Patents Examined by Timothy D. Collins
  • Patent number: 11541985
    Abstract: An aircraft duct assembly comprising at least two ducts extending along a general direction of rectilinear extent, each duct being an electrical, hydraulic or aeraulic duct connected to a duct support. The duct support comprises a first slideway element configured to cooperate with a second slideway element to form a slideway in the general direction of extent of the ducts. The duct assembly can thus be inserted, after mounting, by translation along the direction of the slideway into an aircraft fuselage portion. The mounting of the duct assembly and installation thereof in a fuselage are simplified, and the duct assembly is more reliable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventors: Laurent Feuillerac, Patrick Salgues, Vincent Auriac
  • Patent number: 11542024
    Abstract: A load-bearing structure is configured to be mounted on an engine core of a turbofan engine. The load-bearing structure comprises two longitudinal beams and a transverse connection connecting them. Each of the longitudinal beams comprises a forward mounting interface and a rear mounting interface for mounting the structure on the engine core while allowing at least the longitudinal travel of the engine core. Each longitudinal beam also comprises a lateral suspension point for transmitting longitudinal and vertical forces between the load-bearing structure and a suspension structure. The load-bearing structure further comprises a transverse connection comprising a central suspension point for transmitting lateral and vertical forces between the load-bearing structure and the suspension structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Antoine Elie Hellegouarch, Marc Patrick Tesniere
  • Patent number: 11535388
    Abstract: An aircraft engine mounting system to retrofit an aircraft engine from one aircraft type to another in a manner suitable for approved flight. The system includes a circular member having longitudinal securement members extending therefrom to attach the circular member to an inner surface of the fuselage of an aircraft. The circular member in turn has mounting members configured to receive an aircraft engine to retrofit the engine from a first aircraft to a second aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Aero Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: James M. Mills
  • Patent number: 11533903
    Abstract: A pre-tensioned door opening assembly and a lock plate releasing mechanism for an animal cage trap having an entry door operative with an animal access opening and a locking mechanism that is engaged upon door closure to prevent the door from being opened by a trapped animal. The pre-tensioned door opening assembly includes a plurality of cable routing elements, and an automatic-return retracting mechanism having a cable. The housing of the automatic-return retracting mechanism is mounted outside the enclosure with the cable being routed through the cable routing elements and operatively coupled with the door. The lock plate releasing mechanism is mounted on the trap roof in functional cooperation with the locking mechanism. The lock plate releasing mechanism disengages the locking mechanism to allow the pre-tensioned door opening assembly to open the entry door of the trap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Woodstream Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Kletzli, Marko K. Lubic
  • Patent number: 11535371
    Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft (10) includes a fuselage and first and second forward wings (20, 22), each wing (20, 22) having a fixed leading edge and a trailing control surface (50) which is pivotal about a generally horizontal pivot axis. The aircraft (10) includes first and second electric motors (60) each having rotors (70), the electric rotors (70) being pivotal with the trailing control surface (50) between a first position in which each rotor (70) has a generally vertical axis of rotation, and a second position in which each rotor (70) has a generally horizontal axis of rotation, a control system (90) is configured to selectively operate the first electric motor (60) and the second electric motor (60) at different rotational speeds to generate a turning moment to pivot the control surface (50) about the pivot axis (33).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: AMSL Innovations Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Andrew Dudley Moore
  • Patent number: 11528900
    Abstract: An electronic rodent trap is provided that includes a microprocessor and a resistive sensor coupled to a high voltage killing circuit and to a wash down sensor. Upon detecting a resistance, the resistive sensor sends a detection signal to the microprocessor. The microprocessor activates the wash down sensor to determine whether the resistance is above a threshold value and/or shows variation characteristics consistent with the presence of a rodent and thus warranting activation of the killing circuit. Resistance that is below the threshold indicates the presence of water such that the killing circuit is not activated and false triggering of the electronic rodent trap is prevented. Animal traps and monitoring stations incorporating a wash down sensor for pest detection but without killing mechanisms are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Woodstream Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Koziar, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11523570
