Electric control member, a rotary wing aircraft, and a method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018099739-A1
Application number	US-201715727826-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 9, 2017
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electric control device having manipulation means. The electric control device has a first measurement system and a second measurement system respectively taking a first measurement and a second measurement of the current position of the manipulation means. A processor unit compares the first and second measurements in order to generate a control signal as a function of said current position, said processor unit considering that the manipulation means are in a neutral position when the first and second measurements do not correspond to the same position for the manipulation means.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electric control device having manipulation means and a support, the manipulation means being movable relative to the support, the manipulation means being for being moved relative to the support by a person, the electric control device including a first measurement system that takes a first measurement of a current position of the manipulation means relative to a neutral position, wherein the electric control device comprise a second measurement system that takes a second measurement of the current position, the first measurement system and the second measurement system being independent and dissimilar, the electric control device including a processor unit comparing the first measurement and the second measurement in order to generate a control signal as a function of the current position, the processor unit considering the manipulation means to be in the neutral position when the first measurement and the second measurement do not correspond to the same position for the manipulation means.

2 . The electric control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first measurement system comprises means delivering the first measurement in the form of a first signal of analog type, the second measurement system comprising means delivering the second measurement in the form of a second signal of digital type.

3 . The electric control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first measurement system comprises a potentiometer or a Hall effect sensor or an active electrical sensor for sensing rotary movements, the first measurement being expressed in the form of a first signal presenting a voltage that depends on the current position.

4 . The electric control device according to claim 1 , wherein the second measurement system comprises a code wheel constrained to rotate with the manipulation means and a processor system co-operating with the code wheel in order to determine a current binary value corresponding to the current position, the second measurement being expressed in the form of a second signal comprising the binary value.

5 . The electric control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electric control device includes a return system tending to return the manipulation means to the neutral position.

6 . The electric control device according to claim 5 , wherein the return system comprises a first spring and a second spring that are provided respectively with a first movable end and with a second movable end, the manipulation means having an element that is arranged circumferentially between the first movable end and the second movable end, the return system including an abutment, the first spring tending to move the first movable end circumferentially against the abutment in a first direction in order to position the manipulation member in the neutral position, the second spring tending to move the second movable end circumferentially against the abutment in a second direction in order to position the manipulation member in the neutral position.

7 . The electric control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electric control device includes a retention system tending to retain the manipulation means in at least one “indexed” position relative to the support.

8 . The electric control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electric control device presents a first assembly provided with the support together with the manipulation means and the first and second measurement systems, the processor unit being attached to the first assembly and being secured to the support, the processor unit being for connecting to at least one computer that is physically independent from the first assembly, the processor unit transmitting the control signal to the computer, the control signal relating to a parameter of value that is established as a function of a measured position when the first measurement and the second measurement both correspond to the measured position, or to the neutral position when the first measurement and the second measurement do not correspond to the same position.

9 . The electric control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electric control device presents a first assembly provided with the support together with the manipulation means and the first and second measurement systems, the processor unit not being attached to the first assembly, the processor unit being remote from the first assembly, the processor unit being connected to the first assembly by at least one bus, the bus being connected to the first measurement system and to the second measurement system, the control signal relating to a parameter of value that is established as a function of a measured position when the first measurement and the second measurement both correspond to the measured position, or to the neutral position when the first measurement and the second measurement do not correspond to the same position.

10 . An aircraft having at least one main rotor contributing at least in part to providing the aircraft with lift, the aircraft including at least one propulsion system distinct from the main rotor, the propulsion system generating thrust referred to as “additional” thrust to contribute at least in part to causing the aircraft to advance, wherein the aircraft includes the electric control device according to claim 1 connected to the propulsion system to control the additional thrust, at least in part, the control signal requesting a variation rate for the additional thrust transmitted to the propulsion system.

11 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the propulsion system comprises at least one propeller having a plurality of variable pitch blades, and the propulsion system includes a pitch modification system for modifying the pitch, the processor unit being connected to the pitch modification system.

12 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the aircraft includes an emergency electric manipulation member connected to the propulsion system.

13 . The aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the aircraft includes an emergency mechanical manipulation member connected to the propulsion system.

14 . A method of controlling a propulsion system of the aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises the following steps:
generating the first measurement and the second measurement; comparing the first and second measurements; and generating a variation rate for controlling the additional thrust as a function of the position of the manipulation means relative to a reference, the variation rate being generated as a function of a “measured” position of the manipulation means when the first and second measurements correspond simultaneously to the measured position, the variation rate being set at zero when the first measurement and the second measurement do not correspond to the same position.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the step of comparing the first and second measurements comprises the following stages:
determining a first variation rate corresponding to the first measurement by using a relationship giving the first variation rate as a function of the first measurement; determining a second variation rate corresponding to the second measurement by using a relationship giving the second variation rate as a function of the second measurement and comparing the first and second variation rates.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the propulsion system comprises at least one propeller, and the method includes a step of positioning a mean pitch for the blades of the propeller in a predetermined position whe

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Salesse-Lavergne Marc
• Abdelli Kamel
• Sellier Olivier
• Bihel Jean-Romain

Classifications

• B64C13/505

  having duplication or stand-by provisions · CPC title

• B64C13/0421 Primary

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title

• B64C27/56

  characterised by the control initiating means, e.g. manually actuated · CPC title

• B64C11/30

  Blade pitch-changing mechanisms · CPC title

• B64C13/341

  having duplication or stand-by provisions · CPC title