Active vent and re-inflation system for a crash attentuation airbag

• US 9,260,192 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Lu, Zi, Tho, Cheng-Ho, Smith, Michael R., Seifert, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US14/525,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20150041584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2201/00 Airbags mounted in aircraft for any use
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/00 Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for parachutes B64D17/00, B64D19/00; jettisoning of fuel tanks or fuel per se B64D37/00; specially adapted for protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems B64D45/0015 ; safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00; safety belts or body harnesses for land vehicles B60R22/00; jettisonable parts of fuselage facilitating emergency escape B64C

Abstract

A crash attenuation system has an airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an exterior of the aircraft. The system includes a gas generator in fluid communication with an interior of the airbag. The system also includes a vent system having a vent passage supported by the aircraft, the vent passage being configured to allow gas to escape from within the airbag during an impact to a second set of airbags for flotation. The vent system also includes an actuator door for sealing the vent passage, thereby preventing gas from leaving the airbag. The actuator door is actuated by an actuator, the actuator being in fluid communication with the gas generator through an actuator duct. The system operates such that deployment of gas from the gas generator causes the actuator to inflate, thereby causing the actuator door to seal the vent passage. The gas generator is configured to re-inflate the airbag after the actuator door seals the vent passage.

Claims

1. A crash attenuation system for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a first airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an exterior of the aircraft;

a second airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an exterior of the first airbag; and

a vent system, the vent system comprising;

a vent passage being configured to allow gas to escape from within the first airbag during an impact into the second airbag;

wherein the first airbag is inflated and the second airbag is uninflated before impact.

2. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 1, the vent system further comprising:

a valve located in the vent passage;

wherein the valve is a one-way valve.

3. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the second airbag is fully inflated after the impact;

and

wherein the first airbag is partially inflated after the impact.

4. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 1, the vent system further comprising:

a partition located inside the first airbag; and

a one-way valve located in the partition.

5. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 4, wherein the partition forms a first volume and a second volume inside the first airbag;

and

wherein during impact the gas of the first volume is expelled into the second volume thereby expanding the second airbag.

6. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 4, wherein the one-way valve is selectively controlled.

7. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft, comprising:

a inner airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an exterior of the aircraft;

an outer airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an interior of the first airbag; and

a vent system, the vent system comprising;

a vent passage being configured to allow gas to escape from within the inner airbag during an impact into the outer airbag;

wherein the inner airbag is inflated and the outer airbag is uninflated before impact.

8. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 7, the vent system further comprises:

a one-way valve.

9. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 7, wherein the outer airbag is fully inflated after the impact;

and

wherein the inner airbag is partially inflated after the impact.

10. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 7, wherein the outer airbag is stored inside the inner airbag until impact.

11. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 7, further comprising:

a partition located inside the inner airbag;

wherein the one-way valve is located in the partition.

12. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 11, wherein the partition forms a first volume and a second volume;

and

wherein during impact the gas of the first volume is expelled into the second volume thereby expanding the outer airbag.

13. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 7, wherein a pressure differential between the inner airbag and the outer airbag causes the outer airbag to be expelled from the vent passage.

14. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 8, wherein the one-way valve is selectively controlled.

15. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 7, wherein all edges of the outer airbag are sealed to the inner airbag.

16. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft according to claim 12, wherein the outer airbag is stored inside the inner airbag between the partition and the vent passage until impact.

17. The crash attenuation system for an aircraft, comprising:

an inner set of airbags inflatable generally adjacent to a position beneath an exterior of the aircraft;

an outer set of airbags inflatable generally adjacent the inner set airbags; and

a vent system, the vent system comprising;

a vent passage being configured to allow gas to escape from within the inner airbags during an impact into the outer airbags;

wherein the inner set of airbags are inflated and the outer set of airbags are uninflated before impact.