PASSIVE EJECTION SEAT ARM FLAIL RESTRAINT APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A method of preventing arm flail injuries to an ejection seat occupant subjected to a windblast comprising:
- providing an ejection seat mounted to an aircraft, the ejection seat comprising a seat frame and a propulsion system;
initiating the propulsion system to propel the ejection seat out of the aircraft;
deploying a backstop attached to the seat frame to form a forward-facing surface extending laterally outward from the seat frame substantially rearward of the occupant'"'"'s arms;
allowing the occupant'"'"'s arms to flail in a rearward direction in the windblast until the occupant'"'"'s arms impact the forward-facing surface of the backstop, whereby rearward motion of the occupant'"'"'s arms relative to the seat frame is arrested.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ejection seat arm flail injury prevention apparatus comprises a pair of rigid support arms on each side of the ejection seat that deploy outwardly to support a semi-rigid backstop substantially behind the ejection seat occupant. When the ejection seat is propelled out of the aircraft and is subjected to the windblast, the occupant'"'"'s arms are allowed to flail in a rearward direction in the windblast until the occupant'"'"'s arms impact the semi-rigid backstop. The backstop is semi-rigid in that it deforms sufficiently to enable the rearward motion of the occupant'"'"'s arms to be arrested without impact injury, yet is sufficiently rigid to prevent the occupant'"'"'s arms from rebounding off the backstop or striking the rigid support arms.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of preventing arm flail injuries to an ejection seat occupant subjected to a windblast comprising:
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providing an ejection seat mounted to an aircraft, the ejection seat comprising a seat frame and a propulsion system; initiating the propulsion system to propel the ejection seat out of the aircraft; deploying a backstop attached to the seat frame to form a forward-facing surface extending laterally outward from the seat frame substantially rearward of the occupant'"'"'s arms; allowing the occupant'"'"'s arms to flail in a rearward direction in the windblast until the occupant'"'"'s arms impact the forward-facing surface of the backstop, whereby rearward motion of the occupant'"'"'s arms relative to the seat frame is arrested. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An ejection seat comprising:
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a seat frame having a seat back and a seat pan adapted to support an occupant, the ejection seat further comprising a propulsion system for propelling the ejection seat out of an aircraft; a passive arm restraint apparatus comprising a backstop that deploys laterally outward from the seat back to form a semi-rigid forward-facing surface substantially rearward of the occupant'"'"'s arms; a static line operably attached between the aircraft and the passive arm restraint apparatus for deploying the passive arm restraint apparatus as the ejection seat is propelled out of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification