Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft structure – Passenger or crew accommodation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-18
2002-12-03
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3641)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft structure
Passenger or crew accommodation
C244S118500, C267S064120, C186S040000, C280S005500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488234
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for securing aircraft trolleys during turbulence.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In December 1995, a number of aircraft passengers and the crew members of the Cathay Pacific airlines were reported to have been badly injured by flying food trolleys when the aircraft met turbulence. In the early 1998, the same event also occurred on a United Airlines flight. The reasons that caused the food trolleys to fly and then fall down onto the passengers and crew members were due to the changes in the aircraft acceleration caused by turbulence. The changes of aircraft acceleration first resulted in the disappearance of gravity that holds the trolleys on the floor of aircraft and then resulted in a return of the gravity that pulled the flying trolleys back to the floor of the aircraft. For the safety of the people in aircraft, the aircraft trolleys should have a securing lock that prevents the trolleys from leaving the floor of aircraft regardless of the changes in aircraft acceleration. There has been no prior art found in this regard.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of the invention to provide a method for securing aircraft trolleys during turbulence and an apparatus for performing the method.
According to the invention in the first aspect there is provided a method of securing aircraft trolleys during turbulence comprising the steps of preventing the trolleys from leaving the floor of aircraft during turbulence.
According to the invention in a second aspect there is provided a method of securing the aircraft trolleys during turbulence comprising the step of sensing the disappearance of gravity on the trolleys of the aircraft during turbulence, controlling the action of preventing the trolleys from leaving the floor of the aircraft during turbulence, and executing the action of preventing the trolleys from leaving the floor of aircraft during turbulence.
In a third and fourth aspect of the invention, an apparatus for preventing aircraft trolleys from leaving the floor of aircraft during turbulence is provided for performing the methods of the first and second aspects.
Further features of the invention may be found in the appended claims.
In the described embodiments of the invention, a method for securing aircraft trolleys during turbulence is disclosed. In this method, the trolleys are secured by preventing them from leaving the floor of the aircraft during turbulence. The method comprises the steps of, sensing the disappearance of gravity on aircraft trolleys during turbulence, controlling the action of preventing the trolleys from leaving the floor of the aircraft and executing the action of preventing the trolleys from leaving the floor of aircraft. A securing lock for the aircraft trolleys during turbulence is disclosed, which provides a primary function that is capable of preventing the trolley from leaving the aisle floor when the aircraft encounters turbulence.
The securing lock is installed on aircraft trolleys. At the instance when the aircraft meets turbulence, if the turbulence is so strong that a trolley leaves the floor of the aircraft because of the disappearance of gravity on the trolley, the securing lock will be triggered to prevent the trolley from leaving the floor. An apparatus for the securing lock is disclosed, including a blade locking system which locks a trolley of the aircraft during turbulence by holding it onto the seats adjacent to an aisle with built in blades, and a vacuum sucking system which adheres the trolley of the aircraft during turbulence to the floor of aircraft by vacuum sucking.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3473487 (1969-10-01), Blunden
patent: 3751101 (1973-08-01), Miller et al.
patent: 3823900 (1974-07-01), Marechal
patent: 4138950 (1979-02-01), Mooney et al.
patent: RE30896 (1982-04-01), Jenkins et al.
patent: 4921272 (1990-05-01), Ivers
patent: 5039123 (1991-08-01), Smeitink
patent: 5316326 (1994-05-01), Kyriacou
patent: 5743701 (1998-04-01), Green
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Jordan Charles T.
Semunegus Lulit
The National University of Singapore
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