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EP-4477529-B1 - BARRIER DOOR FOR AN AIRCRAFT

EP4477529B1EP 4477529 B1EP4477529 B1EP 4477529B1EP-4477529-B1

Inventors

  • MUELLER, ANDREW WILLIAM
  • SCHWITTERS, Christopher

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240325

Claims (15)

  1. A barrier door (20) to control movement of persons through an opening (113) within a cabin area (103) of an aircraft (100), the barrier door (20) comprising: a body (30) comprising an upper side (31), a lower side (32), and lateral sides (33, 34); a lock (40) connected to the body (30), the lock (40) comprising: a cylinder (41) with an elongated shape comprising an inner end and an outer end, the cylinder (41) further comprising an interior space that is hollow; a pin (43) positioned within the interior space of the cylinder (41) and movable between a disengaged position with a distal end (49) retracted within the interior space and an engaged position with the distal end (49) extending outward beyond the outer end of the cylinder (41); a biasing member (44) that biases the pin (43) towards the engaged position; and a release mechanism (50) threaded to the inner end of the cylinder (41), the release mechanism (50) rotatable relative to the cylinder (41) to adjust a position of the cylinder (41) and pin (43) relative to the body (30).
  2. The barrier door (20) of claim 1, wherein the outer end of the cylinder (41) is aligned with the upper side (31) of the body (30) for the pin (43) to extend outward beyond the body (30) in the engaged position.
  3. The barrier door (20) of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a handle (48) that extends outward from the pin (43); an opening (42) in the cylinder (41) that is in communication with the interior space, the opening (42) comprising a first section (46) and a second section (47); and wherein the handle (48) is in the first section (46) of the opening (42) when the pin (43) is in the disengaged position and in the second section (47) of the opening (42) when the pin (43) is in the engaged position.
  4. The barrier door (20) of claim 3, wherein the body (30) comprises a first side (21) and a second side (22), wherein the handle (48) extends outward beyond the first side (21) of the body (30) and is positioned away from the second side (22) of the body (30).
  5. The barrier door (20) of claim 4, further comprising: an opening (39) in the body (30); the release mechanism (50) comprises a sleeve (51); and wherein the sleeve (51) is positioned in the opening (39) and the sleeve (51) is accessible from both the first side (21) of the body (30) and the second side (22) of the body (30).
  6. The barrier door (20) of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the release mechanism (50) comprises a sleeve (51) that extends around the inner end of the cylinder (41), the sleeve (51) comprising interior threads and the cylinder (41) comprising exterior threads.
  7. The barrier door (20) of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a receptacle (60) configured to be mounted in proximity to the body (30), the receptacle (60) comprising a biased plug sized to contact against the distal end (49) of the pin (43) when the pin (43) is in the engaged position.
  8. The barrier door (20) of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pin (43) is fixedly positioned relative to the cylinder (41) during rotation of the release mechanism (50).
  9. The barrier door (20) of claim 1, wherein : the release mechanism (50) comprises a sleeve (51) connected to the body (30); wherein the cylinder (41) is a first elongated member (41a) connected to and extending outward from the sleeve (51) in a first direction; and the barrier door (20) further comprises a second elongated member (41b) connected to and extending outward from the sleeve (51) in a second direction, and a second pin (43b); wherein the pin (43) is a first pin (43a) connected to the first elongated member (41a) and the second pin (43b) connected to the second elongated member (41b), the first pin (43a) and the second pin (43b) movable between retracted positions that are inward within an outer perimeter of the body (30) and extended positions that are outward beyond the outer perimeter of the body (30); and wherein the sleeve (51) is rotatable relative to the first elongated member (41a) and the second elongated member (41b) to move both of the first pin (43a) and the second pin (43b) inward within the outer perimeter of the body (30) in the extended positions.
  10. The barrier door (20) of claim 9, wherein each of the first elongated member (41a) and the second elongated member (41b) are cylinders with a hollow interior space and the first pin (43a) is positioned within the first elongated member (41a) and the second pin (43b) is positioned within the second elongated member (41b).
  11. The barrier door (20) of claim 9 or 10, wherein the sleeve (51) is positioned along a central section of the body (30) and the first elongated member (41a) extends outward towards the upper side (31) of the body (30) with the first pin (43a) extending outward beyond the upper side (31) of the body (30) in the extended position.
  12. The barrier door (20) of claim 11, wherein the second elongated member (41b) extends outward towards the lower side (32) of the body (30) with the second pin (43b) extending outward beyond the lower side (32) of the body (30) in the extended position.
  13. The barrier door (20) of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the first pin (43a) is fixedly positioned relative to the first elongated member (41a) during rotation of the sleeve (51) and the second pin (43b) is fixedly positioned relative to the second elongated member (41b) during rotation of the sleeve (51).
  14. The barrier door (20) of any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the sleeve (51), the first elongated member (41a), and the second elongated member (41b) are aligned together and extend along the lateral side (34) of the body (30).
  15. A method of controlling movement of passengers through an opening (113) within a cabin area (103) of an aircraft (100), the method comprising: positioning a barrier door (20) in a closed position that extends across the opening (113); while in the closed position, locking the barrier door (20) by moving a first pin (43a) and a second pin (43b) that are each connected to the barrier door (20) to engaged positions with the first pin (43a) extending outward beyond an upper side (31) of a body (30) of the barrier door (20) and engaging the first pin (43a) with a ceiling (108) of the aircraft (100) and with the second pin (43b) extending outward beyond a lower side (32) of the body (30) and engaging the second pin (43b) with a floor (107) of the aircraft (100); while the first pin (43a) and the second pin (43b) are in the engaged positions, rotating a sleeve (51) that is connected to the body (30) and retracting the first pin (43a) and disengaging the first pin (43a) from the ceiling (108) and simultaneously retracting the second pin (43b) and disengaging the second pin (43b) from the floor (107); and while the first pin (43a) and the second pin (43b) are disengaged, positioning the barrier door (20) in an open position that provides passage through the opening (113).

