Aircraft provided with a buoyancy system, and a buoyancy method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11584518-B2
Application number	US-202117174388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A buoyancy method for deploying a plurality of floats of a buoyancy system of an aircraft. The plurality of floats comprises a plurality of main floats and a plurality of secondary floats that are folded in flight. The method comprises a step of deploying the main floats in flight prior to ditching, and a step of deploying the secondary floats after ditching.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A buoyancy method for deploying a plurality of floats of a buoyancy system of an aircraft, wherein the plurality of floats comprises a plurality of main floats and a plurality of secondary floats, the main floats and the secondary floats folded in flight for deploying outside an airframe of the aircraft in order to stabilize the aircraft on a liquid surface, the method comprising the following steps:
fully inflating the main floats in flight prior to the aircraft reaching the liquid surface and prior to ditching; and
inflating the secondary floats after ditching without deflating the main floats and maintaining the main floats fully inflated.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a step of pairing the floats, the plurality of floats comprising at least one pair of main floats and at least one pair of secondary floats, each of the at least one pair of main floats comprising two main floats arranged transversely on either side of the airframe, and each of the at least one pair of secondary floats comprising two secondary floats arranged transversely on either side of the airframe.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a step of forming a plurality of float units, each float unit comprising a single main float and a single secondary float arranged side by side, each main float of a float unit arranged transversely between the secondary float of the float unit and the airframe.

4. A buoyancy method of an aircraft to stabilize the aircraft for landing on a liquid surface, the method comprising:
inflating at least one main float to a fully inflated configuration in flight prior to the aircraft reaching a liquid surface; and
inflating at least one secondary float after reaching the liquid surface while maintaining the main float in the fully inflated configuration.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising storing the main floats and the secondary floats folded in flight prior to inflating.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one main float comprises a plurality of main floats and the at least one secondary float comprises a plurality of secondary floats.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of main floats comprises a pair of main floats arranged transversely on either side of the aircraft, and the plurality of secondary floats comprises at least one pair of secondary floats arranged transversely on either side of the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein each main float is arranged transversely between the secondary float and the aircraft.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the main floats and secondary floats are arranged symmetrically on either side of the aircraft.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein each main float is connected to the aircraft by at least one main cord.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein each secondary float is connected to the aircraft by at least one secondary cord.

12. The method of claim 4 , wherein the secondary float and a main float have a partition in common.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the secondary float is stitched and/or adhesively bonded to the main float.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one main inflater is in fluid flow communication with only the at least one main float to inflate only the at least one main float, and at least one secondary inflater is in fluid flow communication with only the secondary float in order to inflate only the secondary float.

15. The buoyancy method of claim 4 , wherein the buoyancy system has an inflator and a valve disposed between the main float and the secondary float, the method comprising:
controlling the inflator to inflate only the main float in flight; and
controlling the valve to inflate the secondary float through the main floats.

16. A buoyancy system for an aircraft comprising:
a plurality of floats comprising at least one pair of main floats and at least one pair of secondary floats;
a deployment system for deploying each float of the plurality of floats outside the aircraft, the deployment system configured to:
inflate at least one main float to a fully inflated configuration in flight prior to the aircraft reaching a liquid surface; and
inflate at least one secondary float after reaching the liquid surface while maintaining the main float in the fully inflated configuration.

17. The buoyancy system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of floats forms at least a pair of float units arranged transversely on either side of the aircraft, each float unit having a main float arranged transversely between the secondary float of the float unit and the aircraft.

18. The buoyancy system of claim 16 , further comprising deployment system having at least one main inflator in fluid flow communication with only the main floats to inflate only the main floats, and at least one secondary inflator distinct from the at least one main inflator and in fluid flow communication with only at the secondary floats to inflate only the secondary floats.

19. The buoyancy system of claim 18 , further comprising a valve disposed between the main floats and the secondary floats, wherein the deployment system comprises a processor unit and at least one inflator, the inflator in fluid flow communication with the main floats to inflate only the main floats in flight, and the processor controls the valve to inflate the secondary floats through the main floats.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Delorme Louis
• Prud'Homme Lacroix Pierre

Classifications

• B64C25/54 Primary

  Floats · CPC title

• B64C2025/325

  specially adapted for helicopters · CPC title

• G05D7/0629

  characterised by the type of regulator means · CPC title

• B64C27/04

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B64C25/56 Primary

  inflatable · CPC title