Abstract:
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.

Description:
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&#39;s environment. In particular, the present invention relates to an emergency vision apparatus that uses an inflatable enclosure that bridges the gap between a pilot and the windshield and/or instrument panel of an aircraft along the pilot&#39;s line of sight and 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. 
     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 a glare shield equipped with an emergency vision apparatus, comprising 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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side elevational view of a cockpit, showing the apparatus embodying the present invention in a deployed position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cockpit, showing the access covers for the compartment disposed within the glare shield that houses the blower and associated components and the inflatable enclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the apparatus, with portions shown broken away, showing the inflatable enclosure in the deflated state and a switch operably associated with the inflatable enclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , with the exception of the removable member that operates the switch being attached to an access cover of a section of the compartment that houses the inflatable enclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the cockpit, showing the access cover over the deflated inflatable enclosure being removed. 
         FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the inflatable enclosure being removed from compartment. 
         FIG. 7  shows the inflatable enclosure partly inflated. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the cockpit showing the inflatable enclosure fully inflated and also showing a handheld unit connected to the inflatable enclosure by a hose. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the cockpit showing another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is similar to  FIG. 9 , showing a removable cap in the process of being removed from an air outlet. 
         FIG. 11  is schematic diagram of a blower with three hoses capped with removable caps operably associated with a switch that activates the blower. 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic wiring diagram showing three switches in parallel, each one being operably associated with a respective cap, removal of which is effective to turn the associated switch to the ON state. 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic plan view of the compartment, with portions shown broken away, showing the reduced space requirement by having the inflatable enclosure stored elsewhere. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the cockpit showing the enclosure partially inflated with air supplied from an outlet shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An instrument panel integrated emergency vision apparatus  2  embodying the present invention is disclosed in  FIG. 1 . The apparatus  2  is used in an operator station  4 , 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 flight instruments. In the environment of an aircraft cockpit, the operator station  4  includes a windshield  6  and a glare shield  8 . The apparatus  2  includes an inflatable enclosure  10  having a transparent, clear member  12  and another transparent, clear member  14  that allow the user  16  to see through the enclosure  10  and out through the windshield  6  during a smoke emergency situation. This advantageously helps the user in trying to control the aircraft and bring it to a safe landing. The enclosure  10  also includes another transparent, clear member  18  to allow the user to observe information on an instrument panel  20 . The apparatus  2  includes a compartment  22  disposed within the glare shield  8 . The placement of the compartment  22  near where the enclosure  10  will be deployed and positioned advantageously provides for a space saving arrangement as will become apparent later on. The enclosure  10  includes a relief valve (not shown) to keep the enclosure from over-inflating, as is known in the prior art. 
     The enclosure  10  may made in any shape as long as there is a clear line of sight between the clear members  12  and  14 , and between the clear members  18  and  14 . Preferably, the clear member  12  will be oriented and shaped to provide close contact with the windshield  6  so as to displace vision-obscuring smoke in the space in between. Similarly, the clear member  18  will be oriented in close contact with the face of the instrument panel  20 . The clear members  12 ,  14  and  18  are pliable enough to conform to and seal over irregularities on the surfaces which they contact to displace any smoke on such surfaces. 
     The enclosure  10  is made of airtight fabric or other pliable and foldable material, such as plastic sheet. The transparent, clear members  12 ,  14  and  18  may be made of foldable sheet plastic. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the apparatus  2  is shown recessed into the glare shield  8 . Visible outside the glare shield  8  are access covers  24  and  26 . The access cover  26  is readily removable without use of any tool. The access cover  26  may be secured in place by standard means, such magnetic holders that provide enough holding power during takeoff and landing but allows the cover to be readily and quickly removed by the user during a smoke emergency for deployment of the apparatus  2 . The access covers  24  and  26  are preferably flush with the outside surface of the glare shield  8 . 
     In the general environment of an operator station, the compartment  22  may be installed as part of the instrument panel and located near the instruments whose source of information is critical for the operator to view during a smoke or vision-obscuring emergency. The compartment  22  is preferably installed recessed into instrument panel, with the access covers  24  and  26  flush with the instrument panel or protruding above the panel surface. The compartment  22  may also be surface mounted. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the access cover  24  may be secured in place by screws  27  or some other standard means. The compartment  22  is partitioned with a divider wall  29  into a section  28  that houses a blower  34  driven by a motor  36  powered by a bank of batteries  38  and a section  30  that houses the enclosure  10 . A filter cartridge  40  filters the ambient air of particulate matter before it is pumped to the enclosure  10  through a flexible hose  42 . Air will be drawn into the enclosure  10  through a perforated wall portion  44  of the compartment  22  in a direction generally shown by the arrow  46 . The access cover  24  is used to gain access to the various components inside the section  28  for maintenance purposes. 
     It will be seen that locating the apparatus  2  in the glare shield  8  advantageously allows a shorter length of hose  42  between the blower  34  and the enclosure  10  since the apparatus  2  is positioned as close to where the enclosure  10  will be deployed. This then reduces the amount of space required for storing the apparatus  2 . The compartment  22  is smaller, requiring less space, because there is less hose to store and consequently less weight, which is an important consideration in an aircraft. 
     A switch  48  is operably associated with a removable member  50  that keeps the switch in an open state while the member  50  is normally disposed within the switch housing. When the member  50  is removed, the switch  48  is automatically changed to a closed state to activate the motor  36  that turns the blower  34 . The member  50  is attached to the enclosure  10  by standard means, such as by a line  51  such that when the enclosure  10  is removed from the compartment, the removable member  50  is also removed without further action from the user other than the act of removing the enclosure  10  from the compartment  22 , thereby automatically activating the switch  48 . The enclosure  10  is shown in a deflated state while in storage in the compartment  22 . 
