Patent Publication Number: US-2013233989-A1

Title: Elastomeric component cradle for aircraft and other vehicles

Description:
FIELD OF DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY 
     The present disclosed invention relates to instrument holders and in particular to cradles for securing devices to aircraft and other vehicles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In general aviation, many pilots fly aircraft that were manufactured 10, 15 or even 25 years ago. Such aircraft typically lack all the currently available safety features. One example of such a feature is wingtip strobe lights, which are incorporated into newer aircraft. To add such features to older aircraft can be an expensive proposition. Wires typically need to be run from the cabin out to the wingtips and the devices need to be physically installed. Both operations can affect the physical integrity of the wing or other external surface. In addition, such retrofits typically need to be performed by a certified aircraft mechanic and can be time intensive to complete. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1   a  illustrates an airplane on to which a device cradle in accordance with an embodiment of the described technology can be installed; 
         FIG. 1   b  illustrates a wingtip on to which a device cradle in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technology can be installed; 
         FIG. 2   a  illustrates an elastomeric device cradle in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed technology; 
         FIG. 2   b  illustrates an underside of an elastomeric device cradle in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technology; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a number of alternative devices that can be held in an elastomeric device cradle; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a representative device that can be secured in an elastomeric device cradle in accordance with the disclosed technology. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As will be described in further detail below, the technology described herein relates to cradles or holders for securing devices to an exterior surface of a vehicle such as an aircraft or boat. In one embodiment, the cradle comprises a planar base having an upper and lower surface. An enclosure is formed on the upper surface of the base between a number of sidewalls that define the perimeter of the enclosure. In one embodiment, the sidewalls include a lip that extends partially over an opening of the enclosure. 
     During use, a device to be secured to an aircraft is inserted into the enclosure by stretching the elastomeric sidewalls and sliding the device into the enclosure. Upon release of the elastomeric sidewalls, the compressive tension of the elastomeric sidewalls and lip secures the device into the cradle. 
     In one embodiment, the cradle is secured to an aircraft or the vehicle with adhesive. In one embodiment, a bottom surface of the bottom sheet includes one or more dimples or recesses to aid in adhesively securing the cradle to the aircraft. 
       FIG. 1   a  illustrates a typical aircraft  10  used in general aviation. The aircraft  10  may not include all the currently available safety devices or other instruments that the owner of the aircraft would like. As indicated above, it can be cost prohibitive to retrofit older aircraft with these additional devices or instruments. In addition, such retrofitting can affect the structural integrity of the wings or other exterior surfaces of the aircraft. 
     To address this problem, the disclosed technology relates to a holder or cradle that can be used to secure a device to the exterior of an aircraft or other vehicle. In the example shown in  FIG. 1   a,  it is desired to secure a strobe light to a wingtip  12  of the aircraft  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1   b,  a cradle  20  constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technology is adhesively secured to the wingtip  12 . The cradle  20  holds a strobe light  50  or other device securely to the aircraft. In one embodiment, the strobe light  50  or other device is battery powered so that no wires are required to extend from the cradle  20  to either power the device or to retrieve data from it. 
       FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate further detail of a cradle constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technology. The cradle  20  is preferably made of an injection molded silicon rubber or other elastomeric material. In one embodiment, the cradle  20  includes a generally flat base  22  having an upper and lower surface. The lower surface of the base is configured to be adhesively secured to the aircraft or other vehicle in the manner described below. In one embodiment, the base  22  is generally rectangular however, other shapes (e.g., oval, triangular, etc.) are contemplated. In one embodiment, the base  22  is approximately four inches wide and 10 inches long and 1/16 inch thick. 
     Extending from the base  22  is an elastomeric sidewall  24  that defines the outer perimeter of an enclosure in which a device can be inserted. In one embodiment, the length and width of the elastomeric sidewalls  24  is smaller than the length and width of the base  22  so that an area of the base extends beyond the borders of the sidewalls. A hollow space between the interior of the sidewalls  24  defines the enclosure in which a device is inserted and held by the cradle. In one embodiment, the sidewalls  24  include a lip  26  at an outer edge of the sidewalls. The lip surrounds the perimeter of the sidewalls and extends partially into an opening of the enclosure. In the embodiment shown, a cradle  20  also includes a band  28  that is positioned approximately midway along the opening of the enclosure. The band  28  extends across the width of the enclosure thereby connecting the sidewalls  24  surfaces on either side of the enclosure. The band  28  therefore divides the opening of the enclosure into a first window  30  and a second window  32 , and can aid in securing a device in the enclosure. 
     A device  50  is placed in the enclosure by stretching the sidewalls  24 , lip  26  and the band  28  of the cradle and inserting the device through one of the windows  30 ,  32 . Upon release of the elastomeric sidewalls  24 , lip  26  and the band  28 , the device is securely held within the enclosure of the cradle  20  by the elastomeric force of the cradle. 
     To remove the device, the reverse process is performed whereby the elastomeric sidewall  24 , lip  26  and the band  28  are elastomerically deformed and the device  50  is pulled out through one of the windows  30 ,  32 . 
     It should be noted that in some embodiments, the band  28  extending across the opening may not be necessary depending upon the forces to which the cradle  20  and the enclosed device  50  are exposed. In one embodiment, a leading edge  34  of the sidewall  24  is sloped or otherwise aerodynamically shaped to reduce resistance of the cradle to an air stream occurring during flight. In one embodiment, the height of the sidewall  24  is approximately 0.75 inches in order to minimize aerodynamic drag. 
       FIG. 2   b  illustrates a bottom surface of the base  22  supporting the cradle  20 . In one embodiment, the bottom surface includes a number of inwardly concaved dimples  36  or other recesses that aid in adhesively securing the cradle to an exterior surface of an aircraft or other vehicle. 
     In one embodiment, the elastomeric cradle  20  is secured to an aircraft with an adhesive such as MIL-A-46146B RTZ adhesive available as Dow Corning 3145 Silicon Adhesive. In one installation technique, adhesive is applied to the surface of the aircraft and/or the bottom surface of the cradle  20  and the two coated surfaces are pressed together. A roller (not shown) rolls over the top of the surface of the base in order to enhance the adhesive bond between the cradle and the aircraft/vehicle. 
     As will be appreciated, the cradle  20  is not limited to holding only strobe lights. Other devices such as sensors and instruments can be designed to fit in the enclosure of the cradle. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment where an elastomeric cradle  20  is secured on a wingtip  12  of an aircraft. The elastomeric cradle  20  is configured to secure one of a number of devices including aircraft sensors and wireless data transmitters. The sensors can include temperature, pressure, airspeed, angle of attack or the like. Typically the sensors include a wireless data transmitter  100  and receiver so that data detected by the sensors can be transmitted to a wireless data receiver  102  within the cockpit of the aircraft. The wireless data receiver  102  in the aircraft can supply the received data to a computer  104 , which in turn conditions and supplies the received data to one or more instruments  106  of the aircraft for the pilot to view. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a representative device  120  that is adapted to be secured within a cradle  20  constructed in accordance with the disclosed technology. In the embodiment shown, the device  120  is generally rectangular in shape with outer dimensions sized to fit within the enclosure of the cradle  20 . The device  120  includes an on/off switch  124  and a strobe light  126 . Both the on/off switch  124  and the strobe light  126  are positioned to extend through the windows  30 ,  32  of the enclosure when the device  120  is installed in the cradle  20 . A space  130  surrounds the on/off switch  124  and the strobe light  126  to allow the lip  26  to cover the device  120 . The on/off switch  124  and the strobe light  126  are separated by a space  132  that allows the band  28  of the cradle  20  to lie across the device  120  and not to interfere with either the on/off switch  124  or the strobe light  126 . In one embodiment, the device  120  is battery powered but other power sources such as solar or wind power could be used. Although the device  120  shown is a strobe light  126 , it will be appreciated that other devices such as temperature, pressure, airspeed, GPS devices/sensors, etc., could be used. 
     Although the disclosed embodiments emphasize their use on aircraft, it will be appreciated that the elastomeric cradle and mating devices can be used on other vehicles such as automobiles, boats, recreational vehicles and the like. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the invention. For example, in one alternative embodiment, the base of the cradle may have two or more enclosures thereon. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.