Back to results
US 11,027,829 B2Granted
Aircraft provided with a buoyancy system, and a buoyancy method
AssigneeAirbus Helicopters
InventorsLouis Delorme, Pierre Prud'Homme Lacroix
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buoyancy method for deploying a plurality of floats of a buoyancy system of an aircraft. The plurality of floats comprises a plurality of main floats and a plurality of secondary floats that are folded in flight. The method comprises a step of deploying the main floats in flight prior to ditching, and a step of deploying the secondary floats after ditching.
Claims16
An aircraft having a buoyancy system, the buoyancy system comprising:
- a plurality of floats, each float of the plurality of floats folded in flight other than during a stage of ditching, the buoyancy system including a deployment system for deploying each float of the plurality of floats outside an airframe of the aircraft, the plurality of floats comprising a plurality of main floats and a plurality of secondary floats, wherein the buoyancy system is configured to deploy the main floats outside the airframe in flight prior to ditching and to deploy the secondary floats outside the airframe after ditching,
- wherein the plurality of floats forms a plurality of float units, each float unit having a main float and a secondary float arranged side by side, a main float of a float unit arranged transversely between the secondary float of the float unit and the airframe,
- wherein the deployment system comprises at least one main inflator in fluid flow communication with only at least one main float to inflate only the at least one main float, the deployment system including at least one secondary inflator distinct from the at least one main inflator and in fluid flow communication with only at least one secondary float in order to inflate only the at least one secondary float.
A buoyancy system for an aircraft, the buoyancy system comprising:
- a plurality of floats comprising at least one pair of main floats and at least one pair of secondary floats, each float of the plurality of floats folded during a stage of flight;
- a deployment system for deploying each float of the plurality of floats outside an aircraft during at least one stage of ditching, the deployment system configured to:
- inflate the main floats during at least one of the stages of ditching prior to the aircraft reaching the liquid surface;
- and
- subsequent to inflating of the main floats, inflate the secondary floats after the main floats without deflating the main floats.
2 more elements
The buoyancy system of 12, wherein the deployment system is further configured to:
- inflate the main floats during a first stage of ditching while the aircraft is still in flight;
- and
- subsequently inflate the secondary floats during a second stage of ditching after the first stage of ditching.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.