     The hose  42  is flexible and extendable so that when the enclosure  10  is taken out of the compartment  22  for deployment, the hose  42  will extend to the desired length. For storage, the hose  42  is contracted to a compact length to save space in the compartment  22 . The hose  42  may be made from a spiral spring wrapped with airtight fabric material that may be compressed to a shorter length for storage or allowed to expand to a longer length for deployment. The hose  42  may also be made from plastic material where the wall of the hose is pleated or folded accordion style so that the hose can be stretched to a longer length during use or compressed to a shorter length for storage. Other extendable hose construction is within the skill of a person skilled in the art. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the removable member  50  is shown attached to the cover  26  so that when the cover  26  is removed, the removable member  50  is also removed, thereby automatically activating the switch  48 . Standard means, such as a line  51 , is tied to the member  50  and the to the cover  26 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the removable access cover  26  is shown in the process of being removed. The removable member  50  is shown attached to the cover  26 . The hose  42  is extended as the enclosure  10  is taken from inside the compartment section  30 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the inflatable enclosure  10  is shown in the process of being inflated by the blower  34 . The clear member  12  is visible in this figure. The enclosure  10  is advantageously positioned near or over the compartment  10  to minimize the length of the hose  42 , since less hose means less storage space and less weight. 
     The enclosure  10  is provided with a hose connector  52  with a removable cap that can be used to connect an auxiliary portable handheld enclosure  54  using a hose  56 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . The handheld enclosure  54  also includes clear members  58  and  60  to allow the user to point it towards a portion of the instrument panel within reach of the hose  56  and allows the user to see the information through the clear members  58  and  60  in the presence of smoke in the cockpit. Handle straps  61  affords the user to slip the user&#39;s arm through one strap and to grab the other strap with the user&#39;s hand, thereby allowing the user to point and position the handheld enclosure  54  as desired, for example, toward a flight management system display on the console or an electronic flight bag. The handheld enclosure  54  is made of airtight fabric material or other pliable and foldable plastic sheet material. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , another embodiment of the present invention is disclosed wherein the inflatable enclosure  10  is stored separate from the compartment  22  in a pouch  62  disposed within convenient reach of the user. In this embodiment, the compartment  22  only houses the blower  34 , motor  36 , batteries  38  and filter cartridge  40 , providing a reduction in space required for the installation of the apparatus in the glare shield. The hose  42  is terminated into an outlet  64  instead of being connected to the enclosure  10 . The outlet  64  is accessible outside the compartment  30 . The outlet  64  includes a removable cap  66  connected to the removable member  50  with a line  81  such that when the cap  66  is removed, the removable member  50  is also removed from the switch  48 , thereby activating the blower  34 . If desired, additional outlets  68  and  70  remote from the compartment may be provided with respective removable caps operably associated with the removable member  50 . The outlets  68  and  70  may be used for inflating a handheld auxiliary inflatable enclosure, such as the enclosure  60  (see  FIG. 8 ). removal of any one of the caps is effective to turn the switch  50  to the ON state position, thereby to activate the blower  34 . Although the outlets are shown terminating on the glare shield surface, they may be terminated elsewhere, such as the outlet  67 , which is terminated on the instrument panel wall. An access cover  65  is provided for maintenance purposes. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 9  is advantageous when space within the glare shield is limited. By storing the enclosure  10  separately from the compartment  22 , such as in the pouch  62 , the size of the compartment  22  is thereby reduced. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the blower  34  is operably attached to flexible hoses  69 ,  71  and  73 . The outlets  64 ,  68  and  70  are provided with respective removable caps  75 ,  66  and  79 . Each of the caps may be associated with removable member  50 , such as with a respective line  81  attached to the member  50 , so that when one of the caps is removed, the line  81  tied to the cap and the member  50  is effective to remove the member  50 , thereby energizing the blower  34 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , the switch  48  may also be replaced with individual switches  86 ,  88  and  90  disposed in proximity of the respective caps  79 ,  75  and  66  whereby removal of any cap is effective to turn the associated switch to the on state, for example using proximity switches. A master switch  92 , which is normally closed, may be used to turn off the blower motor  36  when the need for the apparatus  2  has ended after an emergency that required its deployment. A bypass switch  94 , which is normally off, may also be used in the event any one of the switches  86 ,  88  and  90  becomes defective. Turning the switch  94  to on will activate the blower motor  36 . The switches  92  and  94  may be toggle or push button switches, accessible outside the compartment  22 , as schematically shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     Other means for activating the blower motor  36 , in lieu of the switch  48  with the removable member  50 , or the switches  86 ,  88  and  90  are within the skill of a person skilled in the art. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 9 , the caps  66 ,  75  and  79  are shown flush with the top surface of the glare shield  8 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 13 , a schematic top plan view of a reduced compartment  96  is shown. The compartment  96  houses the blower  34 , the motor  36  and the batteries  38 . As can be seen, the compartment  36  is reduced in size, since the section  30  that houses the inflatable enclosure  10  is eliminated. The hoses  69  and  73  may be eliminated if necessary due to space constraints, since they are used to inflate auxiliary enclosures only. 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , the enclosure  10  is shown removed from the pouch  62 . A flexible hose  98  already connected to the enclosure  10  is attached to the outlet  64  after the cap  66  is removed. The removal of the cap  66  triggers the switch  48  by removal of the member  50  through the line  81  attached to the cap  66 . As disclosed above, other means for activating the blower motor  36  may be employed. 
     It is seen from the foregoing description that the apparatus  2  enables 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&#39;s environment. In particular, the apparatus  2  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 apparatus  2  is 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.