Patents Examined by Steven Hawk
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Patent number: 9016627Abstract: A light-weight and low-power integrated system module suitable for installation at a passenger seat disposed aboard a passenger vehicle and methods for manufacturing and using same. By integrating selected interface system components with the associated interconnections, the integrated system module provides an intuitive user interface system for interacting with a passenger entertainment system. The integrated system module can be installed within a seatback of the passenger seat that compliments the look and feel of the user interface system, creating an immersive entertainment experience during travel.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2010Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Panasonic Avionics CorporationInventors: Paul Anthony Margis, Mehdi Izadyar, Marshal H. Perlman, Kaname Tomita, Yasuhiro Araki, Taku Yamada, Omar Lopez, Craig Allan Depner, Sheng Tong
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Patent number: 9016625Abstract: A floorboard for a reconfigurable floorboard system may include a substantially trapezoid shaped plate. An interlocking feature may be formed proximate an edge of at least three sides of the plate for interlocking with adjacent floorboards. Each interlocking feature may be formed to interlock with a mating interlocking feature formed at an edge of a side of at least one adjacent floorboard. A notch may be formed on an underside of the plate proximate each corner of the plate to contact a member of a floor grid to prevent movement of the floorboard.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2011Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Roberto F. Lu, Owen C. Moheet, Rachel L. Hannah
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Patent number: 9016623Abstract: A flaperon mechanism that provides jam protection while preventing the component departing from the airplane or causing unacceptable collateral damage. The jam protection feature comprises a controlled failure (fused) mechanism that is associated with the flaperon and flaperon hinge panel and maintains functional movement of the devices. Additional features can be added to the mechanism to block, shield, allow runout and shed other obstruction avenues.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2011Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Robert D. Maclean, Jan A. Kordel, Warren H. Steyaert, David D. Boes
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Patent number: 9010686Abstract: A module for an aircraft having a fuselage structure and a floor element defining a floor plane. The module includes a frame device adapted for mounting a functional element and the frame device is adapted for attachment to the floor element of the aircraft at a first location in the floor plane. The frame device is adapted for attachment to the fuselage structure of the aircraft at a second location, wherein the second location is not in the floor plane.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2006Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Airbus S.A.S.Inventors: Bruno Saint-Jalmes, André Rezag, Jason Zaneboni, Markus Schumacher, Andrew Muin, Cord Haack, Michael Carr
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Patent number: 9010679Abstract: According to one embodiment, a bearing is situated between a pitch link and a swashplate or a hub. The bearing comprises an outer housing having a first opening therethrough, an elastomeric bearing adjacent the housing inside the first opening and having a second opening therethrough, and an inner housing adjacent the elastomeric bearing inside the second opening and having a third opening therethrough. The inner housing comprising a first inner surface and a second inner surface defining the third opening. A first member is adjacent the first inner surface inside the third opening having a fourth opening therethrough. A second member is adjacent the second inner surface inside the third opening having a fifth opening therethrough coaxial with the fourth opening.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2012Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Drew Sutton, Frank B. Stamps
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Patent number: 9004404Abstract: A sealing member for forming a seal in an aircraft, the sealing member comprising: a sealing material; and a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and comprises a material with a glass transition temperature below +50° C. The stiffening element is relatively flexible when the aircraft is at low altitude (high temperature) but becomes relatively stiff (increasing resistance to seal flutter) when the aircraft is at cruise altitude (low temperature).Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2009Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Airbus Operations LimitedInventor: Colin John West
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Patent number: 9004408Abstract: A satellite inclination control method is provided. The method includes tracking optimal inclination vector control cycles for a satellite in near geosynchronous orbit, using control rates disposed to counter inclination growth of the satellite, where the control rates include continuously or quasi-continuously firings of a thruster, and where the control rates are disposed to provide convergence to the optimal inclination vector control cycles in the presence of variances in orbit determination, maneuver implementation and orbit propagation modeling errors.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2011Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Kratos Integral Holdings, LLCInventor: Vaclav Majer
