The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 29, 1980
Filed:
Apr. 14, 1978
Walter R Burhans, Jr, Miller Place, NY (US);
James L Ciccarello, Bay Shore, NY (US);
Charles H Stumpf, Commack, NY (US);
Grumman Aerospace Corporation, Bethpage, NY (US);
Abstract
A collapsible fuel tank for aircraft, the tank having rigid top and bottom elements and foldable rigid side walls containing therein a non-vented fluid-impervious elastomeric bladder. When fluid is pumped into the bladder, it distends to deploy the top, bottom, and side walls whereby a box-like structure whose rigid walls protect the bladder is erected. The withdrawal of fluid from the bladder causes it to contract such that the walls are folded and the tank thereby collapsed into a space-saving volume. The tank can be mounted on the outside surface of an aircraft and the contraction of the tank as fuel is expended effects a reduction of the aircraft frontal area to reduce drag. When used in supersonic polymorphic aircraft, the collapsible tank of this invention allows fuel to be carried in space left vacant when the aircraft is in a slow-flight configuration and the collapse of the tank when the fuel therein is expended permits the volume thus left vacant to be employed when the aircraft is put into its supersonic flight configuration.