Patents Examined by Richard R Green
  • Patent number: 11459115
    Abstract: A rear engine fastener for an aircraft connecting a primary structure and an engine of an aircraft, the rear engine fastener comprising a support configured to be connected to the primary structure, at least one main shackle connected to the support by first and second support link pins, which are symmetrical relative to a vertical longitudinal plane, and to the engine by a first lateral engine link pin and by a central engine link pin, and at least one secondary shackle connected to the engine by a second lateral engine link pin and to the main shackle by a secondary link pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventors: Julien Cayssials, Michael Berjot
  • Patent number: 11453497
    Abstract: Autonomous delivery drop points for delivery of an item are provided. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a proxy sensor to communicate information related to the autonomous delivery drop point to an autonomous delivery vehicle. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a delivery inlet configured to accept the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a storage receptacle configured to store the item until the item is retrieved by the owner of the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include an attachment member coupled to the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a hook configured to couple to the attachment member to accept the item, wherein the hook comprises the proxy sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: United States Postal Service
    Inventors: Ryan M. Luckay, Robert E. Dixon, Jr., Gregory Cooil
  • Patent number: 11453485
    Abstract: A rotor system for a rotary wing aircraft includes a rotor hub including a first beam attachment member and a second beam attachment member. A hub arm including a U-shaped beam member is connected to the rotor hub. The U-shaped beam member includes a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate section connecting the first and second end portions. The first end portion is connected at the first beam attachment member. The second end portion is connected at the second beam attachment member. A pitch change bearing is mounted between the first and second beam attachment member through the first end portion and the second end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Bryan Kenneth Baskin
  • Patent number: 11453493
    Abstract: A submergible aerial vehicle with one or more rotors, a body operatively connected to the one or more rotors, and a platform operatively connected to the body. The vehicle is configured to operate with one or more additional vehicles such that the platform of each vehicle connects together and forms a segment of an enlarged floating platform. The enlarged platform is configured to support an object above the water. The body includes a cavity that is able to be at least partially filled with fluid. The cavity causes the submergible aerial vehicle to be at least partially submerged in a body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Samvruta Tumuluru
  • Patent number: 11453495
    Abstract: A dual-wing aircraft includes a body extending from a front end to a rear end; a front wing, having: a first section secured to the body; and a second section secured to an opposing side of the body; a rear wing, having: a third section secured to the body; and a fourth section secured to the opposing side of the body; a tail wing rigidly attached to the body and positioned between the front wing and the rear wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Inventor: Khaled Abdullah Alhussan
  • Patent number: 11453482
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a surface for contacting a fluid medium through which the vehicle is propelled. The vehicle also includes an array of transducers and a controller. The transducers in the array are arranged across the vehicle's surface for generating pressure waves in the fluid medium. Each transducer in the array is arranged to vibrate for generating a respective pressure wave, which propagates away from the surface in the fluid medium. The controller vibrates the transducers in the array so that the pressure waves control the drag of the vehicle from the fluid medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Stuart H. Rubin
  • Patent number: 11453499
    Abstract: A cabin arrangement for an aircraft, includes a galley monument, which has at least one projection surface, and a projector device by which graphical information can be projected onto the at least one projection surface. Furthermore, an aircraft is described which has at least one such cabin arrangement with the galley monument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Bauer, Falk Bajorat
  • Patent number: 11447252
    Abstract: An aircraft seat may include a seat back coupled to a shell of one or more passenger compartment shell sections of a passenger compartment installed within an aircraft cabin. The aircraft seat may include a seat pan coupled to a floor of the aircraft cabin proximate to an ottoman installed within the passenger compartment. The seat back may be in contact with a surface of the seat pan when the aircraft seat is in a first position. The seat back may be separated from the surface of the seat pan when the aircraft seat is in a second position. The seat back may be configured to move independently of the seat pan when the aircraft seat transitions between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin R. Darbyshire
  • Patent number: 11440670
    Abstract: The invention concerns a suspension device (4) for a turbomachine comprising a body (15) intended to be fixed to a fixed part of an aircraft, extending along a longitudinal axis (A) intended to be parallel to a driving shaft axis of the turbomachine once the suspension device (4) is connected to the turbomachine, a first connecting rod (28) and a second connecting rod (29) located in the same transverse plane (P) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) of the body, each comprising a first end articulated with respect to the body (15), and a second end intended to be articulated to a first part of the turbomachine, a third connecting rod (37) articulated on the body (15) between the first ends of the first and second connecting rods (28, 29) and intended to be articulated on a first part of the turbomachine between the second ends of the first and second connecting rods (28, 29), the suspension device (4) being characterised in that it further comprises a rudder (45) articulated on the body (15) and a fourt
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Antoine Elie Hellegouarch, Marc Patrick Tesniere
  • Patent number: 11440641
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft wing comprising a stationary central wing body as well as at least one mobile leading edge flap intended for being moved relative to the stationary central body between an extended position and a retracted position, the wing comprising a device for moving the mobile leading edge flap, the device being provided with at least one mobile drive rail including a front end connected to the mobile flap. According to the invention, the movement device comprises a linear electric motor including: a primary assembly provided with at least one stationary carriage comprising coils, the primary assembly being rigidly connected to the stationary central body of the wing; and a mobile secondary assembly including a magnetic track arranged on the drive rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SONACA S.A.
