摘要 |
<p>OF TEE DISCLOSURE An escape slide and life raft assembly for evacuating personnel from an aircraft or other elevated place and thereafter providing a floating support when the evacuation is on water. A slide portion of the assembly has side tubes connected to transverse and longitudinal tubes of an outrigger portion to provide additional seating capacity of the assembly when used as a life raft. Upon inflation and extension of the slide portion, the outrigger portion is reefed or held in against the side tubes and only partially inflated so that the partially inflated longitudinal tubes reinforce the side tubes of the slide portion. When the outrigger portion is fully inflated and extended by releasing the reefing, the pressure in the assembly will be reduced due to the increased volume of the inflatable support tubes; however, the reduced pressure is at a preferred level for operation of the assembly as a life raft.</p> |