Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8186614 | Protection against direct lightning strikes in riveted areas of CFRP panels A metalization structure of aircraft panels and process for obtaining such structure including a panel made in composite material, the panel including a metal mesh or foil in its outer part, said panel further including a bore which in turn comprises a shank and an ... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8167231 | Shielding arrangement for lines, in particular electrical lines, in aircraft A shielding arrangement for the lightning protection of electrical lines and components in an aircraft includes a protected installation space for receiving the lines that is arranged in the region of a floor framework, at least one delimiting surface of the install... | 05/01/2012 |
| 7988086 | Fuel tank system Unsafe electric energies can exist in aircraft fuel tanks as a result of static build-up or induced currents from lightning strikes. The invention provides an aircraft fuel tank including two discharge paths for the safe discharge of electricity from the tank before... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7963477 | Aircraft that comprises a structure that ensures the structural and electrical functions An aircraft includes a structure with structural elements (16) that are assembled to form a three-dimensional framework to which an aerodynamic envelope (14) is attached. At least some structural elements (16) are at least partly metallic and—... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7934676 | Pre-fabricated article for EME protection of an aircraft A pre-fabricated article for a composite aircraft component includes a dielectric layer and a pre-fabricated metalized pattern on the dielectric layer. The metalized pattern is fabricated on the dielectric layer prior to integration with the composite aircraft compo... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7883050 | Composites with integrated multi-functional circuits An aircraft component includes a composite structure and a metallic circuit on a film. The film is co-cured with the composite structure. The metallic circuit is patterned to dissipate energy generated by lightning strikes on the composite structure. The metal circu... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7802753 | Fuel tank for an aircraft Unsafe electric energies can exist in aircraft fuel tanks as a result of static build-up or induced currents from lightning strikes. The invention provides an aircraft having a ground circuit 19 and including a fuel tank having a fuel probe circuit having its... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7355832 | Methods and arrangements for reducing partial discharges on printed circuit boards Methods and arrangements for reducing partial discharges on a printed circuit board are provided. A method of reducing partial discharge in a printed circuit board includes providing a conducting surface coupled to a component under at least one of electrical and th... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7342765 | Current insulation device for fuel systems An electrical insulating device for a linear component forming part of a fuel system subjected to risks of possible external electrical discharges formed by a part (13) made of insulating material attached to two metal flanges (15, 17) that allow inser... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7316371 | Method and device for steepening a landing approach of an aircraft To control and particularly steepen the landing glide path of an aircraft, a respective aerodynamic component mounted on each wingtip includes a fixed plane member and a pivotable control element pivotally connected to the fixed plane member. The pivot axis is perpe... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7278609 | Movable nose cap and control strut assembly for supersonic aircraft A nose cap and control strut assembly for supersonic aircraft is disclosed. In one embodiment, the nose cap extends forward from the nose of the aircraft to deflect shock waves and decrease draft during supersonic flight. In another embodiment, control struts extend... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7236343 | Method and system for lightning current conduction protection using foil bonded strips An apparatus and method for current protection from lightning strikes is provided. An apparatus for current protection comprises an electrically conductive strip affixed to a surface, such as a structural panel, and electrically bonded to a system current return str... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7195418 | Device for joining composite structure elements with metallic structure elements A device for joining, in particular, composite structure elements with metallic structure elements of an aircraft. The device includes a junction element, provided with a first longitudinal partition wall fastened to a metallic panel, integral with a stiffener compr... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7120004 | Current diverter strip and methods A current diverter strip is provided having a dielectric (22) located above a plurality of conductive segments (24). An insulator (30) is also provided among said conductive segments (24) and below said dielectric (22). When RF tra... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7097131 | Drain valve and method of mounting The invention includes a method of mounting a component to the skin of an aircraft. The component can include a drain valve, a gas cap, other external fuel instrumentation such as sensors, and antennae. One aspect of the invention includes a new method of mounting a... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7093787 | Lightning strike mitigation system A lightning strike mitigation system for protecting a surface includes an inner insulating layer adjacent a surface to be protected, an outer insulating layer, and an intermediate layer formed from an electrically conductive material between the inner and outer insu... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7050286 | Composite structure lighting protection Arrangements for preventing electrical energy from lightning strikes against aircraft dissipating via aircraft fasteners 10 in an aircraft structure of composite materials in which a fastener 10 is covered with a layer of an insulating material 30 | 05/23/2006 |
