Under-instrument panel emergency vision apparatus

An emergency vision apparatus includes a housing for attachment underneath an instrument panel in a cockpit, the housing including a front opening, a front cover for the front opening, a bottom portion of the front cover being pivotably attached to the housing to allow the front cover to open and rotate downwardly; an inflatable enclosure made of airtight material and having an expanded form when deployed and a deflated form when not in use, the enclosure when in the deflated form is stored within the housing; first and second clear members disposed at respective first and second ends of the enclosure to enable a user to see through the enclosure when expanded and observe a source of visual information at a distal end of the enclosure while smoke or other particulate matter is in the environment; a first switch operably associated with the blower to activate the blower and thereby inflate the enclosure to the expanded form when the enclosure is to be deployed; and a tubular air passageway connecting the blower and the enclosure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus to enable an operator to maintain visual contact with instruments or other visual sources of data after smoke and/or particulate from a fire or other sources has invaded the operator's environment. In particular, the present invention relates to a housing for an emergency vision apparatus that can be installed underneath the instrument panel of a cockpit for quick deployment of the inflatable enclosure of the emergency vision apparatus when needed to bridge the gap between a pilot and the windshield and/or instrument panel of an aircraft along the pilot's line of sight and provide a clear viewing path to the windshield and/or the instrument panel, thereby providing the pilot with vital information for guiding the aircraft to a safe landing after smoke and/or particulate matter invades the cockpit area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Emergency vision devices for aiding pilots to see through vision-impairing smoke to maintain their visual access to critical information, such as that provided by an instrument panel and visual information available outside the cockpit to help pilots safely guide their aircrafts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,287; 5,318,250; 5,202,796; 5,947,415, 6,460,804 and 7,583,455 all issued to Bertil Werjefelt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an emergency vision apparatus, comprising a housing for attachment underneath an instrument panel in a cockpit, the housing including a front opening, a front cover for the front opening, a bottom portion of the front cover being pivotably attached to the housing to allow the front cover to open and rotate downwardly; a blower within the housing; an inflatable enclosure made of airtight material and having an expanded form when deployed and a deflated form when not in use, the enclosure when in the deflated form is stored within the housing; first and second clear members disposed at respective first and second ends of the enclosure to enable a user to see through the enclosure when expanded and observe a source of information at a distal end of the enclosure while smoke or other particulate matter is in the environment; a first switch operably associated with the blower to activate the blower and thereby inflate the enclosure to the expanded form when the enclosure is to be deployed; and a tubular air passageway connecting the blower and the enclosure.

The present invention also provides An emergency vision apparatus, comprising a housing for attachment underneath an instrument panel in a cockpit, the housing including a bottom opening and a front opening, a bottom cover for the bottom opening, a front cover for the front opening, a rear portion of the bottom cover being pivotably attached to the housing to allow the bottom cover to open and rotate downwardly; a blower within the housing; an inflatable enclosure made of airtight material and having an expanded form when deployed and a deflated form when not in use, the enclosure when in the deflated form is stored within the housing; first and second clear members disposed at respective first and second ends of the enclosure to enable a user to see through the enclosure when expanded and observe a visual source of information at a distal end of the enclosure while smoke or other particulate matter is in the environment; a first switch operably associated with the blower to activate the blower and thereby inflate the enclosure to the expanded form when the enclosure is to be deployed; and a tubular air passageway connecting the blower and the enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIG. 1, an emergency vision apparatus2is disclosed. The apparatus2is used in an operator station4, such as an aircraft cockpit, during a smoke emergency to allow the user to see through the smoke to a source of information, such as the outside through the windshield or flight instruments. In the environment of an aircraft cockpit, the operator station4includes a windshield6and an instrument panel8.

The apparatus2includes an inflatable enclosure10having a transparent, clear member12and another transparent, clear member14that allow the user16to see through the enclosure10and out through the windshield6during a smoke emergency situation. This advantageously helps the user in trying to control the aircraft and bring it to a safe landing. The enclosure10also includes another transparent, clear member18to allow the user to observe information on the instrument panel8.

The apparatus2includes a housing20, preferably attached to structural members22(seeFIG. 3) of the cockpit below the instrument panel8. The placement of the housing20advantageously allows for convenient deployment of the enclosure10to the windshield6and the instrument panel8. The glare shield24provides support to the enclosure10while deployed. The housing20may also be placed elsewhere in the cockpit for easy reach by the user, such on the side wall23(seeFIG. 2) of the cockpit.

The enclosure10may be made in any shape as long as there is a clear line of sight between the clear members12and14, and between the clear members18and14. Preferably, the clear member12will be oriented and shaped to provide close contact with the windshield6so as to displace vision-obscuring smoke in the space in between. Similarly, the clear member18will be oriented in close contact with the face of the instrument panel8. The clear members12,14and18are pliable enough to conform to and seal over irregularities on the surfaces which they contact to displace any smoke on such surfaces.

The enclosure10is made of airtight fabric or other pliable and foldable material, such as plastic sheet, which may be translucent or transparent to provide light to enter the interior of the enclosure10and provide some level of illumination. The transparent, clear members12,14and18may be made of foldable sheet plastic.

The housing20has a bottom cover26and a front cover28, shown in the open position inFIG. 1. The housing20is preferably a box-like structure, narrow and long to advantageously minimize taking away from the user's leg room.

Referring toFIG. 2, the housing20is shown in the closed position. The housing20is advantageously disposed underneath the instrument panel8and between the left pedal30and the right pedal32, advantageously out of way of the user. The front cover28is advantageously placed in front of the user, below the instrument panel8, for almost constant visibility to the user in case the apparatus2is needed in an emergency. The cover28includes a latch34that allows opening of the cover28upon a pulling pressure from the user. Other types of securing the cover28, such as a magnetic holder, may be used. The cover28is within easy reach of the user in case of an emergency.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the housing20has left-side wall36and right-side wall38, and back wall40. The enclosure10when deflated is disposed inside the housing20. A blower42and a battery43are disposed inside the housing20. A filter45is effective to filter the particulate matter in the smoke so that clear air is pumped into the interior of the enclosure10. A hose44connects the blower42to the enclosure10. A switch46turns the blower42. A removable member48is operably associated with the switch46such that removal of the member48away from the switch46is effective to activate the blower42. The removable member48is tied to the hose44. When the enclosure10is taken out of the housing20for deployment in an emergency, the removable member48is pulled away by the hose44from the switch46. The folded enclosure10is advantageously compressed and preferably presses against the front cover28so that when the front cover28is opened, the folded enclosure10pushes outwardly against the front cover28to be immediately visible to the user16in the opening56(seeFIG. 5) for deployment.

A hinge or pivot50attaches the bottom cover26to a rear portion the housing20. The pivot50has preferably limited range of motion of about less than 90° so that the cover26can only open and rotate downwardly a limited distance to advantageously keep the folded enclosure10within easy reach by the user16for deployment. Alternatively, the pivot50can allow the cover26to rotate freely into the open position to rest on a structure53below.

A hinge or pivot52attaches the front cover28to the front portion of the bottom cover26. The pivot52has preferably limited range of motion of about 90° so that the cover28can only open and rotate a limited distance toward the user. The cover26in the limited open position advantageously serves to contain the folded enclosure10within the housing20so as to be within easy reach of the user16during deployment.

The blower42, the battery43, the hose44and the enclosure10are preferably disposed on the bottom cover26to advantageously provide additional weight to aid in the relatively quick opening of the bottom cover26during deployment.

A switch54is effective to reverse the rotation of the blower42such that the air inside the enclosure10is advantageously vacuumed out to deflate the enclosure10when the emergency situation has ended. The larger opening56(seeFIGS. 1 and 5) afforded by the bottom cover26and the front cover28when in the open position advantageously allows the user to push back the deflated enclosure10into the housing20. The switch54may also be configured to turn off the blower after the emergency has ended.

Referring toFIG. 5, opening the front cover28preferably also opens the bottom cover26, presenting the folded enclosure10to the user. The covers26and28in the open positions advantageously provides a larger opening to the housing20for retrieval of the enclosure10. The forward part of the folded enclosure10is immediately visible in the opening56to the user16for handling in the deployment. After the enclosure10is deflated, the larger opening56advantageously allows the user to push the enclosure10back into the housing20as the enclosure is being deflated to get it out of the way of the user.

It is seen from the foregoing description that the apparatus2is stored in a convenient location for quick deployment when needed to enable an operator to maintain visual contact with instruments or other visual sources of data after vision-obscuring matter, such as smoke and/or particulate matter from a fire, has invaded the operator's environment. In particular, the apparatus2when deployed provides a clear view outside the windshield and of the instrument panel in an aircraft cockpit, thereby providing the pilot with vital information for guiding the aircraft to a safe landing after such as smoke or other vision-obscuring matter, invades the cockpit area.

Although the apparatus2is shown in the context of an aircraft cockpit, the invention can be used in other similar environments where an operator in a station requires access to information from a source, such as an instrument panel, during a vision-obscuring emergency, such as a smoke generating event. Examples of operator stations are a submarine control station, a nuclear power plant control room, an oil rig or any other critical or military environments where the need exists for an operator to continue to operate in case of a vision-obscuring emergency, such as when smoke or other particulate matter invades the operator station and obliterates the visibility between the operator and the control panel. Accordingly, where the instruments, control panel or critical sources of information are disposed in an operator station, the operator must have visual access to the information in case a vision-obscuring event occurs in the operator station.

While this invention has been described as having preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modification, uses and/or adaptations following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.