Aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10730632-B2
Application number	US-201715837139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aircraft comprising a passenger module, and also a method of protecting a passenger on an aircraft. The passenger module is configured to be ejected through a skin of the aircraft in response to an ejection command. The ejection command may be given in response to a fatal condition to the aircraft being detected or manually indicated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a skin surrounding a cabin of the aircraft;
a passenger module positioned within the skin; and
an ejector for ejecting the passenger module through the skin in response to an ejection command issued by a controller;
wherein the passenger module comprises at least one cutting element that penetrates the skin of the aircraft during ejection of the passenger module.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to issue the ejection command in response to a fatal condition to the aircraft being sensed or in response to a manual input.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the passenger module is further hermetically sealable from the cabin in response to a sealing command issued by the controller.

4. The aircraft of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to issue the sealing command in response to a hazardous or fatal condition to the aircraft being sensed or in response to a manual input.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the passenger module further comprises at least one window, wherein, optionally, the at least one window of the passenger module is aligned with a window in the skin of the aircraft.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft further comprises a plurality of passenger modules.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein
the passenger module is hermetically sealable from the cabin in response to a sealing command issued by the controller in response to a hazardous condition to the aircraft being sensed or in response to a manual input.

8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the ejection command is provided in response to a subsequent fatal condition to the aircraft being sensed or a subsequent manual input.

9. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the passenger module further comprises at least one window, wherein, optionally, the at least one window of the passenger module is aligned with a window in the skin of the aircraft.

10. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the aircraft further comprises a plurality of passenger modules.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the cabin further comprises a central aisle and a pair of passenger modules are positioned on opposing sides of the central aisle and are spaced apart thereby.

12. A method of protecting a passenger on an aircraft comprising:
providing a passenger module within a cabin of the aircraft, the passenger module including at least one cutting element; and
ejecting the module through a skin of the aircraft in a fatal condition to the aircraft, wherein ejecting includes penetrating the skin with the at least one cutting element.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fatal condition to the aircraft is sensed or in response to a manual input.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising sealing the passenger module from the cabin in a hazardous condition to the aircraft.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Sapija Dariusz
• Szymański Sebastian

Classifications

• B64D25/08

  Ejecting or escaping means · CPC title

• B64C1/32

  Severable or jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape · CPC title

• B64D25/12 Primary

  Ejectable capsules · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title