Patents by Inventor Andrew R. Hansen

Andrew R. Hansen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9580038
    Abstract: A turret airbag system is provided including a plurality of airbags disposed within the turret to protect an occupant of the turret from injury and/or ejection from the turret. Turret airbags may be configured in padding around a turret access opening, and/or as substantially cylindrical airbags that deploy between the occupant of the turret and a wall or exterior opening of the turret. In some examples, the turret airbag(s) may be integrated with a countermeasure system that deploys explosion countermeasures and activates the turret airbags based on sensor data and multiple thresholds that indicate a collision event, a rollover event and/or an explosion event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Tencate Advanced Armor Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A. Palmer, Andrew R. Hansen, Josef S. Dobriski
  • Patent number: 9487301
    Abstract: An external airbag for an aircraft includes an inflatable bladder having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being generally adjacent to an exterior of the aircraft. A widthwise panel divides the inflatable bladder into a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion. The widthwise panel acts to restrict outward bulging of the inflatable bladder. An aperture in the widthwise panel may be used for allowing gas communication between the first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew T. Hill, Zi Lu, Robert S. Lynds, Andrew R. Hansen
  • Publication number: 20160001731
    Abstract: A turret airbag system is provided including a plurality of airbags disposed within the turret to protect an occupant of the turret from injury and/or ejection from the turret. Turret airbags may be configured in padding around a turret access opening, and/or as substantially cylindrical airbags that deploy between the occupant of the turret and a wall or exterior opening of the turret. In some examples, the turret airbag(s) may be integrated with a countermeasure system that deploys explosion countermeasures and activates the turret airbags based on sensor data and multiple thresholds that indicate a collision event, a rollover event and/or an explosion event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Paul A. Palmer, Andrew R. Hansen, Josef S. Dobriski
  • Patent number: 9109860
    Abstract: An explosion countermeasure system is provided including a first sensor device with a plurality of accelerometers configured to detect vertical acceleration of a vehicle; a countermeasure; a safe and arming device configured to impede activation of the countermeasure; and a processor in communication with the first sensor device and the safe and arming device. The processor may be configured to process acceleration signals received from the first sensor device and to make ready the safe and arming device and initiate the countermeasure based on results of processing the acceleration signals. Making ready the safe and arming device may be based on an initial acceleration exceeding a first threshold, and initiating the countermeasure may be based on the initial acceleration exceeding a second threshold and a velocity change exceeding a third threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Tencate Advanced Armor USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Wayne Welker, Marc David Taylor, Andrew R. Hansen, Joergen Leif Svane, Steven Renick
  • Publication number: 20140214281
    Abstract: An explosion countermeasure system is provided including a first sensor device with a plurality of accelerometers configured to detect vertical acceleration of a vehicle; a countermeasure; a safe and arming device configured to impede activation of the countermeasure; and a processor in communication with the first sensor device and the safe and arming device. The processor may be configured to process acceleration signals received from the first sensor device and to make ready the safe and arming device and initiate the countermeasure based on results of processing the acceleration signals. Making ready the safe and arming device may be based on an initial acceleration exceeding a first threshold, and initiating the countermeasure may be based on the initial acceleration exceeding a second threshold and a velocity change exceeding a third threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: TenCate Advanced Armour USA, INC.
    Inventors: Victor Wayne Welker, Marc David Taylor, Andrew R. Hansen, Joergen Leif Svane, Steven Renick
  • Publication number: 20130062465
    Abstract: An external airbag for an aircraft includes an inflatable bladder having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being generally adjacent to an exterior of the aircraft. A widthwise panel divides the inflatable bladder into a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion. The widthwise panel acts to restrict outward bulging of the inflatable bladder. An aperture in the widthwise panel may be used for allowing gas communication between the first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: Andrew T. Hill, Zi Lu, Robert S. Lynds, Andrew R. Hansen