Patents Assigned to Prospective Concepts AG
  • Patent number: 6643868
    Abstract: A pneumatic couch includes an airtight envelope divided into a lower skin and an upper skin. The airtight envelope includes low-stretch material. The pneumatic couch also includes at least one valve for inflation with compressed air and deflation. Between the lower skin and the upper skin, a plurality of flexible webs are arranged running in vertical planes substantially parallel to each other. The flexible webs comprise low-stretch material and are joined over the entire length of the flexible webs both to the lower skin and to the upper skin. At an upper and a lower end of the couch, the airtight envelope overlaps the flexible webs and the lower skin and the upper skin are joined airtight. The airtight envelope overlaps an outermost web on a first and second long side and the lower skin and the upper skin are joined airtight. On one long side of the couch both the lower skin and the upper skin continue past the airtight joint, and are taken around a rear wall and joined to each other, and form a back part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventors: An{acute over (d)}reas Reinhard, Rudi Leutert
  • Patent number: 6536708
    Abstract: A take-off device includes a telescopic arrangement of three pipes arranged in a frame. The telescopic arrangement can pivot to a limited extent. The frame is mounted on a horizontal axis running through a center of gravity of the device and a centroidal axis of a lift of an airplane wing, whereby the frame can pivot around the axis. Forces exerted between the telescopic arrangement and the frame are transmitted via a bushing wedged on an outer pipe of the three pipes. A compressed gas accumulator can be opened by means of an actuating pressure signal, whereupon the telescopic arrangement extends outward. A bottom portion of an innermost tube knocks against a fixed point on the ground, which allows the airplane to accelerate to a lift-off speed. After the telescopic arrangement has extended outward, the telescopic arrangement retracts inward using a compressed gas stored in a pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventors: Andreas Reinhard, Sepp Steffen, Hans-Ulrich Ammann
  • Patent number: 6499420
    Abstract: The pneumatic float according to the invention comprises an airtight outer skin (5), which can be inflated with compressed air via a valve (21). Webs (6) extend essentially over the entire length of the float, which are joined to the outer skin (5) along the lines (1) and on the one hand divide the inside of the float into intercommunicating chambers (7), and on the other hand give the float the desired contours (14), stability and stability against bending. The webs can comprise single or multiple layers of low-stretch woven material or plastics material foils. To improve directional stability in operation and as a protection against damage to the outer skin (5) the float has a keel rail (8), for instance comprising plastics material, and glued on. To avoid the Coanda effect two side rails (9) are attached in a similar manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventors: Frederick E. To, Res Kammer
  • Patent number: 6488645
    Abstract: The invention relates to a suit for problems associated with orthostasis which is comprised of a pair of trousers made of a slightly stretchable textile material. A plurality of essentially linear or wavy strips (14, 15) are inserted along the entire length of the trousers. Said strips are made of double-walled, liquid-tight, slightly stretchable textile material. The two layers of this material are connected to one another at connection points. This results in the production of cavities which are filled with a liquid. Suspenders (11) hold the trousers and are simultaneously constructed as reservoirs (12) for the liquid. In order to increase the pressure on the abdominal region, a flat bladder (13) can be placed in the trousers and, like the strips (14, 15), can be supplied with fluid from the reservoirs (12). As a result, liquid columns are produced which extend over a large portion of the body height. Said columns build up a compensating pressure on the legs and the lower abdomen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventor: Andreas Reinhard
  • Patent number: 6347769
    Abstract: Modules that can be impinged upon by compressed air are arranged in front of and behind a box-shaped spar, whereby the modules have an airtight top skin and an airtight bottom skin and first plates that can transmit thrust are disposed therebetween. Each first plate has a console on each side. The console extends along the entire length of a profile of a wing. One to two flexible tubes that are airtight and only slightly extensible are inserted between two such consoles. When the tubes are subjected to pressure, they cause the first plates to move substantially parallel to each other and provide the wing with a desired camber. An aerodynamic profile is defined by rigid sheeting, whereby the sheeting is secured to the top skin, bottom skin, and the sheet in an articulated manner by the second plates that are provided with hinges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventors: Frederick E. To, Res Kammer
  • Patent number: 6224015
    Abstract: The cableway consists of a captive balloon (1) carrying a gondola (2) to which two transport cables (3, 4) and a mooring cable (5) are attached. The two transport cables (3, 4) bearing a cabin (10, 11) for carrying passengers end at a ground station (7) which is rotatable on a circular rail (9) around a vertical axis (8). The transport cables (3, 4), both in the gondola (2) and in the ground station, run on and off drums. The ground station (7) can be actively tracked with reference to the site of the captive balloon (1). The mooring cable (5), secured to the gondola (2), runs on a drum in the ground station (7) and is equipped with beacons (13). The captive balloon (1) can be released to any desired height, the unused length of the transport cables (3, 4) remaining on the drums in the ground station (7). The cabins (10, 11) are coupled in shuttle operation or move separately driven by motors provided in the gondola (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventor: Andreas Reinhard
  • Patent number: 6199796
    Abstract: An adaptive pneumatic wing for a fixed wing aircraft having an airtight envelope (8) defined by a top skin (1) and a bottom skin (2) subdivided internally by a plurality of cells extending longitudinally of the wing, portions of the cells being airtight forming wing structure adapted to provide an aileron function, a landing flap function, and to change the shape of the wing profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventors: Andreas Reinhard, Frederick E. To, Otto Ramseier, Res Kammer
  • Patent number: D457724
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventor: Mathias Och
  • Patent number: D459852
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventor: Mathias Och
  • Patent number: D476943
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts AG
    Inventor: Andreas Reinhard
  • Patent number: D395274
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Prospective Concepts, AG
    Inventor: Wilfried Stoll