Vehicles

• US 4,664,340 A
• Filed: 02/13/1985
• Issued: 05/12/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES)
• Original Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES)
• Inventors: Jackson, Alistair J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corl, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US06/701,223
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 244/136, 244/76 R, 244/177, 244/180, 244/23 R, 244/17.13, 364/432, 364/434, 364/435, 364/456, 367/124, 367/129, 367/126, 340/967, 340/974, 340/975, 180/116, 180/117, 180/118
• US Class Current: 244/76.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/18 by spraying, e.g. insecticides spraying apparatus per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two

Abstract

A stabilization system for hover vehicles, for example free-flying or cable-controlled helicopters or ducted fan vehicles. The system includes at least one downwardly directed sensor which generates a signal representing the distance from the ground of a predetermined location on the vehicle. The signal from one or more sensors is used to control the height of the vehicle above the ground. Signal from a pair of sensors are used to control the attitude of the vehicle relative to the ground.

Claims

1. A system for stabilising the attitude of a hover vehicle, the system comprising a first pair of downwardly directed sensors which are mounted at spaced locations on the vehicle, each sensor being adapted to generate a ground distance signal representing the distance of the associated location from the ground, means for detecting a difference between the ground distance signals generated by respective sensors and generating an attitude signal, and means responsive to the attitude signal from the detecting means for exerting a couple to rotate the vehicle towards a predetermined angular position relative to the ground.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for generating a command signal representing a desired attitude for the vehicle, and means for comparing the command signal with the said attitude signal from the detecting means, the said responsive means being adapted, in response to a difference between the said command and attitude signals, to rotate the vehicle towards the desired attitude.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first pair of sensors are mounted at locations spaced in the direction of the pitch axis of the vehicle, the responsive means are adapted in response to the attitude signal to rotate the vehicle towards a predetermined angular position about the roll axis of the vehicle, a second pair of sensors are mounted at locations spaced in the direction of the said roll axis, the detecting means are adapted to detect a difference between ground distance signals generated by respective sensors in the second pair of sensors and to generate a second attitude signal, and the responsive means are adapted in response to the second attitude signal to rotate the vehicle towards a predetermined angular position about the pitch axis of the vehicle.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a further sensor is mounted on a line which is perpendicular to and bisects the line joining the first pair of sensors, the detecting means are adapted to detect a difference between a ground signal generated by the further sensor and an average of the ground signals generated by respective sensors in the first pair of sensors and to generate a further attitude signal, and the responsive means are adapted in response to the further attitude signal to rotate the vehicle in a sense corresponding to removal to the said difference between the ground signal generated by the further sensor and the average of the ground signals generated by respective sensors in the first pair of sensors.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pair of sensors are included in a group of three mutually spaced, collinearly arranged sensors, and the detecting means are adapted to detect a difference between the ground distance signal from the central sensor in the group and the ground distance signal from that one of the outer sensors which is the shorter distance from the ground.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting means are futher adapted to detect a rate of change in the difference between the ground distance signals generated by respective sensors, and the rotation effected by the responsive means is damped in accordance with said rate of change.

7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the detecting means is further adapted to generate a signal representing the height of the vehicle above the ground, and the responsive means are adapted to move the vehicle to a predetermined height above the ground.

8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein each sensor is an ultrasonic range finder.

9. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, for stabilising a vehicle having a bladed rotor on a generally vertical shaft, wherein the responsive means are adapted to vary the pitch of the rotor blades.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the responsive means are adapted to vary the pitch of each rotor blade in one sense during movement of the blade through a first angular distance and in an opposite sense during movement through a second angular distance

11. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 for stabilising a vehicle having a plurality of ducted fans, the responsive means being adapted to modulate the thrust of the fans.

12. A system as claimed in claim 9 for stabilising a vehicle having a plurality of ducted fans having adjustable vanes, the responsive means being adapted to adjust said adjustable vanes.

13. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein each sensor is an infra red range finder.

14. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein each sensor is an radar range finder.

15. A system as claimed in claim 9 for stabilizing a vehicle having a plurality of ducted fans, the responsive means being adapted to modulate the thrust of the fans.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 stabilizing a vehicle having a plurality of ducted fans having adjustable vanes, the responsive means being adapted to adjust said adjustable vanes.

17. A system for stabilizing the attitude of a hover vehicle which is adapted to hover close to the ground,

said system comprising:

a first pair of downwardly directed sensors which are mounted at spaced locations on the vehicle, each sensor of this pair being adapted to generate a ground distance signal representing the distance of the associated location from the ground;

means for detecting a difference between the ground distance signals generated by the respective said sensors and generating a first command signal;

means responsive to the first command signal from the detecting means for exerting a couple to rotate the vehicle in a sense corresponding to removal of the said difference and towards a predetermined angular position relative to the ground;

a further sensor, this further sensor being mounted on a line which is perpendicular to and bisects a straight line joining the first pair of sensors, the detecting means being adapted to detect a difference between a ground signal generated by said further sensor and an average of the ground signals generated by respective said sensors in the said first pair of sensors and to generate a further command signal, and

said responsive means being adapted to rotate the vehicle in a further sense corresponding to removal of the said difference between the ground signal generated by said further sensor and an average of the ground signals generated by respective said sensors in said first pair of sensors.

20. A system as claimed in any one of claims 17, 18, or 19, wherein:

said detecting means is further adapted to generate a signal representing the height of the vehicle above the ground, and said responsive means are adapted to move the vehicle to a predetermined height above the ground.

18. A system for stabilizing the attitude of a hover vehicle which is adapted to hover close to the ground,

said system comprising:

a first pair of downwardly directed sensors which are mounted at spaced locations on the vehicle, each sensor of this pair being adapted to generate a ground distance signal representing the distance of the associated location from the ground;

means for detecting a difference between the ground distance signals generated by the respective said sensors and generating a first command signal;

means responsive to the first command signal from the detecting means for exerting a couple to rotate the vehicle in a sense corresponding to removal of the said difference and towards a predetermined angular position relative to the ground;

said first pair of sensors being included in a group of three mutually spaced, collinearly arranged sensors; and

said detecting means being adapted to detect a difference between the ground distance signal from the central said sensor in said group and the ground distance signal from that one of the outer said sensors in said group which is a shorter distance from the ground.

19. A system for stabilizing the attitude of a hover vehicle which is adapted to hover close to the ground,

said system comprising:

a first pair of downwardly directed sensors which are mounted at spaced locations on the vehicle, each sensor of this pair being adapted to generate a ground distance signal representing the distance of the associated location from the ground;

means for detecting a difference between the ground distance signals generated by the respective said sensors and generating a first command signal;

means responsive to the first command signal from the detecting means for exerting a couple to rotate the vehicle in a sense corresponding to removal of the said difference and towards a predetermined angular position relative to the ground;

said detecting means being further adapted to detect a rate of change in the difference between the ground distance signals generated by the respective said sensors; and

said responsive means being adapted to rotate the vehicle in a sense corresponding to removal of the said difference and removal of said rate of change thereof.