Patents Examined by Nicholas McFall
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Patent number: 11260346Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing inerting gas to a protected space. The system includes an electrochemical cell including a cathode, an anode separated by a separator that includes an ion transfer medium, and an electrical connection to a power source or power sink. A cathode fluid flow path is in operative fluid communication with a catalyst at the cathode between a cathode fluid flow path inlet and a cathode fluid flow path outlet, and an anode fluid flow path is in operative fluid communication with a catalyst at the anode, and includes an anode fluid flow path outlet. A cathode supply fluid flow path is disposed between the protected space and the cathode fluid flow path inlet, and an inerting gas flow path is in operative fluid communication with the cathode flow path outlet and the protected space.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2018Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATIONInventor: Jonathan Rheaume
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Patent number: 11247522Abstract: A vehicle capable of multiple varieties of locomotion having a main body; a plurality of motors and blades providing flying capability; each motor being associated with and powering a blade assembly; two legs extending from opposing sides of the main body creating a ground propulsion system. The ground propulsion system having two legs; each leg connected to a track body at the opposing leg end; each track body comprised of a plurality of drive gears; each track body connected to and retaining a track providing ground propulsion. The vehicle can either drive or fly based on its base structure, in additional to carrying a payload. The payload is carried below the main body of the vehicle and between the tracks or running gear. When the vehicle is in flight, the tracks are able to rotate up into a fly/flight mode to protect the blades during flight.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2017Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: Robotic Research OpCo, LLCInventors: Alberto Daniel Lacaze, Karl Nicholas Murphy
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Patent number: 11214379Abstract: An aircraft having a static air inlet system. The static air inlet system comprises a static air intake, the static air intake having a through opening formed in a top structural assembly, the through opening forming an interface between a medium and an inside space of the top structural assembly. The static air inlet system has at least one separator subdividing the through opening into at least two distinct slots, the separator comprising a first portion extended by a second portion, the first portion extending inside the inside space and the second portion extending outside the inside space.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2018Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Airbus HelicoptersInventor: Damien Desvigne
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Patent number: 11208218Abstract: A configurable spacecraft attachment and deployment system and a method of constructing a configurable spacecraft attachment and deployment system are provided herein. In one embodiment, the configurable spacecraft attachment and deployment system includes: (1) a connecting structure configured to secure at least one spacecraft to a launch interface, (2) an actuating assembly configured to constrain the spacecraft to the connecting structure before deployment thereof and release the spacecraft from the connecting structure when deployed, and (3) a deploying mechanism coupled to the connecting structure and configured to eject the spacecraft from the attaching structure, wherein the connecting structure, the actuating assembly, and the deploying mechanism are modular components and the connecting structure and deploying mechanism are selected to form the system based on parameters of the spacecraft.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2017Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Xtenti, LLCInventor: Daniel Lim
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Patent number: 11208192Abstract: The present invention relates to an aerospace vehicle comprising an airplane or spacecraft, operatively coupled to an airship balloon containing lighter than air gas adapted to elevate the vehicle. A control system adapted to deflate the balloon upon reaching a predetermined altitude by directing the gas for powering the vehicle at greater speed. The balloon can be re-inflated for decreasing the speed of the vehicle upon reaching a destination and deflated in a controlled manner for landing the vehicle or disengaged from the vehicle upon transferring the gas from the balloon to a propulsion system of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2016Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Inventors: Kevin Arash Peyman, Nazmi Peyman
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Patent number: 11203417Abstract: A rotorcraft having an antivibration system, the antivibration system being arranged at the interface between a fuselage of the rotorcraft and a casing of a main power transmission gearbox, or “MGB”, in order to transmit rotary motion generated by an engine of the rotorcraft to a main rotor providing the rotorcraft at least with lift, and possibly also propulsion, the antivibration system including calculation means for analyzing as a function of time the dynamic excitation and the resulting vibration transmitted to the fuselage of the rotorcraft.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2018Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERSInventors: Olivier Honnorat, Francois Malburet
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Patent number: 11203419Abstract: A regulator device for regulating a control setpoint for a speed of rotation, written NR, for at least one main rotor of a rotorcraft, the rotorcraft including at least one measurement member for taking measurements representative of a current vertical elevation of the rotorcraft relative to a reference level Ref; and measurement means serving to measure at least one vertical component of a travel speed of the rotorcraft relative to the air surrounding the rotorcraft, the regulator device for regulating the control setpoint of the speed including management means for automatically controlling the control setpoint for the speed in accordance with at least two predetermined control relationships that are distinct from each other.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2018Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Inventors: Setareh Taheri, Nicolas Certain
