United Technologies Corporation

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Bruce Fredric Kay

Darryl Mark Toni

Edward Joseph Fabian

Kenneth M Furnes

William A Townsend

Alan Lee Dobyns

Joaquin Terceno

Bruce Henry Barr

William Townsend

An airframe includes an energy absorbing structure with a frame, a beam mounted to the frame at a rotational joint and a collapsible member. In response to reaching a predetermined threshold load value during a high sink rate impact event, the collapsible member will collapse under an aft section of the upper deck. The rotational joint operates as a virtual hinge such that a forward section of the upper deck deforms in a predictable manner. As the upper deck supports the high mass systems, the high mass components are less likely to separate from their mounting and penetrate into the crew compartment and the main rotor system will tilt aft away from the crew compartment to minimize the likelihood that the rotor blades may penetrate the crew compartment.

Energy absorbing airframe for a vertical lift vehicle

A pressure tolerant composite panel has an inner fiber reinforced layer, an outer fiber reinforced layer and an core disposed therebetween. In one embodiment of the invention, the inner layer has weakening structures incorporated at the peripheral edges thereof, and has an outer layer of a different and lower modulus of elasticity than the inner layer to provide some degree of elongation. When high internal forces are encountered, the weakening structures allow the inner layer to separate, with the outer layers stretching to absorb the forces without failure. Optionally, strengthening straps are position about the panel such that it is compartmentalized into discrete sections to contain damage in localized areas. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the inner core is produced of a crushable material which has a yield strength sufficient to provide structural support under normal operating conditions. When a high pressure is encountered which exceeds the yield limit, the core is crushed to prevent force transmission to the outer layer. Such a composite panel assures survivability of the panel when subject to impact damage.

Pressure tolerant fuel tank panels

A container for a fuel tank having an access opening is provided with a closure which fits within a channel in the container to cover the access opening. An elongated bolt has a collapsible cylinder located between the bolt head and the top of the closure to hold the closure to the container. The cylinder is located about the shank of the bolt, and is collapsible above a selected threshold pressure. Under normal bolting conditions, the cylinder is rigid to provide sufficient force to maintain the closure against the tank. Should an abnormal pressure develop within the tank, the closure moves axially along the shank of the elongated bolt, crushing the cylinder and providing additional tank volume to absorb the increased fluid pressure. This reduces the likelihood of catastrophic failure of the closure and also reduces pressure stress on the other tank structures.

Pressure resistant fuel tank closure

Aircraft composite components having foam cores comprising at least two foam sheets joined with a sheet of honeycomb to form a foam-honeycomb-foam sandwich. The layers of sheet foam are in contact with each other and the honeycomb cells extend a substantially equal depth into and generally perpendicular to the sheet foam layers. The composite component has increased shear strength. The aircraft composite component can be made by aligning a layer of honeycomb between and generally perpendicular to two layers of sheet foam. A compressive force is applied generally perpendicular to at least one layer of sheet foam so that the honeycomb cells penetrate each of the two layers of sheet foam to a substantially equal depth so that the layers of foam contact each other to form a foam-honeycomb-foam sandwich. The foam core is surrounded by resin impregnated fibers and cured.

Growing community of inventors

Milford, CT, United States of America

Bruce Fredric Kay