Abstract:
A exposed edge protection device molded from an elastomer or a combination of elastomers of varying durometers formed together to match the outer mold line of an exposed edge. The device may include encapsulated flexible magnets providing for a durable monolithic device produced cost-effectively in a single-step process.

Description:
[0001]    This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. MDA972-99-9-0003 awarded by the Navy Unmanned Combat Air System (Navy UCAS). The Government has certain rights in this invention. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a protection device, and in particularly to a device used to protect exposed edges on an aircraft. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    Aircraft door seals are designed to be thin in profile and lightweight, especially on high performance aircraft. In some instances, door seals may be fabricated from metallic or composite materials with sections as thin as 0.030″ thick. As a result, door seals are not tolerant to damage caused by ground operations. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, since ground operations, such as fueling, maintenance, inspections, and stores loading are performed on a daily basis, exposed door seals are prone to damage in the form of dents, gouges, or delaminations. 
         [0007]    What is needed is an edge protection device which can adequately protect exposed edges on an aircraft and other similar structures that is lightweight, inexpensive and simple to manufacture. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    In light of the foregoing background, an apparatus for protecting an exposed edge structure on an aircraft is provided according to the various embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0009]    One such exemplary exposed edge includes an aircraft door seal. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an effective protection device that slips over the exposed edge of a structure and adheres to the structure without using any special features built into the edge structure. 
         [0010]    In one aspect, the door seal protection device may be molded from an elastomer or a combination of elastomers of varying durometers formed together to match the shape of an aircraft door seal outer mold line. The device may include encapsulated flexible magnets providing for a durable monolithic device produced cost-effectively in a single-step process and having an integral attachment means to ferrous structures or coatings. 
         [0011]    The device is designed to protect the aircraft door seals from replenishment and maintenance-induced damage (human contact, fuel/hydraulic fluid/air hoses, equipment and ordinance loaders, work stand impacts, and the like). The device also provides a measure of safety for the user from cuts, gouges, or head impacts. The device is designed to be resistant to environmental conditions, such as temperature, UV light, and chemicals, typically found in aircraft operating environments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0012]    Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a simplified cross-sectional view of an edge protection device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of a representative application of the edge protection device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a simplified cross-sectional view of an edge protection device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    The disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments are shown. The disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a simplified cross-sectional view of an edge protection device  100  (hereinafter “protection device  100 ”) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, protection device  100  is described for use with door seal structures, however, it should be understood that protection device  100  may be adapted for use with any exposed edge on an aircraft while remaining within the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0018]    In the exemplary embodiment, as also illustrated in  FIG. 2 , protection device  100  may be designed to conform to door seal  102  which is typically part of a larger door assembly  104 . 
         [0019]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , protection device  100  includes a magnet material  106  embedded into an elastomeric body  110 . Elastomeric body  110  may include an elastomer of a predetermined durometer or a combination of elastomers formed together having a range of durometers, such as between shore 60A thru 100A, for example shore 95A. The unique section profile and the durometer of the elastomer of protection device  100  results in the impact resistance required to protect the underlying door assembly  104  and door seal  102 . 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, elastomeric body  110  is made of an impact-absorbing elastomeric material, such as, solid Urethane or Hapflex™ elastomers commercially available from Hapco, Inc. 
         [0021]    Protection device  100  is fabricated by molding either in an open or closed mold formed to the desired shape. During the molding process various information may be embossed into elastomeric body  110 , such as information required of such devices, for example, identification numbers, serial numbers, and cautionary messages, such as “Remove Before Flight.” 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, elastomeric body  110  may be tinted, for example, with red pigment, so as to provide a greater level of safety for users traversing in the vicinity of protection device  100 . One such pigment is 6141 pigment—Red, available from BJB Enterprises, Inc. 
         [0023]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , elastomeric body  110  includes a pocket  114 , having an internal surface  116 . Pocket  114  is configured to insertably receive and thus surround door seal  102 . 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, gaps or empty spaces may be created between door seal  102  and internal surface  116  of pocket  114 . For example, gap  118  ensures that external forces that impact or otherwise affect protection device  100  are not transferred to door seal  102 . Gap  118  may be designed to any dimension that provides an adequate relief tolerance from compression or relative movement of protection device  100 . 
         [0025]    In one particular embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , gap  118  may be dimensioned by multiplying the width “X” of door seal  102  by a multiplier, such as 1.25. The perimeter of a remaining cover portion  302  may be derived by multiplying width X by a multiplier, such as 0.75. The resulting cover leg  304  is set back from the perimeter by summing (X*0.75)+(X*2.5). 
         [0026]    Gap “T” shown in  FIG. 3  is determined by summing the thickness of door seal  102 , (allowing for approximately an additional 8%-10% thickness when door seal  102  is made of a composite material), a gap of adequate dimension, for example, about 0.03″ (±0.02) and paint (if any). 
         [0027]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, protection device  100  includes a force transferring or reaction surface  120 . Reaction surface  120  is positioned to contact a corresponding door reaction surface  122  of door assembly  104 , which is away from door seal  102 . In this manner, any external force impacting protection device  100  in the z-axis direction may be transferred into door assembly  104  via the mating of the reaction surfaces  120  and  122 . 
         [0028]    For external forces impacting protection device  100  in the y-axis direction, protection device  100  is configured to distribute the impact energy over the relatively large area that internal surface  116  covers across door seal  102  and door assembly  104 . 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, magnet material  106 , which may be a plurality of individual magnetic structures or, alternatively, a sheet of flexible magnetic material, may be embedded into protection device  100  to provide for retention of protection device  100  onto door assembly  104 . The embedding of magnet material  106  into protection device  100  protects magnet material  106  from weathering. 
         [0030]    Magnetic material  106  allows protection device  100  to be attached to a ferrous door assembly or a door assembly covered with a ferrous material, thereby eliminating the need to rely on cords or pins, which may, alternatively, be used for attaching protection device  100  to a non-ferrous door assembly. 
         [0031]    It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.