U.S. patent application number 09/752851 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-27 for modular airborne flir support and extension structure.
Invention is credited to Durrenberger, Paul, Hinote, David L., Johnson, Jack M., Johnson, Tim J., Thompson, Walt H., White, Gary N..
Application Number | 20020081110 09/752851 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25028133 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020081110 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Johnson, Jack M. ; et
al. |
June 27, 2002 |
MODULAR AIRBORNE FLIR SUPPORT AND EXTENSION STRUCTURE
Abstract
A modular camera support and extension structure which removably
mounts on the seat tracks of a conventional aircraft and extends
through a cargo pod door during usage, including a box structure
containing a plurality of vertical rails which support a tracking
plate positioned inside the box structure with linear bearings
around its periphery, slidably mounted on said rails for vertical
movement from a retracted position to an extended position; a
camera rotatably mounted on the bottom of said tracking plate about
a vertical axis; a pair of actuating sprockets connected by a drive
chain mounted on the box structure, the drive chain is connected to
the tracking plate for moving the FLIR camera from its retracted
position to its extended position; a box frame structure mounted on
the aircraft skin which includes stop means on the box frame which
lockingly engages the tracking plate in its extended position and a
drive means which forces the tracking plate against the stop
means.
Inventors: |
Johnson, Jack M.; (Wichita,
KS) ; Hinote, David L.; (Wichita, KS) ;
Thompson, Walt H.; (Wichita, KS) ; White, Gary
N.; (Derby, KS) ; Johnson, Tim J.; (Wichita,
KS) ; Durrenberger, Paul; (Derby, KS) |
Correspondence
Address: |
EDWARD L. BROWN, JR.
Suite 1100
125 North Market
Wichita
KS
67202
US
|
Family ID: |
25028133 |
Appl. No.: |
09/752851 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
396/12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 15/006 20130101;
B64D 47/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
396/12 |
International
Class: |
G03B 039/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A modular removable camera support and extension structure which
mounts in an aircraft having a skin, on conventional aircraft seat
tracks and extends through a cargo pod door during usage
comprising: a box structure containing a plurality of vertically
positioned rails, and a bottom pallet supporting the box structure
which releasably attaches to the seat tracks of the aircraft; a
tracking plate positioned inside the box structure with linear
bearings around its periphery; each bearing slideably mounted on
said rails for vertical movement from a retracted position to an
extended position; a camera rotatably mounted to the bottom of said
tracking plate about a vertical axis; at least one pair of
actuating sprockets connected by a drive chain mounted on the box
structure, the drive chain is connected to the tracking plate for
moving the FLIR from its retracted position to is extended
position; a drive means connected to one of said sprockets for
moving said camera from its retracted position to its extended
position outside the cargo pod door; a box frame structure mounted
to the aircraft skin; stop means on the box frame which lockingly
engages the tracking plate in its extended position.
2. A removable camera support and extension structure, as set forth
in claim 1, including a top plate in the box structure and a
locking means mounted on the top plate, which releasably engages
the tracking plate in its fully retractable position preventing the
tracking plate from movement.
3. A removable camera support and extension structure, as set forth
in claim 1, wherein the box structure includes four rails which
extend below the bottom pallet; a top plate which supports the
drive means, said pair of sprockets has one positioned above the
top plate and the other positioned below the bottom pallet
permitting the tracking plate to extend below the bottom
pallet.
4. A removable camera support and extension structure, as set forth
in claim 1, including an opening in the bottom of the aircraft skin
below the camera support and extension structure, said box frame is
positioned in said opening and is vertically aligned with the cargo
pod door.
5. A removable camera support and extension structure, as set forth
in claim 1, including an opening in the bottom of the aircraft
skin, a cargo pod on the bottom of the aircraft covering said
opening, the FLIR camera in the fully retracted position extends
through said opening into the cargo pod.
6. A removable camera support and extension structure, as set forth
in claim 1, including an opening in the bottom of the aircraft
skin, said box frame is positioned in said opening and is
vertically aligned with the cargo pod door.
