Abstract: The invention provides a radiation grill unit (1) comprising (i) a food support unit (100), for instance with bars (110), (ii) a radiation unit (200) comprising a reflector (210) (with reflector opening (223)) hosting an (electrical) IR radiation heater (220), wherein the radiation unit (200) is optionally configured to provide IR radiation (201) in a direction of the food support unit (100), and (iii) a radiation grill unit cavity (3) configured to host a drip tray (300) (with edge (311)).

Abstract: Sealed device for calibrating an altitude measurement device comprising an atmospheric pressure sensor whose movements of deformation are converted, via a transmission system, into a pivoting motion of an activation system that drives the pivoting of an indicator hand, wherein a sensing element bearing on the atmospheric pressure sensor is rigidly fixed to a transmission shaft movable along its longitudinal axis of symmetry, wherein the calibration device includes an air intake that can adjust the pressure inside the calibration device as required, and also includes a first button via which the axial position of the transmission shaft can be adjusted, and a second button via which it is possible to move the atmospheric pressure sensor up or down. The invention also concerns a method for calibrating the altitude measurement device using the sealed calibration device.

Abstract: A method for detecting a failure of at least one sensor onboard an aircraft implementing a baro-inertial loop is provided. The method includes implementing a baro-inertial loop including obtaining a computed vertical speed, then a short-term baro-inertial altitude, based on a double integration of the measured vertical acceleration; and developing at least one intermediate loop parameter based on a deviation between the short-term baro-inertial altitude and the pressure altitude. The method also includes observing at least one failure detection parameter obtained from one of the intermediate parameters of the baro-inertial loop; and determining the presence of a failure on one of the sensors of the aircraft based on the value of the observed failure detection parameter.

Abstract: A physical quantity sensor includes: a substrate that has a diaphragm section that is deformed to be deflected by receiving a pressure; a fixed electrode that is provided in the diaphragm section; and a movable electrode that has a movable section that is away from the fixed electrode and is disposed opposite to the fixed electrode, in which a shape of the diaphragm section in a plan view is a longitudinal shape extended in a predetermined direction, and in which a shape of the fixed electrode in a plan view is a longitudinal shape extending along a predetermined direction.

Abstract: Portable object provided with a mechanism for measuring atmospheric pressure, the atmospheric pressure measuring mechanism including an atmospheric pressure sensor whose geometric dimensions vary with atmospheric pressure fluctuations, the variations in the geometric dimensions of the atmospheric pressure sensor being applied to a device displaying a barometric tendency connected to the atmospheric pressure sensor via a coupling mechanism actuated by a user, the coupling mechanism being capable of being switched between a first position, in which the kinematic connection between the atmospheric pressure sensor and the barometric tendency display device is interrupted, and a second position in which the barometric tendency display device is kinematically coupled to the atmospheric pressure sensor.

Abstract: A method and a device are described for preventing damage to a device as the result of a free fall. First a free fall of the device is identified, and a measure is then taken to protect the device from damage. The free fall is identified by detecting the ambient pressure. The device may have a hard disk in which the write/read head of the hard disk is parked and/or locked when the free fall is identified.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a pressure sensor device for sensing decompression in a compartment, such as an aircraft cockpit, and causing a compartment door to be free to open substantially simultaneously in response to the decompression. The pressure sensor comprises a first pressure port and a second pressure port where both pressure ports are open to the compartment, and the second pressure port has a greater flow restriction than the first pressure port, When the pressure sensor is actuated by a difference in pressure between the first pressure port and the second pressure port caused by decompression in the compartment, the pressure sensor sends a signal either via direct wired in series or to a controller to enable movement of a compartment door in response to the decompression.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a portable barometric altimeter (10) including a pressure sensor (14), a calculation unit (16) which determines an altitude value (H) as a function of the pressure (P) measured by the sensor (14) and as a function of a reference temperature (T0) corresponding to an estimate of the temperature of the air mass at sea level, and a time measuring unit (18) that supplies calendar data (D), characterized in that it includes a correction circuit (32), which selects the reference temperature value (T0) from among a series of values (TS) contained in a database stored in the altimeter (10), as a function of the date (D) and as a function of a predefined climate value (C). The invention also proposes a method of determining altitude (H).

