I. TITLE: "AIRCRAFTPASSENGER SAFETY CAPSULE"

II. TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an aircraft passenger safety capsule, and more particularly, to a passenger capsule that is releasable from the fuselage of an aircraft for safety purposes.

III. BACKGROUND ART

Several designs for aircraft passenger safety mechanisms have been developed in the past. None of them, however, includes a passenger capsule that slides out as it is released from the aircraft fuselage shell. This is a novel safety feature for passenger aircrafts.

Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.

IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide an aircraft passenger safety capsule that can be released from the shell of an aircraft for safety purposes.

It is another object of this invention to provide an aircraft passenger safety capsule with parachutes conveniently disposed to ensure the capsule's safe forced landing.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a capsule that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

V. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents a front elevational view of the aircraft passenger safety capsule, object of the present patent application.

Figure 2 shows a front elevational view of the invention represented in figure 1, as the aircraft passenger safety capsule is being released from the aircraft shell.

Figure 3 illustrates a front elevational view of the invention represented in the previous figures, when the aircraft passenger safety- capsule has been released from the aircraft shell and the parachutes have been deployed.

Figure 4 is a cross section view taken along line 4-4 from figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed view taken from area 5 in figure 1, showing a portion of the wheel and the brake assemblies as part of the releasing mechanism used for the present invention.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the passenger capsule of the present invention, showing the wheel and the brake assemblies.

Figure 7 shows a top view of the passenger capsule, showing the parachute assemblies and one of their preferred dispositions.

VI. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral 10, it can be observed that it basically includes passenger capsule 20 releasably housed within fuselage shell assembly 80, as seen in figures 1, 2 and 3.

Passenger capsule 20 has control panel 21 with its connections incorporated therein, as seen in figure 3. There are several connections, with connections in passenger capsule 20 and their respective docking connectors in fuselage shell assembly 80. These connections included electrical, hydraulic and mechanical. In the present invention, the connections are releasable from the docking connectors. Capsule 20 also includes front end 22, rear end 24 with space 25, bottom portion 26, and curved upper portion 28 with storage cavities 29. As best seen in figure 7, storage cavities 29 are preferably arranged next to each other in a spaced apart relationship on upper portion 28. Passenger capsule 20 also includes wheel assembly 30 and brake assembly 40.

As seen in figures 4 and 5, wheel assembly 30 and brake assembly 40 are mounted to bottom portion 26. Wheel assembly 30 includes wheel members 32 rotatably mounted to axle 34. A predetermined number of axles 34 are fixedly mounted to bottom portion 26. Two wheel members 32 are rotatably mounted to each axle members 34, preferably. Brake assembly 40 is fixedly mounted to end 35 of axle 34. Brake assembly 40 includes brake members 42, which can be implemented with any compatible brake system, such as those manufactured by Ford Motor, Co. and generally known as caliper pistons. Brake assembly 40 prevents the

movement of capsule 20 inside fuselage assembly 80. Brake assembly 40 is releasable when capsule 20 is ready to be ejected.

As best seen in figures 6 and 7, sealing assembly 50 includes sealing member 52, which is a large O-ring inserted in peripheral channel 54 on passenger capsule 20. Its purpose is to seal off the interior of fuselage shell 80 so that the aircraft can be properly pressurized.

Several parachutes are used to slow down the descent of passenger capsule 20. As best seen in figure 3, main parachute assembly 60 is initially deployed to help in the separation of capsule 20 from shell 80. Parachute 64 is housed within space 25 in rear end 24. Cap 66 releasably cover cavity 25. Subsequently, several smaller parachute assemblies 62 are deployed bringing capsule 20 in a substantially horizontal descending position. Assemblies 62 are mounted, next to each other, over upper portion 28, inside storage cavities 29 for this purpose. The timing for deployment of parachute assemblies 62 can be implemented with sensors that detect the separation of capsule 20 from shell 80.

To initiate the ejection of capsule 20, a deployment rocket assembly 70 is used. Passenger capsule 20 additionally includes ejecting rocket assembly 70 with rockets members 72 mounted to the sides of bottom portion 26, next to front end 22, as shown in figures 2 and 6. Rockets members 72 can be implemented with any compatible ejecting rocket such as the mechanism manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion, West Palm Beach Operations, West Palm Beach, Florida, under part No. MK72 Booster or similar used in the art for aircraft to eject the pilot seat when an emergency occurs. Rocket assembly 70 is used for ejecting

passenger capsule 20 from fuselage shell assembly 80 when necessary. The controls for actuating deployment rocket assembly 70 are housed within capsule 20, preferably in control panel 21.

Fuselage shell assembly 80 includes front end 81, wings 82 with engines 83 mounted thereto, fuel tanks 86, control outlets 87, landing gear 88 and rear end 89, as best seen in figures 1 and 4. Fuselage shell assembly 80 also includes interior base 90 on which passenger capsule 20 is mounted. Interior base 90 includes rail members 92 longitudinally and rigidly mounted thereon. Rail members 92 are at a parallel and spaced apart relationship with respect to base 90. Rail members 92 slidably receive brake members 42. During normal operation, brake members 42 secure passenger capsule 20 to fuselage shell assembly 80. In an emergency, brake members 42 release rail members 92 so the formers slide along rail members 92 until capsule 20 goes out fuselage shell assembly 80. Shell assembly 80 also has a tail fin for vertical stabilization and a tail plane for horizontal stabilization.

The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

VIl. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

It is apparent from the previous paragraphs that an improvement of the type for such a aircraft passenger safety capsule is quite desirable for passenger safety.