Patents Assigned to MATRA
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Patent number: 4588977Abstract: A transportation vehicle for a transit system has a supporting structure provided with wheels moving on parallel tracks and inflated tires in rolling contact with stationary guide bars for guiding the structure. An apparatus for providing an indication of deflated or flat rubber tire is provided on the roadway. It detects lateral offset of the support structure with respect to the tracks from a set position responsive to deflation of one tire. The sensors are connected to a circuit which provides an alarm when the amount of offset exceeds a predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 1982Date of Patent: May 13, 1986Assignee: MATRAInventors: Daniel Ferbeck, Jamuel Mimoun
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Patent number: 4567615Abstract: The arrangement comprises mounting supports for the spring slats, insertable in the longitudinal beams of the bedstead, with two upper spring-slats serving as a support for the mattress and undulating spring-slats situated below them. A tiltable holding part having four receptacles for the spring-slats is fitted on a plug of the mounting support. Below the plug there is a resilient bearing pad enabling the holding part to deflect vertically. The upper spring-slats are bent convexly upward and have a broadened cross-section in the middle. By means of the undulating lower spring-slats, a progressive spring action is achieved. There is no sagging of the mattress in the region of heavier parts of the body, optimum spring action being ensured nonetheless. It is possible to divide the bedstead into zones of differing degrees of firmness by selectively providing mounting supports with only upper spring-slats or with additional lower spring-slats.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 1984Date of Patent: February 4, 1986Assignee: Matra AGInventor: Hansruedi Fanti
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Patent number: 4553565Abstract: The reservoir, usable more especially in a satellite, comprises a liquid outlet passage having a surface tension confinement device defining a buffer zone communicating with the outlet passage and, through orifices and a meniscus rupture zone, with supply ducts provided along the wall of the reservoir. The orifices are capillary and are provided in a wall situated in the immediate proximity of the point of drawing-off through the outlet passage (12), defining, with a capillary storage volume, a dead space of small volume.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 1984Date of Patent: November 19, 1985Assignee: MatraInventor: Alain Kerebel
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Patent number: 4524473Abstract: A foam material body for a bed, particularly a mattress, has a body part with a plurality of channels each having two deep channel portions located at opposite sides of a transverse plane of symmetry of the channel, and two narrow channel portions each extending from a respective one of the deep channel portions of the same channel. Each of the channels may have a maximum cross sectional dimension in direction parallel to supporting surfaces which is greater than a maximum cross sectional dimension of each of the deep channel portions in direction normal to the supporting surfaces. Each of the deep channel portions can increase in direction away from the middle channel portion of each channel, so that web-like sections formed between two channels of each pair extend toward the middle channel portion of the respective channel.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 1983Date of Patent: June 25, 1985Assignee: Matra AGInventor: Hansruedi Fanti
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Patent number: 4494200Abstract: For fixing the position of a moving vehicle, typically an aircraft, a map of a strip of ground along the theoretical path of the vehicle is prepared. The map has two parts. The transparency i at each point of one part is in direct relation with the value of a predetermined parameter representative of the ground at that point, typically the altitude. The transparency at each point in the other part is in inverse relation of the parameter. During movement of the vehicle, the successive actual values of the parameter are measured and stored over a distance p. Such values are used for modulating light fluxes which are directed along a plurality of bands each representative of distance p, in succession. A correlation factor is determined for each band based on integration of light fluxes received by sensors through the bands in succession. The location of the band on the map which corresponds to the best correlation is determined and used for fixing the position.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 1982Date of Patent: January 15, 1985Assignee: MatraInventor: Do Mau Lam
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Patent number: 4488487Abstract: A penetration bomb has a resistant body containing an explosive composition. The body has a rear portion connected by an intermediate portion to a front portion of reduced diameter. While the rear portion has a high explosive content, typically higher than 75%, the front portion has a thick content of explosive charge, typically about 15%. The intermediate zone is approximately frustoconical for transferring kinetic energy from the rear portion to the front portion which acts as a penetrator before firing of its explosive content.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1983Date of Patent: December 18, 1984Assignee: MATRAInventor: Pierre C. Croizer