Abstract: A method, an apparatus and a computer program product are provided for accurately determining the vertical speed of an aircraft in a manner independent of signals provided by an air data computer, an inertial reference system and an inertial navigation system. Initially, a first vertical velocity of the aircraft is determined based upon a pressure altitude value associated with the aircraft. A second vertical velocity of the aircraft is also obtained from a GPS receiver carried by the aircraft. The first and second vertical velocities are then combined to determine the vertical speed of the aircraft. In this regard, the first and second vertical velocities are combined by complimentarily filtering the first and second vertical velocities. More particularly, the first vertical velocity is typically low pass filtered to remove high frequency noise that is attributable to the relatively low resolution of the first vertical velocity value.

Abstract: The invention relates to an audible altimeter for use by parachutists. The altimeter comprises a sensor means 6 for sensing ambient air pressure, an electronic processor 5, a sounder device 4 and control buttons 2,3. The electronic processor 5 is programmed to determine the height of the altimeter above ground level and send said signals to said sounder device 4 during the parachutist's descent causing said sounder device 4 to emit a first audible signal at a first predetermined height above ground level and a second audible signal at a second predetermined height.

Abstract: An altimeter system for aircraft employs an aneroid, dash mounted altimeter having a needle coupled to an encoder. The encoder provides a signal indicating that the needle points to a certain altitude. A solid state transducer senses outside pressure and supplies a signal to a signal processor, which instructs a transponder to transmit an ICAA coded altitude signal. When the signal from the encoder is provided to the signal processor, it compares the altitude from the needle position with the altitude that is squawked. If the error exceeds a value stored in the signal processor, a fault is indicated to the pilot and squawked. If the error is within the stored value, an offset is computed from that value and is summed with the needle altitude and the sum is squawked. The squawked altitude is the value between the altimeter reading and the altitude indicated by the transducer.

Abstract: A compact altitude and rate of descent instrument is combined with a visual indication device and attached directly as a self-contained unit to protective eye wear or headgear for the determination of critical altitudes while engaged in freefall skydiving without the need for head or hand movements. Such an instrument reduces potentially fatal lack of altitude awareness due to extraneous factors and allows for more complete concentration on maintaining eye contact with others when performing maneuvers in close proximity such as during freefall formation flying (relative work).

Abstract: Mechanism for an aneroid barometer comprising, in a support 2, a primary lever 4 whose center is in contact with the cell 3, the axis of rotation 40 of this primary lever being located at the periphery of the support, an endless screw 5 equipped with a helicoidal ramp 51 made integral with the lever 4 via a bridge 7, a secondary lever 6 whose axis of rotation 60 rests on the free end 41 of the lever 4, the free end 61 of this lever 6 ending in a point 62 which acts permanently on the helicoidal ramp 51. A single spring 8 bears on the support 2 and keeps both the lever 4 in contact with the cell and the secondary lever on the primary lever.

Abstract: A barometric meter such as barometer or a barometric altimeter comprises a vacuum chamber having a movable portion which displaces in proportion to air pressure. An aperture plate for allowing a light beam to pass therethrough is mounted to the movable portion of the vacuum chamber, and a light source stationary relative to the vacuum chamber is provided for illuminating the aperture plate. A photoelectric position detector disposed on the other side of the light source relative to the aperture plate and stationary to the vacuum chamber is provided for receiving the light beam which passes through the aperture in the aperture plate and for supplying an output indicative of the positional change of the light beam impinging on the photo-electric position detector. The output of the detector may be digitally displayed on a display as either air pressure or altitude.

Abstract: An altimeter device employs a solid state pressure sensor having a strain-sensitive element directly in a silicon diaphragm, which is connected at one side to a closed vacuum chamber. The entire device is very compact and may be in the form of a wristwatch. A display indicates altitude or relative altitude above or below a reference point to the user, and electronics associated with the device provide for accumulation of vertical change in one direction, regardless of intervening changes in the opposite direction. In this way, a skier, hiker or biker, for example, may determine total vertical drop or vertical rise encountered in a selected period, without regard to offset from movements in the opposite direction. At the same time, the user may also determine his altitude at any given point, and in a preferred form the altimeter device includes a clock and a time-averaging feature, for calculating and displaying rate of climb or descent, both instantaneous and average over a selected interval.

Abstract: Each drum (5,6,28) of the counter is carried by a shaft (16,26,35) pivoted on the frame (1,2,3,4,11,12) by a bearing (18,19,27,36) which is autolubricating. Each bearing comprises a cylindrical part (52) in synthetic resin presenting a cylindrical median internal surface (53) intended to receive a pivot of the shaft (16,26,35) and two conical surfaces (54,55) widening from the median cylindrical surface (53) toward the frontal surfaces of this part (52).

Abstract: Parameter sensors and monitors are described incorporating one of a variety of parameter responsive structures constructed and arranged for expansion and contraction causing a component of motion and displacement along at least one direction in response to variations of a selected parameter. A reference mounting supports the parameter responsive structure and either a magnet element or Hall effect transducer is secured relative to the reference mounting or housing in alignment with a selected direction of a component of motion and displacement caused by expansion and contraction of the parameter responsive structure. The other of said magnet element and Hall effect transducer is mounted for relative displacement along said selected direction in response to expansion and contraction of the parameter responsive structure.

Abstract: Aircraft instrument for indicating air pressure, air pressure rate of change and accelerations of the aircraft movement based on the use of an optical laser interferometer. The air pressure is connected to one of several mirrors in the interferometer which causes the interference pattern to move up or down in response to the change in air pressure or acceleration. The interferometer uses a laser beam projected onto an optical detector that senses the motion of the interference pattern and produces a corresponding electrical signal which is connected to a linear motor which in turn is linked to the same mirror but in a negative feed-back arrangement that seeks to restore the position of the interference pattern. The amplifier output is an electrical analog of the atmospheric air pressure. The rate-of-climb is obtained by differentiating the amplifier output. The acceleration is produced by connecting the mirror to a mass.

Abstract: A barometer which includes a vacuum housing, a pivotably supported pointer shaft, a return spring for the pointer shaft and a transmission mechanism, which exhibits a pivotably supported output shaft, which runs perpendicular to the surface of the vacuum housing and whose pivoting is coupled with that of the pointer shaft, and has a helical element, so that the translational movement of the vacuum housing is converted into a pivoting movement of the output shaft by the cooperation between the helical element and the output shaft. The helical element (32) is made integral with the instrument, the output shaft (22) can both pivot and be axially displaced and the output shaft rests with an end portion thereof turned toward the vacuum housing and contacting (4) the vacuum housing and is held in this position by return spring (28). The transmission mechanism exhibits, in the form of the output shaft, only one movable part.

Abstract: A tonometer having a construction whereby thermal expansion or contraction of the material forming the tonometer casing will have substantially no influence upon the precision of measurement of the instrument. The tonometer comprises a casing, a bellows mounted in a bottom portion of the casing, a rod resting on the bellows adapted to be axially shifted as the bellows expands and contracts, a base plate mounted above the bellows in the main portion of the casing, and an amplifying mechanism including a pointer mounted on the base plate in operative association with the rod for swinging the pointer. The base plate includes at least one leg forming an extension thereof which is fixed with respect to the casing so that the leg or legs constitute the sole means by which the base plate is fixedly mounted with respect to the casing. The rod rests on the bellows at a position closely adjacent to a position at which the base plate is fixed with respect to the casing.

Abstract: A pointer instrument movement is disclosed including a chassis of integrally moulded plastic, a pointer shaft rotatably mounted on the chassis, a lifting member, a measured value pickup which converts changes of the measured quantity to a mechanical deflection, a measured value transducer having a rocker connected to said lifting member for converting the mechanical deflection of the measured value pickup into a rotation of the pointer shaft, the rocker being formed integrally with said chassis.

Abstract: A weather forecasting device comprises a pair of contacts disposed a predetermined distance apart from each other and a switch plate disposed between the contacts. The switch plate is movable between the contacts in response to changes in atmospheric pressure and the manner of contact between the switch plate and the two contacts is used to detect the direction and amount of change in atmospheric pressure. On the basis of the results of such detection, probable weather changes are successively forecasted.

Abstract: A terrestrial refractometer comprises a gastight enclosure containing a fixed mass of a gas which at least approximates to an ideal gas, at least a part of the enclosure being movable in response to changes in the volume of the gas in accordance with changes in ambient temperature and pressure; constraining means for constraining said movable part so as to maintain the gas at a constant volume; and sensing means for providing a signal related to the force applied to the movable part by the constraining means.

Abstract: An improved barometer mechanism is described having a simplified mechanical structure with a high degree of sensitivity. The barometer bellows is partially evacuated of air to a pressure about 10 kilopascals below normal atmospheric pressure and connected mechanically to a pressure indicator by a novel compound lever arrangement utilizing a pair of operably interconnected simple levers.