    Inventors: Stéphane Debaisieux, Steve Sciarrabone
  • Patent number: 11440669
    Abstract: A supporting structure arrangement for fastening an aircraft gas turbine engine to an aircraft, including: a supporting structural element of the aircraft engine and a supporting structure with at least one support and at least one bearing, by means of which the support can be connected or is connected to the aircraft, wherein the support can be connected or is connected rigidly to the supporting structural element of the aircraft engine by means of a connecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventor: Carsten Buchholz
  • Patent number: 11434016
    Abstract: An engine attachment system for an engine including an engine nacelle. The engine attachment system includes an engine pylon with a starboard face and a port face, a starboard shoe having a starboard sole fixed to the starboard face and a starboard wall secured to the starboard sole, a port shoe having a port sole fixed to the port face and a port wall secured to the port sole, a starboard link fixed in an articulated manner by one of its ends to the starboard wall and configured to be articulatedly fixed by the other of its ends to the engine nacelle, a port link articulatedly fixed by one of its ends to the port wall and configured to be atriculatedly fixed by the other of its ends to the engine nacelle, and a fixing arrangement that fixes each sole to the corresponding face of the engine pylon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventors: Michael Berjot, Olivier Dubois
  • Patent number: 11433988
    Abstract: An aircraft wing including a mobile leading edge flap associated with a guiding device arranged at the front of a front spar of a wing box, and including: —a pivoting member having one end connected to the spar by an articulated linkage; —a pivoting member connected to one end of the member by an articulated linkage, the end of this member being connected to the flap via an articulated linkage; —a guide rail receiving a tracking member supported by the member, the rail defining a path inscribed on the surface of an imaginary sphere, the centre of which corresponds to a point of convergence of the axes of the three linkages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: SONACA S.A.
    Inventor: Xavier Godfroid
  • Patent number: 11427306
    Abstract: A ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of low-energy high-rate maneuvers for both vertical roll control and horizontal pitch control. The UAV includes ducted fans which are with respective piezoelectric-actuated thrust vectoring flaps. Thrust vector control is achieved by controlling the angular positions of a plurality of thrust vector flaps pivotably coupled at respective outlets of a plurality of ducts having fan rotors at the inlets. Each thrust vectoring flap has only one degree of freedom in the frame of reference of the UAV, namely, rotation about a single axis that is perpendicular to the axis of the duct. The angular position of the flap is controlled by sending electrical signals to a piezoelectric actuator (e.g., a piezoelectric bimorph actuator) having a voltage sufficient to cause the piezoelectric actuator to bend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Roger D. Bernhardt, Dan J. Clingman
  • Patent number: 11427311
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”), systems, and methods for efficiently and safely landing while improving flight performance. In particular, the disclosure incudes a light-weight, gravity-fed, self-deploying landing gear assembly that aligns to the direction of the runway upon landing. For example, the landing gear assembly can include a pin switch and a tear-through barrier that releases and deploys the landing gear assembly. Additionally, the landing gear assembly can include castering wheels that rotate (i.e., swivel) while the UAV is in flight. Furthermore, the landing gear assembly can include friction-disks to reduce the rotation of the castering wheels when the landing gear assembly contacts the ground and receives the weight of the UAV. Moreover, the landing gear assembly can detect that the UAV has landed and can signal the UAV to initiate a roll stop mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Inventor: Oliver Ensslin
  • Patent number: 11427330
    Abstract: A hypersonic aircraft includes one or more leading edge assemblies that are designed to manage thermal loads experienced at the leading edges during high speed or hypersonic operation. Specifically, the leading edge assemblies may include an outer wall tapered to a leading edge or stagnation point. The outer wall may define a vapor chamber and a capillary structure within the vapor chamber for circulating a working fluid in either liquid or vapor form to cool the leading edge. In addition, a thermal energy storage reservoir positioned within the vapor chamber contains a phase change material for absorbing thermal energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nicholas William Rathay, Gregory Alexander Natsui, Brian Magann Rush
  • Patent number: 11420743
    Abstract: An aerial dispensing method includes obtaining a wind velocity of a wind that causes a drift to a substance dispensed from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and controlling one or more components of the UAV based on the obtained wind velocity to cause at least mitigation to the drift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xumin Wu, Guang Yan, Zhuang Feng
  • Patent number: 11420759
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a supersonic aircraft and a method of reducing sonic booms, by which sonic booms due to engine exhaust can be reduced. [Solving Means] A supersonic aircraft includes: a pair of engine nacelles 12R, 12L mounted on a fuselage 11 of an airframe 10; fins 13R, 13L as a pair of shielding plates that inhibits engine exhaust 15 discharged from jet engines (not shown) accommodated in the engine nacelles 12R, 12L from wrapping downward around the airframe 10; and a pair of horizontal tails 14R, 14L disposed behind the engine nacelles 12R, 12L. The fins 13R, 13L are disposed on the horizontal tails 14R, 14L so as to sandwich the engine exhaust 15, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Atsushi Ueno, Tatsunori Yuhara, Masashi Kanamori
  • Patent number: 11420725
    Abstract: Technologies for providing blended wing body aircraft control surfaces are described herein. In some examples, one or more of the control surfaces have angular configurations that reduce the formation of air vortexes when in upward or downward configurations, thereby reducing the drag on the aircraft when the control surfaces are being used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Blended Wing Aircraft, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Page
  • Patent number: 11420722
    Abstract: A seal for sealing an aircraft fuel tank, an aircraft wing rib and stringer sealing assembly, an aircraft wing fuel tank, an aircraft structural wing box, an aircraft wing, and a method of sealing an aperture are disclosed. The seal is for sealing a wing rib to a stringer passing through an aperture in the rib at a variable position in the aperture. The seal includes self-adjustment means to absorb any tolerance when forming the seal, upon the stringer being assembled into the aperture in the rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Paul Edwards, Antony Peacock, Timothy Sanderson