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US 10,093,409 B2Granted
Electromechanical decoupler
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorTodd Waaramaa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compact electromechanical decoupler device is operatively connected between a manual control device of an aircraft and an electromechanical actuator that controls the flight modes of the aircraft. The electromechanical decoupler device is operable to decouple the operative connection between the manual control device and the electromechanical actuator with the absence of power supplied to the electromechanical decoupler device. The electromechanical decoupler device can recouple the operative connection between the manual control device and the electromechanical actuator on resupply of power to the electromechanical decoupler device and on manually achieving proper rotational alignment or indexing between the mechanical control device and the electromechanical actuator.
Claims20
An electromechanical decoupler comprising:
- a housing, the housing enclosing an interior volume of the housing;
- a shaft extending through the interior volume, the shaft having a center axis of rotation that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the housing, the shaft being rotatable around the center axis relative to the housing;
- a decoupler plate in the interior volume, the decoupler plate being connected to the shaft for rotation of the decoupler plate with rotation of the shaft, the decoupler plate being moveable on the shaft in a first axial direction to a first position of the decoupler plate relative to the housing and in an opposite second axial direction to a second position of the decoupler plate relative to the housing, the decoupler plate having a plurality of plate projections on the decoupler plate, the plurality of plate protections extending radially outward from the decoupler plate;
- a biasing device in the interior volume, the biasing device being operable to exert a biasing force on the decoupler plate, the biasing force urging the decoupler plate to move in the second axial direction to the second position of the decoupler plate;
- a plurality of housing projections in the interior volume, the plurality of housing projections being connected to the housing, the plurality of housing projections extending radially inward, the plurality of housing projections being configured to engage with the plurality of plate projections when the decoupler plate is in the first position of the decoupler plate relative to the housing, the plurality of housing projections engaging with the plurality of plate projections connecting the housing to the decoupler plate for rotation of the housing together with the decoupler plate around the center axis and the plurality of housing projections disengaging from the plate projections when the decoupler plate is in the second position of the decoupler plate relative to the housing enabling the housing and the decoupler plate to rotate independently around the center axis;
- and,
- an electromagnet in the interior volume, the electromagnet being operable to create a magnetic field when the electromagnet is activated, the magnetic field pulling the decoupler plate in the first axial direction against the biasing force to the first position of the decoupler plate relative to the housing, and the electromagnet being operable to extinguish the magnetic field when the electromagnet is deactivated allowing the biasing device to push the decoupler plate in the second axial direction to the second position of the decoupler plate relative to the housing and causing the housing projections to disengage from the plate projections.
4 more elements
An electromechanical decoupler comprising:
- a housing, the housing enclosing an interior volume of the housing;
- a shaft extending through the interior volume, the shaft having a center axis of rotation that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the housing, the shaft being rotatable around the center axis relative to the housing;
- a decoupler plate in the interior volume, the decoupler plate being connected to the shaft for rotation of the decoupler plate with rotation of the shaft, the decoupler plate being moveable on the shaft in a first axial direction to a first position of the decoupler plate on the shaft and in an opposition second axial direction to a second position of the decoupler plate on the shaft, the decoupler plate having a pin hole through the decoupler plate;
- a biasing device in the interior volume, the biasing device being operable to exert a biasing force on the decoupler plate, the biasing force urging the decoupler plate in the second axial direction to the second position of the decoupler plate on the shaft;
- an alignment pin in the interior volume, the alignment pin being connected to the housing at a position where the alignment pin moves into the pin hole in the decoupler plate and connects the housing to the decoupler plate when the decoupler plate is moved from the second position to the first position on the shaft;
- and,
- an electromagnet in the interior volume, the electromagnet being operable to create a magnetic field when the electromagnet is activated, the magnetic field pulling the decoupler plate in the first axial direction against the biasing force of the biasing device from the second position of the decoupler plate on the shaft to the first position of the decoupler plate on the shaft where the alignment pin moves into the pin hole in the decoupler plate and connects the housing to the decoupler plate and the shaft, the electromagnet being operable to extinguish the magnetic field when the electromagnet is deactivated allowing the biasing device to push the decoupler plate in the second axial direction to the second position of the decoupler plate on the shaft where the housing and the decoupler plate are not connected.
4 more elements
A method of shielding a pilot from excessive load forces exerted on a flight control surface of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- operatively connecting a decoupler between a manual control of a control system of the aircraft and the flight control surface;
- and,
- controlling the decoupler to disconnect the manual control of the control system of the aircraft from the flight control surface in response to an excessive load force exerted on the flight control surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.