Abstract: The altitude of an aircraft is determined by measuring the output of a pressure transducer on the aircraft because the altitude is defined by the atmospheric pressure at that point. In this altitude measurement, the relationship between the altitude and the atmospheric pressure is nonlinear, and most pressure transducers exhibit some nonlinearity. High accuracy altitude measurement, correcting those nonlinearities, have been disclosed in the prior art utilizing a quasi-exponential function generator (QEFG). A quasi-exponential function is an exponential function with a time constant which varies with time. However, the characteristics of the pressure transducer and QEFG are affected by temperature, and there have been no appropriate means other than the use of a thermostat to maintain the accuracy of measurement when the temperature varies.

Abstract: This invention relates to pressure indicators, and more particularly to an improved pressure indicator whose use is especially advantageous in sensitive pressure altimeters in which high resolution and low friction are important.

Abstract: A barometer of the type having a stabilized membrane capsule includes a transmission mechanism for transmitting the motion of the membrane capsule to a pointer mechanism. The transmission comprises a lever shaft with two lever arms thereon, one coupled to the pivotable drive element of the pointer mechanism and the other having a free end abutting directly on the membrane capsule and having an axis which extends obliquely relative to the plane of the membrane capsule.

Abstract: A barometer having an index on the crystal. The crystal is freely rotatable for setting the index. The barometer case has spring fingers preventing the crystal from being removed therefrom unless the fingers are disengaged by means of a suitable tool.

Abstract: An ambient pressure sensor generates an electrical signal which varies in response to changes in ambient pressure level. The sensor includes a sealed bellows or aneroid which varies in length as the ambient pressure varies. A fluid motor including a piston slidably mounted within the housing carries a tube which extends to a position adjacent one end of the aneroid. The end of the tube defines a valve seat which cooperates with a valve member carried on the end of the aneroid to control communication of atmospheric pressure through the tube and into the power chamber defined between the piston and the end of the housing. The power chamber is connected with a vacuum source, so the atmospheric pressure communicated through the tube varies the pressure level in the power chamber as a function of ambient atmospheric pressure, since the aneroid controls communication through the tube. Consequently, the piston and tube move relative to the housing as the ambient pressure changes.

Abstract: There is provided a pressure measuring apparatus, useful as a barometer, comprising a first variable volume vessel containing a gas, said first vessel being extendable and retractable between a first end and a second end thereof, the pressure to be measured acting on said first vessel, a second variable volume vessel containing a substantially incompressible liquid, said second vessel being extendable and retractable between a first and a second end thereof, a means for indicating the pressure acting on said first vessel, a first member joined to said first end of said first vessel and a second member joined to said second end of said first vessel, said first end of said second vessel being joined to open of said members, said second end of said second vessel or said second vessel being joined to the other of said members, said indicating means communicating with the interior of one of said first vessel, said members being relatively movable toward and away from each other in parallel relationship, whereby a

Abstract: Direction of barometric pressure trend is portrayed by my invention. Changes in barometric pressure are amplified by a linkage member and converted into a signal by trend means to discern an increase or decrease in trend. Motor means receives the signal from trend means and activates display means to show the direction of barometric pressure trend.

Abstract: An auxiliary force-applying mechanism is connected to a counter type altimeter for applying a supplemental force to rotate its counter mechanism at the time a Geneva type mechanism advances a second drum by one indicator position. The force applied to the drum mechanism is approximately equal to the additional force required to advance the second drum through the Geneva mechanism so that a relatively constant load is applied to the altimeter driving mechanism such as an aneroid capsule. In a second embodiment, a constant auxiliary force is applied to the altimeter drum and this relatively constant auxiliary force is relieved during the time that the Geneva mechanism advances a second drum by one drum position so that a relatively constant force is applied to the aneroid capsule.

Abstract: Two embodiments of a device and method are disclosed for providing a correction factor for the velocity of electromagnetic radiation in air. The devices include a pressure-responsive vessel having a predetermined quantity of gas enclosed therein and means for sensing the size of the enclosed volume to provide a measurement of the correction factor. Means are also disclosed for employing a humidity responsive device for moving a scale so that the correction factor is also made responsive to the humidity.

Abstract: An encoding altimeter incorporating a feedback loop for providing visual output to a pilot of instantaneous barometric altitude and electrical signals which may be used for navigation or collision avoidance.