HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR FORCE FIGHT MITIGATION MECHANISM

• US 20170307090A1
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: DeFusco, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/42 having duplication or stand-by provisions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/605 including swash plate, spider or cam mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/64 using fluid pressure, e.g. having fluid power amplification
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/161 only slides
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/082 using a electromagnet and a permanent magnet

Abstract

A control valve for a multi-stage hydraulic actuator includes a valve body defining a translation axis, a spool disposed within the valve body and movable along the translation axis, and a flange. The flange is fixed relative to the spool and has an aperture disposed externally of the valve body to removably fix the spool to a spool of a redundant control valve independently connected to the multi-stage hydraulic actuator for mitigating force fights between actuators coupled to the control valve.

Claims

1. A control valve for a hydraulic actuator, comprising:

a valve body defining a translation axis;

a spool disposed within the valve body and movable along the translation axis; and

a flange connected to the spool and having an aperture is disposed externally of the valve body, wherein the flange is fixed relative to the spool to removably fix the spool to a spool of a redundant control valve that is independently connected to a multi-stage hydraulic actuator.

2. A control valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the spool and the flange are integrally connected to one another in a unitary structure.

3. A control valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the control valve is an infinitely variable directional valve.

4. A control valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the aperture is a through hole.

5. A control valve as recited in claim 1, further including a tandem pin defining a pin axis slideably seated in the flange aperture, the pin axis angled relative to the translation axis.

6. A control valve as recited in claim 4, further including a solenoid or linear motor coupled to the tandem pin and configured to displace the tandem pin along the pin axis.

7. A control valve as recited in claim 4, further including a rail fixed relative to the valve body and extending along the translation axis, wherein the pin is coupled to the rail and translatable relatively to the rail and along the translation axis.

8. A control valve as recited in claim 1, wherein spool is a first spool, and further including a second spool having a disposed along the translation axis, wherein the second spool flange overlaps the first spool flange along the translation axis.

9. A control valve as recited in claim 8, wherein the second spool flange defines an aperture and further including a tandem pin having an engaged position, wherein the tandem pin is fixed relative to both the first flange and the second flange in in the engaged position.

10. A control valve as recited in claim 8, wherein the second spool flange defines an aperture and further including a tandem pin having a disengaged position, wherein the tandem pin is fixed to only one of the first flange and the second flange in the disengaged position.

11. A control valve as recited in claim 8, wherein the first flange is interposed between the first spool and the second spool along the translation axis.

12. A control valve as recited in claim 8, wherein the second flange is interposed between the first spool and the second spool along the translation axis.

13. A hydraulic actuator assembly, comprising:

a multi-stage hydraulic actuator;

a control valve assembly having first and second control valves as recited in claim 1 in fluid communication with the hydraulic actuator through independent fluid conduits,

wherein the valve body of the first control valve is fixed relative to the valve body of the second control valve,

wherein the flange of the first control valve overlaps the flange of the second control valve between the first valve body and the second valve body; and

a tandem pin seated in at least one of the aperture of the first control valve flange and the aperture of the second control valve flange.

14. A hydraulic actuator assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the tandem pin has an engaged position and a disengaged position, the tandem pin fixing the flanges relative to one another in the engaged position, the tandem pin fixed to one flange in the disengaged position.

15. A hydraulic actuator assembly as recited in claim 13, further including a rail fixed relative to the first valve body and the second valve body.

16. A hydraulic actuator assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly are infinitely variable directional valves.

17. A hydraulic actuator assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly are infinitely variable directional valves.

18. A hydraulic actuator assembly as recited in claim 13, further including a solenoid or linear motor fixed to the first control valve assembly flange, the solenoid or linear motor being connected to a tandem pin slideably received in the aperture first control valve assembly flange.

19. A hydraulic actuator assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the apertures defined the first control valve assembly flange and the second control valve assembly flange are through-holes.

20. A rotorcraft, comprising:

a flight control device;

a multi-stage hydraulic actuator operably connected to the flight control device;

a control valve assembly having first and second control valves as recited in claim 1 in fluid communication with the hydraulic actuator through independent fluid conduits, wherein the valve body of the first control valve is fixed relative to the valve body of the second control valve, wherein the flange of the first control valve overlaps the flange of the second control valve between the first valve body and the second valve body;

a tandem pin seated in at least one of the aperture of the first control valve flange and the aperture of the second control valve flange, wherein the tandem pin has an engaged position wherein the flanges are fixed relative to one another and a disengaged position where the flanges are movable relative to one another; and

a solenoid or linear motor carried by the first control valve flange, the solenoid or linear motor electromagnetically coupled to the tandem pin to displace the tandem pin between the engaged and disengaged positions.