Device for detecting synchronous errors of high-lift surfaces on aircraft

• US 20070051183A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Liebherr-International AG)
• Original Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Liebherr-International AG)
• Inventors: Schievelbusch, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 7,708,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/800
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/001 for indicating symmetry of flaps deflection
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0005 Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for detecting synchronous errors of high-lift surfaces such as landing flaps or slats on aircraft, comprising an optical conductor which is laid over at least two adjacent high-lift surfaces, a light source and an optical receiver which are allocated to different ends of the optical conductor, as well as an evaluation unit for determining a synchronous error of the high-lift surfaces on the basis of the light signal received from the optical receiver. According to the invention, the device is characterized in that the optical conductor is laid in such a way that the optical conductor experiences a break-free deformation due to synchronous errors and consequently causes a change of the transmitted light signals, and that the evaluation unit compares the signal shape of the light signal received from the optical receiver or an optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with a nominal signal shape and determines the presence of a synchronous error on the basis of the deviation in shape between the received light signal or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom and the nominal signal.

Claims

1. A device for detecting synchronous errors of high-lift surfaces (2) such as landing flaps or slats on aircraft, comprising an optical conductor (5) which is laid over at least two adjacent high-lift surfaces (2), a light source (6) and an optical receiver (7) which are allocated to different ends of the optical conductor (5), as well as an evaluation unit (8) for determining a synchronous error of the high-lift surfaces (2) on the basis of the light signal received from the optical receiver (7), characterized in that the optical conductor (5) is placed in such a way that the optical conductor (5) experiences a break-free deformation due to synchronous errors and consequently causes a change of the transmitted light signals, and that the evaluation unit (8) compares the signal shape of the light signal received from the optical receiver (7) or an optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with a nominal signal shape and determines the presence of a synchronous error on the basis of the deviation in shape between the received light signal or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom and the nominal signal.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is designed free of signal interruptions for cutting the conductor.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light source (6) is designed as a pulse generator which generates a pulse-shaped sequence of light signals in a predeterminable signal shape.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) determines the signal shape deviation on the basis of deviations in the pulse length, the pulse distance, the pulse amplitude, the pulse slope and/or the pulse pattern.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical conductor (5) is placed in a semispan manner over all adjacent high-lift surfaces (2) which belong to a group of high-lift surfaces (2).

7. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the light source (6) is designed as a pulse generator which generates a pulse-shaped sequence of light signals in a predeterminable signal shape.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) determines the signal shape deviation on the basis of deviations in the pulse length, the pulse distance, the pulse amplitude, the pulse slope and/or the pulse pattern.

9. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) determines the signal shape deviation on the basis of deviations in the pulse length, the pulse distance, the pulse amplitude, the pulse slope and/or the pulse pattern.

10. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) determines the signal shape deviation on the basis of deviations in the pulse length, the pulse distance, the pulse amplitude, the pulse slope and/or the pulse pattern.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

12. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

13. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

14. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

15. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

16. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

17. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the evaluation unit (8) for determining the signal shape deviation refers to a nominal signal stored in a storage unit, said nominal signal corresponding to the light signal received at the optical receiver and/or the optical receiver output signal derived therefrom with undeformed optical conductors (5).

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that the optical conductor (5) is placed in a semispan manner over all adjacent high-lift surfaces (2) which belong to a group of high-lift surfaces (2).

19. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the optical conductor (5) is placed in a semispan manner over all adjacent high-lift surfaces (2) which belong to a group of high-lift surfaces (2).

20. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the optical conductor (5) is placed in a semispan manner over all adjacent high-lift surfaces (2) which belong to a group of high-lift surfaces (2).