UNIVERSAL HITCH ADAPTER AND SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An aircraft tractor comprising:
- a front end and a rear end opposite the front end;
an aircraft tractor hitch; and
a universal hitch adapter system including;
at least one force sensor disposed between one of the front end and the rear end and the aircraft tractor hitch;
at least one input operable to receive force measurements from the at least one force sensor;
a memory storing a plurality of aircrafts thereon;
a user input interface operable to receive a user'"'"'s selection of one of the plurality of aircrafts stored in the memory; and
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one input, the memory, and the user input interface and operably configured to determine, based on the user'"'"'s selection of one of the plurality of aircrafts, at least one sheer pin breaking force threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A universal hitch adapter system includes a universal hitch adapter with at least one force sensor operable to measure push-and-pull forces and coupled to a) one of a front end and a rear end of an aircraft tractor and b) an aircraft tow bar coupled to a nose gear of an aircraft. The system also including a memory; a user input interface operable to receive a user'"'"'s selection of one of a plurality of aircrafts stored in the memory and a user'"'"'s input associated with one of a shear pin; a processor operably configured to determine at least one shear pin breaking force threshold for each of the plurality of aircrafts based on the user'"'"'s input; and an indicator operable to emit an alert as a result of the force sensor measuring a force that meets or exceeds the at least one shear pin breaking force threshold.
10 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An aircraft tractor comprising:
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a front end and a rear end opposite the front end; an aircraft tractor hitch; and a universal hitch adapter system including; at least one force sensor disposed between one of the front end and the rear end and the aircraft tractor hitch; at least one input operable to receive force measurements from the at least one force sensor; a memory storing a plurality of aircrafts thereon; a user input interface operable to receive a user'"'"'s selection of one of the plurality of aircrafts stored in the memory; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one input, the memory, and the user input interface and operably configured to determine, based on the user'"'"'s selection of one of the plurality of aircrafts, at least one sheer pin breaking force threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A universal aircraft tractor hitch adapter system comprising:
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at least one force sensor disposed between one of a front end and a rear end of an aircraft tractor and an aircraft tractor hitch; and a universal control device including; at least one input operable to receive force measurements from the at least one force sensor; a memory storing a plurality of aircrafts thereon; a user input interface operable to receive a user'"'"'s selection of one of the plurality of aircrafts stored in the memory; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one input, the memory, and the user input interface and operably configured to determine, based on the user'"'"'s selection of one of the plurality of aircrafts, at least one sheer pin breaking force threshold. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for an aircraft tractor to safely tow aircrafts, the method comprising steps of:
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measuring, by a force sensor disposed between one of a front end and a rear end of an aircraft tractor and an aircraft tractor hitch coupled to an aircraft tow bar, push-and-pull forces transmitted on the aircraft tow bar; providing a force sensor output, by the force sensor, to at least one processor; receiving, by the at least one processor, a user'"'"'s first selection of one of a plurality of aircrafts stored in a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; determining, by the at least one processor, at least one shear pin breaking force threshold associated with the user'"'"'s first selection of one of the plurality of aircrafts; and providing, by an indicator communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, an alert as a result of the force sensor measuring a force that meets or exceeds the at least one shear pin breaking force threshold. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification