Patent Application
20200140076
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Pilots and co-pilots endure low temperatures in aircraft resulting from inadequate environmental systems and extremely cold external temperature. Pilots and co-pilots can increase the amount of clothing they wear to keep warm. However, their hand typically are the least insulated because of the necessity to keep their hands in close contact with the aircraft and keep their hands flexible. Control elements, for example, cyclic sticks and collective sticks, can absorb the heat from the user's hand and create an unsafe environment for pilots and co-pilots flying in cold environments. Thick gloves and heated gloves reduce the user's ability to feel the controls in their hands. Thick gloves retain heat and heated gloves heat the user's hands regardless of location in the aircraft forcing the user to remove the glove to cool their hands. Additionally, heated air from the aircraft can be directed towards the control sticks, but since the control sticks move nearly constantly, the amount of heated air they receive varies greatly. Conventional systems to heat the hands of the pilot and the copilot while in contact with cyclic and collective sticks are inadequate.
In this disclosure, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as the devices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of this disclosure, the devices, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” or other like terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the device described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.
This disclosure teaches a plurality of heaters for control elements of a rotorcraft. Pilots and co-pilots of aircraft are exposed to cold temperatures while flying. Supplying localized heating elements adjacent to the hands of pilots increases comfort and flexibility without weighing down the pilot's hands.
The first heater assembly 409 is comprised of a surface layer on top of a layer of nonwoven fabric covering a resistive layer that is in direct contact with an outside surface of the head member 405. Typically, the surface layer is comprised of leather. However, fabric, nylon, and other flexible and durable materials are suitable surface layers. Resistive layer is comprised of a conductive material carried by a flexible material. Heat is generated from the resistive layer, while current is applied to the conductive material. A first seam 413 is located on the first heater assembly 409, because the first heater assembly 409 is installed onto an assembled flight control element, and the first heater assembly 409 must be contoured and tight fitting to the assembled flight control element. The first seam 413 facilitates the tautness of the surface layer. An alternative embodiment features a surface layer or material that does not feature a seam.
The first heater assembly 509 is planar and is comprised of an outer layer of surface material on top of a layer of nonwoven fabric covering a resistive layer that is in adhered with a planar outside surface of the head member 505 and is wrapped around a lower portion of the head member 505. Resistive layer is comprised of a conductive material carried by a flexible material. Heat is generated from the resistive layer, while current is applied to the conductive material. Typically an adhesive layer is used to attach the first heater assembly to the head member 505.
The second heater assembly 511 is comprised of an outer layer of surface material on top of a layer of nonwoven fabric covering a resistive layer that is adhered with an outside surface of the throttle control 513. Resistive layer is comprised of a conductive material carried by a flexible material. Heat is generated from the resistive layer, while current is applied to the conductive material. Typically, an adhesive layer is used to attach the second heater assembly to the throttle control 513.
Referring now also to
The heater assemblies 609, 611, 615, 619 are comprised of an outer layer of surface material on top of a nonwoven fabric layer covering a heat resistive layer that is in direct contact with a surface to be heated. Heat resistive layer is comprised of a conductive material carried by a flexible material. Heat is generated from the heat resistive layer, while current is applied to the conductive material. Seams 623 facilitates tautness of the surface material and allows the heater assemblies to be retrofitted to an existing control element. For the heater assembly 611 on the collective throttle, additional seams can be utilized to tighten the surface material and ensure the pilot's throttle movement won't get disturbed by the additional surface material. Alternatively, the heater assembly is manufactured concurrently with the control element so that the conductive material is embedded into the grips, tubular material, and control heads as needed.
Controller 807 is comprised of a power input 809, a plurality of power outputs 811, a plurality of switches 813, and a plurality of lighting elements 815. Each of the plurality of power outputs 811 is wired to one of the heaters and controlled by one of the plurality of switches 813. The user can adjust a knob of the corresponding switch 813 and vary the level of heat emitted from the corresponding heater. For example, a pilot could maximize heat from an entire cyclic stick and have no heat from a collective throttle heater. Corresponding to each switch of the plurality of switches 813 is a lighting element of the plurality of lighting elements 815. Typically, the lighting element is a multi-colored light emitting diode so that the user can see conditional information regarding the heater assemblies. For example, a green colored light would indicate a working heater, and a red colored light would indicate a failure. Other colors of the light emitting diode are contemplated, such as yellow to indicate approaching the targeted temperature. Furthermore, the conditional information can be transmitted across a data bus to other flight computers for display on multi-function displays.
The controller 807 can be distributed into several units spread out across the control elements, for example, located on each stick. Alternatively, the controller 807 can control heaters for multiple sticks and multiple users, for example, a single controller can control stick temperatures for both pilot and co-pilot. Alternatively, the controller 807 can be incorporated into flight control computers and environmental control units to coordinate control of the various heaters for the various sticks with other rotorcraft control systems. Furthermore, an alternative embodiment features thermocouples located in each of the heater assemblies. The thermocouples being wired to the controller and provide a feedback loop for each heater assembly.
It should be noted that the heated control stick system provides users with the ability to warm the control sticks to a comfortable level. The heated control stick system does not weigh down the user's hand with extra material as thick gloves do. The heated control stick system is adjustable so that each user can vary the desired warmth of each isolated area.
At least one embodiment is disclosed, and variations, combinations, and/or modifications of the embodiment(s) and/or features of the embodiment(s) made by a person having ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of this disclosure. Alternative embodiments that result from combining, integrating, and/or omitting features of the embodiment(s) are also within the scope of this disclosure. Where numerical ranges or limitations are expressly stated, such express ranges or limitations should be understood to include iterative ranges or limitations of like magnitude falling within the expressly stated ranges or limitations (e.g., from about 1 to about 10 includes, 2, 3, 4, etc.; greater than 0.10 includes 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, etc.). For example, whenever a numerical range with a lower limit, Rl, and an upper limit, Ru, is disclosed, any number falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, the following numbers within the range are specifically disclosed: R=Rl+k*(Ru-Rl), wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 percent to 100 percent with a 1 percent increment, i.e., k is 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent, 5 percent, . . . 50 percent, 51 percent, 52 percent, . . . , 95 percent, 96 percent, 95 percent, 98 percent, 99 percent, or 100 percent. Moreover, any numerical range defined by two R numbers as defined in the above is also specifically disclosed. Use of the term “optionally” with respect to any element of a claim means that the element is required, or alternatively, the element is not required, both alternatives being within the scope of the claim. Use of broader terms such as comprises, includes, and having should be understood to provide support for narrower terms such as consisting of, consisting essentially of, and comprised substantially of. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited by the description set out above but is defined by the claims that follow, that scope including all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification and the claims are embodiment(s) of the present invention. Also, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” and “A and/or B and/or C” should each be interpreted to include only A, only B, only C, or any combination of A, B, and C.
