Integrated Aircraft Flight Control Units
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsTravis L. Yates, Bradley D. Linton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one embodiment, an integrated aircraft trim assembly features a shaft, a mechanical stop, a trim motor, a clutch, and a measurement device. The mechanical stop device is operable to at least partially prevent rotation of the shaft outside of an allowable range of motion. The trim motor has an output component in mechanical communication with the shaft. The clutch separates the trim motor from the shaft. The measurement device is proximate to the shaft and operable to measure a position of the shaft and communicate the measured position to a flight control computer operable to change a position of a flight control device.
Claims24
A rotorcraft, comprising:
- a body;
- a power train coupled to the body and comprising a power source and a drive shaft coupled to the power source;
- a rotor system coupled to the power train and comprising a plurality of rotor blades;
- a flight control assembly operable to receive one or more pilot commands from a pilot;
- one or more linkages coupled between the flight control assembly and an integrated trim assembly;
- the integrated trim assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft at least partially disposed within the housing and coupled to the one or more linkages;
- a mechanical stop device disposed proximate to the housing and operable to at least partially prevent rotation of the shaft outside of an allowable range of motion;
- and
- a trim motor at least partially disposed within the housing and having an output component in mechanical communication with the shaft;
- a trim computer operable to send one or more trim signals to the trim motor instructing the trim motor to change a position of the output component;
- and
- a flight control computer operable to receive one or more measurements from the integrated trim assembly and instruct the rotor system to change a position of at least one of the plurality of rotor blades based on the received one or more measurements.
An integrated aircraft trim assembly, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a mechanical stop device operable to at least partially prevent rotation of the shaft outside of an allowable range of motion;
- a trim motor having an output component in mechanical communication with the shaft;
- a clutch separating the trim motor from the shaft;
- and
- a measurement device proximate to the shaft and operable to measure a position of the shaft and communicate the measured position to a flight control computer operable to change a position of a flight control device.
An integrated cyclic trim assembly, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a mechanical stop device operable to at least partially prevent rotation of the shaft outside of an allowable range of motion;
- a measurement device proximate to the shaft and operable to measure a position of the shaft and communicate the measured position to a flight control computer operable to change a position of at least one rotor blade of a rotor system;
- a shear device coupled to the shaft and configured to separate the trim motor from a portion of the shaft such that portion of the shaft may move freely in response to pilot inputs received through the flight control assembly;
- and
- a damper coupled to the shaft and operable to reduce oscillations in the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.