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US 2007/0181746 A1Published application
Window assembly for aircraft fuselage
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJeffrey Wood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A window assembly for an aircraft fuselage comprises an exterior transparent panel and an interior transparent panel positioned in an opening of the fuselage. At least one of the transparent panels may be relatively lightweight and the exterior transparent panel may be spaced apart from and in overlying relationship with the interior transparent panel. To ameliorate pressure build up in the spaced apart area, a pressure modulator, such as a vent, may be provided.
Claims19
A window assembly for an aircraft fuselage comprising:
- an exterior transparent panel covering at least a portion of an opening in the aircraft fuselage;
- an interior transparent panel positioned in a spaced apart relationship with the exterior transparent panel and overlying at least a portion of the exterior transparent panel, wherein the spaced apart relationship defines a space between the exterior and interior transparent panels;
- a pathway in the exterior panel, wherein said pathway is in direct communication with the space and the atmosphere outside the aircraft fuselage and;
- a pressure modulator secured to the pathway which is adapted to remain closed until a pre-determined pressure differential occurs between a pressure in the space and a pressure of the atmosphere at which time the pressure modulator is adapted to open to release the pressure in the space directly to the atmosphere.
1 more element
A method of modulating pressure in an aircraft window assembly comprising:
- providing an aircraft window assembly comprising:
- an exterior transparent panel covering at least a portion of an opening in an aircraft fuselage;
- an interior transparent panel positioned in a spaced apart relationship with the exterior transparent panel and overlying at least a portion of the exterior transparent panel, wherein the spaced apart relationship defines a space between the exterior and interior transparent panels;
- a pathway in the exterior panel in communication with the space and the atmosphere outside the aircraft fuselage and;
- a pressure modulator secured to the pathway;
- keeping the pressure modulator closed as long as a pressure differential between a pressure in the space and a pressure of the atmosphere is below a pre-determined pressure differential;
- and
- opening the pressure modulator when the pressure differential between the pressure in the space and the pressure in the atmosphere reaches the pre-determined pressure differential.
5 more elements
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.