Inflatable Cockpit Vision Apparatus for Smoke Visibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Pilots face challenges in maintaining visual contact with critical aircraft instruments and windshields during smoke or particulate emergencies, as existing emergency vision devices may not effectively clear the line of sight or efficiently deploy in limited cockpit spaces.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable enclosure with transparent members is integrated into the aircraft cockpit, bridging the gap between the pilot and the windshield and instrument panel, powered by a blower with a compact storage design and automatic activation mechanism, ensuring clear visibility through smoke and particulate matter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If an emergency vision device is deployed to clear the line of sight from smoke, then visibility is improved, but the device requires significant storage space in the limited cockpit environment
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable enclosure is stored within a compartment recessed into the glare shield, with the deflated enclosure occupying minimal space alongside the blower motor and control components. This nested arrangement allows the emergency vision device to be stored efficiently within the existing cockpit structure without requiring additional external space.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure transitions from a compact deflated state during storage to an expanded inflated state during operation. This dynamic transformation allows the same component to occupy minimal space when not in use while providing sufficient volume to clear smoke when deployed, effectively resolving the space-visibility contradiction.
2Speed
If a blower system is used to inflate the enclosure quickly, then deployment speed is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs an automatic activation mechanism where removal of a protective cap from the air outlet automatically triggers the blower motor to inflate the enclosure. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual switch activation or complex control systems, achieving rapid deployment while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The blower motor and air delivery system are pre-positioned within the glare shield compartment, with air passages and outlets pre-configured. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when activation occurs, inflation begins immediately without requiring additional setup or complex sequencing, thus achieving fast deployment with minimal complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides pilots with a clear viewing path to vital information, enabling safe aircraft landing by effectively displacing smoke and reducing storage space requirements, thus enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a blower; an inflatable enclosure remote from the blower... an air passageway connecting the blower and the enclosure
Implementation Method 2
provides a clear viewing path to the windshield and/or the instrument panel, thereby providing the operator with vital information for guiding the aircraft to a safe landing after smoke and/or particulate matter invades the cockpit area
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A glare shield equipped with an emergency vision apparatus comprises a glare shield in a cockpit and a compartment recessed into the glare shield. A blower is disposed within the compartment. An inflatable first enclosure made of airtight material and having an expanded form when deployed and a deflated form when not in use is connected to the blower with a tubular air passageway. The first enclosure when in the deflated form is stored within the compartment. First and second clear members are disposed at respective first and second ends of the enclosure to enable a user to see through the first enclosure when expanded and observe a source of information at a distal end of the first enclosure while smoke or other particulate matter is in the environment. A switch operably is associated with the blower to activate the blower and thereby inflate the first enclosure when deployed.