Automatically ejecting flight data recorder
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for holding a flight data recorder in an aircraft comprising:
- a housing for enclosing the flight data recorder, the housing provided with an opening for the flight data recorder to egress from the housing;
a cover for closing the opening when the cover is in a closed position;
one or more releasable fasteners holding the cover in the closed position and configured to open the cover when the one or more releasable fasteners are triggered; and
a pressurized flotation device provided within the housing and attached to the flight data recorder, wherein when the aircraft is under water, one or more releasable fasteners are triggered thereby opening the cover and the flotation device floats pulls the flight data recorder out of the housing and floats the flight data recorder to the surface of the water,wherein the flight data recorder is attached to the flotation device such that the flight data recorder is contained inside the flotation device.
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Abstract
An apparatus for holding a flight data recorder in an aircraft includes a housing that defines a compartment enclosing the flight data recorder and a flotation device attached to the flight data recorder. If the aircraft crashes into a body of water and become submerged, one or more releasable fasteners holding the compartment'"'"'s cover in place are triggered thereby removing the cover over an opening in the compartment and ejecting the flotation device and the flight data recorder out of the compartment. The floatation device then floats the flight data recorder to the surface of the water where it can be located by the rescuers.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for holding a flight data recorder in an aircraft comprising:
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a housing for enclosing the flight data recorder, the housing provided with an opening for the flight data recorder to egress from the housing; a cover for closing the opening when the cover is in a closed position; one or more releasable fasteners holding the cover in the closed position and configured to open the cover when the one or more releasable fasteners are triggered; and a pressurized flotation device provided within the housing and attached to the flight data recorder, wherein when the aircraft is under water, one or more releasable fasteners are triggered thereby opening the cover and the flotation device floats pulls the flight data recorder out of the housing and floats the flight data recorder to the surface of the water, wherein the flight data recorder is attached to the flotation device such that the flight data recorder is contained inside the flotation device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for holding a flight data recorder in an aircraft comprising:
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a housing for enclosing the flight data recorder, the housing provided with an opening for the flight data recorder to egress from the housing; a pressurized flotation device provided within the housing and attached to the flight data recorder, wherein the floatation device is configured to exceed the size of the opening when pressurized to a predetermined pressure during normal operating conditions, and wherein, when the aircraft is under water and the housing is at a predetermined depth, the floatation device is configured to decrease to a size less than that of the opening when the ambient water pressure contracts the pressurized flotation device causing the flotation device to egress from the housing through the opening and float the flight data recorder to the surface of the water. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for holding a flight data recorder in an aircraft comprising:
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a housing for enclosing the flight data recorder, the housing provided with an opening for the flight data recorder to egress from the housing; a pressurized flotation device provided within the housing and attached to the flight data recorder, wherein when the aircraft is under water and the housing is at a predetermined depth, the ambient water pressure contracts the pressurized flotation device causing the flotation device to egress from the housing through the opening and float the flight data recorder to the surface of the water, wherein the flight data recorder is attached to the flotation device such that the flight data recorder is contained inside the flotation device.
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19. An apparatus for holding a flight data recorder in an aircraft comprising:
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a housing for enclosing the flight data recorder, the housing provided with an opening for the flight data recorder to egress from the housing; a cover for closing the opening when the cover is in a closed position; one or more releasable fasteners holding the cover in the closed position and configured to open the cover when the one or more releasable fasteners are triggered; a valve for equalizing the pressure between the portion of the housing enclosing the flight data recorder and the ambient water; and a flotation device provided within the housing and attached to the flight data recorder, wherein when the aircraft is under water, the portion of the housing enclosing the flight data recorder is configured to be flooded with ambient water upon submersion, and one or more releasable fasteners are triggered thereby opening the cover and the flotation device floats pulls the flight data recorder out of the housing and floats the flight data recorder to the surface of the water.
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Specification