Description

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to the field of barriers and, more specifically, to barrier doors configured to be used within an aircraft. BACKGROUND 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 unwanted persons onto the flight deck. However, the flight deck door may be opened during flight for various reasons. One occurrence is when the 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 unwanted person to gain entry to the flight deck. The unwanted person could suddenly rush the front of the aircraft once the flight deck door is opened and force their way into the flight deck. It would be difficult for flight personnel working in the cabin area to react to this movement in a fast enough manner to close and lock the flight deck door. A device is needed that would inhibit a person in the cabin area from rushing towards the flight deck. The device would prevent the person from reaching the front of the aircraft or would slow their movement such that the flight deck door could be closed and locked prior to the person reaching the flight deck. US 9428940 B1, in accordance with its abstract, states a door latch for retaining a door to a door frame or floor at a plurality of locations adjacent a respective edge of the door, the door latch includes a central latch disposed within the door and biased in an extended position, and at least one of an upper latch disposed within the door and biased in an extended position and a lower latch disposed within the door and biased in an extended position. The door latch further includes a lock set that is operable for simultaneously moving the central latch and the at least one of the upper latch and the lower latch from the extended position to a retracted position so as to release the door from the door frame. The door latch includes a rotatable central shaft operably coupled with a cam, and a connecting arm operably coupled with the cam and attached to an actuator rod. The actuator rod is connected to an inner sleeve moveably disposed within an outer housing of the upper latch or the lower latch. US 2018/265216 A1, in accordance with its abstract, states an aircraft and system of doors for providing security to a flight deck of the aircraft, and methods for operating the same. A passenger cabin is separated from a flight deck by an aisle that includes doors at either end. The doors are locked by a controller and one of the doors may only be unlocked during a flight, if the remaining door is locked. Additionally, the door closest to the passenger cabin may include a window that allows the pilots to view the passenger cabin through a peephole in the flight deck door. The controller may selectively dim or block a view through the window to prevent monitoring of the pilots' movements onto and off of the flight deck. SUMMARY One aspect is directed to a barrier door to control movement of persons through an opening within a cabin area of an aircraft. The barrier door comprises a body comprising an upper side, a lower side, and lateral sides. A lock is connected to the body and comprises a cylinder with an elongated shape comprising an inner end and an outer end and an interior space that is hollow, a pin positioned within the interior space of the cylinder and movable between a disengaged position with a distal end retracted within the interior space and an engaged position with the distal end extending outward beyond the outer end of the cylinder, a biasing member that biases the pin towards the engaged position, and a release mechanism threaded to the inner end of the cylinder with the release mechanism rotatable relative to the cylinder to adjust a position of the cylinder and pin relative to the body. In another aspect, the outer end of the cylinder is aligned with the upper side of the body for the pin to extend outward beyond the body in the engaged position. In another aspect, a handle extends outward from the pin and an opening in the cylinder is in communication with the interior space with the opening comprising a first section and a second section and the handle is in the first section of the opening when the pin is in the dise