Aircraft vertical speed instrument device with multi-functional design aspects

• US 20060293804A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspen Avionics, Inc. (The AIRO Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aspen Avionics, Inc. (The AIRO Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bethel, Jeffery David
• Granted Patent: US 7,789,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers

Abstract

The present invention provides a unique and novel device for indicating flight information to a pilot or co-pilot of an aircraft. The present invention is adapted to fit into an existing aircraft instrument panel at the location of, for example, a VSI instrument, and provides a digital display capable of providing a vast array of information to a pilot or co-pilot without the need to mechanically retrofit the instrument panel or replace safety-critical critical instruments.

Claims

1. An instrument for use in an aircraft instrument panel, the instrument comprising:

an electronic display portion for displaying information to a pilot of an aircraft,

the instrument being sized and shaped to be inserted into an aircraft instrument panel in an opening traditionally containing a traditional vertical speed indicator.

2. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein the information displayed to said pilot is selected from the group consisting of vertical speed, altitude, maps, navigation data, terrain data, traffic data, lighting data, engine data, performance data, fuel data, and combinations thereof.

3. An instrument according to claim 1, the instrument further comprising:

a flange portion fixedly attached to said display portion and extending around a perimeter thereof, the flange portion having at least one opening formed therein, the opening sized and shaped to receive a fastener such that said instrument may be attached to an aircraft instrument panel.

4. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein said display portion has a brightness, the instrument further comprising:

a photo cell in electronic communication with said display portion, the photo cell adapted to sense the ambient light and transmit data related thereto to said instrument such that the brightness of said display portion is adjusted according to the ambient light.

5. An instrument according to claim 3 further comprising:

a housing portion extending from said flange portion and defining a perimeter of said display portion; and

a dog-leg portion extending from said housing portion along a plane substantially parallel to a plane of said flange portion.

6. An instrument according to claim 5 wherein said housing portion is formed integrally with said flange portion.

7. An instrument according to claim 5 wherein said dog-leg portion is formed integrally with said flange portion.

8. An instrument according to claim 5 further comprising:

a control portion fixedly attached to said dog-leg portion, said control portion adapted to allow a user to control user-controllable features of said electronic display portion.

9. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein said electronic display portion is an LCD.

10. An aircraft instrument panel, said panel having a plurality of instruments positioned therein, the instrument panel comprising:

an instrument having an electronic display portion for displaying information to a pilot of an aircraft, the instrument being removably attached to said instrument panel in an opening traditionally containing a traditional vertical speed indicator.

11. An aircraft instrument panel according to claim 10 wherein the information being displayed to a pilot using said instrument is selected from the group consisting of vertical speed, altitude, maps, navigation data, terrain data, traffic data, lighting data, engine data, performance data, fuel data, and combinations thereof.

12. An aircraft instrument panel according to claim 10 wherein the instrument further comprises:

a flange portion fixedly attached to said display portion and extending around a perimeter thereof, the flange portion having at least one opening formed therein, and

at least one fastener, said at least one fastener being inserted through said at least one opening such that said instrument is removably attached to said instrument panel.

13. An aircraft instrument panel according to claim 10 wherein said display portion of said instrument has a brightness, said instrument further comprising as photo cell in electronic communication with said display portion, the photo cell adapted to sense the ambient light and transmit data related thereto to said instrument such that the brightness of said display portion is adjusted according to the ambient light.

14. An aircraft instrument panel according to claim 12, said instrument further comprising:

a housing portion extending from said flange portion and defining a perimeter of said display portion.

15. An aircraft instrument panel according to claim 14, said instrument further comprising a dog-leg portion extending away from said housing portion along a plane substantially parallel to a plane of said flange portion.

16. An aircraft instrument panel according to claim 10 wherein said aircraft instrument panel comprises a standard six instrument cluster, and further wherein said instrument is positioned within said standard six instrument cluster.

17. An aircraft instrument panel according to claim 16 wherein said instrument is positioned at a lower-right portion of said standard six instrument cluster.