Inflatable life raft escape slide

Claim 1

An inflatable life raft escape slide comprising an inflatable slide member; said slide member having an upper surface portion and a lower surface portion; said upper surface portion providing a slideway surface for the discharge of aircraft passengers; said slide member having a cross section with a width greater than the height thereof; said slide including a plurality of inflatable longitudinally extending tube members thereof, and laterally extending inflatable tube members communicating with said longitudinally extending members; an inflatable pusher tube member extending across the under surface of said slide to provide body and stability thereto; strut means having their one ends pivotally attached to the intermediate under surface portion of said slide; cables extending from the respective end portions of said slide for connection to the other ends of said struts to provide a rigid truss-like supporting means upon inflation of said slide; pressurizing means operative upon actuation to pressurize said pusher tube, said inflatable longitudinally extending tube members, and said inflatable laterally extending tube members; valve means interconnecting said pusher tube to said pressurizing means for inflating said pusher tube but operative upon exhaustion of pressure from said pressurizing means to deflate said pusher tube, an inflatable U-shaped tube mounted above said pusher tube and cooperative with said inflatable members upon inflation to provide an enclosure for said slide surface thereby presenting a boat-like structure; valve means interconnecting said U-shaped tube and said inflatable members to bleed off pressurized air from said inflatable members to said U-shaped tube; inflatable arch member secured to the upper side portions of said slide member; releasable means confining said inflatable arch members in a deflated condition and upon actuation thereof communicating said arch members with said longitudinally extending members for inflation thereof; and canopy means connected to said arch members for deployment therewith to cover the slide surface of said slide on deployment of said arch members.