Method of activating protection means for protecting an occupant of an aircraft, and an aircraft implementing said method
First Claim
1. A method of activating protection means via activator means in order to protect the physical integrity of an occupant of an aircraft during an accident, the aircraft being associated with a rectangular coordinate system comprising a longitudinal axis (X), a transverse axis (Y), and an elevation axis (Z), the method comprising the following steps:
- determining a longitudinal acceleration of the aircraft along said longitudinal axis (X), a transverse acceleration of the aircraft along said transverse axis (Y), and an elevation acceleration of the aircraft along said elevation axis (Z);
determining a longitudinal variation of a longitudinal speed of the aircraft along said longitudinal axis (X), a transverse variation of a transverse speed of the aircraft along said transverse axis (Y), and an elevation variation of an elevation speed of the aircraft along said elevation axis (Z); and
activating said protection means when, firstly the acceleration of said aircraft along a particular axis being one of the longitudinal, transverse and elevation axes is greater than a first variable threshold, and secondly the speed variation of the aircraft along said particular axis being the same one of the longitudinal, transverse and elevation axes is greater than a second variable threshold,wherein the first and second variable thresholds each vary based on a stage of flight of the aircraft so as to be minimized during predetermined accident-prone stages of flight.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of activating protection means (1) in order to protect the physical integrity of an occupant of an aircraft (10) during an accident is provided. The protection means (1) are activated when, firstly the acceleration of said aircraft (10) along a particular axis (X, Y, Z) of the coordinate system of the aircraft (10) is greater than a first variable threshold, and secondly when the speed variation of the aircraft along said particular axis (X, Y, Z) is greater than a second variable threshold. The first variable threshold and the second variable threshold each vary as a function of the stage of flight of the aircraft (10) in such a manner as to be minimized during predetermined accident-prone stages of flight.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of activating protection means via activator means in order to protect the physical integrity of an occupant of an aircraft during an accident, the aircraft being associated with a rectangular coordinate system comprising a longitudinal axis (X), a transverse axis (Y), and an elevation axis (Z), the method comprising the following steps:
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determining a longitudinal acceleration of the aircraft along said longitudinal axis (X), a transverse acceleration of the aircraft along said transverse axis (Y), and an elevation acceleration of the aircraft along said elevation axis (Z); determining a longitudinal variation of a longitudinal speed of the aircraft along said longitudinal axis (X), a transverse variation of a transverse speed of the aircraft along said transverse axis (Y), and an elevation variation of an elevation speed of the aircraft along said elevation axis (Z); and activating said protection means when, firstly the acceleration of said aircraft along a particular axis being one of the longitudinal, transverse and elevation axes is greater than a first variable threshold, and secondly the speed variation of the aircraft along said particular axis being the same one of the longitudinal, transverse and elevation axes is greater than a second variable threshold, wherein the first and second variable thresholds each vary based on a stage of flight of the aircraft so as to be minimized during predetermined accident-prone stages of flight. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of activating a protection device in an aircraft, the method comprising:
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setting a first variable threshold based on an aircraft acceleration along a plurality of directions; setting a second variable threshold based on an aircraft speed variation along the plurality of directions; and activating the protection device when the aircraft acceleration is greater than the first variable threshold along one of the plurality of directions and the aircraft speed variation is greater than the second variable threshold along the same one of the plurality of directions, wherein the first and second variable thresholds vary based on a stage of flight of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification