Flight Dynamics, Inc.

Hughes Flight Dynamics, Inc.

Sjs Industries

Mark A Thomas

Robert B Wood

James L Valimont

Glenn E Freeman

H Edward Littell, Jr

John P Desmond

Rick Regan

Robert S Wood

Robert E Stockwell

Thomas E Hodel

Gordon Craft

A portable thermosyphon water heating system for use by outdoor enthusiasts, or others at locations remote from a conventional supply of hot water. Water is heated by an open campfire flame in an enclosed heat exchanger, and is circulated between the heat exchanger and a portable non-pressurized reservoir by thermosyphon action. The hot water returning to the reservoir is discharged through a floating transfer conduit assembly, so the discharge rises and falls with the water level in the reservoir. The floating nature of the hot water return allows the majority of water within the reservoir to be used before refilling is needed, while maintaining thermosyphon action. A method of heating a liquid using the system described above is also provided, along with a retrofit apparatus for retrofitting existing reservoirs to use the thermosyphon principles and components of the present invention.

Portable water heating system

A windshield display system for automobile includes a wavelength selective holographic combiner (12) laminated within the plies (36, 50) of an automobile windshield. A lamination process is provided to prevent degradation of the holographic combiner (12), which might otherwise occur with conventional windshield lamination processes. The holographic combiner (12) is processed in a manner that permits it to withstand the temperature and pressure extremes of the windshield lamination process. Also provided is a display system (60) for producing an image of vehicle information and the motorist's field of view as the motorist observes the real world scene.

Windshield display system for an automobile

An optical display system (10) presents visual source information to an observer (18) The display system includes a vision unit (14) that has reflective surfaces (16) through which the observer can view an outside world scene and which reflect source information emanating from an information source (22) for display to the observer In a preferred embodiment, the optical display system constitutes a head-up display system for an automobile and the observer is the driver of the automobile. The vision unit constitutes an automobile windshield with or without a reflection enhancement material and whose inner and outer surfaces reflect source information carried by light propagating form the information source, such as a liquid crystal display (32). A projection lens system (24) positioned between the inner surface of the windshield and the information source has optical light-directing properties for compensating for optical aberrations introduced by the nonplanar windshield surface. The projection lens system includes an aspheric element (262) that is unique to a specific aspheric windshield shape and remaining elements that are common to a great number of different windshield shapes. A positioning mechanism ( 130) allows the driver to adjust the vertical position of the source information (60) reflected by the windshield within a total display field of view for optimal viewing by a seated driver. The positioning mechanism also automatically changes the distance between the display image and the driver as a function of vehicle speed to promote safe vehicle operation.

Automobile head-up display system with apparatus for positioning source

A method for processing exposed holograms to enhance their thermal stability and enable them to withstand a windshield lamination process is disclosed. The secondary processing procedure entails an optional step of applying a moisture barrier to the hologram, followed by heat stabilizing the hologram and storing it in a relatively low humidity environment. Specifically, the exposed holographic material is heated to a peak temperature of about 135.degree. C. and thereafter cooled to provide a thermally stabilized holographic material that maintains its holographic qualities over a relatively broad range of temperatures.

Preparation of photosensitive material to withstand a lamination process

An arrangement for head-up display system components incorporated into an aircraft cockpit forward of the ejection plane (124) provides space for accommodating a head-down display device (132) immediately beneath the over-nose vision surface (128) and adjacent to the ejection plane (124). The arrangement of components minimizes the amount of angular change in the pilot's line of sight that is required when the pilot moves his head to change his view from the outside real world scene to the head-down display device.

Compact arrangement for head-up display components

An optical display system (10) presents visual source information to an observer (18). The display system includes a vision unit (14) that has reflective surfaces (16) through which the observer can view an outside world scene and which reflect source information emanating from an information source (22) for display to the observer. In a preferred embodiment, the optical display system constitutes a head-up display system for an automobile and the observer is the driver of the automobile. The vision unit constitutes an automobile windshield with or without a reflection enhancement material and whose inner and outer surfaces reflect source information carried by light propagating from the information source, such as a liquid crystal display (32). A projection lens system (24) positioned between the inner surface of the windshield and the information source has optical light-directing properties for compensating for optical aberrations introduced by the nonplanar windshield surface. The projection lens system includes an aspheric element (262) that is unique to a specific aspheric windshield shape and remaining elements that are common to a great number of different windshield shapes. A positioning mechanism ( 130) allows the driver to adjust the vertical position of the source information (60) reflected by the windshield within a total display field of view for optimal viewing by a seated driver. The positioning mechanism also automatically changes the distance between the display image and the driver as a function of vehicle speed to promote safe vehicle operation.

Automobile head-up display system with reflective aspheric surface

A holographic windshield (10) includes an inner glass ply (36) having an inner flexible optically transparent inner interlayer (42) overlaid upon its inner surface (40). A middle flexible transparent interlayer (44) is overlaid upon the inner interlayer. The middle interlayer has an opening (46) formed therein. A flexible hologram (12) is fitted within the opening in the middle interlayer. An outer interlayer (48) is overlaid upon the middle interlayer including the flexible hologram. An outer glass ply (50) is overlaid upon the outer interlayer. The two glass plies are bonded together to form a unitary article. Also disclosed is a method for processing a holographic combiner to withstand a windshield construction process employing lamination techniques.

Vehicle display system using a holographic windshield prepared to

A head up display system includes a combiner alignment detector (24) that determines whether the combiner (22) and a cathode-ray tube (CRT) (18) are aligned within a preassigned operational tolerance. The CRT emits display symbology that reflects off the combiner toward an observer. The combiner is secured to a combiner bracket (38) which is pivotally mounted to a mounting structure (70) having a stationary relationship with the CRT. A light emitting diode (LED) (86) and a light-sensitive linear position detector (88) are secured to the mounting structure. Light rays emanating from the LED are reflected by a mirror (34), which is secured to the combiner bracket, and strike the position detector. Pivotal motion of the combiner bracket relative to the mounting structure results in movement of the mirror relative to the LED and the position detector. The pivotal motion of the mirror causes light reflected by the mirror to strike varying locations on the position detector, which provides corresponding output signals. A processing circuit (110) receives the signals provided by the detector and provides to a control circuit (129) a signal corresponding to the alignment of the combiner and the CRT and to the position of the display symbology reflected by the combiner. The control circuit provides a warning signal whenever the information provided by the processing circuit indicates that the display symbology is not located at a preselected position.

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Lake Oswego, OR, United States of America

Mark A Thomas