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Patent number: 8998135Abstract: An apparatus and method comprising a rack and a translation mechanism. The rack may be configured to hold components. The rack may comprise movable rack segments that are movable independently of each other. The translation mechanism may be configured to move a portion of the movable rack segments relative to another portion of the movable rack segments inside a platform such that internal access to at least a portion of the components is provided inside the platform.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2011Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Andrew John Bayliss, Stephen T. Brown, Perry Nicholas Rea, Kevin Matthew Retz
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Patent number: 8998134Abstract: A fiber-reinforced, organic matrix, composite structural member includes a plurality of layers of fiber-reinforced, organic matrix, composite material in which adjacent layers are bonded to one another, wherein the structural member exhibits a non-linear stress-strain response when mechanically loaded to failure. A helicopter landing gear includes a pair of skids and one or more cross members extending between the pair of skids. The one or more cross members includes a plurality of layers of fiber-reinforced, organic matrix, composite material in which adjacent layers are bonded to one another, wherein the cross members exhibit non-linear stress-strain responses when mechanically loaded to failure.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2009Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Robert Clive Fews, Bijan Derisi, Suong Van Hoa, Mehdi Hojjati
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Patent number: 8985504Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2012Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
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Patent number: 8985518Abstract: An air guide for a dispenser. At least one air scoop is configured to guide an air stream to a feeding out opening for chaffs on the dispenser in order to facilitate packages of chaffs to be released from the dispenser. A control unit is configured to control the air stream through the at least one air scoop.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2009Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Saab ABInventor: Christer Zätterqvist
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Patent number: 8979015Abstract: A tail assembly (10) for a rotorcraft (20), the tail assembly (10) comprising a first stabilizer (3) extending transversely on either side of an anteroposterior plane (P1), and a second stabilizer (4, 4?) extending in elevation. Two propellers (31, 41) positioned on either side of the anteroposterior plane (P1) provide the rotorcraft (20) with at least part of its yaw control and its propulsion. The axes of the two propellers (31, 41) are situated in a plane substantially parallel to the horizontal plane (P3) and they intersect at a position in the anteroposterior plane (P1) of the rotorcraft (20) that is located between the front end of the rotorcraft (20) and the propellers (31, 41). Using both propellers (31, 41) of the tail assembly (10) simultaneously makes it possible to provide the rotorcraft (20) with longitudinal thrust while conserving its transverse thrust for the anti-torque function, it being possible to control these two thrusts independently.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2012Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Airbus HelicoptersInventor: Christophe Gaillard
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Patent number: 8979035Abstract: A system and corresponding method for a launch vehicle or spacecraft for releasably connecting a first body (100) with a first interface (101) and a second body (200) with a second matching interface (201), said system comprising: a belt (300) for releasably securing said first body (100) to said second body (200); a circumferential trench (203) at said second interface (201) for receiving said belt (300) in order to provide for a fixation of said belt (300) with relation to said second body (200); mechanical fixation means (301) attaching said belt (300) to said first body (100), said mechanical fixation means (301) being provided to enable a circumferential shifting movement of said belt (300) with respect to said circumference of said first body (100) in order to initiate a separation of the first body (100) from the second body (200), wherein said circumferential shifting movement induces a relative movement of said belt (300) with respect to said circumference of said first body (100) in order to removeType: GrantFiled: October 26, 2010Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: RUAG Schweiz AGInventors: Franz Straumann, Richard Von Arx
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Patent number: 8967535Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program enable asymmetric deployment or retraction of aircraft landing gear. The landing gear includes landing gear doors which, when open extend over the aircraft centerline in order to provide room for deployment of the respective landing gear. To avoid interference between adjacent landing gear doors, the sequence of opening and/or closing of the landing gear doors is staggered. One gear door is opened and that landing gear is deployed, but prior to the adjacent door being opened, the first opened door is at least partially closed so as to not interfere with the fully opened position of the second door.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2012Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Airbus Operations LimitedInventor: Simon Way
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Patent number: 8960595Abstract: Embodiments of the subject invention relate to an air vehicle and a power source. Embodiments can operate at reasonable power levels for hovering and withstanding expected wind gusts. Embodiments can have a diameter less than 15 cm. Embodiments can have one or more smooth (continuous curvature) surface and can be operated using electromagnetic and electrohydrodynamic principles. The wingless design of specific embodiments can allow operation with no rotating or moving components. Additional embodiments can allow active response to the surrounding flow conditions. The issue of low lift to drag ratio and degradation of airfoil efficiency due to the inability of laminar boundary layers attachment can also be significantly reduced, or eliminated. The electromagnetic force can be generated by applying a pulsed (alternating/rf) voltage between a set of grounded and powered electrodes separated by a polymer insulator, dielectric, or other material with insulating properties.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2012Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.Inventor: Subrata Roy
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Patent number: 8936215Abstract: An aircraft including: at least one floor cross-member; at least one support carrying the cross-member; and at least one bearing including at least one flexible material and connecting the cross-member to the support.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2010Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S)Inventors: Guillaume Gallant, Romain Delahaye
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Patent number: 8925858Abstract: An anchoring element (2) intended to be fixed on at least one external anchor point (4) of an aircraft's fuselage, comprising a fixing area (5) for ensuring the fixing of the anchoring element (2) on the external anchor point (4) and said anchoring element (2) comprising an anchor means for the connection to attaching means, characterized in that the fixing area (5) comprises means for fixing the anchoring element (2) also to a additional external anchor point (6) of the aircraft's fuselage and said fixing area (5) comprising an extension area (7) on which is located the anchor means.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2011Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbHInventor: Fabien Spiral
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Patent number: 8919703Abstract: A hinge sealing element to substantially prevent airflow between an edge of a moveable aero surface structure and an edge of a fixed skin of an aircraft wing in the vicinity of the ribs to which the moveable aero surface structure is pivotally mounted is disclosed. The hinge sealing element comprising a deformable elongate, resiliently flexible strip having an upper face to contact a trailing edge of a fixed skin and one end attachable to a moveable aero surface structure such that said strip extends from an upper surface of said moveable aero surface structure beyond its leading edge and into a space between the edge of the fixed skin and the rib of the aircraft wing to a second, free end. The strip is configured such that it deforms during pivotal movement of the moveable aero surface structure to maintain contact between the upper face of the flexible element and the trailing edge of the fixed skin.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2010Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Airbus Operations LimitedInventor: Simon John Parker
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Patent number: 8919693Abstract: The invention relates to a guiding device (100) for part of a jet engine nacelle that can move in translation, comprising: (i) a rail (101) fixedly mounted on part of the nacelle, and (ii) a slide (102) which is connected to the mobile part and which can slide along the rail. The invention is characterized in that the guiding device is provided with a built-in retractable system for preventing the translational movement of the slide, for which purpose the device includes: (i) at least one blocking means (104) mounted such that it can move on the rail and occupy alternatively an engaged position in which it forms a translational abutment for the slide and a released position in which it is moved away from the slide and enables the relative translational movement of the slide beyond the locking system, and (ii) at least one means (130) for controlling the blocking means.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2008Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: AircelleInventor: Guy Bernard Vauchel
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Patent number: 8915469Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft comprising: a drainage system for condensation water formed in the aircraft between an upper zone thereof where the condensation water is formed and a lower zone where it is collected, a thermal insulation blanket (16) having two opposite faces, a first face (16a) of which is arranged facing the fuselage. The drainage system includes a drainage duct (18, 24) which extends into the upper zone along the second opposite face (16b) of the insulation blanket and which is connected to a pass-through device (30; 40) for the blanket placed beneath the upper zone. In this way, the drained condensation water passes through the blanket through the pass-through device and then is drained to the lower zone, between the first face of the blanket and the fuselage.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2012Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.Inventors: Vincent Auriac, Jérôme Modesto