Patents by Inventor Dino L. Roman

Dino L. Roman 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: 11772771
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle configuration to reduce drag in a fluid stream. The vehicle configuration has a vehicle body. The vehicle configuration further has at least one auxiliary body coupled to, and positioned a distance from, the vehicle body, to form a channel between the at least one auxiliary body and the vehicle body. The vehicle configuration further has one or more exterior profiles of one or more of, the vehicle body and the at least one auxiliary body. The one or more exterior profiles are positioned in proximity to the channel, and are shaped with an aerodynamic shaping, so that the one or more exterior profiles each comprises one or more concave shape portions. When a fluid flow from the fluid stream flows through the channel, the drag resulting from fluid flow interactions between the vehicle body and the at least one auxiliary body is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David S. Lazzara, Dino L. Roman
  • Publication number: 20230264801
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle configuration to reduce drag in a fluid stream. The vehicle configuration has a vehicle body. The vehicle configuration further has at least one auxiliary body coupled to, and positioned a distance from, the vehicle body, to form a channel between the at least one auxiliary body and the vehicle body. The vehicle configuration further has one or more exterior profiles of one or more of, the vehicle body and the at least one auxiliary body. The one or more exterior profiles are positioned in proximity to the channel, and are shaped with an aerodynamic shaping, so that the one or more exterior profiles each comprises one or more concave shape portions. When a fluid flow from the fluid stream flows through the channel, the drag resulting from fluid flow interactions between the vehicle body and the at least one auxiliary body is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: David S. Lazzara, Dino L. Roman
  • Patent number: 10954805
    Abstract: There is provided a turbofan engine for an aircraft. The turbofan engine has a core with a fan cowl and a variable pitch fan (VPF) configured to only rotate in a first rotation direction. The VPF has a plurality of fan blades each configured to over-pitch to an over-pitch position relative to a feathered position. The turbofan engine has outer guide vanes (OGVs) axially disposed downstream of the VPF, and has a rotation control device to prevent the VPF from rotating in a second rotation direction opposite the first rotation direction, during an engine out (EO) condition of the turbofan engine. When the VPF is prevented from rotating during the EO condition, the fan blades are over-pitched to the over-pitch position relative to the feathered position, to achieve no or minimal air flow separation about the OGVs, and to reduce drag of the turbofan engine during the EO condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John C. Vassberg, Mark Dehaan, Dino L. Roman
  • Publication number: 20200003063
    Abstract: There is provided a turbofan engine for an aircraft. The turbofan engine has a core with a fan cowl and a variable pitch fan (VPF) configured to only rotate in a first rotation direction. The VPF has a plurality of fan blades each configured to over-pitch to an over-pitch position relative to a feathered position. The turbofan engine has outer guide vanes (OGVs) axially disposed downstream of the VPF, and has a rotation control device to prevent the VPF from rotating in a second rotation direction opposite the first rotation direction, during an engine out (EO) condition of the turbofan engine. When the VPF is prevented from rotating during the EO condition, the fan blades are over-pitched to the over-pitch position relative to the feathered position, to achieve no or minimal air flow separation about the OGVs, and to reduce drag of the turbofan engine during the EO condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: John C. Vassberg, Mark Dehaan, Dino L. Roman
  • Publication number: 20170203830
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing includes an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing. The lower winglet has a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet is configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading. The lower winglet is configured to aeroelastically deflect upwardly under the approximate 1-g flight loading and further increase the effective span of the wing beyond the effective span increase that is caused by the upward deflection of the wing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Patent number: 9637226
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing includes an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing. The lower winglet has a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet is configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading. The lower winglet is configured to aeroelastically deflect upwardly under the approximate 1-g flight loading and further increase the effective span of the wing beyond the effective span increase that is caused by the upward deflection of the wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Publication number: 20170015406
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing includes an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing. The lower winglet has a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet is configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading. The lower winglet is configured to aeroelastically deflect upwardly under the approximate 1-g flight loading and further increase the effective span of the wing beyond the effective span increase that is caused by the upward deflection of the wing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Patent number: 9463871
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing includes an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing. The lower winglet has a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may be substantially straight in the static position. The lower winglet is configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Publication number: 20160229528
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing includes an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing. The lower winglet has a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may be substantially straight in the static position. The lower winglet is configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Patent number: 9346537
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing may include an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing tip. The upper winglet root chord and the lower winglet root chord may each have a length of no greater than 100 percent of the wing tip chord. The lower winglet may have a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may be configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Publication number: 20160068259
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing may include an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing tip. The upper winglet root chord and the lower winglet root chord may each have a length of no greater than 100 percent of the wing tip chord. The lower winglet may have a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may be configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Publication number: 20160009380
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing may include an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing tip. The lower winglet may have a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may be configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may have a length of approximately 50-80 percent of a length of the upper winglet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Patent number: 9216817
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing may include an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing tip. The lower winglet may have a static position when the wing is subject to an on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may be configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move upwardly and outwardly from the static position to an in-flight position resulting in an effective span increase of the wing under the approximate 1-g flight loading relative to the span of the wing under the on-ground static loading. The lower winglet may have a length of approximately 50-80 percent of a length of the upper winglet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Patent number: 8936219
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing may include an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing tip. The lower winglet may have a static position when the wing is subject to a ground static loading. The lower winglet may be configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move from the static position to an in-flight position and resulting in a relative span increase of the wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Publication number: 20130256460
    Abstract: A winglet system for an aircraft wing may include an upper winglet and a lower winglet mounted to a wing tip. The lower winglet may have a static position when the wing is subject to a ground static loading. The lower winglet may be configured such that upward deflection of the wing under an approximate 1-g flight loading causes the lower winglet to move from the static position to an in-flight position and resulting in a relative span increase of the wing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter
  • Patent number: D924119
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter