Force sending device and a flight control device comprising such a force sensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10696379-B2
Application number	US-201815911152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2018
Priority date	Mar 6, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A flight control device of an aircraft including a support, an action member attached to the support rotating freely around a primary axis, a rotary device including a stator, rotatably connected to the support around a secondary axis, and a rotor rotating freely relative to the stator around the secondary axis, the rotary device applying a force sensing torque on the rotor relative to the stator around the secondary axis, and a mechanical reducing gear, which connects, with a reduction ratio, rotation of the action member with rotation of the rotor, the mechanical reducing gear including a screw-nut system with rolling elements, including a screw, attached to the rotor, connected in rotation to the rotor around the secondary axis, and a nut fixed in rotation around the secondary axis relative to the stator and helically connected with the screw around and along the secondary axis via the rolling elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A force sensing device for a flight control device for an aircraft, the force sensing device comprising:
a support,
an action member, which is attached to the support while rotating freely around a primary axis,
a rotary device, comprising a stator, which is attached to the support while being rotatably connected to the support around a secondary axis, and a rotor, which is attached to the stator while rotating freely relative to the stator around the secondary axis, the rotary device being designed to apply a force sensing torque on the rotor, relative to the stator, around the secondary axis, and
a mechanical reducing gear, which, with a reduction ratio, links the rotation of the action member relative to the support around the primary axis, with the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator around the secondary axis, and which comprises a screw-nut system with rolling elements, the screw-nut system comprising:
a screw, which is attached to the rotor while being connected in rotation to the rotor around the secondary axis, and
a nut, which is fixed in rotation around the secondary axis relative to the stator and which is helically connected with the screw around and along the secondary axis, via the rolling elements.

2. The force sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical reducing gear comprises a connecting rod connecting the action member to the nut, the connecting rod being attached to the action member such that the connecting rod rotates freely relative to the action member around a first connecting rod axis parallel to the primary axis.

3. The force sensing device according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting rod is attached to the action member using a first pivot link which alone connects the connecting rod to the action member.

4. The force sensing device according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting rod is attached to the nut using a second pivot link that connects the connecting rod to the nut, such that the connecting rod rotates freely relative to the nut around a second connecting rod axis parallel to the primary axis and orthogonal to the secondary axis.

5. The force sensing device according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting rod forms, with the action member, a first anti-rotation compass to fix the rotation of the nut around the secondary axis relative to the stator.

6. The force sensing device according to claim 4 , wherein the second pivot link alone connects the connecting rod to the nut.

7. The force sensing device according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting rod comprises two arms positioned in a fork, using which the connecting rod is attached to the nut while rotating freely relative to the nut around the second connecting rod axis, the arms extending on either side of the nut.

8. The force sensing device according to claim 4 , wherein the second connecting rod axis and the secondary axis are secant.

9. The force sensing device according to claim 2 , wherein the force sensing device comprises a second anti-rotation compass, configured to lock the rotation of the nut relative to the support around the secondary axis, and wherein the connecting rod is attached to the second anti-rotation compass so as to be connected to the nut via the second anti-rotation compass.

10. The force sensing device according to claim 9 , wherein the second anti-rotation compass comprises:
a first arm that is attached to the nut by a third pivot link, the axis of which is parallel to the primary axis and secant with the secondary axis, such that the first arm rotates freely relative to the nut around the axis of the third pivot link, and that is attached to the connecting rod by the second pivot link, such that the first arm rotates freely relative to the connecting rod around the axis of the second pivot link; and
a second arm that is attached to the first arm by a fourth pivot link, the axis of which is parallel to the primary axis such that the first arm and the second arm rotate freely relative to one another around the axis of the fourth pivot link, and that is attached to the support by a fifth pivot link, the axis of which is parallel to the primary axis, such that the second arm rotates freely relative to the support around the axis of the fifth pivot link.

11. The force sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the action member is attached to the nut via a pivot link of the force sensing device, which alone connects the action member to the nut, such that the action member rotates freely relative to the nut around a nut axis parallel to the primary axis and orthogonal to the secondary axis.

12. The force sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the stator is securely attached to the support.

13. The force sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the stator is attached to the support while rotating freely around a stator axis relative to the support, the stator axis being parallel to the primary axis.

14. The force sensing device according to claim 13 , wherein the screw has two ends via which the screw is attached to a framework of the force sensing device, while rotating freely around the secondary axis relative to the framework, the framework being fastened to the stator, the nut being movable within the framework, between the two ends of the screw, and wherein an integral assembly, comprising the screw, the stator and the framework, has a center of gravity traversed by the stator axis.

15. The force sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the force sensing device comprises a system of rollers and rails blocking the rotation of the nut around the secondary axis relative to the stator.

16. The force sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary device is an electric generator, an electric motor, or a magnetic-rheological device.

17. A flight control device of an aircraft, the flight control device comprising a force sensing device according to claim 1 , as well as a control member able to be actuated by hand or by foot, and connected in rotation with the action member around the primary axis.

Assignees

• Lord Solutions France
• Lord Corp

Inventors

• Roussey Bastien

Classifications

• B64C13/10 Primary

  comprising warning devices · CPC title

• F16H2025/204

  Axial sliding means, i.e. for rotary support and axial guiding of nut or screw shaft · CPC title

• F16H25/2204

  with balls · CPC title

• G01L5/223

  to joystick controls · CPC title

• F16H2025/2028

  using screw profiles with high efficiency for converting reciprocating motion into oscillating movement · CPC title