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Patent number: 4397053Abstract: A foam material body for a mattress has a core member having two supporting surfaces and provided with a plurality of recesses in each of said surfaces, wherein each of the recesses has an initial recess portion which is open at a respective one of the supporting surfaces, two deeper recess portions extending from the initial portion inwardly from the same and away from one another, and two narrow recess portions each connecting the initial recess portion with a respective one of the deeper recess portions. Each of the recesses has a depth which is smaller than half the thickness of the core member.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1980Date of Patent: August 9, 1983Assignee: Matra AGInventor: Hansruedi Fanti
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Patent number: 4370716Abstract: An active nutation control system for a space vehicle spinning about a geometric axis has thrusters for creating an external torque about an axis transverse to the first. The amplitude of the nutation and its phase in relation with the spinning movement are detected. A control arrangement receives signals from the nutation detectors, computes the changes in the angular direction of the angular momentum of the vehicle caused by thruster activation and energizes the thrusters when contemporaneously the amplitude of the nutation movement is greater than a predetermined threshold, the phase corresponds to maximum efficiency of said thrusters in reducing nutation momentum of the vehicle or at least does not increase it.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1980Date of Patent: January 25, 1983Assignee: MatraInventor: Jean-Claude Amieux
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Patent number: 4345662Abstract: An installation for vehicles moving automatically, without human intervention, between starting and arrival points along a predetermined path consisting of stops, junctions, crossings, inlets, outlets of elevators, etc.An installation in which each self-propelling vehicle is adapted to carry a load and has steering-wheels and a central driving-wheel as well as optical detectors designed to read an optical track laid out on the ground and furnishing passive driving signals, the vehicle also being provided with an ultrasonic emitter-receiver assembly working as a radar and operative to detect obstacles along the path of movement of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1979Date of Patent: August 24, 1982Assignee: MATRAInventor: Michel Deplante
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Patent number: 4345362Abstract: For locally stripping an electric wire, the wire is maintained in a guide, the insulating material is cut with rotary knives over a fraction only of its thickness and the residual insulation material is broken by pulling after the knives have been stopped. An apparatus for carrying out the process has a stripping head supporting a wire-guide, provided with a drive motor for rotation about the axis of the guide and carrying knives radially movable between an inner and an outer position. An electromagnetically controlled wire-clamping system is used for axially moving the wire.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 1980Date of Patent: August 24, 1982Assignee: MATRAInventor: Jacques de Givry
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Patent number: 4328479Abstract: The system for detecting abnormalities in the inflation level of a tire of a vehicle includes a coil of metallic wire supported by the wheel and contactor including a switch means responsive to tire pressure for coupling and uncoupling the coil of metallic wire in response to changes in tire pressure. A detector is provided for detecting metallic masses, and this detector is supported on the ground in a position to enable passage of the vehicle wheel closely adjacent thereto.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 1979Date of Patent: May 4, 1982Assignee: MATRA, A French SocietyInventors: Philippe Van den Broek, Rene Gaudu, Paul Carrier
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Patent number: 4294420Abstract: An attitude control system is provided for a body-stabilized orbiting space vehicle having roll, pitch and yaw axes. Sensors carried by the vehicle provide signals representative of angular deviations about at least two of said orthogonal axes. An actuator for the system comprises two wheels rotatable about respective non-aligned spin axes fixed with respect to the vehicle. An electronic control circuit receives signals from the sensors and controls the rotation speeds of the wheels for attitude correction about two of said orthogonal axes. Short term stabilization about the third of the orthogonal axes is provided by the gyroscopic stiffness of the actuator.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1978Date of Patent: October 13, 1981Assignee: MatraInventor: Jean B. Broquet
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Patent number: 4253518Abstract: (a) A cooling installation working through a change in Phase.(b) An installation wherein the chamber is connected to an expansion vessel through a valve calibrated at a determined opening pressure depending on the nature of the heat-carrier fluid and on the maximal temperature desired within the chamber and/or on the element to be cooled, said expansion vessel carrying a means for draining off the contents of the expansion vessel.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 1979Date of Patent: March 3, 1981Assignee: MatraInventor: Didier Minesi