| 7042693 | Lightning protection apparatus and method A deployable lightning protection apparatus particularly suited for use with an aircraft radome comprises a source of electrically conducting fluid, a deliver apparatus which delivers the conducting fluid flow across to the surface of the radome prior to a lightning... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7018217 | Structurally integrable electrode and associated assembly and fabrication method A structurally integrable electrode, an assembly with an integrated electrode, and an associated method are provided. The electrode is configured to provide an electrically conductive path between nodes of an electrical circuit of a structural member. In particular,... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7014143 | Aircraft lightning strike protection and grounding technique An aircraft panel assembly 10 is provided, including a panel core 28, a plurality of pre-preg layers 30 surrounding the panel core 28 forming an internal layer of plies 34, at least one metal foil layer 38 positioned on an o... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6981671 | Airframe structure-integrated capacitor An energy storage arrangement wherein electrical charge is stored in capacitor elements dispersed throughout, for example, surface structural components of an aircraft. The electrical capacitor elements may involve dielectric material-separated electrical plates com... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6942177 | Static discharge cable for aircraft and method of using same A static discharge cable is attachable to a rescue hook or other component being lowered by an aircraft. The cable has a first fitting attachable to the hook or other component, a second fitting attached to the first fitting, and a conductive cable attached to the s... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6918985 | Method for making a radome A method for making a radome includes the steps of placing a first dry fiber preform into a female mold having a mold surface contoured as a negative image of a desired contour to be imparted to an exterior surface of the radome, and placing a polyetherimide foam co... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6905094 | Aircraft windshield attachment device Device for attachment of an aircraft windshield. The device comprises a monoblock flange (14). The flange is fixed to the structure (12) of the aircraft by screws (16), so as to trap a peripheral edge of the windshield glass (10) b... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6500275 | Mitigation of spacecraft charging by means of polar molecules The process of mitigation of spacecraft surface charging using polar molecules is invented. There exists a class of polar molecules which are electro-negative. This class includes the halocarbons, and includes the fluorocarbon refrigerants. They readily p... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6474595 | Electrical energy depletion/collection system An electrical energy depletion/collection system including a mobile airborne trigger platform; a mobile host platform; an electrical interconnection between the trigger platform and the host platform; and an electrical energy storage subsystem resident on... | 11/05/2002 |
| 6463672 | Mitigation of spacecraft charging by means of ionized water vapor The process of mitigation of spacecraft surface charging using ionized water vapor is used, since it helps taking excess surface electrons away from a spacecraft surface, leaving practically no residue after complete evaporation.... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6457943 | Lightning protection for wind turbine blade A wind turbine blade with a lightning conductor, where said lightning conductor is formed by one or more oblong strips (1, 2, 3) of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics preferably forming part of the wind turbine blade. In this manner the oblong strips (1, 2,... | 10/01/2002 |
| 6435452 | Aircraft drainmast assembly An aircraft drainmast assembly including a drainmast for ejection of waste water from an aircraft and a grounding plate for protection against lightning strike currents. The grounding plate is made of an electrically conductive material and is attached to... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6361869 | Materials and method of charge dissipation in space vehicles The present invention provides a method and materials for reducing or limiting charge accumulation and the resulting arc discharges in components used in space vehicles such as satellites prone to charge buildup due to exposure to a charge flux. The mater... | 03/26/2002 |
| 6327132 | Spark resistant structure, in particular for aircraft Spark-resistant structure for use with aircraft, including a sheet-shaped external element made of a composite material with an exterior face bearing an electrically conducting surface layer for dissipating lightning energy. The external element also has ... | 12/04/2001 |
| 6320118 | Adhesively bonded joints in carbon fibre composite structures A structural joint for the transmission and control of high current flows in a carbon fiber or carbon fiber hybrid composite structure, said joint including at least two composite structures comprising a multiplicity of resin bonded carbon fiber plies, an... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6260808 | Passive electrical grounding of a spacecraft to the ambient plasma environment A spacecraft includes a spacecraft base structure having an externally facing, electrically conducting spacecraft surface, with the spacecraft structure including a solar cell array. A grounding structure has an externally facing, electrically conducting ... | 07/17/2001 |
| 5873544 | Slidable duct assembly for aircraft anti-icing conduit systems Disclosed is a slidable duct assembly for conducting air from a fixed component to a component that is movable with respect to the fixed component by conducting air from a fixed supply of air, associated with the fixed component, to an air delivery member... | 02/23/1999 |
| 5862032 | Cowling assembly A cowling assembly for a vehicle comprises a general external surface having secured to or adjacent thereto, an elongate lightning diverter element which, at least when subjected to a high electric field, is electrically conductive, wherein a portion of t... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5845872 | Method and arrangement for fastening composite aircraft skins The present invention provides a method of fastening an outer composite aircraft skin (12) to an inner substructure (14), which may be the wall of a fuel tank. The method includes the steps of incorporating an electrically conductive layer (26) in an oute... | 12/08/1998 |
| 5716193 | Installation for affording electrical continuity for rotorcraft rotor The installation for removing electrostatic charge and passing lightning current between a conductor of each blade of the rotor and a metallic part of the hub comprises at least one conductive member integral with the member for linking the blade to the h... | 02/10/1998 |
| 5709356 | Anti-spark structure, in particular for aircraft An anti-spark structure includes first and second elements of composite material which are at least partially superimposed and assembled together with a screw and nut. The nut has a recess which defines a storage chamber for storing gases formed at the in... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5698316 | Apparatus and methods of providing corrosion resistant conductive path across non conductive joints or gaps An electrically conductive bridge is formed over a non conductive joint between two or more adjacent electrically conductive panels. The bridge provides a continuous conductive path between the panels. In an exemplary embodiment, the panels form part of a... | 12/16/1997 |
| 5665274 | Electrically conductive black silicone paint having spacecraft applications A spacecraft includes a spacecraft element, such as a deployable antenna, and a black paint on the spacecraft element. The paint has a composition of 100 parts by weight of a methyl phenyl silicone-based polymer, and from about 1.35 to about 3.5 parts by ... | 09/09/1997 |
