Device for actuating a controlled member for an aircraft, particularly such as a fly-by-wire helicopter

• US 6,128,554 A
• Filed: 12/21/1995
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Societe Anonyme DITE Eurocopter France
• Original Assignee: Societe Anonyme DITE Eurocopter France
• Inventors: Damotte, Sylvain Pascal Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/576,199
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.012, 364/424.013, 244/221, 244/223, 244/228, 244/232, 318/628, 318/584, 318/585, 318/586
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A device for actuating a controlled member of an aircraft includes an intentional control member for actuation by the pilot, a computer for piloting on the basis of the action of the pilot on the intentional control member, a controlled member actuator for actuating the controlled member under control of the computer and a slaving device for slaving the position of the intentional control member to the position of the controlled member.

Claims

1. A device for actuating a controlled member for an aircraft, the device comprising:

an intentional control member for receiving an action of a pilot of the aircraft;

a computer for piloting the aircraft in accordance with the action of the pilot on said intentional control member;

controlled member actuating means for actuating said controlled member under control of said computer; and

slaving means for slaving a position of the intentional control member to a position of the controlled member.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the controlled member actuating means comprises at least one servocontrol; and

said slaving means comprises a motor for displacing the intentional control member as a function of a position of said at least one servocontrol.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slaving means further comprises a link for linking the intentional control member to the motor for actuation of the intentional control member by the motor, the link comprising elastic return means for supplying a return actuation to the intentional control member in response to the actuation by the pilot.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slaving means further comprises an essentially rigid link for linking the intentional control member to the motor for actuation of the intentional control member by the motor.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a filter, provided between the at least one servocontrol and the motor, for filtering a signal supplied by the at least one servocontrol to the motor.

6. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slaving means further comprises a mechanical backup rod linkage provided between the at least one servocontrol and the motor for actuating the intentional control member.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the slaving means further comprises mechanical damping means for damping a motion of said rod linkage.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the slaving means further comprises end stops provided on either side of said mechanical damping means in order to limit a mechanical damping effect of the mechanical damping means.

9. The device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising canceling means for canceling operation of the motor.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting the position of the controlled member and outputting to the slaving means a signal indicating the position of the controlled member, the signal controlling the slaving means to actuate the intentional control member in order to bring the intentional control member into a position corresponding to the position of the controlled member.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising transducer means, provided between the intentional control member and the computer, for detecting the actuation by the pilot on the intentional control member and outputting to the computer a signal representing the actuation by the pilot on the intentional control member.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said transducer means comprises means for recopying the position of the intentional control member.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said transducer means comprises at least one force sensor.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the aircraft is an airplane; and

the controlled member comprises a control surface of the airplane.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the aircraft is a helicopter; and

the controlled member comprises a control surface of the helicopter.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the aircraft is a helicopter; and

the controlled member comprises a rotor of the helicopter.