Aircraft wing position indicator

• US 5,331,577 A
• Filed: 08/28/1992
• Issued: 07/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nickolas H. Grimes
• Original Assignee: Nickolas H. Grimes
• Inventors: Grimes, Nickolas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US07/936,277
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 250/561, 250/206.2, 250/553, 250/561, 364/559, 244/117 R
• US Class Current: 702/152
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/16 for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. optical strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/26 characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light

Abstract

An apparatus for use with aircraft to detect the position of the aircraft relative to the fuselage in order to achieve improved safety and flight conditions. The apparatus includes a signaling device such as a laser and a sensor of any suitable configuration. The device and the sensor are mounted on the wing or fuselage, respectively.

Claims

1. An apparatus to monitor the position of the wings of an aircraft relative to the fuselage thereof,

signal producing means mounted on said aircraft, and

signal sensing means mounted on said aircraft to receive signals from said signal producing means,

one of said signal producing means and said signal sensing means is mounted on said wings,

the other one of said signal sensing means and said signal producing means is mounted on said fuselage,

said signals are representative of the position of the wings of said aircraft relative to the fuselage thereof.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein,

said signal producing means is a laser.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein,

said signal sensing means comprises a plurality of sensor devices.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 3 wherein,

said plurality of sensor devices are arranged in an array.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein,

said signal producing means and said signal sensing means are activated when said aircraft is in flight.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 including,

control circuitry connected to monitor said signal sensing means and the signals supplied thereto by said signal producing means thereby to determine the weight effect and payload of the aircraft.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 including,

at least one engine mounted to said wings.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein,

said signal sensing means is mounted in said fuselage as a matrix of detector devices arranged in a plurality of rows and at least one column.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 1 including,

optical apparatus adapted to operate on the signal produced by said signal producing means in order to produce a preferred pattern thereof.