Patents Examined by Anna L. Gordon
  • Patent number: 11945566
    Abstract: A drain mast for an aircraft for discharge of water from the aircraft interior with a line which extends in a line direction from a connector end to a discharge end. The connector end can connect to another line in the interior of the aircraft, through which further line water flows into the drain mast. The discharge end can discharge water into a surrounding area of the aircraft. The line includes a plastic, into which a conductive material is embedded, by which the line can be heated electrically, by a heating current being conducted through the conductive material. A proportion of the embedded conductive material in the line increases in the line direction per length unit from the connector end of the line towards the discharge end such that the heating power which is introduced into the line per length unit increases from the connector end towards the discharge end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Tim Lübbert, Michael Rempe, Frank Schneider
  • Patent number: 11891177
    Abstract: A disc-type vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes the following. A skirt widens toward the bottom. A disc-shaped rotor is positioned on a lower side of the skirt and rotates with relation to the skirt. A plurality of blades are provided standing on an upper surface of the rotor and are positioned radially from a center of the rotor. A cutout is formed in each of the plurality of blades. When the rotor rotates, centrifugal force causes an airflow along the blade rotating with the rotor, the airflow swirls in a spiral by a flow of air flowing over the cutout of the blade in a direction substantially orthogonal to the blade, the airflow flows in a radial direction of the rotor along the blade while swirling in the spiral, and the airflow ejected downward by the skirt causes ascending.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mitsuru Kosaka
  • Patent number: 11866159
    Abstract: A rotor for a hover-capable aircraft includes an attenuating device to attenuate the transmission of vibrations from a mast to the aircraft. The attenuating device includes a first mass free to oscillate parallel to a hub rotation axis with respect to a casing of the attenuating device and elastically connected to the casing. The attenuating device further includes a second mass free to oscillate parallel to the hub rotation axis, connection means adapted to make the first and second masses integrally movable along the hub rotation axis when the angular speed of the mast assumes a first value, and actuator means activatable to decouple the first and second masses when the angular speed of the mast assumes a second value, different from the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LEONARDO S.P.A.
    Inventors: Attilio Colombo, Gabriele Cazzulani, Simone Cinquemani, Ferruccio Resta, Francesco Braghin
  • Patent number: 11858304
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-modal vehicle operable in a first mode as a fixed wing aircraft and reconfigurable to be operable in a second mode as a ground vehicle. The vehicle comprises first and second ends configured to operate in a first direction, with the first end leading the second end, in the first mode and in a second direction, with the second end leading the first end, in normal operation in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventor: Narendra H. Karadia
  • Patent number: 11840342
    Abstract: A storage compartment arrangement for a vehicle cabin having a storage compartment, housing, closable storage compartment opening, lower compartment section in the housing, and upper compartment section in the housing. The storage compartment opening extends over the structural heights of both compartment sections. Items of luggage can be placed onto a lower horizontal pivoting edge and pushed into the lower compartment section. An upper horizontal pivoting edge is provided onto which items of luggage can be placed and can be pushed into the upper compartment section. The storage compartment opening has an upper opening edge facing an upper side of the upper compartment section and is adjoined by an auxiliary surface extending over the upper compartment section, is at an angle in a range of 10° to 50° to the separating plane, and, as the distance from the upper delimitation increases, encloses an increasing distance from the separating plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Claus-Peter Gross
  • Patent number: 11772779
    Abstract: Propulsion assembly for an aircraft, comprising a fuselage extending along a longitudinal axis and enclosing an inner enclosure, at least one ducted engine fixed to the fuselage and comprising an air inlet section, the air inlet section being disposed at least partly in the inner enclosure, at least one plenum chamber disposed in the inner enclosure upstream of the air inlet section and in fluid communication with said air inlet section, at least one air intake formed on an outer wall of the fuselage, the inlet of the air intake being partly delimited by said outer wall of the fuselage, the air intake being configured to ingest external air and deflect it towards the plenum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Philippe Gérard Chanez, Jean-Michel Daniel Paul Boiteux, Nicolas Jérôme Jean Tantot
  • Patent number: 11745873
    Abstract: To improve safety during a fall of a flying apparatus, a flying apparatus (1) according to a representative embodiment of the present application includes a body unit (2), a lift-force generating part (3) that is connected to the body unit and generates a lift force, a flight control part (14) that controls the lift-force generating part, an abnormality detecting part (15) that detects an abnormality during flight, a parachute device (4) including a parachute (41, 41A) and a parachute accommodating part (42) that accommodates the parachute, and a fall control part (16) that ejects the parachute from the parachute accommodating part according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Mochida
  • Patent number: 11679854
    Abstract: An example method for launching a high-altitude balloon includes securing a launch collar around a balloon envelope to form a choke point separating an upper portion of the balloon envelope from a lower portion of the balloon envelope. The balloon envelope is structurally secured to a launch platform via a tether that is coupled to the launch collar. The launch collar is configured such that release of the launch collar from the choke point releases the balloon envelope from the launch platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: URBAN SKY THEORY INC.
    Inventors: Jared Leidich, Mitchell W. Sweeney, Nolan G. Smith, Maxmillion J. W. McLaughlin, Andrew F. Antonio
  • Patent number: 11679896
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuous catapulting of unmanned aerial vehicles are disclosed, and relate to the technical field of aircraft catapulting and recovery. The apparatus consists of an unmanned aerial vehicle storage apparatus, an unmanned aerial vehicle conveying apparatus, an automatic unmanned aerial vehicle loading apparatus, tackles and a rotary tube-type multi-track unmanned aerial vehicle catapult. The present invention can increase catapulting efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicles, and is suitable for rapidly forming a cluster of the unmanned aerial vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: NANJING UNIVERSITY OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
    Inventors: Xiaohui Wei, Tianchi Gao, Zhao Zhang, Hong Nie, Jingqi Huang
  • Patent number: 11655023
    Abstract: A fixed-wing VTOL hybrid UAV is disclosed comprising: a central frame 104; a pair of quick lockable fixed-wings 102 comprising right wing 102-2 and left wing 102-1 that lock with each other over the central frame; and four electrically operated rotors 108 in downward facing configuration attached to fixed-wings with help of rotor-blade arms 110. Arms 110 are pivotally fixed to wings 102 so that arms 110 are movable between a working position in which arms 110 are oriented parallel to central frame 104, and a storage position in which arms 110 are aligned with wings 102. Central frame 104 is a thin rod and works as fuselage. Drivers and control modules are fitted in wings 102. UAV includes rudders attached to arms at 45 degrees for maneuvering UAV for yaw and a secondary roll response. UAV includes two landing gears 106 attached to each end of central frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ideaForge Technology Pvt. Ltd.
    Inventors: Rahul Singh, Ashish Bhat, Vishal Khetmali, Gulab Mali