Rudder bar system with force gradient for a helicopter
First Claim
1. A rudder bar system for a helicopter which has a yaw axis, the helicopter comprising a control device on the yaw axis for piloting the helicopter in yaw and sensor means for continuously delivering parameters representative of a current flight status of said helicopter, said system comprising:
- a rudder bar, receiving an actuation from a pilot, for controlling said control device on the yaw axis to pilot the helicopter in said yaw;
elastic means for exerting an actuation on the rudder bar counter to the actuation exerted by said pilot on said rudder bar;
a movable member attached to the elastic means at an attachment point;
a motor for displacing the movable member;
first position sensing means for sensing a position of the rudder bar and for outputting a first electrical signal indicating the position of the rudder bar;
second position sensing means for sensing a position of the attachment point and for outputting a second electrical signal indicating the position of the attachment point;
difference calculating means for calculating a difference between the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal;
link means for supplying a signal representing said difference to said motor to control the motor to displace the movable member to cancel out the actuation exerted on the rudder bar by the elastic means;
a first controllable switch for selectively opening and closing so as to prevent said link means from supplying the signal representing the difference to the motor when the first controllable switch is open and to allow said link means to supply the signal representing the difference to the motor when the first controllable switch is closed; and
switch controlling means, receiving the parameters representative of the current flight status from said sensor means, for controlling the first controllable switch to open or close in accordance with the parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rudder bar system for a helicopter controlled in yaw by acting on the tail rotor or an equivalent device has a capability, as a function of the parameters representative of the current flight status of the helicopter, of either automatically continuously recentering the forces on the rudder bar, which cancels out the residual static forces and gives the pilot a tactile sensation close to that given by a friction-type rudder bar, or allowing the pilot fully to feel the countering action of an elastic return device such as a spring.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A rudder bar system for a helicopter which has a yaw axis, the helicopter comprising a control device on the yaw axis for piloting the helicopter in yaw and sensor means for continuously delivering parameters representative of a current flight status of said helicopter, said system comprising:
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a rudder bar, receiving an actuation from a pilot, for controlling said control device on the yaw axis to pilot the helicopter in said yaw; elastic means for exerting an actuation on the rudder bar counter to the actuation exerted by said pilot on said rudder bar; a movable member attached to the elastic means at an attachment point; a motor for displacing the movable member; first position sensing means for sensing a position of the rudder bar and for outputting a first electrical signal indicating the position of the rudder bar; second position sensing means for sensing a position of the attachment point and for outputting a second electrical signal indicating the position of the attachment point; difference calculating means for calculating a difference between the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal; link means for supplying a signal representing said difference to said motor to control the motor to displace the movable member to cancel out the actuation exerted on the rudder bar by the elastic means; a first controllable switch for selectively opening and closing so as to prevent said link means from supplying the signal representing the difference to the motor when the first controllable switch is open and to allow said link means to supply the signal representing the difference to the motor when the first controllable switch is closed; and switch controlling means, receiving the parameters representative of the current flight status from said sensor means, for controlling the first controllable switch to open or close in accordance with the parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification