Transparency having sensors
First Claim
1. A transparency for an aircraft, comprising:
- a plurality of preconditioned glass and/or plastic sheets joined together to provide a transparency having a property selected from the group of a chemical property, a physical property, an electrical property and combinations thereof, wherein the plurality of glass and/or plastic sheets are laminated together and first outer surface of the laminated sheets is first major surface of the transparency, and opposite second outer surface of the transparency is an opposite second major surface of the laminated sheets;
an outboard moisture seal over peripheral edge of the transparency to prevent moisture from entering between the glass and/or plastic sheets of the transparency;
a sensor for measuring the amount of moisture between the first and the second major surfaces of the transparency to monitor performance of the outboard moisture seal, wherein the sensor for measuring moisture comprises one elongated moisture sensor having a first end and an opposite second end, andone part of an electrical connector external of the transparency and electrically connected to the sensor, to provide external access to the signal generated by the sensor indicating the amount of moisture absorbed by the moisture sensor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A transparency, e.g. an aircraft laminated windshield, includes one or more sensors to monitor performance of one or more properties, e.g. a heating arrangement of the windshield, and to generate signals representative of the performance of the properties. One part of a connector, external of the transparency and connected to the sensors is connected to a system positioned in the aircraft. The system receives a signal from each of the sensors, and processes the signals to determine difference between performance of the property as indicated by the signal received and a preferred performance of the property to provide real time monitoring of the performance of the windshield. With this arrangement information regarding the performance of the windshield is available to schedule timely repair or replacement of the windshield that is performing outside of acceptable limits.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A transparency for an aircraft, comprising:
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a plurality of preconditioned glass and/or plastic sheets joined together to provide a transparency having a property selected from the group of a chemical property, a physical property, an electrical property and combinations thereof, wherein the plurality of glass and/or plastic sheets are laminated together and first outer surface of the laminated sheets is first major surface of the transparency, and opposite second outer surface of the transparency is an opposite second major surface of the laminated sheets; an outboard moisture seal over peripheral edge of the transparency to prevent moisture from entering between the glass and/or plastic sheets of the transparency; a sensor for measuring the amount of moisture between the first and the second major surfaces of the transparency to monitor performance of the outboard moisture seal, wherein the sensor for measuring moisture comprises one elongated moisture sensor having a first end and an opposite second end, and one part of an electrical connector external of the transparency and electrically connected to the sensor, to provide external access to the signal generated by the sensor indicating the amount of moisture absorbed by the moisture sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A transparency for an aircraft, comprising:
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a plurality of preconditioned glass and/or plastic sheets joined together to provide a transparency having a property selected from the group of a chemical property, a physical property, an electrical property and combinations thereof, wherein the plurality of glass and/or plastic sheets are laminated together and first outer surface of the laminated sheets is first major surface of the transparency, and opposite second outer surface of the transparency is an opposite second major surface of the laminated sheets; a plurality of sensors for detecting impacts to, or vibrations of he transparency mounted in spaced relationship to one another on a surface of a sheet of the transparency between the outer surfaces of the transparency; one part of an electrical connector external of the transparency and electrically connected to the sensors to provide external access to signals generated by the sensors, wherein signals generated by the sensors when the transparency is impacted are forwarded to the one part of the electrical connector to provide information to identify area of the transparency impacted and the force of the impact. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A transparency for an aircraft, comprising:
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a plurality of preconditioned glass and/or plastic sheets laminated together, wherein first outer surface of the laminated sheets is first major surface of the transparency and opposite second major surface of the laminated sheets is second outer surface of the transparency, and the first major surface of the transparency is designated as outside surface of the transparency, wherein the transparency has a property selected from the group of a chemical property, a physical property, an electrical property and combinations thereof; a sensor for detecting a fracture in one of the sheets of the transparency defined as a fracture detector, the fracture detector mounting one of the sheets of the transparency between the outer surfaces of the transparency, wherein the sheet of the transparency has a peripheral edge and the fracture detector comprises a first plurality of electrically conductive elongated members mounted on the surface of the sheet spaced from the peripheral edge of the sheet with adjacent ends of the first plurality of elongated members spaced from one another and a second plurality of electrically conductive elongated members mounted on the sheet with adjacent ends of the second plurality of members spaced from one another, wherein the second plurality of members are spaced from one another with the first plurality of members covering the space between the ends of the second plurality of members and the second plurality of members covering the space between the first plurality of members, and one part of an electrical connector external of the transparency wherein one end of each of the elongated members is connected to the one part of the connector wherein information carried by the signals to the one part of the connector is used to identify the area of the sheet having a fracture. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification