Low profile vehicle escape hatch assembly

Abstract

An escape hatch assembly mountable in an opening in the roof of a vehicle which includes a frame member having an egress opening defined by upstanding side walls that are arranged to extend upwardly into the opening in the roof of the vehicle, a flange member extending outwardly from the lower portion of said frame member and arranged to abut the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle; and attachment elements for securing the flange member to the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle. A method of installing the escape hatch upwardly through an opening the roof of a vehicle is also disclosed.

1 . An escape hatch assembly mountable in an opening in the roof of a vehicle, such escape hatch including 
 (a) a frame member having an egress opening defined by upstanding side walls that are arranged to extend upwardly, and having a flange member extending outwardly from the lower portion of said frame member and arranged to abut the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle;    (b) attachment means for securing the frame member to the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle; and    (c) an escape hatch member attached to the frame member for movement between a closed position at which the escape hatch member closes the egress opening in the frame member, and an open position spaced from the frame sufficiently to permit egress of persons through the egress opening in the frame member.    
     
     
         2 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a resilient sealing member is arranged to extend around the opening in the roof of the vehicle.  
     
     
         3 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein a second sealing member is attached to said escape hatch member and positioned to engage said first resilient sealing member when said escape hatch member is in its closed position.  
     
     
         4 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said resilient sealing member engages the upper end of said upstanding walls to provide a seal therebetween.  
     
     
         5 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a resilient sealing member is mounted on said escape hatch member for engaging the roof of said vehicle to provide a seal therebetween when said escape hatch member is in its closed position.  
     
     
         6 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said resilient sealing ring engages said escape hatch member when it is in its closed position.  
     
     
         7 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the escape hatch member is attached to the frame member by a hinge mechanism that permits the escape hatch member to be pivoted between its first and second positions.  
     
     
         8 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the flange member includes openings therein disposed to permit attachment screws to be screwed upwardly into the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle.  
     
     
         9 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the outward extent of the entire escape hatch assembly above the top surface of the roof of the vehicle does not exceed one inch.  
     
     
         10 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said escape hatch member is in direct sealing contact with said resilient sealing member in said closed position of said escape hatch member, and spaced from said upstanding walls of said frame member.  
     
     
         11 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said escape hatch member has a curvature corresponding generally to the curvature of the exterior surface of the roof of the vehicle.  
     
     
         12 . An escape hatch assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said escape hatch member has a curvature that is slightly tighter than the curvature of the exterior surface of the roof of the vehicle.  
     
     
         13 . A method of installing an escape hatch assembly in an opening formed in the roof of a vehicle, said method including the steps of: 
 (a) mounting a resilient sealing ring around the edge of the opening in the roof of the vehicle;    (b) moving an upper portion of the escape assembly upwardly through the opening in the roof of the vehicle from inside the vehicle;    (c) attaching the lower portion of the escape hatch assembly to the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle from inside the vehicle.    
     
     
         14 . A method of installing an escape hatch assembly in an opening formed in the roof of a vehicle, the escape hatch assembly including a frame member having a flange member extending outwardly from the bottom portion of the frame member, and an escape hatch member pivotally mounted to the upper portion of the frame member, said method including the steps of: 
 (a) mounting a resilient sealing ring around the inside edge of the opening in the roof of the vehicle;    (b) pivoting the escape hatch member away from the frame member;    (c) moving the escape hatch member and frame member upwardly into the opening in the roof of the vehicle from inside the vehicle until the frame member is adjacent the resilient sealing ring and the flange member is disposed at the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle;    (d) pivoting the escape hatch member from inside the vehicle to a position generally adjacent the frame member;    (e) temporarily supporting the escape hatch assembly in the opening by positioning the escape hatch member so that it rests on the roof of the vehicle;    (f) actuating mechanical linkages disposed between the frame member and the escape hatch member to more securely hold the escape hatch assembly in place; and    (g) attaching the flange member to the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle from inside the vehicle.