Airbag deployable data recorder for aircraft

• US 10,661,909 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Murphy, Timothy A., Adler, Charles Otis
• Primary Examiner(s): Jimenez, Anthony R
• Application Number:
  US15/909,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20190270523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 701 334
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/20 Releasing of crash position indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for deploying flight data from an aircraft. A bag is stored in a deflated state on the aircraft. The flight data is stored on a memory device coupled to the bag. The bag is inflated from the deflated state to the inflated state in response to a pressure level greater than a threshold pressure level to deploy the bag with the memory device coupled thereto from the aircraft.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a bag that is configured to be inflated from a deflated state to an inflated state;

a memory device coupled to the bag and configured to have flight data from an aircraft stored thereon, wherein the memory device is detachably coupled to a surface of the aircraft and receives power and flight data from a data recording system in the aircraft via a power line inside the aircraft until the memory device is uncoupled from the surface of the aircraft;

an inflation device configured to inflate the bag from the deflated state to the inflated state; and

a pressure switch configured to activate the inflation device to inflate the bag from the deflated state to the inflated state in response to a pressure level greater than a threshold pressure level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bag includes a finding enhancer selected from a group of finding enhancers configured to improve finding of the bag when the bag is in the inflated state and deployed from the aircraft, the group of finding enhancers comprising:

a radar reflector selected from a group of radar reflectors comprising radar reflective foil and an internal corner reflector;

high-visibility coloring; and

a transmitter locator beacon.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is installed at a location on an interior of the aircraft from which the bag with the memory device coupled thereto is configured to be ejected from the aircraft in response to an unintended landing of the aircraft in water.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bag in the deflated state is stored in a housing on the aircraft.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the housing is located in a fairing or a panel on an outside surface of the aircraft.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the housing extends outwardly from an outside surface of the aircraft and is aerodynamic.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises a cover and wherein the cover is configured to open to release the bag from the housing in response to the bag inflating.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a data recording system configured to receive the flight data from systems on the aircraft while the aircraft is in flight and to send the flight data to the memory device to store the flight data on the memory device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the power line is configured to provide power to the memory device.

10. A flight data deployment system, comprising:

a plurality of airbag deployable data recorder systems on an aircraft, wherein each of the plurality of airbag deployable data recorder systems is located at a different location on the aircraft, and wherein each of the plurality of airbag deployable data recorder systems comprises;

a bag that is configured to be inflated from a deflated state to an inflated state, wherein the bag includes a finding enhancer configured to improve finding of the bag when the bag is in the inflated state and deployed from the aircraft;

a memory device coupled to the bag and configured to have the flight data from the aircraft stored thereon, wherein the memory device is detachably coupled to a surface of the aircraft and receives power and flight data from a data recording system in the aircraft via a power line inside the aircraft until the memory device is uncoupled from the surface of the aircraft;

an inflation device configured to inflate the bag from the deflated state to the inflated state; and

a pressure switch configured to activate the inflation device to inflate the bag from the deflated state to the inflated state in response to a pressure level greater than a threshold pressure level.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the finding enhancer is selected from a group of finding enhancers consisting of:

a radar reflector selected from a group of radar reflectors consisting of radar reflective foil and an internal corner reflector;

high-visibility coloring; and

a transmitter locator beacon.

12. A method of deploying flight data from an aircraft, comprising:

storing a bag in a deflated state on the aircraft;

storing the flight data on a memory device coupled to the bag, wherein the memory device is detachably coupled to a surface of the aircraft and receives power and flight data from a data recording system in the aircraft via a power line inside the aircraft until the memory device is uncoupled from the surface of the aircraft; and

inflating the bag from the deflated state to an inflated state in response to a pressure level greater than a threshold pressure level to deploy the bag with the memory device coupled thereto from the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein storing the bag in the deflated state on the aircraft comprises installing the bag at a location on an interior of the aircraft from which the bag with the memory device coupled thereto is configured to be ejected from the aircraft in response to an unintended landing of the aircraft in water.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the bag includes a finding enhancer selected from a group of finding enhancers configured to improve finding of the bag when the bag is in the inflated state and deployed from the aircraft, the group of finding enhancers comprising:

a radar reflector selected from a group of radar reflectors comprising radar reflective foil and an internal corner reflector;

high-visibility coloring; and

a transmitter locator beacon.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein storing the bag in the deflated state on the aircraft comprises storing the bag in the deflated state in a housing on the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the housing is located in a fairing or a panel on an outside surface of the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the housing extends outwardly from an outside surface of the aircraft and is aerodynamic.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the housing comprises a cover; and

inflating the bag from the deflated state to the inflated state opens the cover to release the bag from the housing.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein storing the flight data on the memory device comprises:

receiving the flight data from systems on the aircraft while the aircraft is in flight; and

sending the flight data to the memory device to store the flight data on the memory device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the power line is configured to provide power to the memory device.