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Patent number: 4251929Abstract: An horizon projection device for an aircraft simulator.The device comprises an aerial image 4 of a part of the Earth's surface, an optical image projector comprising a variable magnification system 13, an optical scanning device 18 and a wide angle projection lens 17. The optical system 13 forms in the focal plane of the wide angle lens 17 an intermediate image whose dimensions depend on the magnification. Controls responsive to the altitude, to the attitude and to the heading simulated by the pilot act on the magnification of the optical system 13, particularly to correct an apparent altitude variation due to the shift between the eyes of the pilot and the wide angle lens, during simulation of the aircraft going over on to its back.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 1977Date of Patent: February 24, 1981Assignee: MATRAInventor: Jean Precicaud
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Patent number: 4231095Abstract: An image represented by samples N.sub.o,o, N.sub.2,o, . . . , N.sub.2p,o, . . . , N.sub.o,2, . . . , N.sub.o,2q, . . . , N.sub.2p,2q, . . . , distributed over a two-dimensional pattern and each represented by a quantified signal, generally at two levels, is restored. From samples such as N.sub.2p,2q, are reconstituted samples such as m.sub.2p,2q, m.sub.2p+1,2q, m.sub.2p,2q+1, m.sub.2p+1,2q+1, quadruple in number. The values of the four samples are generated according to the expansion relationships: ##EQU1## The samples N are typically obtained by a compression process.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 1978Date of Patent: October 28, 1980Assignee: MATRAInventor: Pierre Cassagne
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Patent number: 4169340Abstract: Ceiling panels are supported by parallel members. On one side each member has a flange extending into a slot in each adjacent panel and springs resisting motion of the panels towards the member. On the other side each member has a flange extending into a slot in each adjacent panel. Each panel is supported by two members and is movable against the action of the associated spring of one member in order to release the panel from the other member.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 1978Date of Patent: October 2, 1979Assignee: Matra-Tech Thermal & Acoustic Services LimitedInventor: Timothy J. Watson
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Patent number: 4167887Abstract: A mechanical pull type control mechanism for a load launched or dropped from an aircraft comprises a flexible cord, one end of which is secured to the aircraft via a pull-away connection and the other end of which is connected to the load. A sheath secured to the load has a plurality of channels slidably locating consecutive loops of the flexible cord and of such size as to frictionally retain them.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1977Date of Patent: September 18, 1979Assignee: MatraInventor: Jacques Magro
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Patent number: 4143308Abstract: A control for a variable reluctance motor, comprising a d.c. source, a power control circuit, and a command circuit, in which the power control circuit comprises main control switches in series with the windings of the motor to form terminal branches, the terminal branches being connected in groups of two in series between the two poles of the source in such a way that two complementary windings are never in series, as well as free-wheel branches to close the circuit of each winding when at most one main control switch in a branch is conducting, and a turn-off circuit for the main control switches, and including at least one current detector to register the current in the windings; each free-wheel branch includes a coil and a diode, the diode polarized to oppose normal current flow through its associated main control switch.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 1977Date of Patent: March 6, 1979Assignee: Engins MatraInventors: Michel Deplante, Didier Minesi
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Patent number: 4136411Abstract: A furniture frame comprises spaced carrier members each provided with a plurality of recesses, retaining members each having a recess engaging portion located in a respective one of the recesses, cross-battens each extending between a respective pair of the retaining members, and a respective elastic member detachably retained by each of the retaining members. Each retaining member comprises a bearing portion having two opposite sides, one of the opposite sides bearing against a respective one of the carrier members, and two side portions and at least one base portion at the other one of the opposite sides of the bearing portion. The elastic member is retained by the two side portions, at least one base portion and at least part of the bearing portion.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1977Date of Patent: January 30, 1979Assignee: Matra AGInventor: Hansruedi Fanti
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Patent number: 4110672Abstract: This invention is relative at a position coder used with a variable reluctance machine to control the commutations of the stator windings on this machine, said coder being characterized by having magnetic circuits for its rotor and its stator which are identical to those on the variable reluctance machine and which are set in an identical manner.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1976Date of Patent: August 29, 1978Assignee: Engins MatraInventors: Michel Deplante, Didier Minesi