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Patent number: 11192632Abstract: The present disclosure provides a slat end seal for use with a slat of an aircraft. The slat end seal includes a shell having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a sidewall extending from the first surface. The shell includes a plurality of through holes in the first surface of the shell. The slat end seal also includes a lattice structure coupled to the first surface of the shell and configured to compress in response to a force applied to the second surface of the shell. The lattice structure includes a plurality of supports defining a plurality of interstitial voids between the plurality of supports. The lattice structure also includes at least one through hole aligned with at least one through hole of the plurality of through holes in the first surface of the shell.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2018Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANYInventor: John Dovey
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Patent number: 11192628Abstract: An articulating flap support housing includes a flap connected to a wing with the flap having a range of deployed positions. An aft fairing is connected to the flap and configured to rotate with the flap through the range of deployed positions. A forward fairing is rotatably connected to the aft fairing. The forward fairing acts as a counterbalance to the aft fairing and flap.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2019Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Kevin R. Tsai, Miranda Peterson
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Patent number: 11155368Abstract: A spacecraft includes a propulsion subsystem including at least two electric thrusters, an electrical interface assembly that couples electrical conductors from the thrusters to a spacecraft harness, a pneumatic interface assembly that controls flow rate of propellant to the thrusters and a thruster support module (TSM) including a pointing arrangement and a mounting arrangement. A proximal portion of the mounting arrangement is coupled with a distal portion of the pointing arrangement; the at least two electric thrusters are disposed on a distal portion of the mounting arrangement; the electrical interface assembly and the pneumatic interface assembly are disposed on the proximal portion of the mounting arrangement. The mounting arrangement is configured to limit heat transfer between the thrusters and (b) one or more of the proximal portion of the mounting arrangement, the electrical interface assembly and the pneumatic interface assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Space Systems/Loral, LLCInventors: Lenny Low, Jorge Delgado, Gordon Wu, Maria Eugenia Torres
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Patent number: 11155328Abstract: An air vehicle comprises a payload vessel, a propulsion system, and a buoyancy lifting unit anchored on said payload vessel. The buoyancy lifting unit comprises a plurality of balloons and a plurality of buoyancy gas reservoirs arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, a protractible rod, and a control system. Each of the balloons and buoyancy gas reservoirs is tethered to a lifting-joint on the protractible rod through a cable. The control system controls vertical move of the air vehicle to ascend through directing buoyancy gas flow from the buoyancy gas reservoirs into the balloons, and to descend through directing buoyancy gas flow from the balloons into the buoyancy gas reservoirs. The propulsion system controls horizontal move of the air vehicle to go forward and make turns.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2018Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Inventors: Zongxuan Hong, Royce Chen Hong
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Patent number: 11155330Abstract: A propulsion and lift system for an aircraft includes a wing having an outboard end and a pylon assembly coupled to the outboard end of the wing. The propulsion and lift system also includes a wing extension rotatably coupled to the outboard end of the pylon assembly. The wing extension is rotatable between a flight position in a flight mode and a stow position in a storage mode. The wing extension folds inboard in the stow position, thereby reducing a wingspan of the aircraft in the storage mode.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2018Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: James Elbert King, Michael Edwin Rinehart, William S. Atkins
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Patent number: 11136117Abstract: A wing flapping apparatus including a frame body, a motive power source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits motive power generated in the motive power source to drive a wing unit. Moreover, the power transmission mechanism includes a slider that linearly reciprocates in an X-axis direction upon reception of the motive power transmitted from the motive power source, and a rotating body that reciprocates in a rotation direction upon reception of the motive power transmitted from the slider. Furthermore, the wing unit swings such that its distal end moves approximately in the X-axis direction as the rotating body reciprocates in the rotation direction. In this aspect, linear reciprocation of the slider and swinging of the wing unit in the X-axis direction are opposite in direction to each other.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2018Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazutaka Nakamura, Masanori Kato, Masaki Hamamoto, Tomoyuki Miyake
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Patent number: 11124290Abstract: An aerodynamic flow control system includes a plurality of actuator units integrated at predetermined locations along a span of an aerodynamic surface of a vehicle to provide aerodynamic active air flow control, wherein each of the plurality of actuator units includes an electrically powered compressor to compress air; a transitional component to receive the compressed air from the compressor and provide two streams of the compressed air; and a fluidic oscillator having two inlet ports that receive the two streams of the compressed air, and an exit port that discharges a single oscillating flow of air at a predetermined velocity.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2018Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Advanced Fluidics LLCInventor: Surya Raghu
