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:
Sep. 17, 1996
Filed:
Aug. 08, 1994
Robert C Kalberer, Boulder, CO (US);
Kevin W Kreutzer, Vacaville, CA (US);
Dan Goor, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Flight Safety Systems, Inc., Boulder, CO (US);
Abstract
An airbag assembly is positioned relative to an aircraft control yoke in a manner to minimize the application of an undesired force to the control yoke when the airbag assembly is inflated. A disc-shaped airbag assembly is horizontally rod-supported from an aircraft's instrument panel so as to surround the aircraft's horizontally extending control yoke and so as to be independent mechanically thereof. The rods that support the airbag assembly may be spring biased to a quiescent position, and may then be of the telescoping type to accommodate full inward movement of the control yoke as the aircraft's pitch attitude is controlled. In a alternate embodiment of the invention, the airbag assembly is mounted on the ceiling of the aircraft, generally above and somewhat forward of the pilot, the airbag assembly being of a size when inflated whereby the pilot is protected from impact with the instrument panel, and yet subsequent operation of the control yoke by the pilot is not prevented by obstruction of the control yoke.