Tilt-ball turret with gimbal lock avoidance

• US 9,156,551 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Szarek, Thomas, Omer, Thomas, Dimotakis, Manolis Pavlos, McBride, Jefferson C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Xavier, Valentina
• Application Number:
  US13/220,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20130048792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 244/175, 244/131, 348/151, 348/211.99, 348/36, 396/427, 396/428
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/32 for cartography or topography
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/123 the axis of rotation intersecting in a single point, e.g. by using gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/126 for tilting and panning F16M11/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A turret assembly for attachment on the undersurface of an aircraft that reduces performance limitations due to gimbal lock and reduces the cross section profile of the assembly. The assembly includes a roll actuator including a drive shaft. A yoke having a cross member is coupled to the drive shaft and a pair of prongs. The yoke is rotated via the roll actuator and drive shaft along a roll axis oriented substantially parallel to the body of the aircraft. A turret is mounted on the prongs of the yoke. A tilt actuator is contained within the turret. The tilt actuator tilts the turret on a tilt axis relative to the yoke. The tilt axis is perpendicular to the roll axis.

Claims

1. A turret assembly for attachment on the undersurface of an aircraft, the assembly comprising:

a roll actuator including a drive shaft;

a yoke having a cross member coupled to the drive shaft and a pair of prongs, the yoke being rotated via the roll actuator and drive shaft along a roll axis oriented substantially parallel to the body of the aircraft;

a turret mounted on the prongs of the yoke;

a tilt actuator within the turret, the tilt actuator tilting the turret on a tilt axis relative to the yoke, the tilt axis being perpendicular to the roll axis;

a fairing containing the roll actuator, the fairing coupled to the undersurface of the aircraft behind the turret; and

a wiring harness for delivery of electrical signals between the turret and the fairing, the wiring harness including one or more wires having a first portion that extends through the drive shaft and a second portion that is mounted exteriorly of a first prong of the yoke, between the first prong and the turret.

2. The turret assembly of claim 1, wherein the turret has a generally spherical shape.

3. The turret assembly of claim 1, wherein the turret has an aperture and includes a sensor positioned in the aperture.

4. The turret assembly of claim 3, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a color camera and an infrared camera.

5. The turret assembly of claim 4, further comprising a video controller located within the turret, the video controller coupled to the sensor and providing a video output from the sensor.

6. The turret assembly of claim 1, wherein the tilt actuator includes a processor and a tilt motor and the roll actuator includes a processor and a roll motor, the processors accepting positioning inputs and controlling the respective tilt and roll motors to position the ball turret.

7. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage having an undersurface;

a control system accepting positioning commands from a ground station;

a data control system for sending data to the ground station;

a roll actuator including a drive shaft;

a yoke having a cross member coupled to the drive shaft and a pair of prongs, the yoke being rotated via the roll actuator and drive shaft along a roll axis oriented substantially parallel to the body of the aircraft;

a turret mounted on the prongs of the yoke;

a tilt actuator within the turret, the tilt actuator tilting the turret on a tilt axis relative to the yoke, the tilt axis being perpendicular to the roll axis;

a fairing containing the roll actuator, the fairing coupled to the undersurface of the aircraft behind the turret; and

a wiring harness for delivery of electrical signals between the turret and the fairing, the wiring harness including one or more wires having a first portion that extends through the drive shaft and a second portion that is mounted exteriorly of a first prong of the yoke, between the first prong and the turret.

8. The aircraft of claim 7, wherein the turret has a generally spherical shape.

9. The aircraft of claim 7, wherein the turret has an aperture and includes a sensor positioned in the aperture.

10. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a color camera and an infrared camera.

11. The aircraft of claim 9, further comprising a video controller located within the turret, the video controller coupled to the sensor and providing a video output from the sensor.

12. The aircraft of claim 7, wherein the tilt actuator includes a processor and a tilt motor and the roll actuator includes a cortex controller and a roll motor, the processor accepting positioning inputs and controlling the respective tilt and roll motors to position the ball turret.