{
  "patent_number": "US 12012230",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Aircraft Engine Oil Is Drained and Checked Automatically",
  "original_title": "Device and method for emptying and monitoring fluid drained from an engine of an aircraft",
  "summary": "A specialized tool on an extendable arm that connects to an airplane to drain engine fluid and test its quality in real-time.",
  "what_it_does": "This device uses an articulated, telescopic pole to create a leak-tight connection with an aircraft's engine drain. Once connected, the fluid flows directly into the device, where sensors measure its quality—such as viscosity or the presence of pollutants—before the fluid is potentially treated. This allows ground crews to assess engine health immediately during routine maintenance without needing to send samples to a lab. For example, an airport service vehicle can drive up to the plane, extend the arm, and automatically perform these checks while the fluid is being drained.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover manual draining methods that do not incorporate an integrated quality sensor.",
    "Does not cover stationary ground systems that lack the articulated or telescopic pole mechanism.",
    "Does not cover systems that analyze engine fluid while it remains inside the engine (in-situ monitoring).",
    "Does not cover the internal design of the aircraft's own engine or its drainage ports."
  ],
  "filed": "2019-06-07",
  "granted": "2024-06-18",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Safran Aircraft Engines SAS",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/safran-aircraft-engines-sas",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Josselin Xavier Coupard",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/josselin-xavier-coupard"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alméric Pierre Louis GARNIER",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/almric-pierre-louis-garnier"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "aerospace",
    "mechanical",
    "ai_ml"
  ],
  "abstract": "The invention relates to the field of aeronautical propulsion, and more specifically to an emptying and monitoring device and method for emptying and monitoring a fluid drained from an aircraft engine. The emptying and monitoring device comprises at least one first intake passage for receiving, directly from the aircraft, fluid drained from the engine, and a first quality sensor assembly for detecting at least one quality parameter of the fluid drained from the engine, having been admitted through the first intake passage.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12012230/starship-isru-in-situ-resource-utilization",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12012230/starship-isru-in-situ-resource-utilization/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12012230",
  "relatedPatents": []
}