AIRCRAFT BLACK BOX

• US 20120166037A1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SL (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SL (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: VINUE SANTOLALLA, Eduardo, FOLCH CORTES, Diego, MARTINO GONZALEZ, Esteban, GUINALDO FERNANDEZ, Enrique, GOYA ABAURREA, Pablo
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/32.2
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00

Abstract

Commercial aircraft (11) having a black box (41) comprising a flight data recorder (49) connected to suitable acquisition units (13, 14, 15) for recording information required for crash investigation purposes inside a container (43), wherein the aircraft (11) comprises a crash detection device (17); the black box (41) is installed in a suitable location for being ejected outside the aircraft in a crash event through a duct (21, 31) having its exit in a fuselage area where the ejected black box (41) would not impact on the aircraft; the aircraft (11) also comprises ejection means (23, 33), controlled by a black box ejection control unit (19) connected to said crash detection device (17), for ejecting the black box (41) through said duct (21, 31), when an impending crash is detected by said crash detection device (17).

Claims

1. Commercial aircraft (11) having a black box (41) comprising a flight data recorder (49) connected to suitable acquisition units (13, 14, 15) for recording information required for crash investigation purposes inside a container (43), characterized in that:

the aircraft (11) comprises a crash detection device (17);

the black box (41) is installed in a suitable location for being ejected outside the aircraft in a crash event through a duct (21, 31) having its exit in a fuselage area where the ejected black box (41) would not impact on the aircraft;

the aircraft (11) also comprises ejection means (23, 33), controlled by a black box ejection control unit (19) connected to said crash detection device (17), for ejecting the black box (41) through said duct (21, 31), when an impending crash is detected by said crash detection device (17).

2. Commercial aircraft (11) according to claim 1, wherein the container (43) is a rounded-shaped container.

3. Commercial aircraft (11) according to any of claims 1-2, wherein:

said duct is an exhaust duct (21) of an aircraft air conditioning system located in the rear part of the aircraft (11) and having its exit in a fuselage area subjected to negative aerodynamic pressure;

the black box (41) is installed over a frangible area of said exhaust duct (21);

said ejection means (23) are suitable means for breaking or displacing said frangible area to allow that the black box (41) falls into the exhaust duct (21).

4. Commercial aircraft (11) according to any of claims 1-2, wherein:

said duct is an ad-hoc duct (31) having inlet and outlet ways (33, 35) from/to the aircraft surface and doors (37, 39) for opening/closing said inlet and outlet ways (33, 35);

the black box (41) is installed within said duct (31);

said ejection means (33) are suitable means for opening simultaneously said doors (37, 39).

5. Commercial aircraft (11) according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the black box (41) also comprises a location transmitting device (51) including a switch device controlled by said black box ejection control unit (19) for its activation when an impending crash is detected.

6. Commercial aircraft (11) according to claim 5, wherein the source of energy of said location transmitting device (51) is a fuel cell.

7. Commercial aircraft (11) according to any of claims 1-6, wherein said container (43) includes inflatable means (45) controlled by said ejection control unit (19) so that they can be activated with a predetermined time delay after the detection of an impending crash.

8. Commercial aircraft (11) according to any of claims 1-7, wherein said container (43) includes a parachute (47) controlled by said ejection control unit (19) so that it can be activated with a predetermined time delay after the detection of an impending crash.