Force application device for a control stick of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11866153-B2
Application number	US-201917418476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a force application device for a control stick of an aircraft, said control stick comprising a control lever that is connected to at least one motor comprising a drive shaft that can be rotated about an axis, the force application device comprising: a first pin connected to the shaft, a housing, an electromagnet, a movable actuator comprising a magnetic material, a coupling device comprising an input gear connected to the housing and an output gear comprising a second pin, and means for clamping the first pin and the second pin which comprise a first tooth and a second tooth, said device having an operating configuration in which the electromagnet is active and the output gear is positioned at a distance from the input gear, and a blocking configuration in which the electromagnet is inactive and the gears are meshed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A force application device for a control stick of an aircraft, wherein the control stick comprises a control lever connected to at least one motor comprising a drive shaft, the drive shaft being rotationally movable about an axis, the force application device comprising:
a first pin connected to the drive shaft,
a casing configured to be fixed with respect to the aircraft,
an electromagnet,
an actuator that is movable with respect to the casing, said actuator comprising a magnetic material,
a coupling device comprising an input mesh, connected to the casing, and an output mesh configured to cooperate with the input mesh, said output mesh comprising a second pin,
a first tooth and a second tooth configured to clamp the first pin and the second pin,
wherein the force application device has an operational configuration where the electromagnet is active and the output mesh is distant from the input mesh such that the second pin is rotationally mobile about the axis, and a locking configuration where the electromagnet is inactive and the output mesh is meshed with the input mesh such as to rotationally lock the second pin with respect to the casing.

2. The force application device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator being is mounted on the input mesh.

3. The force application device of claim 2 , wherein the electromagnet is mounted on the casing, such that the actuator is at an axial position between the electromagnet and the output mesh along the axis.

4. The force application device of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing element including a first end attached to the casing and a second end attached to the input mesh, the biasing element being configured to displace the input mesh along the axis.

5. The force application device of claim 1 , wherein one of the input mesh and the output mesh comprises at least one tooth, the other of the input mesh and the output mesh comprising at least one additional housing, the tooth being configured to enter the complementary housing in the locking configuration.

6. The force application device of claim 1 , the force application device comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, the force application device further comprising an elastic compressive link, connecting the first jaw and the second jaw so as to exert a force on the first tooth and the second tooth against the first pin and the second pin in the operational configuration.

7. The force application device of claim 6 , wherein the elastic compressive link comprises a compression spring.

8. The force application device of claim 1 , further comprising an angular displacement sensor configured to acquire a measurement of the angular displacement of the drive shaft.

9. The force application device of claim 1 , further comprising a damping part extending over a contact surface between the first pin and the second pin.

10. The force application device of claim 1 , further comprising a disengaging device configured to disengage the input mesh and the output mesh, said disengaging device comprising a second supply circuit separate from a first supply circuit of the electromagnet, in order to allow the disengagement of said input and output meshes when the first supply circuit of the electromagnet is faulty.

11. A control stick of an aircraft comprising a control lever, comprising at least one motor having a drive shaft, the drive shaft being rotationally movable about an axis, the stick further comprising one force application device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Safran Electronics & Defense

Inventors

• Le Roux Corentin
• Werquin Mickael
• Attrazic Yannick

Classifications

• B64C13/0421 Primary

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title

• G05G9/047

  the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks {(for switches H01H25/04)} · CPC title

• G05G5/05

  Means for returning or tending to return controlling members to an inoperative or neutral position, e.g. by providing return springs or resilient end-stops (G05G5/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05G2009/04718

  with cardan or gimbal type joint · CPC title

• G05G2009/04766

  providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce · CPC title