Tilt-ball turret with gimbal lock avoidance
First Claim
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 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
57 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A turret assembly for attachment on the undersurface of an aircraft, the assembly comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An aircraft comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification