Calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of a remote control aircraft or an airfoil thereof

• US 10,139,303 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fong Bong Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fong Bong Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, Wen-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolduc, David
• Application Number:
  US15/149,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20170322101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/07 for weighing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/125 of aircraft

Abstract

A calibrating device, for measuring and calibrating a center of gravity of a remote control aircraft or an airfoil thereof, includes a crossbar, a first support, a second support and a control unit. The crossbar is arranged along a longitudinal axis, and includes a longitudinal rail and a slider. The slider is movably engaged with the longitudinal rail. The crossbar includes a drive member coupled with the longitudinal rail or the slider. The slider includes a pointer. The first support includes a seat and two receiving portions which are arranged on the seat and are movable along a transverse axis. The receiving portions are aligned with each other. Each receiving portion includes a load cell. The second support includes a base and a supporting portion, and the supporting portion includes a load cell. The control unit is coupled with the drive member and the three load cells.

Claims

1. A calibrating device for measuring and calibrating a center of gravity of a remote control aircraft or an airfoil thereof, comprising:

a crossbar arranged along a longitudinal axis and comprising a longitudinal rail and a slider movably engaged with the longitudinal rail, wherein the longitudinal rail is arranged in an extending direction of the crossbar, wherein the crossbar further comprises a drive member coupled with the longitudinal rail or the slider and driving the slider to move along the longitudinal rail, and wherein the slider comprises a pointer;

a first support comprising a seat, two receiving portions and an auxiliary support, wherein the two receiving portions are arranged on the seat and are movable along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the two receiving portions are aligned with each other along the transverse axis, wherein each of the two receiving portions comprises a load cell, and wherein the auxiliary support is detachably arranged on the two receiving portions;

a second support comprising a base and a supporting portion arranged on the base, wherein the supporting portion comprises a load cell; and

a control unit electrically coupled with the drive member of the crossbar, the two load cells of the first support, and the load cell of the second support,

wherein the first and second supports are configured to jointly support the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof, wherein the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof is located between the first and second supports along the longitudinal axis.

2. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crossbar is located at a center between the two receiving portions along the transverse axis.

3. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two receiving portions of the first support are adapted to respectively support two main wheels of the remote control aircraft, wherein the supporting portion of the second support is adapted to support a fuselage of the remote control aircraft, wherein the control unit receives and adds weight information of the three load cells of the first and second supports to calculate a total weight of the remote control aircraft, and wherein the control unit calculates the location of the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft.

4. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and second supports are spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis for a distance larger than a distance between the location of the center of gravity and the first support along the longitudinal axis.

6. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointer is coupled with the slider via a pivoting member.

7. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, wherein a level is arranged on a surface of the crossbar.

8. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a bottom frame, wherein the crossbar further comprises a height adjustment member abutting against the bottom frame to adjust a height of the crossbar.

9. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary support of the first support further comprises a transverse bar, wherein the second support and the transverse bar are adapted to support the airfoil of the remote control aircraft, wherein the control unit receives and adds weight information of the three load cells of the first and second supports to calculate a total weight of the airfoil, and wherein the control unit calculates the location of the center of gravity of the airfoil.

10. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transverse bar of the auxiliary support further comprises a gauge and a slider slidably coupled with the gauge, wherein the gauge is relatively adjacent to the first support and relatively distant to the second support along the longitudinal axis, wherein a root of the airfoil abuts against the slider of the transverse bar, and wherein the gauge is provided with graduations showing a distance between the slider of the transverse bar and the first support.

11. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting portion of the second support is provided with a height adjustment portion.

12. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a box having a plurality of lateral boards and a bottom board, wherein each of the plurality of lateral boards is pivotally coupled with the bottom board, wherein a chamber is formed between the plurality of lateral boards and the bottom board, and wherein the crossbar, the first support, the second support and the control unit are received in the chamber.

13. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 12, wherein a mirror is arranged on one of the plurality of lateral boards or arranged between two opposite lateral boards of the plurality of lateral boards, and wherein the mirror faces the chamber.

5. A calibrating device for measuring and calibrating a center of gravity of a remote control aircraft or an airfoil thereof comprising:

a crossbar arranged along a longitudinal axis and comprising a longitudinal rail and a slider movably engaged with the longitudinal rail, wherein the longitudinal rail is arranged in an extending direction of the crossbar, wherein the crossbar further comprises a drive member coupled with the longitudinal rail or the slider and driving the slider to move along the longitudinal rail, and wherein the slider comprises a pointer;

a first support comprising a seat, two receiving portions and an auxiliary support, wherein the two receiving portions are arranged on the seat and are movable along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the two receiving portions are aligned with each other along the transverse axis, wherein each of the two receiving portions comprises a load cell, and wherein the auxiliary support is detachably arranged on the two receiving portions;

a second support comprising a base and a supporting portion arranged on the base, wherein the supporting portion comprises a load cell; and

a control unit electrically coupled with the drive member of the crossbar, the two load cells of the first support, and the load cell of the second support,

wherein the auxiliary support comprises two posts, wherein each of the two posts is detachably arranged on a respective one of the two receiving portions, wherein a transverse brace is detachably attached to each of the two posts, wherein the transverse braces of the two posts are adapted to respectively support two airfoils of the remote control aircraft, wherein the supporting portion of the second support is adapted to support a fuselage of the remote control aircraft, wherein the control unit receives and adds weight information of the three load cells of the first and second supports to calculate a total weight of the remote control aircraft, and wherein the control unit calculates the location of the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft.

14. A calibrating device for measuring and calibrating a center of gravity of a remote control aircraft or an airfoil thereof, comprising:

a crossbar arranged along a longitudinal axis and comprising a longitudinal rail and a slider movably engaged with the longitudinal rail, wherein the longitudinal rail is arranged in an extending direction of the crossbar, wherein the slider comprises a pointer, and wherein the crossbar further comprises a scale ruler arranged along the longitudinal rail;

a first support comprising a seat, two receiving portions and an auxiliary support, wherein the two receiving portions are arranged on the seat and are movable along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the two receiving portions are aligned with each other along the transverse axis, wherein each of the two receiving portions comprises a load cell, and wherein the auxiliary support is detachably arranged on the two receiving portions;

a second support comprising a base and a supporting portion arranged on the base, wherein the supporting portion comprises a load cell; and

a control unit electrically coupled with the three load cells of the first and second supports, and an output device,

wherein the first and second supports are configured to jointly support the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof, wherein the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof is located between the first and second supports along the longitudinal axis.

15. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 14, wherein the crossbar is located at a center between the two receiving portions along the transverse axis.

16. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 14, wherein the two receiving portions of the first support are adapted to respectively support two main wheels of the remote control aircraft, wherein the supporting portion of the second support is adapted to support a fuselage of the remote control aircraft, wherein the control unit receives and adds weight information of the three load cells of the first and second supports to calculate a total weight of the remote control aircraft, wherein the control unit calculates the location of the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft, and wherein the control unit outputs information regarding the calculated total weight and the calculated location of the center of gravity through the output device.

17. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first and second supports are spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis for a distance larger than a distance between the location of the center of gravity and the first support along the longitudinal axis.

18. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 14, wherein the auxiliary support comprises two posts, wherein each of the two posts is detachably arranged on a respective one of the two receiving portions, wherein a transverse brace is detachably attached to each of the two posts, wherein the two transverse braces of the two posts are adapted to respectively support two airfoils of the remote control aircraft, wherein the supporting portion of the second support is adapted to support a fuselage of the remote control aircraft, wherein the control unit receives and adds weight information of the three load cells of the first and second supports to calculate a total weight of the remote control aircraft, and wherein the control unit calculates the location of the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft.

19. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 14, wherein the pointer is coupled with the slider via a pivoting member.

20. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 14, wherein the auxiliary support of the first support further comprises a transverse bar, wherein the second support and the transverse bar are adapted to support the airfoil of the remote control aircraft, wherein the control unit receives and adds weight information of the three load cells of the first and second supports to calculate a total weight of the airfoil, wherein the control unit calculates the location of the center of gravity of the airfoil, and wherein the control unit outputs information regarding the calculated total weight and the calculated location of the center of gravity through the output device.

21. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 20, wherein the transverse bar of the auxiliary support further comprises a gauge and a slider slidably coupled with the gauge, wherein the gauge is relatively adjacent to the first support and relatively distant to the second support along the longitudinal axis, wherein a root of the airfoil abuts against the slider of the auxiliary support, and wherein the gauge is provided with graduations showing a distance between the slider of the transverse bar and the first support.

22. The calibrating device for measuring and calibrating the center of gravity of the remote control aircraft or the airfoil thereof as claimed in claim 14, wherein the supporting portion of the second support is provided with a height adjustment portion.