Patent US2297816A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3748635A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Aircraft submergence detector
Assignee: G&H Technology Inc
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Filing: 1971-08-05
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Granted: 1973-07-24
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Expires: 1991-08-05
Abstract
Abstract A system is disclosed for detecting the presence of a fluid. The present detection system is shown on an aircraft and is effective to detect flooding of the aircraft as occurs when the aircraft is submerged in water. The present detection system includes a sensor which has transducer means for transmitting and receiving energy such as ultrasonic energy through an air space which may fill with the water. The energy has entirely different propagation characteristics; i.e., attenuation and velocity through air and water whereby the changes in the transmission of the ultrasonic energy indicates whether the air space has filled with water.
Inventors
- 👤 J Phillips
- 👤 G Posakony
- 👤 R Stephenson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 00:14
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01F; G01F23/00; G01F23/22; G01F23/28; G01F23/296; G01F23/2961; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/02; G01S15/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
280 words
An aircraft submergence detector including the combination of, a sensor adapted to be mounted upon an aircraft in an exposed location, a normally open space in said sensor, said space being adapted to fill with water when said aircraft is down in the water, transducer means in said sensor communicating with said space, said transducer means being effective to transmit energy into said space in response to a driving signal, said transducer means being effective to receive said energy from said space and produce a signal corresponding to the received energy, the characteristics of the received energy and of the received signal corresponding to the medium in said space through which the energy travels, a transmitter coupled to the transducer means, said transmitter being effective to produce a driving signal for causing the transducer means to transmit said energy, a receiver coupled to the transducer means and responsive to the received signal, a gate in said receiver, said gate having an OPEN condition wherein said received signal passes through the gate and a CLOSED condition wherein said received signal does not pass through the gate, time delay means coupled to said transmitter and to said gate, said time delay means being effective to maintain the gate in said OPEN condition during the time interval the received signal will occur when said space is filled with a particular medium, amplitude responsive means in said receiver effective to only pass the received signal when the amplitude thereof is in the range which occurs when the said space is filled with said particular medium, and output means coupled to the gate and/or amplitude responsive means and responsive to the received signals passed therethrough.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
280 words
An aircraft submergence detector including the combination of, a sensor adapted to be mounted upon an aircraft in an exposed location, a normally open space in said sensor, said space being adapted to fill with water when said aircraft is down in the water, transducer means in said sensor communicating with said space, said transducer means being effective to transmit energy into said space in response to a driving signal, said transducer means being effective to receive said energy from said space and produce a signal corresponding to the received energy, the characteristics of the received energy and of the received signal corresponding to the medium in said space through which the energy travels, a transmitter coupled to the transducer means, said transmitter being effective to produce a driving signal for causing the transducer means to transmit said energy, a receiver coupled to the transducer means and responsive to the received signal, a gate in said receiver, said gate having an OPEN condition wherein said received signal passes through the gate and a CLOSED condition wherein said received signal does not pass through the gate, time delay means coupled to said transmitter and to said gate, said time delay means being effective to maintain the gate in said OPEN condition during the time interval the received signal will occur when said space is filled with a particular medium, amplitude responsive means in said receiver effective to only pass the received signal when the amplitude thereof is in the range which occurs when the said space is filled with said particular medium, and output means coupled to the gate and/or amplitude responsive means and responsive to the received signals passed therethrough.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The combination of claim 1 wherein said transducer means includes a transmitting transducer on one side of said space and a receiving transducer on the opposite side of said space.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The combination of claim 1 wherein a reflector is disposed in said space for reflecting the ultrasonic energy transmitted into said space by said transducer means back to said transducer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The combination of claim 3 wherein said transducer means includes a first transducer for transmitting ultrasonic energy into said space and a second transducer for receiving ultrasonic energy returning from said reflector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
215 words
An aircraft submergence detector adapted to be mounted upon an aircraft for sensing when the aircraft is submerged in water and activate survival equipment when said detector is submerged, said detector including the combination of, a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft, said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with water when the aircraft is submerged in the water, ultrasonic transducer means in said search unit adapted to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy traversing said space, transmitter means coupled to said transducer means and effective to intermittently energize said transducer means whereby it transmits pulses of ultrasonic energy into said space, said transducer means being effective to receive ultrasonic energy from said space at a predetermined time after the transmission of said energy and with a predetermIned amplitude when said space is completely filled with said water, said transducer means being effective to produce a signal corresponding in time and amplitude to said received energy, a receiver coupled to said transducer means for receiving said signal, gate means in said receiver coupled to said transmitter means and responsive only to signals of said amplitude occurring at said time, and actuating means coupled to said gate whereby said gate is effective to energize said actuating means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
215 words
An aircraft submergence detector adapted to be mounted upon an aircraft for sensing when the aircraft is submerged in water and activate survival equipment when said detector is submerged, said detector including the combination of, a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft, said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with water when the aircraft is submerged in the water, ultrasonic transducer means in said search unit adapted to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy traversing said space, transmitter means coupled to said transducer means and effective to intermittently energize said transducer means whereby it transmits pulses of ultrasonic energy into said space, said transducer means being effective to receive ultrasonic energy from said space at a predetermined time after the transmission of said energy and with a predetermIned amplitude when said space is completely filled with said water, said transducer means being effective to produce a signal corresponding in time and amplitude to said received energy, a receiver coupled to said transducer means for receiving said signal, gate means in said receiver coupled to said transmitter means and responsive only to signals of said amplitude occurring at said time, and actuating means coupled to said gate whereby said gate is effective to energize said actuating means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
