Patents by Inventor Bruno Thoraval

Bruno Thoraval 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: 11905024
    Abstract: An electric propulsion architecture for a multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes four electric generators; and four pairs of rotors. For each rotor, a first electric motor is configured to operate in an active mode, and a second electric motor is configured to be in a standby mode and being able to operate in an active mode in a breakdown situation. A propeller is coupled to the electric motors, wherein, for each pair of rotors, one of the electric generators powers the first electric motors, and another of the electric generators powers the second electric motors. The rotors form counter-rotors and for each counter-rotor, the electric motors are each powered by one of the four electric generators so that the four electric generators power the electric motors of the rotors of each counter-rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN
    Inventors: Clélia Level, Christophe Maury, René Meunier, Bruno Thoraval
  • Publication number: 20220274711
    Abstract: An electric propulsion architecture for a multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes four electric generators; and four pairs of rotors. For each rotor, a first electric motor is configured to operate in an active mode, and a second electric motor is configured to be in a standby mode and being able to operate in an active mode in a breakdown situation. A propeller is coupled to the electric motors, wherein, for each pair of rotors, one of the electric generators powers the first electric motors, and another of the electric generators powers the second electric motors. The rotors form counter-rotors, and for each counter-rotor, the electric motors are each powered by one of the four electric generators so that the four electric generators power the electric motors of the rotors of each counter-rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: SAFRAN
    Inventors: Clélia LEVEL, Christophe MAURY, René MEUNIER, Bruno THORAVAL
  • Patent number: 11014653
    Abstract: A method for securing an aircraft landing gear wheel drive actuator in an open position of the wheel, the drive actuator being movably mounted on the landing gear between said open position in which it is remote from the wheel and an engaged position in which it cooperates with the wheel to ensure its rotational drive, a displacement actuator being coupled to the drive actuator to move same between the two positions, and a locking member being provided to lock the drive actuator in the open position. The method includes holding the controlled displacement actuator to move the drive actuator to the open position, while the drive actuator is locked in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN LANDING SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Liegeois, Bruno Thoraval
  • Patent number: 10858112
    Abstract: An aircraft turboprop engine has at least a low-pressure body and a high-pressure body. The low-pressure body drives a propeller by a gearbox. The turboprop engine also includes means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, wherein the means for supplying air has at least one compressor of which the rotor is coupled to the low-pressure body. The compressor has an air inlet connected to means for bleeding air from an air inlet duct of the turboprop engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignees: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN, SAFRAN POWER UNITS
    Inventors: Nicolas Claude Parmentier, Pierre Froment, Jean-François Rideau, Bruno Thoraval
  • Patent number: 10703487
    Abstract: An aircraft turboprop engine includes at least a low-pressure body and a high-pressure body. The low-pressure body drives a propeller by means of a gearbox. The turboprop engine also includes means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, wherein the supply means has at least one compressor borne by the gearbox and of which the rotor is coupled to the low-pressure body by means of the gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignees: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN, SAFRAN POWER UNITS
    Inventors: Nicolas Claude Parmentier, Pierre Froment, Jean-François Rideau, Bruno Thoraval
  • Publication number: 20200148339
    Abstract: A method for securing an aircraft landing gear wheel drive actuator in an open position of the wheel, the drive actuator being movably mounted on the landing gear between said open position in which it is remote from the wheel and an engaged position in which it cooperates with the wheel to ensure its rotational drive, a displacement actuator being coupled to the drive actuator to move same between the two positions, and a locking member being provided to lock the drive actuator in the open position. The method includes holding the controlled displacement actuator to move the drive actuator to the open position, while the drive actuator is locked in the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: SAFRAN LANDING SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Liegeois, Bruno Thoraval
  • Patent number: 10329023
    Abstract: An aircraft turboprop engine (310) including at least a low-pressure body (12) and a high-pressure body (14), possibly also an intermediate-pressure body. At least one of the bodies includes a compressor. The low-pressure body drives a first gearbox (16) The turboprop engine also includes at least one load compressor (60) for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin. A rotor (61) of the load compressor is coupled to the low-pressure body. The load compressor (60) includes an air inlet (62) connected to a conduit (72) to bleed air from the compressor of the turboprop engine when all of the aforementioned bodies include only a single compressor, or from the compressor of the low-pressure body or the compressor of the intermediate-pressure body of the turboprop engine when all of the bodies include at least two compressors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignees: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN, SAFRAN POWER UNITS
    Inventors: Nicolas Claude Parmentier, Pierre Froment, Jean-Francois Rideau, Bruno Thoraval
  • Publication number: 20170008633
    Abstract: An aircraft turboprop engine includes at least a low-pressure body and a high-pressure body. The low-pressure body drives a propeller by means of a gearbox. The turboprop engine also includes means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, wherein the supply means has at least one compressor borne by the gearbox and of which the rotor is coupled to the low-pressure body by means of the gearbox.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicants: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN, SAFRAN POWER UNITS
    Inventors: Nicolas Claude Parmentier, Pierre Froment, Jean-François Rideau, Bruno Thoraval
  • Publication number: 20160347457
    Abstract: An aircraft turboprop engine has at least a low-pressure body and a high-pressure body. The low-pressure body drives a propeller by means of a first gearbox. The turboprop engine also includes means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, wherein said supply means has at least one compressor of which the rotor is coupled to the low-pressure body. The compressor has an air inlet connected to means for bleeding air from an air inlet duct of the turboprop engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicants: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN, SAFRAN POWER UNITS
    Inventors: Nicolas Claude Paramentier, Pierre Froment, Jean-François Rideau, Bruno Thoraval
  • Publication number: 20160332736
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft turboprop engine (310) comprising at least a low-pressure body (12) and a high-pressure body (14), possibly also an intermediate-pressure body, at least one of said bodies comprising a compressor, the low-pressure body driving a propeller by means of a first gearbox (16), the turboprop engine also comprising means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, characterised in that said supply means comprise at least one compressor (60) of which the rotor (61) is coupled to the low-pressure body, said load compressor (60) including an air inlet (62) connected to means (72) for bleeding air from the compressor of the turboprop engine when all of the aforementioned bodies comprise only a single compressor, or from the compressor of the low-pressure body or the compressor of the intermediate-pressure body of the turboprop engine when all of the bodies comprise at least two compressors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicants: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN, SAFRAN POWER UNITS
    Inventors: Nicolas Claude PARMENTIER, Pierre FROMENT, Jean-Francois RIDEAU, Bruno THORAVAL
  • Patent number: 5600220
    Abstract: A servo-control system for actuating an aircraft flight control member, the system including at least one hydraulic actuator together with actuation means for actuating said actuator, said hydraulic actuator being duplicated, said actuation means including first and second actuation assemblies each comprising two hydraulic circuits each controlled by a respective mechanically-controlled distributor valve, the two distributor valves of the same actuation assembly being actuated by common mechanical elements caused to move by motor means, the actuation means including control means controlling said motor means as a function of the position of the flight control member and of piloting orders received by the control means, detection means for detecting failures, and a selector valve which controls switching of the actuation assemblies between an active state and a reserve state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: Lucas France
    Inventors: Bruno Thoraval, Jean-Luc Bertrand