    Abstract: The methods comprise, for example, the motorized cutting and the collection of at least a portion of the sphagnum moss, in which the cutting is carried out at least in a direction substantially parallel to the ground. The disclosure also describes sphagnum moss cutting units and systems for harvesting sphagnum moss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: PREMIER HORTICULTURE LTÉE
    Inventors: Bernard Bélanger, Guy Gagnon, Éric Houle, Frédéric Caron, Valérie Lavoie, Jean-Luc Richard, Francis Pelletier, Alexandre Cyr, Stéphane Robert
  • Patent number: 11524793
    Abstract: An aircraft with the capability of taxiing with main engines off uses the energy stored in a mechanical flywheel to power a propulsor(s) providing taxiing thrust. The flywheel can store energy generated by the propulsor operating as a wind turbine and/or by a power turbine in fluid coupling with the exhaust of a gas turbine engine and/or an expansion turbine operating with bleed and/or APU air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Embraer S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel Bueno Silveira Lima, Francisco Palazzo Neto, Raphael Felipe Gama Ribeiro, Sergio Gonçalves Da Costa, William Martins Alves
  • Patent number: 11524778
    Abstract: A VTOL aircraft has fixed wings and a rotor blade system for providing lift in active and passive modes thereof. Operation of the rotor blade system may be switched between the active mode in which the rotor blade system is driven by a power system of the aircraft and the passive mode in which the rotor blade system is not driven by the power system, the rotor blade system being configurable to provide lift in the passive mode during forward flight of the aircraft. The rotor blade system provides lift in the passive mode, allowing the fixed wings to be shorter than in the case where the rotor system provides lift during vertical take-off and landing but otherwise has no function, thus providing aircraft which is lighter, more compact and more efficient than similar aircraft of the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Chana A Saias, Vasileios Pachidis
  • Patent number: 11518540
    Abstract: An aircraft of the type disclosed here includes an aircraft fuselage, a wing assembly, a tail assembly, and a surface structure containing a lightning protection device. The surface structure is arranged on the aircraft fuselage, the wing assembly, and the tail assembly. The lightning protection device has a plurality of electrically conductive elements, which are arranged at least as a group of elements in the surface structure. The electrically conductive elements belonging to a group are arranged parallel to one another, at least in some section or sections, and have different spacings with respect to one another, at least in two regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Lutz Weber
  • Patent number: 11518516
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of operating a Portable Cargo Panel (PCP) for an aircraft, including: detecting a gesture on a display of the PCP; determining that the gesture is a command to view on the display a first cargo compartment; securing a wireless connection with the first control panel therein; receiving, from the first control panel, a health state of each of a plurality of Cargo Handling Units (CHUs) therein; displaying, on the display, the first cargo compartment with the plurality of CHUs and the operational state of the plurality of CHUs; controlling one or more of the CHUs in the first cargo compartment by transmitting, to the first control panel, a command to: run a diagnostic test against the one or more of the plurality of CHUs; or control the plurality of CHUs to move a Unit Load Device (ULD) into, within or out of the first cargo compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sudhendra Nayak, Rameshkumar Balasubramanian, Shad Kish, Aaron J. Roberts
  • Patent number: 11518534
    Abstract: A front engine attachment system for an engine of an aircraft, the front engine attachment system having an engine pylon having, in its front part, a frontal part having an attachment wall with a front face, and a front engine attachment having a beam, which is fastened to the front face and to which a link rod is fastened on either side of a median plane. Each link rod is fastened to the beam in an articulated manner by at least one first connection point and is configured to be fastened to the engine in an articulated manner by at least one second connection point. The beam is made up of front, intermediate and rear plates. The rear plate is pressed against the front face. The front plate is disposed in front of the rear plate. The intermediate plate is disposed between the front plate and the rear plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Thomas Deforet, Rémi Lansiaux, Olivier Dubois, Anthony Mertes, Jacky Puech
  • Patent number: 11518548
