Control apparatus for an aircraft

• US 20080272243A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Liebherr-International AG)
• Original Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Liebherr-International AG)
• Inventors: Decker, Walter Ernst
• Application Number:
  US11/541,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20080272243A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/221
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0421 control sticks for primary flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04718 with cardan or gimbal type joint
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control apparatus for an aircraft comprising a multiaxially tiltable joystick for the actuation of at least two control transducers for the pitch and roll control of the aircraft, with the control transducers being associated with two control shafts which are connected to the joystick via a Cardan-like joint with two pivot axes aligned transversely to one another, with a pitch movement of the joystick being able to be converted via said joint into a rotation of the one control shaft and a roll movement of the joystick being able to be converted into a rotation of the other control shaft. In accordance with the invention, the control apparatus is characterized in that the two control shafts are rotatably journaled in a fixed manner at a common rack and in that the joint in each case has a freewheel with respect to the control shafts for tilt movements of the joystick in a plane parallel to the respective control shaft.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for an aircraft comprising a multiaxially tiltable joystick (7) for the actuation of at least two control transducers for the pitch and roll control of the aircraft, with the control transducers being associated with two control shafts (3, 4) which are connected to the joystick (7) via a Cardan-like joint (8) with two pivot axes aligned transversely to one another, with a pitch movement of the joystick (7) being able to be converted via said joint into a rotation of the one control shaft (3) and a roll movement of the joystick (7) being able to be converted into a rotation of the other control shaft (4), wherein

the two control shafts (3, 4) are rotatably journaled in a fixed manner at a common rack (2) and in that the joint (8) in each case has a freewheel with respect to the control shafts (3, 4) for tilt movements of the joystick (7) in a plane parallel to the respective control shaft (3, 4).

2. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the joint (8) has a sliding guidance (12) in a plane parallel to one of the control shafts (4).

3. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the two control shafts (3, 4) are arranged perpendicular to one another;

and wherein the two pivot axes of the joint (8) each stand perpendicular to one of the two control shafts (3, 4).

4. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first joint part (9) is rigidly connected to the joystick (7) and is tiltably connected to a first of the two control shafts (3) around a pivot axis (10) extending perpendicular thereto;

and wherein a second joint part (11) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner, in particular rigidly, to the second of the two control shafts (4) and has a slot guidance in which the first joint part (9) and/or the joystick (7) is displaceably guided parallel to the second control shaft (4).

5. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the second joint part (11) has an at least half-shell shaped hoop which engages around the first control shaft (3) and has a longitudinal slot (12) through which the joystick (7) extends.

6. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the hoop (11) is rotatably journaled on oppositely disposed sides and has connector points for a control shaft or for sensor components and/or actuator components which can be coupled thereto.

7. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the two control shafts (3,4) have connector points on both sides.

8. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein equipment modules and/or equipment groups can be coupled to the control shafts (3, 4) and/or can be installed at the rack (2) in a modular manner.

9. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein actuator motors (5, 6) can be coupled to the control shafts (3, 4) and can be installed at the rack.

10. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein damping elements and/or centering springs can be coupled to the control shafts (3, 4) and can be installed at the rack (2).

11. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rack (2) forms a housing in which the joint (8) is accommodated.

12. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein the interior of the housing (2) is made free of damper elements and/or of centering springs;

and/or wherein the housing (2) has connection points at its outer side for the installation of sensor elements, damping elements, restoring spring elements and/or other sensor components and/or actuator components.

13. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein actuator motors (5, 6) connected to the control shafts (3, 4) are accommodated in the housing (2).

14. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the two joint parts (9, 11) of the joint (8) are each made as a double load path.

15. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein actuator motors (5, 6) connected to the control shafts (3, 4) are accommodated in the housing (2).

16. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the two joint parts (9, 11) of the joint (8) are each made as a double load path.

17. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the two joint parts (9, 11) of the joint (8) are each made as a double load path.

18. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the two control shafts (3, 4) are arranged perpendicular to one another;

and wherein the two pivot axes of the joint (8) each stand perpendicular to one of the two control shafts (3, 4).

19. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein a first joint part (9) is rigidly connected to the joystick (7) and is tiltably connected to a first of the two control shafts (3) around a pivot axis (10) extending perpendicular thereto;

and wherein a second joint part (11) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner, in particular rigidly, to the second of the two control shafts (4) and has a slot guidance in which the first joint part (9) and/or the joystick (7) is displaceably guided parallel to the second control shaft (4).

20. A control apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein a first joint part (9) is rigidly connected to the joystick (7) and is tiltably connected to a first of the two control shafts (3) around a pivot axis (10) extending perpendicular thereto;

and wherein a second joint part (11) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner, in particular rigidly, to the second of the two control shafts (4) and has a slot guidance in which the first joint part (9) and/or the joystick (7) is displaceably guided parallel to the second control shaft (4).