Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft structure – Fuselage and body construction
Patent
1998-03-05
2000-10-10
Poon, Peter M.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft structure
Fuselage and body construction
244122AG, 2972161, 29721613, 29721616, 29721617, B64D 1106, B64D 2502, B64D 2511, B64D 25102, B64D 25112
Patent
active
06129313&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the use of an emergency ejection procedure by airplane pilots or other crew members immediately upon the need arising for ejection from their aircraft. More particularly, the ejector seat with a standard sub-vertical inclination of this invention preserves the integrity of the pilot's body at the moment of ejection and reduces or even eliminates any risk of consequential physical after-effects and thus, in a hostile zone of operation, increases the pilot's ability to survive.
In the past and conventionally, a pilot was ejected from an aircraft by firing an explosive device situated beneath the center of a seat having a rigid framework, thereby transferring the thrust of the kinetic load of the explosion to the spinal column and rib cage with the consequent risk of serious trauma to various internal organs and the surrounding muscular skeletal structure.
To a large extent, the invention disclosed hereby remedies this severe drawback.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In this disclosure, the application of the kinetic force and the forces of acceleration caused thereby is altered so that it is exerted independently on the thoracic region (the trunk) and on the abdominal region, thereby dividing the forces applied to the body substantially in half, as follows: thereabout placing the trunk into a sub-vertical traction; manner. Given the basic structure of the spinal column, the seat can not be dropped more than a few centimeters. While this is necessary, it is at the risk of losing some of the effectiveness of the tension locking on the trunk because of natural or accidental slack. If the slack between the seat back and the pilot's were to amount to several centimeters, such slack would defeat the desired objective of distributing stresses. The dropping of the support must be activated immediately before or simultaneously with the firing of the emergency ejection system. constitutes the third fundamental characteristic of the invention.
Thus, immediately prior to ejection, the buttock support of the seat is released and drops in passive, but controlled manner, while the trunk of the pilot is placed under traction against the top of the seat back. Thus, the trunk is suspended for a very short length of time before thrust of the ejection system is applied to the bottom portion of the body.
This device distributes the kinetic forces of ejection between the thoracic and the abdominal regions. In contradistinction thereto prior art systems, in spite of the pilot's back being forced against the seat back, this distribution of kinetic forces is not achieved and the load is essentially concentrated on the bottom portion of the spinal column. This is not improved by the interposing of "airbag" systems and other survival equipment.
Here, unlike the prior art single thrust effect, the present invention provides a "push-pull" effect. Thereby very significantly reducing the chance of injury by substantially halving the mass which is subjected to acceleration and related forces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following drawings, the same parts in the various views are afforded the same reference designators.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the pilot's body in relation to the emergency ejection apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial schematic view of the emergency ejection apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the harness of the emergency ejection apparatus of the present invention shown in relation to the pilot's body;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the buttock-supporting mechanism for the emergency ejection apparatus of the present invention, said mechanism shown in the flight position;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 4, but shown during the ejection procedure;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the buttock-supporting mechanism shown in FIG. 4 and is shown in the flight position; and,
FIG. 7 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 6 but shown during the ejection procedure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3698670 (1972-10-01), Ewing
patent: 3833952 (1974-09-01), Rosenberg
patent: 4437628 (1984-03-01), Schwartz
patent: 4667904 (1987-05-01), Herndon
patent: 4871131 (1989-10-01), Bernier et al.
Valery Jean
Valery Marc
Valery Pierre
Fridman Lawrence G.
Nelson Judith A.
Poon Peter M.
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