    Abstract: A spacecraft is disclosed, comprising a deployable spacecraft body (110) comprising a plurality of sub-systems (321-324) for controlling operations of the spacecraft, and a plurality of panels (101, 102) and a plurality of hinges (112-115) each connecting adjacent ones of the plurality of panels, the hinges being arranged to permit the plurality of panels to be folded into a stowed configuration and unfolded into a deployed configuration, wherein the plurality of sub-systems are fixed to and supported by one or more of the plurality of panels. By forming the body of the spacecraft from a deployable structure, the overall size of the spacecraft can be significantly reduced in the stowed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Oxford Space Systems Limited
    Inventors: Michael David Lawton, Zhong You, Deborah Fellows
  • Patent number: 11511846
    Abstract: An aircraft has a vertical stabilizer having a multi-spar box and a base rib assembly secured to the multi-spar box. The base rib assembly has a pair of middle longitudinal lugs between a front and rear of the base rib assembly, a pair of front lateral lugs along the front of the base rib assembly, and a pair of rear lateral lugs along the rear of the base rib assembly. There are no lateral lugs between the pairs of middle lugs. A pair of middle clevises extend through corresponding apertures in an outer skin of the fuselage and are secured to one of the plurality of frame members and a plurality of retaining members are inserted through mounting holes in each middle longitudinal lug and mounting holes in each middle clevis to secure the vertical stabilizer to the aircraft fuselage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Joseph H. Campana, William H. Pearson, Charles R. Coates, Kevin P. Ryder, Peter J. Newnham
  • Patent number: 11511865
    Abstract: The disclosure describes a system that includes an auxiliary power unit (APU), an APU throttle valve, and an environmental control system (ECS) bypass valve. The APU is configured to receive cabin discharge air from an aircraft cabin and receive ECS supply air from an air pressurization system (APS). The APU throttle valve is configured to control flow of cabin discharge air from the cabin to the APU. The ECS bypass valve configured to control flow of ECS supply air from the APS to the APU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew Zug
  • Patent number: 11511856
    Abstract: A drone delivery system provides to send or to receive the package conveniently and safely without going out of the building by using the platform installed at the vicinity of the window. The drone delivery system includes the drone having a first docking device, a standard box having a second docking device corresponding to the first docking device and a third docking device and a platform having a fourth docking device corresponding to the third docking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventor: Jeongchoul Park
  • Patent number: 11505301
    Abstract: An improved composite stiffener and methods and tooling used to form the same. The stiffener includes one or more base flanges, a composite rod extending in an axial direction, a bulb cap surrounding the composite rod, and an upright web extending from the one or more base flanges to the base cap. The upright web includes a non-linear profile in the axial direction providing the improved lateral stiffness. The method includes providing tooling including a first compression tool extending in the axial direction and including a first web portion having a non-linear profile, and a second compression tool extending in the axial direction and including a second web portion having a non-linear profile. Plies are placed within the tooling and compressed such that at least a portion of plurality of plies are compressed in the web forming portion thereby forming a web of the bulb stiffener having a non-linear profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Mark Anthony Wadsworth
  • Patent number: 11504641
    Abstract: A lighter-than-air toy drone having at least one balloon that is inflated with a lift gas. The drone has a first conduit progresses along a first axis and a second conduit that progresses along a perpendicular second axis. At least one motorized propeller is provided that can selectively moving air through the first conduit and the second conduit to propel the drone. The motorized propeller can also generate a gyroscopic force that acts to rotate said at least one balloon for directional steering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Brian Zima
  • Patent number: 11505312
    Abstract: A damper assembly includes a housing defining at least one or more cavities. A piston is in operable communication with the housing. A rod end is operatively coupled to the piston, the rod end having at least two cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Anatoly Kogan
  • Patent number: 11503816
    Abstract: Shown and described is a handle for a fish spear, the fish spear comprising a one-piece or multi-piece spear rod and an elastic band as a tensioning element, the spear rod having a spear tip at one end and the elastic band being attachable to the other end of the spear rod to tension the elastic band along the spear rod with a user's hand, wherein the handle is adapted to releasably secure the tensioned elastic band and includes a trigger mechanism for manually releasing the elastic band from the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Boris Vestweber