Hydrostatic sidestick coupling
AssigneeBombardier Aerospace Corporation
InventorGuy Bernard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a system for directing the motion of a vehicle, controllers, each of which independently controls motion of the vehicle, are linked to a coupling assembly to cause the controllers to experience substantially identical motion. The coupling assembly includes one or more fluid displacers that are linked to a first vehicle controller which force fluid from a first chamber, through a conduit, into a second chamber and against one or more fluid displacers that are linked to a second vehicle controller. The coupling assembly may be used to control motion of the aircraft in multiple degrees of freedom.
Claims28
An apparatus for controlling the motion of an aircraft, comprising first and second pilot controllers each of which moves in the same degree of freedom, is directly operable by a pilot and is arranged to independently control motion of in aircraft about at least one axis thereof, and a coupling assembly coupling said first and second controllers to cause substantially identical and simultaneous motion of said controllers by varying a fluid distribution, wherein said coupling assembly comprises:
- a first chamber including a first bellows for enabling a fluid in said first chamber to be displaced, said first bellows being coupled to said first controller;
- a second chamber including a second bellows for enabling a fluid in said second chamber to be displaced, said second bellows being coupled to said second controller, and a conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of a said bellows.
An apparatus for controlling the motion of an aircraft, comprising first and second pilot controllers, each of which moves in the same degree of freedom, is directly operable by a pilot and is arranged to independently control motion of an aircraft about at least one axis thereof, and a coupling assembly coupling said first and second controllers to cause substantially identical and simultaneous motion of said controllers by varying a fluid distribution, wherein said coupling assembly comprises:
- a first chamber including a first fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said first chamber to be displaced, said first fluid displacer being coupled to said first controller,
- a second chamber including a second fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said second chamber to be displaced, said second fluid displacer being coupled to said second controller,
- a first conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of a fluid displacer,
- a third chamber including a third fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said third chamber to be displaced, said third fluid displacer being coupled to said first controller,
- a fourth chamber including a fourth fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said fourth chamber to be displaced, said fourth fluid displacer being coupled to said second controller,
- a second conduit for transporting fluid between said third and fourth chambers,
- said chambers being arranged such that on movement of said first and second controllers in one direction, fluid moves out of said first and fourth chambers and into said second and third chambers, and on movement of said first and second controllers in the opposite direction, fluid moves into said first and fourth chambers and out of said second and third chambers, and
- a valve operable from a closed position to an open position to allow, in said open position, fluid communication between said first conduit and said second conduit, thereby decoupling both said first and second controllers from each other.
An apparatus for controlling the motion of an aircraft, comprising first and second pilot controllers, each of which moves in the same degree of freedom, is directly operable by a pilot and is arranged to independently control motion of an aircraft about at least one axis thereof, and a coupling assembly coupling said first and second controllers to cause substantially identical and simultaneous motion of said controllers by varying a fluid distribution, wherein said coupling assembly comprises:
- a first chamber and a first bellows for enabling fluid in said first chamber to be displaced, the first chamber having a first chamber wall and the first bellows having a first flexible wall, wherein said first chamber is defined by said first flexible wall and a portion of said first chamber wall surrounding said first flexible wall, said first bellows being coupled to said first controller,
- a second chamber and a second bellows for enabling fluid in said second chamber to be displaced, the second chamber having a second chamber wall and said second bellows having a second flexible wall, wherein said second chamber is defined by said second flexible wall and a portion of said second chamber wall surrounding said second flexible wall, said second bellows being coupled to said second controller, and
- a conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of said bellows.
An apparatus for controlling the motion of an aircraft, comprising first and second pilot controllers each of which moves in the same degree of freedom, is directly operable by a pilot and is arranged to independently control motion of an aircraft about at least one axis thereof, and a coupling assembly coupling said first and second controllers to cause substantially identical and simultaneous motion of said controllers by varying a fluid distribution, wherein said coupling assembly comprises:
- a first chamber including a first bellows for enabling a fluid in said first chamber to be displaced, said first bellows being coupled to said first controller,
- a second chamber including a second bellows for enabling a fluid in said second chamber to be displaced, said second bellows being coupled to said second controller,
- a first conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of a said bellows,
- a third chamber including a third bellows for enabling a fluid in said third chamber to be displaced, said third bellows being coupled to said first controller,
- a fourth chamber including a fourth bellows for enabling a fluid in said fourth chamber to be displaced, said fourth bellows being coupled to said second controller,
- a second conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of a said bellows,
- wherein said first and second controllers have a neutral position in the absence of an external force applied thereto, and the flexible walls of said first, second, third and fourth bellows have a combined resiliency sufficient to displace said first and second controllers towards said neutral position on removal of an applied force from said first and second controllers.
An apparatus for controlling the motion of an aircraft, comprising first and second pilot controllers each of which moves in the same degree of freedom, is directly operable by a pilot and is arranged to independently control motion of an aircraft about at least one axis thereof, and a coupling assembly coupling said first and second controllers to cause substantially identical and simultaneous motion of said controllers by varying a fluid distribution, wherein said coupling assembly comprises:
- a first chamber including a first bellows for enabling a fluid in said first chamber to be displaced, said first bellows being coupled to said first controller,
- a second chamber including a second bellows for enabling a fluid in said second chamber to be displaced, said second bellows being coupled to said second controller,
- a first conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of a said bellows,
- a third chamber including a third bellows for enabling a fluid in said third chamber to be displaced, said third bellows being coupled to said first controller,
- a fourth chamber including a fourth bellows for enabling a fluid in said fourth chamber to be displaced, said fourth bellows being coupled to said second controller,
- a second conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of a said bellows,
- said first and third bellows each having a fluid displacer connected together and arranged in tandem, and said second and fourth bellows each having a fluid displacer connected together and arranged in tandem such that on movement of one of said first and second controllers, the fluid displacer of said first bellows moves in the same direction as the fluid displacer of said third bellows, and the fluid displacer of said second bellows moves in the same direction as the fluid displacer of said fourth bellows.
An apparatus for controlling the motion of an aircraft, comprising first and second pilot controllers, each of which moves in the same degree of freedom, is directly operable by a pilot and is arranged to independently control motion of an aircraft about at least one axis thereof, and a coupling assembly coupling said first and second controllers to cause substantially identical and simultaneous motion of said controllers by varying a fluid distribution, wherein said coupling assembly comprises:
- a first chamber including a first fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said first chamber to be displaced, said first fluid displacer being coupled to said first controller,
- a second chamber including a second fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said second chamber to be displaced, said second fluid displacer being coupled to said second controller,
- a first conduit for transporting fluid between said first and second chambers in response to motion of a fluid displacer,
- a third chamber including a third fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said third chamber to be displaced, said third fluid displacer being coupled to said first controller,
- a fourth chamber including a fourth fluid displacer for enabling a fluid in said fourth chamber to be displaced, said fourth fluid displacer being coupled to said second controller,
- a second conduit for transporting fluid between said third and fourth chambers,
- said chambers being arranged such that on movement of said first and second controllers in one direction, fluid moves out of said first and fourth chambers and into said second and third chambers, and on movement of said first and second controllers in the opposite direction, fluid moves into said first and fourth chambers and out of said second and third chambers, and
- wherein said first and second conduits have substantially identical length, cross-section, co-efficient of radial expansion and total fluid volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.