Aircraft escape system and ejection seat sequencer for ejection systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548649-B2
Application number	US-202017125494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An article of manufacture may include a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for controlling deployment of aircraft escape and ejection seat subsystems. The instructions, in response to execution by a sequencer, cause the sequencer to perform operations, which may comprise receiving, by the sequencer, a power input; sending, by the sequencer, a first deploy signal to a first aircraft escape subsystem; and sending, by the sequencer, a second deploy signal to a first ejection seat subsystem.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for controlling deployment of aircraft escape and ejection seat subsystems and that, in response to execution by a sequencer, cause the sequencer to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the sequencer, a power input, the power input provided from a power source that is activated in response to actuation of a handle;
sending, by the sequencer, a first deploy signal to a first aircraft escape subsystem; and
sending, by the sequencer, a second deploy signal to a first ejection seat subsystem.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft escape subsystem comprises at least one of a canopy removal system or a seat catapult system.

3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the first ejection seat subsystem comprises at least one of a drogue parachute assembly, a main parachute assembly, a restraint release assembly, or an inertia reel assembly.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise sending, by the sequencer, a third deploy signal to a second aircraft escape subsystem, wherein the first aircraft escape subsystem comprises a canopy removal system and the second aircraft escape subsystem comprises a seat catapult system.

5. The article of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, by the sequencer, a first electrical connector is disconnected from a second electrical connector, wherein the first electrical connector is electrically coupled to the canopy removal system and the second electrical connector is electrically coupled to the sequencer; and
sending, by the sequencer, the third deploy signal in response to determining the first electrical connector is disconnected from the second electrical connector.

6. The article of claim 4 , wherein the sequencer is configured to send the third deploy signal to the seat catapult system a predetermined time delay after sending the first deploy signal to the canopy removal system.

7. The article of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise sending, by the sequencer, a fourth deploy signal to a second ejection seat subsystem after sending the second deploy signal, wherein the sequencer is configured to send the second deploy signal after sending the third deploy signal and determining.

8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the handle is actuated in response to initiation of an ejection sequence.

9. An ejection system, comprising:
a sequencer;
a canopy removal system in communication with the sequencer;
a power source electrically coupled to the sequencer;
a handle coupled to the power source, the power source being activated to provide a power input to the sequencer in response to actuation of the handle;
a seat catapult system in communication with the sequencer;
a first ejection seat subsystem in communication with the sequencer; and
a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the sequencer, cause the sequencer to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the sequencer, the power input from the power source;
sending, by the sequencer, a first deploy signal to the canopy removal system;
sending, by the sequencer, a second deploy signal to the seat catapult system; and
sending, by the sequencer, a third deploy signal to the first ejection seat subsystem.

10. The ejection system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first wire bundle electrically coupled to the canopy removal system; and
a second wire bundle electrically coupled to the sequencer.

11. The ejection system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, by the sequencer, a first electrical connector of the first wire bundle is disconnected from a second electrical connector of the second wire bundle; and sending, by the sequencer, the second deploy signal in response to determining the first electrical connector is disconnected from the second electrical connector.

12. The ejection system of claim 9 , further comprising a test port electrically coupled to the sequencer.

13. The ejection system of claim 12 , wherein the sequencer is configured to send the second deploy signal a preset time delay after sending the first deploy signal to the canopy removal system.

14. The ejection system of claim 9 , further comprising an ejection seat, wherein the sequencer, the power source, and the first ejection seat subsystem are located on the ejection seat, and wherein the first ejection seat subsystem comprises at least one of a drogue parachute assembly, a main parachute assembly, a restraint release assembly, or an inertia reel assembly.

15. An ejection seat, comprising:
a power source;
a sequencer electrically coupled to the power source;
a first ejection seat subsystem in communication with the sequencer; and
a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the sequencer, cause the sequencer to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the sequencer, a power input from the power source;
sending, by the sequencer, a first deploy signal to a canopy removal system;
sending, by the sequencer, a second deploy signal to an ejection seat catapult; and
sending, by the sequencer, a third deploy signal to the first ejection seat subsystem.

16. The ejection seat of claim 15 , further comprising a test port electrically coupled to the sequencer.

17. The ejection seat of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, by the sequencer, a first electrical connector is disconnected from a second electrical connector, wherein the first electrical connector is electrically coupled to the canopy removal system and the second electrical connector is electrically coupled to the sequencer; and
sending, by the sequencer, the second deploy signal in response to determining the first electrical connector is disconnect from the second electrical connector.

18. The ejection seat of claim 15 , wherein the sequencer is configured to send the second deploy signal a predetermined time delay after sending the first deploy signal.

19. The ejection seat of claim 15 , further comprising a handle operably coupled to the power source, wherein the power source is configured to output the power input to the sequencer in response to actuation of the handle.

20. The ejection seat of claim 15 , wherein the first ejection seat subsystem comprises at least one of a drogue parachute assembly, a main parachute assembly, a restraint release assembly, or an inertia reel assembly.

Assignees

• Ami Ind Inc

Inventors

• Hampton John

Classifications

• B64C1/32

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

• B64D25/10 Primary

  Ejector seats · CPC title

• B64C1/1476

  Canopies; Windscreens or similar transparent elements · CPC title