Hoist Health And Usage Monitoring System And Components Thereof

• US 20140070153A1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX), Rosemount Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Lin, Chuang-Chia, Leingang, Alan, Lopes, Dave, Robertson, Dennis, Sanden, Christopher M., Eriksen, Odd Harald Steep, Snyder, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,016,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 254/323
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/40 formed or fitted with load measuring or indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/54 Safety gear
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/58 responsive to excess of load
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/142 using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/103 using sensors fixed at one end of the flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Health and usage monitoring systems for aircraft hoist systems are described herein. In some embodiments, a health and usage monitoring system comprises a capacitive load cell and a processing unit for communication with the capacitive load cell, the capacitive load cell comprising a load receiving surface and a capacitive assembly coupled to the load receiving surface, the capacitive assembly comprising parallel electrically conductive plates separated by a reversibly deformable spacer construction wherein the parallel plates comprise aligned apertures providing a passageway through the capacitive assembly for the hoist system cable.

Claims

1. A health and usage monitoring system for an aircraft hoist system comprising:

a capacitive load cell comprising a load receiving surface and a capacitive assembly coupled to the load receiving surface, the capacitive assembly comprising parallel electrically conductive plates separated by a reversibly deformable spacer construction wherein the parallel plates comprise aligned apertures providing a passageway through the capacitive assembly for the hoist system cable; and

a processing unit for communication with the capacitive load cell.

2. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive load cell comprises apparatus for recording data related to load measured by the capacitive load cell.

3. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the capacitive load cell comprises wireless data transmission and reception apparatus.

4. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the wireless data transmission and reception apparatus are responsive to signals in the visible or infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

5. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the wireless data transmission and reception apparatus are responsive to signals in the radio frequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

6. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the wireless data transmission and reception apparatus comprise a plurality of transceivers.

7. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the processing unit comprises wireless data transmission and reception apparatus.

8. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises one more interfaces for communication with an end user or additional sensor of the aircraft hoist system.

9. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises data storage apparatus.

10. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises a processor for operating on data received from the capacitive load cell.

11. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising a cable footage sensor in communication with the processing unit.

12. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is powered by the electrical power of the hoist system.

13. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the reversibly deformable spacer construction has an elastic modulus rendering a change in spacing of the parallel electrically conductive plates under an applied load in a first load range resulting in a measurable change in capacitance of the capacitive assembly.

14. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the first load range is from about 10 pounds to 2500 pounds.

15. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the first load range is greater than 2500 pounds.

16. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the reversibly deformable spacer construction comprises a dielectric material positioned between the parallel plates.

17. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the dielectric material comprises an aperture aligned with the apertures of the parallel plates.

18. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the dielectric material comprises a polymeric material or ceramic material.

19. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the reversibly deformable spacer construction comprises one or more springs positioned between the parallel plates.

20. The health and usage monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the parallel plates comprise printed circuit board substrate having an electrically conductive film deposited thereon.

21. An aircraft hoist system comprising:

a cable coupled to a cable winding and unwinding apparatus;

a hook coupled to the cable through an interface assembly, the interface assembly comprising a hook bumper and striker plate; and

a health and use monitoring system comprising a load cell and a processing unit for communication with the load cell, wherein the load cell is positioned in a load path through the interface assembly.

22. The aircraft hoist system of claim 21, wherein the load cell is a capacitive load cell comprising a load receiving surface and a capacitive assembly coupled to the load receiving surface, the capacitive assembly comprising parallel electrically conductive plates separated by a reversibly deformable spacer construction wherein the parallel plates comprise aligned apertures providing a passageway through the capacitive assembly for the hoist system cable.

23. The aircraft hoist system of claim 21, wherein the load cell is positioned between the striker plate and hook bumper of the interface assembly.

24. A method of fitting a health and usage monitoring system to an aircraft hoist system comprising:

positioning a load cell in a load path through a cable-hook assembly of the aircraft hoist system;

providing a processing unit for communication with the load cell; and

coupling the processing unit to the aircraft hoist system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the load cell is positioned between a striker plate and hook bumper of the cable-hook assembly.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the load cell is a capacitive load cell comprising a load receiving surface and a capacitive assembly coupled to the load receiving surface, the capacitive assembly comprising parallel electrically conductive plates separated by a reversibly deformable spacer construction wherein the parallel plates comprise aligned apertures providing a passageway through the capacitive assembly for the hoist system cable.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is coupled the aircraft hoist system in a position for line of sight wireless communication with the capacitive load cell.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the reversibly deformable spacer construction has an elastic modulus rendering a change in spacing of the parallel electrically conductive plates under an applied load in a first load range resulting in a measurable change in capacitance of the capacitive assembly.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the aircraft hoist system is an existing system and the fitting is a retrofitting of the health and use monitoring system to the existing aircraft hoist system.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the striker plate is removed for positioning the capacitive load cell adjacent the hook bumper, and the striker plate is subsequently replaced.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the hook bumper is removed for positioning the capacitive load cell adjacent the striker plate, and the hook bumper is subsequently replaced.