Counterbalance unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016357216-A1
Application number	US-201414901750-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2014
Priority date	Jul 1, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vibration damping counterbalance unit for an inceptor apparatus having a wall defining a cavity; and a plurality of vibration damping masses housed within the cavity.

First claim

1 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit for an inceptor apparatus comprising:
a wall defining a cavity; and a plurality of vibration damping masses housed within the cavity.

2 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cavity is configured such that the vibration damping masses are free to move in any direction relative to the cavity wall and each other.

3 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibration damping masses are substantially spherical.

4 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibration damping masses comprise a metal having a density of at least 15 g/cm 3 .

5 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibration damping masses have a vickers hardness of at least 2600 MPa.

6 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibration damping masses substantially comprise a tungsten alloy.

7 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibration damping masses have a diameter of at least 2.0 mm but no greater than about 5.0 mm.

8 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the vibration damping masses is a function of: required total counterbalance mass, density of vibration mass material, maximum allowable vibration damping counterbalance unit envelope, and free space volume in the cavity.

9 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the free space volume in the cavity is at least 15% of the volume of the cavity.

10 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 which comprises only one cavity which houses vibration damping masses.

11 . A vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one internal dividing wall to define at least one additional cavity to house vibration damping masses.

12 . A control stick for an inceptor apparatus provided with a vibration damping counterbalance unit as claimed in claim 1 .

13 . A control stick as claimed in claim 12 wherein the vibration damping counterbalance unit is removeably fixed to the control stick.

14 . An inceptor apparatus comprising a control stick as claimed in claim 12 .

15 . An inceptor apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the control stick is pivotably mounted such that it may move in at least one of a first direction and second direction, the second direction being at right angles to the first direction.

16 . An inceptor apparatus comprising:
a control stick; and a vibration damping counterbalance unit operatively coupled to an end of the control stick, the vibration damping counterbalance unit including a wall defining a cavity, and a plurality of vibration damping masses housed within the cavity.

17 . An inceptor apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the cavity is configured such that the vibration damping masses are free to move in any direction relative to the cavity wall and each other, and wherein the vibration damping masses are substantially spherical.

18 . An inceptor apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein free space volume in the cavity is at least 15% of the volume of the cavity.

19 . An inceptor apparatus as claimed in claim 16 as claimed in claim 16 where the cavity includes an internal dividing wall to define at least one additional cavity to house vibration damping masses.

20 . An inceptor apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein the vibration damping counterbalance unit is removeably fixed to the control stick.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• White Nicholas James
• Wasson Robert Maxwell

Classifications

• G05G25/02 Primary

  Inhibiting the generation or transmission of noise {(suppression of noise or vibrations in selector apparatus for gearings F16H59/0208)} · CPC title

• F16F7/015

  the particles being spherical, cylindrical or the like · CPC title

• G05G9/047

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

• B64C13/0421

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title