extend from 18° to 28° from one another. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the one of the links of the second pair connected to the links of the first pair has the first connection thereof also slidingly connected to the door. 
     
     
         13 . A connection assembly connecting a door to a fuselage section of an aircraft to move the door between a closed and an opened position, the assembly comprising:
 a main hinge link pivotally connected to the fuselage through a first connection;   a cross link pivotally connected to the main hinge link through a second connection and pivotally connected to the door through a third connection, the second connection being located intermediate the third connection and a fourth connection also defined on the cross link, a first cross link axis being defined by the second and third connections and a second cross link axis being defined by the second and fourth connections, the cross link axes having different orientations from one another;   a trailing link pivotally connected to the cross link through the fourth connection, and pivotally connected to the fuselage through a fifth connection, a trailing link axis being defined by the fourth and fifth connections;   a door link pivotally connected to the door through a sixth connection located at a smaller distance from a bottom edge of the door than that between the bottom edge and the third connection, and pivotally connected to the main hinge link through a seventh connection, a door link axis being defined by the sixth and seventh connections;   the second connection being located on the main hinge link intermediate the first and seventh connections, a first main hinge axis being defined by the second and seventh connections, and a second main hinge axis being defined by the first and second connections, the main hinge link axes having different orientations from one another; and   when the door is in the closed position, the first cross link axis and the door link axis extend non parallel to one another, and the trailing link axis and the second main hinge axis extend non parallel to one another.   
     
     
         14 . The assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein a first reference axis is defined by the first and fifth connections and a second reference axis is defined by the third and sixth connections, and when the door is in the closed position, the first main hinge axis and second reference axis extend non parallel to one another, and the first reference axis and the second cross link axis extend non parallel to one another. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein when the door is in the opened position, the first main hinge link axis and the second reference axis are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the main hinge link is part of a main hinge and the cross link, trailing link and door link are part of a link assembly, the main hinge link and link assembly being provided adjacent a first one of two sides of the door, the assembly further comprising an additional main hinge link and link assembly provided adjacent the other side of the door. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the second connection is defined by a torque tube extending between the cross links of the link assembly and of the additional link assembly, the torque tube being pivotally received in an opening defined through the main hinge links of the link assembly and of the additional link assembly, the torque tube being engaged for rotation to a door handle. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly according to  claim 17 , further comprising a latch mechanism defined by engagement of a member rotated by the torque tube with at least one complementary member attached to the door. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the member attached to the torque tube is a cam member extending around the torque tube, and the at least one complementary member includes top and bottom rollers, the cam being received between the rollers and being in contact therewith such that engagement of the rotating cam with the rollers moves the door with respect to the main hinge link. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the cross link is pivotally and slidingly connected to the door through the third connection. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly according to  claim 13 , further comprising rollers extending from the side of the doors and engaged within channels of guides retained on the fuselage, the channels defining a path of inward and upward movement of the door from the closed position to an intermediate position where the door is completely inward of a pressure plane of the closed door defined by an outline of the fuselage. 
     
     
         22 . A method of opening a door of an aircraft, the door being connected to a fuselage section of the aircraft through a connection assembly including a main hinge pivotally connected to the fuselage section and a link assembly connecting the door to the main hinge and pivotally connected to the fuselage section, the link assembly including one member slidingly and pivotally connected to the door, the method comprising:
 actuating a latch mechanism between the door and the main hinge;   moving the door upwardly and inwardly along a predetermined path without moving the main hinge through the movement of the latch mechanism; and   once the door has reached an end of the predetermined path, pivoting the door around a virtual pivot point located outside of the aircraft by moving the main hinge.