Rotorcraft autopilot system, components and methods
First Claim
1. As part of an autopilot for providing automatic control of a helicopter by actuating one or more flight controls, an actuator comprising:
- a redundant pair of first and second motors each including a rotatable motor output shaft; and
a gear arrangement including an actuator output shaft serving as a common shaft for operative coupling to said flight controls and configured to engage the output shaft of each one of the first and second motors for operation at least in (i) a first mode in which both the first and second motors contribute to rotation of the actuator output shaft, (ii) a second mode in which first motor rotates the actuator output shaft due to a failure of the second motor and (iii) a third mode in which the second motor rotates the output shaft due to a failure of the first motor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An autopilot actuator includes first and second motors each including a rotatable motor output shaft such that either one or both of the motors can drive an actuator output shaft. An autopilot main unit enclosure is removably mounted to the helicopter proximate to a cyclic control and commonly houses autopilot actuators as well as main autopilot electronics. A cyclic vibration isolator is removably supported by an actuator shaft for co-rotation and coupled to the cyclic control to attenuate a cyclic vibration frequency at the actuator shaft while output rotations of the actuator shaft below a resonant frequency are coupled to the cyclic control. A force limited link includes first and second ends and a variable length between. The force limited link having a relaxed length when less than an unseating force is applied and the variable length changes when an applied force exceeds the unseating force to permit pilot override.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. As part of an autopilot for providing automatic control of a helicopter by actuating one or more flight controls, an actuator comprising:
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a redundant pair of first and second motors each including a rotatable motor output shaft; and a gear arrangement including an actuator output shaft serving as a common shaft for operative coupling to said flight controls and configured to engage the output shaft of each one of the first and second motors for operation at least in (i) a first mode in which both the first and second motors contribute to rotation of the actuator output shaft, (ii) a second mode in which first motor rotates the actuator output shaft due to a failure of the second motor and (iii) a third mode in which the second motor rotates the output shaft due to a failure of the first motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. As part of an autopilot for providing automatic control of a helicopter by actuating one or more flight controls, an actuator comprising:
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a redundant pair of first and second motors each including a rotatable motor output shaft; and a gear arrangement including an actuator output shaft serving as a common shaft for operative coupling to said flight controls and configured to engage the output shaft of each one of the first and second motors for operation at least in one mode in which the first motor rotates the actuator output shaft due to a failure of the second motor and another mode in which the second motor rotates the output shaft due to a failure to the first motor.
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Specification