B/e Aerospace, Inc.

The Boeing Company

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Justin C Christenson

Jefferey M McKee

Travis J Vaninetti

Shawn A Claflin

Herbert Louis Hoffman

Juhn-Shyue Lin

Gary R Chewning

Graydon E Loar

Justin David Kearns

Charles F Forster

Alan Edgar Landmann

Hugh Poling

Adrian Viisoreanu

Jason Alexander Gordon

Balamurugan R Annamalai

Jason A Gordon

Jeffrey M Mckee

Lin Juhn-Shyue

A self-deploying counter for an aircraft monument is disclosed. In embodiments, the monument is installable adjacent to a cabin space within an aircraft passenger cabin (e.g., on either side of an exit door) and the self-deploying counter includes a partition door capable of being pivoted between a default closed position and an open position extending into the cabin space. The self-deploying counter has a horizontal top surface and an undersurface. When the partition door is deployed, the counter pivots in concert with the door's deployment, the fully deployed position corresponding to the open position of the partition door.

Self-deploying counter for multimode transformable monuments

A dynamic load damping apparatus is employed in a hydraulic steering system control circuit of an aircraft. The dynamic load damping apparatus is positioned in the hydraulic steering system control circuit in parallel with a control valve of the control circuit that functions as the hydraulic fluid source of the control circuit and an actuator that controls movements of a nose gear of the aircraft. The dynamic load damping apparatus dampens loads transmitted to the hydraulic actuator that controls the steering movements of the nose gear on the aircraft.

Dynamic load damping apparatus

A slim aircraft monument is installable in an aircraft cabin adjacent to an aisle and has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a middle portion between the upper and lower portions. The monument includes a storage compartment accessible from a first side and a door on an adjacent side, the door deployable into the adjacent aisle or cabin space to reveal folding interconnected panels also deployable into the cabin space. The interconnected panels unfold into a horizontal workspace and, beneath the workspace, a series of vertically stacked storage bays capable of accommodating storage drawers and a cart bay configured for temporary accommodation of a half-size galley cart.

Slim aircraft monument with deployable workstation

A slim aircraft monument includes a structure installable in an aircraft passenger cabin adjacent to a cabin space (e.g., in front of an otherwise unused exit door). The slim monument has an overall width of not more than four to six inches. The slim monument includes a side door with an external handle, the door deployable into the cabin space to reveal a group of nested interconnected panels within. The nested panels are similarly deployable into the cabin space to form a substantially horizontal work surface and, underneath the work surface, vertically stacked bays providing temporary storage for storage drawers and a cart space adjacent to the storage drawers, the cart space capable of accommodating a half-size galley cart.

In a preferred embodiment, a telescoping panel door for an aircraft compartment includes a first panel configured for hinged connection to a surface of a door frame, a second panel, and a linkage fixing a distance that the second panel can extend from the door frame, where the second panel is configured for connection to the door frame via the linkage. The door operates such that, in a closed position, the second panel is extended from an interior of the first panel, the first and second panels cooperate to completely cover an opening defined by the door frame, and the linkage is generally parallel to the plane defined by the door frame. In an open position, the second panel is retracted into the interior of the first panel by operation of the linkage and the first and second panels are nested to reduce a distanced spanned by the panels.

Telescoping aircraft panel door

A valve assembly for mixing water from hot and cold water sources to obtain water at a resulting intermediate temperature that is suitable for hand washing or the like, including: a housing defining an internal fluid flow channel in fluid communication with a hot water inlet port that selectively supplies a hot water flow to the internal fluid flow channel and a cold water inlet port that selectively supplies a cold water flow to the internal fluid flow channel; and a valve member disposed within the internal fluid flow channel operable for simultaneously partially or wholly obstructing the hot water flow from the hot water inlet port to the internal fluid flow channel and the cold water flow from the cold water inlet port to the internal fluid flow channel such that each contributes a predetermined proportional water flow to the internal fluid flow channel.

Shuttle valve temperature control assembly

A flexible hinge assembly for aircraft interior components and the like, including: a first structural component, wherein the first structural component includes a core material and one or more skin layers coupled to the core material; a second structural component, wherein the second structural component includes a core material and one or more skin layers coupled to the core material; wherein the one or more skin layers of the first structural component and the one or more skin layers of the second structural component are one or more of coupled together and integrally formed; and a flexure disposed between the first structural component and the second structural component, wherein the flexure is formed by the coupled together and/or integrally formed skin layers.

Flexible hinge assembly for aircraft interior components and the like

A telescoping aircraft door is disclosed having first and second panels that slide relative to one another to extend and retract as the door closes and opens, respectively. The first panel is hinged to the door frame in a traditional manner, and the second panel is fixed to the door frame by a linkage that limits the arc of the second panel. By selecting the location and length of the linkage, the relative movement of the two panels can be predictably controlled to reduce the depth of the door when closed and the length of the door when opened.

Vibration-damping blankets are attached to the back surfaces of fairing panels of a flight vehicle (e.g., an aircraft or spacecraft) to reduce vibration, fatigue, structure and airborne transmitted energy, and cabin noise. In one case, the flight vehicle fairing has an exterior comprising exterior surfaces of a multiplicity of removable panels. A method of retrofitting the flight vehicle with vibration-damping blankets comprises: removing a panel from the flight vehicle exterior; attaching a vibration-damping blanket to a back surface of the removed panel; and installing the panel with attached vibration-damping blanket on the flight vehicle with the exterior surface of the panel forming part of the flight vehicle exterior. In one embodiment, the vibration-damping blanket comprises polymeric (e.g., aromatic polyamide) fibers in a nonwoven structure.

Flight vehicle fairing having vibration-damping blankets

Assemblies, methods, and an apparatus for damping vibrational energy induced to a reinforced skin structure are disclosed. The reinforced skin structure includes an outer wall and at least one stringer coupled to the outer wall. The method includes providing a damping apparatus that includes a stiffening member configured to adjust at least one of a bending mode and a torsional twisting mode of the stringer and an energy dissipation member configured to dissipate vibrational energy of the stringer. The stiffening member includes at least two elongated members that are spaced a distance apart and at least one truss member that extends obliquely between the at least two elongated members. The damping apparatus is attached to the at least one stringer. The damping apparatus may be configured to dampen vibration in the range of between about 200-600 Hz.

Growing community of inventors

Everett, WA, United States of America

Justin C Christenson