Patents by Inventor Rainer Dittmann

Rainer Dittmann 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).

  • Linked ring petal actuation for variable area fan nozzle
    Patent number: 9091230
    Abstract: A variable area fan nozzles comprising an array of rigid petals hinged to a lip area at the downstream end of a thrust reverser sleeve (or half-sleeve). In one embodiment, the actuation system comprises a rotatable ring segment, a drive system for rotating the ring segment, a plurality of cams attached or integrally formed with the ring segment, a plurality of cam followers, and a plurality of petal linkages which operatively couple the petals to the cam followers. This actuation system controls the deflection of the petals, thereby controlling the amount of opening and the rate at which the fan nozzle throat area changes. Each cam may have forward- and rearward-facing camming surfaces that interact with the cam followers to force the petals to pivot outward or inward respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Rainer Dittmann, Reid A. McCracken
  • Linked Ring Petal Actuation for Variable Area Fan Nozzle
    Publication number: 20130306755
    Abstract: A variable area fan nozzles comprising an array of rigid petals hinged to a lip area at the downstream end of a thrust reverser sleeve (or half-sleeve). In one embodiment, the actuation system comprises a rotatable ring segment, a drive system for rotating the ring segment, a plurality of cams attached or integrally formed with the ring segment, a plurality of cam followers, and a plurality of petal linkages which operatively couple the petals to the cam followers. This actuation system controls the deflection of the petals, thereby controlling the amount of opening and the rate at which the fan nozzle throat area changes. Each cam may have forward- and rearward-facing camming surfaces that interact with the cam followers to force the petals to pivot outward or inward respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Rainer Dittmann, Reid A. McCracken
  • APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING A POINT REPRESENTATION OF A STRUCTURE
    Publication number: 20090089019
    Abstract: A computer-performed method of modeling a physical structure. A plurality of geometric parameters specific to a type of the structure are applied to aerodynamic surface data in accordance with rules predefined for the structure type to geometrically describe a plurality of structural features. Based on the geometric describing, a plurality of points representing the structure are obtained. The points are used to model the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Rainer Dittmann, Scott D. Hartshorn, Donald Thomas Powell, Dean Parham