Patents Examined by Madison Elizabeth Dittner
  • Patent number: 11623750
    Abstract: A seat carrier arrangement includes a first screen carrier having a carrier body extending vertically from a vehicle floor and a second screen carrier having a carrier body arranged at a distance and substantially parallel to the first screen carrier. At least one of the first and second screen carriers includes a screen element configured to move between a stowed position within the carrier body and an extended position extending from the carrier body. The screen element is concealed within the carrier body in the stowed position and extending from one of the first or second screen carriers to and detachably attached to the carrier body of the other one of the first or second screen carriers in an extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Adient Aerospace, LLC
    Inventors: Max Wisniewski, Sahng Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 11613342
    Abstract: An aircraft wing having a fixed wing and a wing tip device at the tip of the fixed wing is disclosed. The wing tip device being movable relative to the fixed wing between flight and ground configurations, the aircraft wing having a locking mechanism including a locking bore and a locking pin, the locking mechanism being configurable between a locked configuration, in which the locking pin is received in the locking bore, to lock the wing tip device in one of the flight or ground configurations, and an unlocked configuration in which the locking pin is withdrawn from the locking bore such that the wing tip device is moveable relative to the fixed wing, and wherein the locking pin is configured such that it has a replaceable tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Paul Morrell, Matt Harding
  • Patent number: 11596115
    Abstract: An apparatus for cultivating plants, including mushrooms, is provided that includes at least one tilt-able plant cultivation module coupled to at least one horizontal support unit by at least one hydraulic unit. The at least one horizontal support unit is coupled to a vertical support unit. The tilt-able plant cultivation module further includes a frame and a plant cultivation tray. The frame of the tilt-able plant cultivation module and the at least one horizontal support unit is coupled manually, hydraulically, or pneumatically. The tilt-able plant cultivation module tilts at a desirable angle which facilitates and makes the plant harvesting process more convenient for a worker without affecting the under cultivated plants. The worker is enabled to look closer to the tilt-able plant cultivation module that in turn allows the worker to select plants to be harvested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Eurochampignon
    Inventor: Stefaan Lapierre
  • Patent number: 11577815
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a structural panel for an aerospace vehicle, including a single sheet of material, the material having a first raised pattern on a first side, and a second raised pattern on a reverse side, wherein a repeating portion of the first raised pattern is substantially identical in size and shape to a repeating portion of the second raised pattern, and is rotated at an angle ? to the first raised pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
    Inventor: Tjepke Heeringa
  • Patent number: 11570975
    Abstract: A fishing aid device that is a miniature size and doesn't need a battery. The fishing aid device includes a housing; a fishing aid member disposed in the housing; and an actuating assembly disposed in the housing for energizing the fishing aid member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventor: Bryan Johnson
  • Patent number: 11560216
    Abstract: A system for slowing down the speed of flying objects by applying electrodynamic and aerodynamic braking forces. The system is comprised of plurality of stubs, where each stub is made of dielectric material surrounded by metal foil and another metal foil is inserted in the middle of the stub, where the outer metal foil and the inner metal foil are isolated from each other, so that they form a capacitor. Each stub is stored in a barrel before being used. When activated, the stubs are stretched from the barrel as a tail behind the flying object. The area of the stub generates aerodynamic drag. The stub capacitor is charged by a generator so that free electrons are present in the outer metal layer of the stub. The electric field produced by these charges interacts with ions in the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Inventors: Vitaly Triger, Anya Leshinsky-Altshuller, Solomon Khmelnik
  • Patent number: 11560211
    Abstract: A fuselage component for an aircraft, including a shell part composed of a fiber composite material and a stiffening structure which is connected to an inner surface of the shell part and has shaped parts composed of a fiber composite material, wherein the shaped parts each have a flat base section which extends along the inner surface of the shell part, and a step-shaped profile edge which extends in an encircling manner around the base section. The shaped parts are arranged in the form of parquetry with overlapping profile edges. As a result, the overlapping profile edges form stiffening profiles intersecting at an intersection. Furthermore, an aircraft which has at least one such fuselage component and a method for producing a fuselage component are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Premium Aerotec GmbH
    Inventors: Julian Kuntz, Thomas Geipel
  • Patent number: 11553698
    Abstract: A system of fattening for molluscs having supporting frames with first coupling members for the uprights that make up components and, carriers of the breeding compartments, and second coupling members on the flotation tubes of a moveable platform. The members and the uprights have aligned openings and that are actuated by removable coupling devices allowing the uprights to be attached or uncoupled. A crossbar, with an arrangement of connectors, keeps the components and provides an easily handled module that can be separated from the supporting frame along with the breeding compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Inventor: Andres Quinta Cortinas
  • Patent number: 11553687
    Abstract: A device and method for detecting and recording animal behavior is provided. The device includes an enclosure having first and second chambers, each of the chambers having exterior panels formed of an opaque material, at least one image capture device disposed in each of the first and second chambers, the at least one image capture device arranged to capture behavior data of one or more freely roaming rodents, and a first container insertable into one of the first and second containers and positioned below a respective image capture device, the container having one or more corrals into which one or more rodents are housed during testing, the container being formed of a transparent material. In some embodiments, the first container is formed of a red transparent material, the one or more rodents being unable to see through the red transparent material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Children's Medical Center Corporation
    Inventors: David P. Roberson, Lee Barrett
  • Patent number: 11535364
    Abstract: A process and machine configured to predict and preempt an undesired load and/or bending moment on a part of a vehicle resulting from an exogenous or a control input. The machine may include a predictor with an algorithm for converting parameters from a state sensed upwind from the part into an estimated normal load on the part and a prediction, for a future time, of a normal load scaled for a weight of the aerospace vehicle. The machine may: produce, using a state upwind from the part on the aerospace vehicle and/or a maneuver input, a predicted state, load and bending moment on the part at a time in the future; derive a command preempting the part from experiencing the predicted load and bending moment; and actuate the command just prior to the part experiencing the predicted state, thereby alleviating the part from experiencing the predicted load and bending moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Alexander C. Ho, Uy-Loi Ly, Aaron M. Niemiec
  • Patent number: 11535360
    Abstract: Some variations provide a leading-edge heat pipe comprising: (a) an envelope fabricated from a shell material, wherein the envelope includes at least one edge with a radius of curvature of less than 3 mm, and wherein the envelope includes, or is in thermal communication with, at least one heat-rejection surface; (b) a porous wick fabricated from a ceramic or metallic wick material, wherein the porous wick is configured within a first portion of the interior cavity, wherein at least a portion of the porous wick is adjacent to the inner surface, and wherein the porous wick has a bimodal pore distribution comprising an average capillary-pore size from 0.2 microns to 200 microns and an average high-flow pore size from 100 microns to 2 millimeters (the average high-flow pore size is greater than the average capillary-pore size); and (c) a phase-change heat-transfer material contained within the porous wick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher S. Roper, Mark R. O'Masta, Tobias A. Schaedler, Jacob M. Hundley, Tiffany Stewart
  • Patent number: 11523588
    Abstract: A pet interaction device is described. In some examples, the device includes a housing having an opening, and a treat dispenser configured to deliver a treat to a shelf within the housing or other target area visible from the outside by a pet that looks through the opening. The device also includes a camera having a lens that is oriented to provide the camera with a view from the inside of the housing outwards through the opening. The treat dispenser delivers a treat onto the shelf where it is visible to the pet through the opening, such that the camera will have a view of the pet as it gazes at the treat on the shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Inventor: Andrew Peter Davis
  • Patent number: 11518500
    Abstract: Aircrafts having foldable wings are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a fixed wing portion, a foldable wing tip, and a hinge interface to pivotally couple the foldable wing tip and the fixed wing portion. The hinge interface has a first hinge defining a hinge axis that is substantially parallel to a fuselage centerline. The first hinge has a first dimension in a spanwise direction and a second dimension in a chordwise direction. The first dimension is greater than the second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Mark Steven Good, Steven Paul Walker
  • Patent number: 11498681
    Abstract: An aircraft seat for an aircraft passenger compartment suite is disclosed. In embodiments, the aircraft seat includes a primary section including a primary seatback portion and a primary seat base portion, and an auxiliary section including an auxiliary seatback portion and an auxiliary seat base portion. In embodiments, the aircraft seat may further include an actuatable element configured to actuate between an open position and a closed position. The actuatable element may include a first surface which defines at least a portion of the auxiliary seatback portion when the actuatable element is in the closed position, and a second surface which defines a surface of an armrest when the actuatable element is in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark B. Dowty, Martti Johannes Lampela, Adil Mumdood Ali, Garen P. Moreno, Suzuko Hisata, Robert J. Henshaw
  • Patent number: 11492102
    Abstract: A wing having a main wing section with a forward spar and an aft spar extending through an internal cavity. The forward and aft spars are spaced apart and delimiting a dry segment of the internal cavity. A winglet is rotatably coupled to the main wing section by a cant hinge defining a cant axis about which the winglet rotates relative to the main wing section between an extended position in which the winglet is aligned with the main wing section, and a folded position in which the winglet is rotated about the cant axis. A linkage assembly disposed in the dry segment is pivotably mounted to one of the forward and aft spars and is coupled to the cant hinge. The linkage assembly is displaceable to apply a force to move the winglet between the extended position and the folded position during flight of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Inventors: Fengfeng Xi, Amin Moosavian, Jose Vieira De Sa, Gabriel H. Campos Naranjo
  • Patent number: 11485474
    Abstract: Foldable aircraft wings are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a foldable wing having a fixed wing portion, a foldable wing portion and a hinge to pivotally couple the foldable wing portion relative to the fixed wing portion. The hinge includes a wing transition portion including wing hinge ribs and wing stub ribs, respective ones of the wing hinge ribs coupled to corresponding respective ones of the wing stub ribs. The hinge also includes a tip transition portion including tip hinge ribs, where respective ends of the tip hinge ribs positioned between corresponding respective ones of the wing hinge ribs and the wing stub ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Paul W. Dees, Eric Gruner, Michael Addington, David Douglas Boes, Eric Dwight Blohm, Matthew Scott Elenbaas, Rickie Hansken, Mark John Herzberg, Eric Sean Kamila, Jeffrey Michael Olds, Charuhas Soman, Keith Townsend, Steven Paul Walker
  • Patent number: 11472558
    Abstract: A seat base includes a plurality of linear actuators each having a first end pivotally mounted to a base member and a second end pivotally mounted to a seat member. A controller is adapted for controlling an extension length of each of the plurality of linear actuators in a coordinated manner for adjusting a position of the seat member with six degrees-of-freedom and for damping vibration of the seat member. An active vibration mitigation method for reducing vibrations of an aircraft seat includes receiving vibration data from one or more accelerometers mounted to the aircraft seat and determining a vibration profile based on the vibration data. When vibration mitigation is warranted, control signals for damping vibration are determined and transmitted to a plurality of linear actuators adapted to support the aircraft seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Howard Fagan, Paul Stokholm Warren, Emily O'Kelley Pearson, Jeremy Joseph Kneuper, Phillip Kendrick
  • Patent number: 11472553
    Abstract: A retaining assembly and method for use within an internal cabin of an aircraft, in which the retaining assembly includes a hinge including a biasing member. The hinge is moveable between a retaining position, in which the biasing member is configured to exert a biasing force into a top surface of a ceiling panel within an internal cabin of a vehicle to prevent the ceiling panel from upward motion, and a release position, in which the hinge is configured to be pivoted away from the ceiling panel and the biasing member is configured to be separated from the ceiling panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Adam Arthur Logue, Bryan Charles Bundy, Jeffrey Allen Cartwright
  • Patent number: 11465758
    Abstract: An apparatus for aircraft anti-icing includes a nozzle body, at least one nozzle extending from the nozzle body, and at least one vane disposed in at least one of the nozzle(s), the at least one vane configured to impart rotational movement of a hot gas moving through the nozzle(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ROHR, INC.
    Inventors: Sarah Lohman, Steven M Kestler, Manuel Muñoz, Jay Francisco, Vijay V Pujar
  • Patent number: 11465751
    Abstract: Disclosed is an armrest assembly for a vehicle seat such as a pilot seat positioned in an aircraft cockpit. The armrest assembly generally includes a pivoting armrest and an arm pad repositionable relative to the armrest to change the arm pad width. The arm pad includes two functional sides each having a different width dimension. The arm pad is coupled to the armrest such that sequential translational and rotational motion of the arm pad moves one of the first and second sides into a use position atop the armrest and the other of the first and second sides into an out of use position alongside the armrest. The armrest assembly according to the present disclosure is ideal for use in tight quarters within the flight deck, among other installation environments requiring a functional armrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas E. Hoover, David A. Ross