7. A modular removable camera support and extension structure,
which mounts in an aircraft having a skin, on conventional aircraft
seat tracks and extends through a cargo pod door during usage
comprising: a cargo pod attached to the bottom of the aircraft skin
and extending rearward past the passenger compartment; a sliding
door in said pod; a box structure containing a plurality of
vertically positioned rails, and a bottom pallet supporting the box
structure which releasably attaches to the seat tracks of the
aircraft; a tracking plate positioned inside the box structure with
lineal bearings around its periphery; each bearing slideably
mounted on said rails for vertical movement from a retracted
position to an extended position; a camera rotatably mounted to the
bottom of said tracking plate about a vertical axis; at least one
pair of actuating sprockets connected by a drive chain mounted on
the box structure, the drive chain is connected to the tracking
plate for moving the FLIR from its retracted position to is
extended position; a drive means connected to one of said sprockets
for moving said camera from its retracted position to its extended
position outside the cargo pod door; a box frame structure mounted
to the aircraft skin; stop means on the box frame which lockingly
engages the tracking plate in its extended position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to airborne imaging systems
and more particularly to infrared camera tracking of vehicles and
individuals from surveillance aircraft.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The use of cameras in aircraft for aerial mapping has been
widely used in the latter half of the 20.sup.th century for not
only aerial mapping but also forest management, agricultural
surveys, weather, and surveillance as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No.
4,114,839 issued to Sibley. This patent illustrates a camera
extension structure for aircraft having conventional rear opening
ramps which open and extends the camera horizontally into the
slipstream to rear of the aircraft.
[0003] There have been various other methods of supporting and
extending various types of cameras in aircraft, such as U.S. Pat.
No. 5,894,323 to Kain, which mounts a camera platform in the place
of a baggage door on the side of an aircraft which can be quickly
removed for a non-photo mission.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,199 to Dewitt teaches a detachable pod
which removably attaches to the bottom of the fuselage and contains
a plurality of aerial photography cameras, the operation of which
are controlled from the inside of the aircraft. This detachable pod
is also removable for other uses of the aircraft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is a support and extension structure
for an infrared camera generally referred to as a FLIR which is
modular and quickly removable from the aircraft. The FLIR and its
support and extension structure is mounted and supported on the
aircraft seat tracks over an opening in the floor of the fuselage
and a sliding door in the cargo pod located under the fuselage. The
FLIR extension structure comprises a box structure containing a
plurality of vertically positioned rails which in turn support a
tracking plate having linear bearings around its periphery for
sliding up and down the rails which in turn supports the FLIR
camera rotatably mounted on the bottom thereof about a vertical
axis. The tracking plate can extend from its retracted position
with the FLIR camera fully within the aircraft to an extended
position with the FLIR camera extending into the slipstream. The
tracking plate is actuated by two pairs of sprockets connected by
drive chains which are mounted to the box structure and the drive
chains are connected to the tracking plate for moving the tracking
plate and FLIR camera. The sprockets are driven by a motor through
a drive shaft which lowers the tracking plate against a box frame
structure attached to the skin of the aircraft which stops the
tracking plate and retains the camera in a precise aligned
position. When the FLIR camera is fully retracted, the aircraft has
a conventional appearance as a normal cargo-carrying aircraft.
[0006] The principal object of the present invention is to provide
a support and extension structure for a FLIR camera which extends
through a sliding door in a conventional cargo pod.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
support and extension structure for a FLIR camera which is not
visible from the exterior of the aircraft in its retracted
position.
[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
modular and readily removable FLIR camera support and extension
structure from an aircraft.
[0009] Other objectives and advantages of the invention will become
more apparent after referring to the following specifications and
attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] For a better understanding of the present invention,
reference is made to the accompanying drawings which are
incorporated herein by reference and in which;
[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view of the aircraft with portions broken
away to illustrate the positioning of the FLIR camera in its
extended position;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of the fuselage with
portions broken away to illustrate the position of the FLIR support
structure;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the FLIR support structure
with the FLIR in the retracted position and portions of the box
structure and top cover removed;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a top view of the FLIR support structure with top
cover removed;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the FLIR support and
extension structure, and the connecting aircraft structure, the
cargo pod and opened door through which the FLIR is extended in its
operative position; and,
[0016] FIG. 6 is a symbolic illustration of the extension structure
of the camera.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] FIG. 1 generally illustrates the location of the FLIR
support and extension structure, which is generally identified by
reference 10. Personnel 15 positioned in front of monitors control
the operation of the FLIR camera which can be multiple cameras. The
FLIR and its support structure are modular and easily removable
from the aircraft through door 11 by portable crane, forklift, or
cherry picker, not shown in the drawing. The support structure and
camera 10 are mounted on and carried by seat rails 52, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3. The FLIR in its retracted position, shown in FIG. 3,
is completely within the cargo pod 50 and is covered by a closed
sliding door 51, which is shown in FIG. 5. The FLIR support
structure extends downwardly through an opening in the aircraft
fuselage 36 as shown in FIG. 5. The weight of the FLIR and its
support structure is transferred to the seat rails 52 of the
aircraft through a pallet 22, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.