219 words
An aircraft submergence detector adapted to be mounted upon an aircraft for sensing when the aircraft is submerged in water, and activating survival equipment when said detector is submerged, said detector including the combination of a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft, said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with water when the aircraft is submerged in the water, a first ultrasonic transducer in said search unit adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy into and across said space, transmitter means coupled to said first transducer and effective to intermittently energize said transducer whereby it intermittently transmits pulses of ultrasonic energy into and across said space, a second ultrasonic transducer in said search unit adapted to receive said ultrasonic energy after it has traversed said space, said transducer being effective to produce a signal at a predetermined time after the trans-mission of said pulse and with a predetermined amplitude when said space is completely filled with said water, a receiver coupled to said second transducer for receiving said signal, gate means in said receiver coupled to said transmitter means and responsive to signals only when they occur at said time and have said amplitude, and actuating means coupled to said gate whereby said gate is effective to energize said actuating means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
219 words
An aircraft submergence detector adapted to be mounted upon an aircraft for sensing when the aircraft is submerged in water, and activating survival equipment when said detector is submerged, said detector including the combination of a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft, said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with water when the aircraft is submerged in the water, a first ultrasonic transducer in said search unit adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy into and across said space, transmitter means coupled to said first transducer and effective to intermittently energize said transducer whereby it intermittently transmits pulses of ultrasonic energy into and across said space, a second ultrasonic transducer in said search unit adapted to receive said ultrasonic energy after it has traversed said space, said transducer being effective to produce a signal at a predetermined time after the trans-mission of said pulse and with a predetermined amplitude when said space is completely filled with said water, a receiver coupled to said second transducer for receiving said signal, gate means in said receiver coupled to said transmitter means and responsive to signals only when they occur at said time and have said amplitude, and actuating means coupled to said gate whereby said gate is effective to energize said actuating means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
185 words
An aircraft survival device including the combination of, survival equipment to be carried on board said aircraft and deployed from said aircraft in the event it is down at sea, a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft in an exposed location said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with sea water when the aircraft is down at sea, ultrasonic transducer means in said search unit effective to transmit pulses of ultrasonic energy into said space and to receive said pulses of ultrasonic energy from said space, said received pulses occurring at a predetermined time with a predetermined amplitude only when said space is completely filled with said water, said transducer means being effective to produce a signal corresponding in time and amplitude to the received energy, a receiver coupled to said transducer means for receiving said signal, and actuating means in said receiver responsive only to signals of said amplitude occurring at said time, said actuating means being effective to deploy said survival equipment when said signals occur at said time and with said amplitude.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
185 words
An aircraft survival device including the combination of, survival equipment to be carried on board said aircraft and deployed from said aircraft in the event it is down at sea, a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft in an exposed location said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with sea water when the aircraft is down at sea, ultrasonic transducer means in said search unit effective to transmit pulses of ultrasonic energy into said space and to receive said pulses of ultrasonic energy from said space, said received pulses occurring at a predetermined time with a predetermined amplitude only when said space is completely filled with said water, said transducer means being effective to produce a signal corresponding in time and amplitude to the received energy, a receiver coupled to said transducer means for receiving said signal, and actuating means in said receiver responsive only to signals of said amplitude occurring at said time, said actuating means being effective to deploy said survival equipment when said signals occur at said time and with said amplitude.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
182 words
An aircraft submergence detector including the combination of, survival equipment to be carried on board said aircraft and deployed therefrom in the event the aircraft is down at sea, a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft, said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with sea water when the aircraft is down at sea, a first ultrasonic transducer in said search unit adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy, said transducer projecting into said space and being acoustically coupled directly thereto for transmitting ultrasonic energy into said space, a second ultrasonic transducer effective to receive said ultrasonic energy, said second transducer projecting into said space and being acoustically coupled directly thereto for receiving said energy from said space at a predetermined time with a predetermined amplitude only when said space iS completely filled with said water and to produce a signal corresponding thereto, a receiver coupled to said transducer means for receiving said signal, and means in said receiver responsive only to signals of said amplitude occurring at said time for deploying said survival equipment.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
182 words
An aircraft submergence detector including the combination of, survival equipment to be carried on board said aircraft and deployed therefrom in the event the aircraft is down at sea, a search unit adapted to be mounted on said aircraft, said search unit having a normally open space constructed and arranged to be filled with sea water when the aircraft is down at sea, a first ultrasonic transducer in said search unit adapted to transmit ultrasonic energy, said transducer projecting into said space and being acoustically coupled directly thereto for transmitting ultrasonic energy into said space, a second ultrasonic transducer effective to receive said ultrasonic energy, said second transducer projecting into said space and being acoustically coupled directly thereto for receiving said energy from said space at a predetermined time with a predetermined amplitude only when said space iS completely filled with said water and to produce a signal corresponding thereto, a receiver coupled to said transducer means for receiving said signal, and means in said receiver responsive only to signals of said amplitude occurring at said time for deploying said survival equipment.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-23 | 1977-01-22 | 1977-07-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-23 | 1981-01-22 | 1981-07-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-23 | 1985-01-22 | 1985-07-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |