Hand controller having pivot axis for minimizing forearm movement
First Claim
1. In a hand controller for controlling operation of an apparatus, the combination comprising:
- (a) a control grip;
(b) means for supporting an operator'"'"'s forearm so that the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and hand extend forwardly of said supporting means and the operator'"'"'s hand can grip said control grip;
(c) a first motion coupling component being movably mounted at a first location disposed between said control grip and said operator'"'"'s forearm supporting means and about a fore-and-aft extending roll axis defined along a base line of the operator'"'"'s forearm when supported by said supporting means;
(d) a second motion coupling component being movably mounted at a pair of spaced second locations disposed above and at opposite lateral sides of said first location and about a side-to side extending pitch axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to and above said roll axis when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said supporting means; and
(e) a third motion coupling component being movably mounted at a third location disposed below said first location and about an up-and-down extending yaw axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to said roll and pitch axes when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said supporting means;
(f) said first, second and third motion coupling components being coupled to one another and to said control grip in a given sequence for facilitating pivotal motion of the operator'"'"'s hand about said roll, pitch and yaw axes to activate hand control functions with minimal forearm movement.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand controller for a control system, such as a flight control system, includes a control grip and an support assembly for supporting an operator'"'"'s forearm so that the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and hand extend forwardly of the support assembly and the operator'"'"'s hand is positioned to grip the control grip. The controller also includes roll, pitch and yaw gimbal components. The roll gimbal component is movable about a fore-and-aft extending roll axis defined along a base line of the operator'"'"'s forearm. The pitch and yaw gimbal components are movable about respective side-to-side extending pitch and up-and-down extending yaw axes defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint in orthogonal relation to one another and to the roll axis. The roll, pitch and yaw gimbal components are coupled to one another and to the control grip in a given sequence for facilitating pivotal motion of the operator'"'"'s hand about the roll, pitch and yaw axes to activate hand control functions with minimal forearm movement. Also, the controller includes a plurality of transducers for sensing movement of the roll, pitch and yaw gimbal components and generating control signals in response thereto.
54 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. In a hand controller for controlling operation of an apparatus, the combination comprising:
-
(a) a control grip; (b) means for supporting an operator'"'"'s forearm so that the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and hand extend forwardly of said supporting means and the operator'"'"'s hand can grip said control grip; (c) a first motion coupling component being movably mounted at a first location disposed between said control grip and said operator'"'"'s forearm supporting means and about a fore-and-aft extending roll axis defined along a base line of the operator'"'"'s forearm when supported by said supporting means; (d) a second motion coupling component being movably mounted at a pair of spaced second locations disposed above and at opposite lateral sides of said first location and about a side-to side extending pitch axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to and above said roll axis when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said supporting means; and (e) a third motion coupling component being movably mounted at a third location disposed below said first location and about an up-and-down extending yaw axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to said roll and pitch axes when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said supporting means; (f) said first, second and third motion coupling components being coupled to one another and to said control grip in a given sequence for facilitating pivotal motion of the operator'"'"'s hand about said roll, pitch and yaw axes to activate hand control functions with minimal forearm movement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. In a hand controller for controlling operation of an apparatus, the combination comprising:
-
(a) a control grip; (b) a forearm support assembly for supporting an operator'"'"'s forearm so that the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and hand extend forwardly of said support assembly and the operator'"'"'s hand can grip said control grip; (c) a controller support housing rigidly mounted to said forearm support assembly forwardly thereof; (d) a roll gimbal component being pivotally mounted at a first location disposed between said control grip and said forearm support assembly and about a fore-and-aft extending roll axis defined along a base line of the operator'"'"'s forearm when supported by said support assembly; (e) a pitch gimbal component being pivotally mounted at a pair of spaced second locations disposed above and at opposite lateral sides of said first location and about a side-to-side extending pitch axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to and above said roll axis when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said support assembly; (f) a yaw gimbal component being pivotally mounted at a third location disposed below said first location and about an up-and-down extending yaw axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to said roll and pitch axes when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said support assembly; (g) said roll, pitch and yaw gimbal components being coupled to one another and to said support housing and said control grip in a given sequence for facilitating pivotal motion of the operator'"'"'s hand about said roll, pitch and yaw axes to activate hand control functions with minimal forearm movement; and (h) means for sensing movement of said roll, pitch and yaw gimbal components and generating control signals in response thereto. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. In a hand controller for controlling operation of an apparatus, the combination comprising:
-
(a) a control grip; (b) means for supporting an operator'"'"'s forearm so that the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and hand extend forwardly of said supporting means and the operator'"'"'s hand can grip said control grip; (c) a first motion coupling component being movably mounted about a fore-and-aft extending roll axis defined along a base line of the operator'"'"'s forearm when supported by said supporting means; (d) a second motion coupling component being movably mounted about a side-to-side extending pitch axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to said roll axis when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said supporting means; and (e) a third motion coupling component being movably mounted about an up-and-down extending yaw axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to said roll and pitch axes when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said supporting means; (f) said first, second and third motion coupling components being coupled to one another and to said control grip in a given sequence for facilitating pivotal motion of the operator'"'"'s hand about said roll, pitch and yaw axes to activate hand control functions with minimal forearm movement; (g) said supporting means including a forearm support assembly and a controller support housing rigidly mounted to said forearm support assembly; (h) said yaw axis being defined by said support housing, said third motion coupling component corresponding to said yaw axis being mounted by said support housing for pivotal movement about said yaw axis and relative to said support housing. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. In a hand controller for controlling operation of an apparatus, the combination comprising:
-
(a) a control grip; (b) a forearm support assembly for supporting an operator'"'"'s forearm so that the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and hand extend forwardly of said support assembly and the operator'"'"'s hand can grip said control grip; (c) a controller support housing rigidly mounted to said forearm support assembly forwardly thereof; (d) a pivotally-mounted roll gimbal component being pivotal about a fore-and-aft extending roll axis defined along a base line of the operator'"'"'s forearm when supported by said support assembly; (e) a pivotally-mounted pitch gimbal component being pivotal about a side-to-side extending pitch axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to said roll axis when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said support assembly; (f) a pivotally-mounted yaw gimbal component being pivotal about an up-and-down extending yaw axis defined through the center of the operator'"'"'s wrist joint and in transverse relation to said roll and pitch axes when the operator'"'"'s forearm is supported by said support assembly; (g) said roll, pitch and yaw gimbal components being coupled to one another and to said support housing and said control grip in a given sequence for facilitating pivotal motion of the operator'"'"'s hand about said roll, pitch and yaw axes to activate hand control functions with minimal forearm movement; and (h) means for sensing movement of said roll, pitch and yaw gimbal components and generating control signals in response thereto; (i) said yaw axis being defined by said support housing, said yaw gimbal component corresponding to said yaw axis being mounted by said support housing for pivotal movement about said yaw axis and relative to said support housing. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
-
Specification