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Patent number: 11093126Abstract: A digital medium environment is described to improve moving graphical user interface objects using predictive drop zones that are generated based on user input operations. In one example, a user input processing system receives user input, such as selection and movement of a graphical object. The user input processing system monitors the user input to determine velocity, acceleration, location, and direction of the graphical object as moved by the user input. From the monitoring, the user input processing system continuously determines a location for a predicted drop zone in the user interface that represents an ending point for the movement. The predicted drop zone is then rendered on the user interface in real-time until termination of the input, at which point the user input processing system moves the graphical object to the location of the predicted drop zone, rather than to a pointing device location.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2017Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Adobe Inc.Inventors: Sameer Bhatt, Abhishek Shah
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Patent number: 11091249Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of aircraft technologies, and provide an unmanned aerial vehicle including an unmanned aerial vehicle body and a landing gear. The landing gear is entirely accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body when being in a folded state. When being folded, the landing gear in the present invention is entirely accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body, and therefore neither causes unnecessary resistance in air nor blocks an aerial photographing field of view in an aerial photographing process of the unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is not in use, the landing gear is accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is very compact in structure and easy to accommodate and carry.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2017Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.Inventor: Feng Ni
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Patent number: 11059578Abstract: A kite control bar having a tensioning member anchored to the bar end float and secured to the trim line. The tensioning member is capable of expanding and contracting. The tensioning member has a default state which is either an expanded state or a contracted state. When an adjusting force is exerted upon the trim line, the tensioning member is drawn into another of the expanded state or the contracted state. When the adjusting force is released, the tensioning member tends to return to the default state. This biases the trim line to force excess trim line out of the bar end float.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2016Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: OCEAN RODEO SPORTS INC.Inventor: Ross D Harrington
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Patent number: 11059608Abstract: Various embodiments of space launch vehicle systems and associated methods of manufacture and use are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the systems include a reusable, horizontal takeoff/horizontal landing (HTHL), ground-assisted single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spaceplane that is capable of providing frequent deliveries of people and/or cargo to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In some embodiments, the spaceplane can takeoff with the aid of a rocket-powered sled that, in addition to providing additional thrust for takeoff, can also provide propellant for the spaceplane engines during the takeoff run so that the spaceplane launches with full propellant tanks.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2020Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: Radian Aerospace, Inc.Inventors: Livingston L. Holder, Gary C. Hudson, Bevin C. McKinney, Marshall L. Crenshaw, Daniel Paul Raymer
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Patent number: 11046417Abstract: Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a vertical stabilizer system having a vertical stabilizer operatively coupled to a tail boom, tail rotor gearbox, or other component of the aircraft at a forward attachment and an aft attachment. The vertical stabilizer is selectively rotatable to adjust an angle of attack of the vertical stabilizer with respect to a forward flight direction of the aircraft. The vertical stabilizer is rotatable between a forward flight position having a substantially small degree angle of attack and a hover or lateral movement position having a substantially ninety degree angle of attack.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2018Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Sebastien Duval, Guillaume Noiseux-Boucher, Aaron Alexander Acee
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Patent number: 11034433Abstract: An aircraft wing includes a main wing having an outer skin defining an interior space of the main wing, a slat, and a connection assembly for movably connecting the slat to the main wing, such that the slat is movable in a predefined motion between a retracted position and at least one extended position. The assembly includes an elongate guide arranged within the interior space, a bearing at least partly arranged outside the interior space, an elongate slat track with a first end section connected to the slat and a second end section movably and rotatable connected to the guide, such that the second end section is movable along a predefined pathway defined by the guide while being connected to the main wing. An intermediate section of the slat track is movably and rotatably supported on the main wing, such that the guide and the bearing support the predefined motion.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2018Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Inventor: Stefan Bensmann