[0018] The support structure for the FLIR camera comprises a
stationary box structure 16, as seen in FIG. 3, comprising corner
legs 20, which join a top plate 18 to the pallet structure 22.
Supported by the box structure 16 are a plurality of four vertical
guide rails 24, only which two can be seen in FIG. 3, while all
four are shown in FIG. 4. These guide rails 24 precisely control
the movement and alignment of tracking plate 14 and FLIR through
linear bearings 26 as best seen in FIG. 4. Attached to the bottom
of tracking plate 14 is a sleeve 34 which attaches to FLIR
protective housing 12. FLIR housing 12 is spherical in shape having
a planer surface window 13 through which the FLIR camera
functions.
[0019] The FLIR camera or cameras can be any type and size of those
currently on the market as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,645.
The FLIR camera is gimbal mounted so that it rotates about vertical
and horizontal axis so that it can look in any direction or track
any object as the aircraft moves, none of which is part of the
present invention.
[0020] The drive mechanism for extending and retracting the FLIR
housing 12, includes two pairs of sprockets 30 mounted on opposite
corners of box structure 16 as seen in FIG. 3 with two of the
sprockets 30 located at the top of the box structure 16 while a
mating pair of sprockets, not seen in FIG. 3, are located at the
bottom of the box structure. The sprockets 30 are connected by a
drive chain 31, as best seen in FIG. 6. Drive chain 31 in turn is
connected to tracking plate 14 for extending the FLIR from its
fully retracted position in FIG. 3 to its fully extended position
as shown in FIG. 5.
[0021] The drive means for the FLIR support structure comprises a
motor 44, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, which drives a gear box 28
which in turns drives sprockets 30 through a common drive shaft 29,
all of which is common structure well-known in the art and not
shown in detail. Motor 44 can be quickly removed and replaced by a
hand crank, not shown, if needed.
[0022] In its fully extended position, the tracking plate 14 is
lowered until it comes in contact with resilient stops 54, as shown
in FIG. 6, which are mounted around the peripheral box frame 32.
Box frame 32 in turn is structurally connected to the skin of the
aircraft through skin doublers, not shown in the drawings. Once
tracking plate 14 is tightly driven against stops 54 and the box
frame, the positioning of the FLIR is very precise and rigid with a
range of movement of + or -0.005 inches.
[0023] In its fully retracted position, a safety lock pin 46, shown
in FIGS. 3 and 4 engages a clevis 48 which extends upward from
tracking plate 14, thus locking the tracking plate in its retracted
position regardless of any forces transmitted through the
previously described drive means. Conventional limit switches,
which are not shown in the drawing, are utilized to define the
fully extended and fully retracted positions of the FLIR support
structure 10 which stop drive motor 44.
[0024] FIG. 5 of the drawing illustrates a portion 56 of the rear
bottom surface of cargo pod 50 which includes a sliding door 51
which is actuated by door motor 42, all of which is well-known in
the art. The door mechanism includes a pair of door tracks 40 with
offset portions which in the fully closed position move the door 51
in an offset direction so that the outer surface of the door is
actually flush with the skin of the aircraft.
[0025] The box structure 16 in normal use is fully covered as
illustrated in FIG. 5 including a removable cover 17 and four side
panels 19.
[0026] Different height sleeves 34 can be used for different size
applications and different FLIR cameras.
[0027] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that
the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly
shown and described herein above. Rather, the scope of the present
invention is defined only by the claims which follow.
* * * * *