Device for combining force among control units, control unit and aircraft

• US 9,469,393 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ratier Figeac (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Ratier Figeac (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Antraygue, Cedric
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US14/413,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20150191241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0421 control sticks for primary flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/16 actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/507 with artificial feel
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls

Abstract

A device for combining force between two control units includes force feedback, each control unit including a control stick (21, 31) and at least one force sensor (24, 34) suitable for providing a value of the control force (Fp, Fcp) exerted by a pilot, the device being suitable for forming a force feedback value from the sum of the values of the control forces of each control unit. A correction device limits the force feedback value (Fcor_p) according to at least one parameter taken from the absolute value of the control force (Fcp) of the second control unit and the difference between the control force values of each control unit. A control unit including such a device for combining forces, and an aircraft provided with such control units are also described.

Claims

1. An effort couple device comprising:

a first input connected to a first effort feedback piloting member (20);

a second input connected to a second effort feedback piloting member (30),

each piloting member having i) at least one effort sensor (24, 34) adapted to supply a value of an effort, called piloting effort (Fp, Fcp), exerted by a pilot, and ii) an operating handle (21,31) movable with respect to a frame (40) and with respect to the at least one effort sensor (24, 34) so that the at least one effort sensor (24, 34) supplies a signal representing the value of effort exerted by the pilot on the operating handle to a respective one of the first and second inputs;

means adapted to form an effort feedback value (Fcor_p) from a sum of the values of the piloting efforts of each piloting member; and

a correcting device adapted to limit said effort feedback value (Fcor_p) as a function of at least one parameter taken from among the value of the piloting effort (Fcp) of said second piloting member and the difference between the piloting effort values of each piloting member.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the correcting device comprises:

a comparator (11) adapted to obtain a difference (Fp−

Fcp) of the piloting effort values of each piloting member

a deadband corrector (12) adapted to supply a correction value of substantially zero if said effort difference is less than a predetermined threshold (2F_lim) or a correction value substantially equal to the absolute value of the effort difference, reduced by the threshold value and assigned the sign of the difference when said difference is greater than said predetermined threshold, and

a summer (14) for forming the effort feedback value (Fcor_p) from the sum (Fp+Fcp) of the piloting efforts and the correction value.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is equal to twice an admissible disconnection effort limit value (F_lim).

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the correcting device further comprises a threshold comparator (36) at the output of the deadband corrector (12) adapted to supply a disconnection signal when the output of the corrector is not zero.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is variable as a function of a difference between signals (θ

p, θ

cp) representing a position of the operating handle of each piloting member.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the correcting device further comprises a threshold comparator (36) at the output of the deadband corrector (12) adapted to supply a disconnection signal when the output of the corrector is not zero.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein the correcting device further has a threshold comparator (36) at the output of the deadband corrector (12) adapted to supply a disconnection signal when the output of the corrector is not zero.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising an output adapted to control a disconnection indicator (37) when the disconnection signal is activated.

9. The device according to claim 7, further comprising a counter (38), activated by the disconnection signal, adapted to open a switch (15) making it possible to isolate the first piloting member (20) from the piloting effort signal (Fcp) of the second piloting member (30) after a predetermined duration (t).

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the correction device comprises at least one saturator (41) adapted to limit the piloting effort value (Fcp) of the second member to an admissible disconnection effort limit value (F_lim).

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein correcting device is adapted to determine said admissible disconnection effort limit value (F_lim) as a function of a difference between signals (θ

p, θ

cp) representing a position of the operating handle of each piloting member.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the correcting device further comprises a comparator (11′

) adapted to obtain a difference between the piloting effort value (Fcp) of the second member and the output value of the saturator (41) and supply a disconnection signal when this difference is not zero.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the correcting device further comprises a comparator (11′

) adapted to obtain a difference between the piloting effort value (Fcp) of the second member and the output value of the saturator (41) and supply a disconnection signal when this difference is not zero.

14. The device according to claim 13, further comprising an output adapted to control a disconnection indicator (37) when the disconnection signal is activated.

15. The device according to claim 13, further comprising a counter (38), activated by the disconnection signal, adapted to open a switch (15) making it possible to isolate the first piloting member (20) from the piloting effort signal (Fcp) of the second piloting member (30) after a predetermined duration (t).

16. Piloting member (20) adapted to be associated with a second piloting member (30) of the same type, comprising:

an operating handle (21) movable with at least one degree of freedom,

an effort sensor (24) adapted to supply a value of an effort, called piloting effort (Fp), exerted by a pilot on the operating handle,

a position sensor (22) adapted to supply a position signal (θ

p) of the operating handle,

a computer adapted to;

calculate, from the position signal, a value of a theoretical control effort, called control effort (Fcmd_p),

form an effort feedback value (Fcor_p) from the piloting effort value (Fp) and from a piloting effort value (Fcp) supplied by the associated piloting member (30),

form an effort error value (Δ

F) from the control effort and said effort feedback value,

control from said effort error value an actuator (23) adapted to modulate the piloting effort (Fp),

wherein the computer comprises a correcting device for correcting the effort feedback value (Fcor_p) adapted to limit said effort feedback value as a function of at least one parameter taken from among the value of the piloting effort (Fcp) of said second piloting member and the difference (Fp−

Fcp) between the values of the piloting efforts of each piloting member.

17. An aircraft having a piloting device comprising at least associated first and second piloting members, each of the associated first and second piloting members comprising:

an operating handle (21) movable with at least one degree of freedom,

an effort sensor (24) adapted to supply a value of an effort, called piloting effort (Fp), exerted by a pilot on the operating handle,

a position sensor (22) adapted to supply a position signal (θ

p) of the operating handle, and

a computer adapted to;

i) calculate, from the position signal, a value of a theoretical control effort, called control effort (Fcmd_p),

ii) form an effort feedback value (Fcor_p) from the piloting effort value (Fp) and from a piloting effort value (Fcp) supplied by the associated piloting member (30),

iii) form an effort error value (Δ

F) from the control effort and said effort feedback value, and

iv) control from said effort error value an actuator (23) adapted to modulate the piloting effort (Fp),

wherein the computer comprises a correcting device for correcting the effort feedback value (Fcor_p) adapted to limit said effort feedback value as a function of at least one parameter taken from among the value of the piloting effort (Fcp) of said second piloting member and the difference (Fp−

Fcp) between the values of the piloting efforts of each piloting member.