US 4,749,256 AGranted

Mounting apparatus for head-up display

AssigneeGEC Avionics Limited

InventorsRonald Bell, Vinson A. Loos, Robin D. Huckaby, James E. Farrer

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Abstract

A mounting apparatus for mounting the pilot's display unit for a head-up display system in an aircraft cockpit affords a stowage position for the display unit which does not restrict the pilot's movement or obscure his vision, and further provides ease of transition between the operating and stowage positions. The mounting apparatus provides a crash-release feature which permits the pilot's display unit to breakaway forwardly upon impact and to be constrained in a forward position to prevent the display unit from rebounding violently rearwardly toward the pilot's head. The mounting apparatus further provides a quick-replacement capability which permits fast and easy removal and installation of the pilot's display unit with a minimum of tools and no need for realignment.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus for mounting the pilot's display unit of a head-up display system to suspend from the cockpit overhead of an aircraft, comprising:

means mountable to the cockpit overhead for providing a fixed reference with respect to the aircraft;
means for pivotably mounting said pilot's display unit to said fixed reference means for rotation about a first axis of rotation substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said aircraft, and
means for pivotably mounting said pilot's display unit to said fixed reference means for rotation about a second axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said aircraft,
whereby said pilot's display unit is rotatable about said first axis of rotation in a vertical plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said aircraft, such that said display unit is laterally rotatable between a vertical position, in which the pilot's display unit is suspended in a pilot's line of sight, and a horizontal position, in which the display unit is rotatably raised out of the pilot's line of sight for stowage, and
whereby said pilot's display unit is rotatable about said second axis of rotation in a vertical plane parallel to said longitudinal axis of said aircraft, such that said display unit is forwardly rotatable to a forward position removed from the pilot's head.

2 more elements

An apparatus for mounting the pilot's display unit of a head-up display system to suspend from the cockpit overhead of an aircraft, comprising:

a frame mountable to the cockpit overhead;
a yoke pivotably mounted within a receiver in said frame for rotation about a first axis of rotation substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said aircraft, and
means for pivotably mounting said pilot's display unit to said yoke for rotation about a second axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said aircraft,
whereby said yoke is rotatable about said first axis of rotation in a vertical plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said aircraft, such that said display unit mounted thereto is laterally rotatable between a vertical position, in which the pilot's display unit is suspended in a pilot's line of sight, and a horizontal position, in which the display unit is rotatably raised out of the pilot's line of sight for stowage, and
whereby said pilot's display unit is rotatable about said second axis of rotation in a vertical plane normal to said longitudinal axis of said aircraft, such that said display unit is forwardly rotatable to a forward position removed from the pilot's head.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.