Force feedback device and active side stick device including the same

Abstract

A force feedback device (260; 360) applicable to an aircraft sidestick device is proposed, as well as an aircraft active sidestick device (1) including such a force feedback device (260; 360). The force feedback device (260; 360) includes: a housing having guide rails (266; 366) provided on both sides thereof; a cam (261; 361) having a contour surface and capable of being connected to a roll axis or a pitch axis of the aircraft; a platform (264; 364) with the contour surface always tangent to the platform (264; 364) when the cam (261; 361) rotates; a spring (262; 362) with one end connected to the housing and the other end connected to the platform (264; 364); and rollers (265; 365) provided at both ends of the platform (264; 364) and slidably disposed in the guide rails (266; 366).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a force feedback device for an active side stick device for an aircraft and an active side stick device including the force feedback device. Background Art

[0002] At present, the flight control system of civil aircraft uses a side stick assembly as the pilot's control input to control the pitch and roll attitudes of the aircraft. Since the side stick moves the control wheel in front of the pilot to the side, it is beneficial to operate the controller in front, improves the visibility of the front display, expands the available space on the instrument panel, and facilitates the pilot to enter and exit the cockpit. This further makes it possible to increase the useful space in the cockpit or reduce the cockpit size design.

[0003] Currently, the side sticks used on certificated large civil airliners are all passive side sticks, and the passive side sticks have the following deficiencies:

[0004] - The passive side stick provides a force feedback with a fixed gradient to the pilot by relying on a spring, and cannot reflect the actual flight state of the aircraft, resulting in the pilot not being able to truly feel the position and load of the control surface during aircraft flight;

[0005] - The gradient parameter of the force feedback of the passive side stick is fixed, and different pilots cannot modify the gradient parameter according to their own habits;

[0006] - Due to limited installation conditions, the passive side stick cannot achieve co-pilot linkage, resulting in the captain and co-pilot being unable to perceive each other's control states in real time, and it is easy to cause multi-input stick shaker alarms;

[0007] - In the case of aircraft stall, etc., the passive side stick cannot give the pilot a stick shaker prompt;

[0008] - The passive side stick cannot provide an automatic return drive function in the automatic flight mode, which is not conducive to the pilot monitoring the aircraft flight state in real time during automatic flight.

[0009] Currently, research has been carried out on active side sticks, but they have not been put into use yet.

[0010] An aircraft active side stick is known from CN 205652337U (publication date: October 19, 2016). The aircraft active side stick separates the pitch axis and the roll axis by using a gyroscope structure and a circular arc structure arranged on the second axis that conforms to the movement path of the lower end of the side stick handle. However, in this configuration, in order to improve the control accuracy, there should be no gap between the slide rail and the lower end of the side stick handle, which causes additional resistance to the operation of the side stick and may lead to jamming.

[0011] An active side-stick mechanical structure is known from GB2482409B (publication date: July 10, 2013). In this structure, the cam surface of the passive feedback device directly acts on the cam follower of the stick to provide a feedback force during the relative movement of the stick, and uses the feedback neutral position set on the cam surface to make the follower perform a feedback movement when the resistance device gradually biases the cam surface to resist the cam.

[0012] A kind of active side-stick device for a helicopter is known from US8074941 B2 (publication date: December 13, 2011), in which the pitch axis and roll axis of the active side-stick are connected by a two-link mechanism, and pitch control and roll control are independent. However, in this active side-stick device, only one side of the roll axis is fixed under the housing, and the structure is asymmetric. Therefore, harmonic vibration is likely to occur during the torque transmission process, and the stability of this structure is relatively low.

[0013] A kind of active side-stick device is known from RU2643856 C2 (publication date: February 6, 2018), in which the roll axis and pitch axis are connected to the main body through universal joints to transmit position signals to the active side-stick main body. This active side-stick has two axes for both roll and pitch, and also has a universal joint device for each, and the structure is too complex.

[0014] In addition, BAE Systems has also proposed an active side-stick. In this side-stick, the pitch-axis motor and the roll-axis motor are connected to the pitch axis and roll axis through a link mechanism to provide power supply in the active mode; in the passive mode, the motor is used as a damper to provide a fixed force-feeling characteristic through a spring. However, the inertial force generated by the link mechanism during the movement process is difficult to eliminate by general balancing methods, resulting in an increase in dynamic load, making it unsuitable for high-speed movement and inconvenient for pilots to handle emergencies. In addition, due to the fact that the link mechanism requires a certain movement range, it is also not conducive to the integration of the active side-stick.

[0015] Stirling has also proposed an active side-stick. In this side-stick, the side-stick handle is directly connected to the pitch motor, and the entire pitch motor is fixedly installed on the roll motor through the roll axis to achieve the control of the pitch axis and roll axis by the pitch / roll motor. Directly installing the pitch motor on the roll motor causes the roll motor to bear the weight of the pitch motor, the side-stick handle, and the force exerted by the pilot on the handle, which has a great impact on the accuracy of the roll motor and the anti-interference ability of the side-stick is low; secondly, roll control and pitch control are not absolutely separated; finally, the passive mode of this side-stick can only be achieved by powering off the pitch motor and the roll motor, which affects the flight experience of the pilot.

[0016] Therefore, the passive side sticks used on existing airworthy civil airliners have defects such as pilots being unable to truly feel the position and load conditions of the control surfaces, poor pilot operation experience, and a fixed force gradient. As for the active side stick, although some research has been proposed, the known mechanical structures of the active side stick still have room for improvement in terms of the structure transfer path, structural complexity, anti-interference ability, and susceptibility to jamming. Summary of the Invention

[0017] An object of the present invention is to provide an active side stick device with a force feedback device that can provide reliable force feedback to the pilot and improve the pilot's operation experience.

[0018] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a force feedback device that can be used for the side stick device of an aircraft, especially the active side stick device of an aircraft.

[0019] The force feedback device includes:

[0020] A housing with guide rails provided on both sides of the housing;

[0021] A cam with a profiled surface;

[0022] A platform, during the rotation of the cam, the profiled surface is always tangent to the platform;

[0023] At least one spring, with both sides of the spring connected to the platform and the housing respectively, providing force feedback through the spring force,

[0024] Rollers, with one roller provided at each end of the platform, and each roller being slidably arranged in the guide rails provided on both sides of the housing.

[0025] Thus, with the action of an external force, the cam of the force feedback device rotates around the rotation axis, deviates from the central position, and drives the platform to move linearly under the guidance of the guide rails as it rotates.

[0026] Specifically, when in use, the force feedback device is usually in a vertical state as a whole. The cam can be connected to the roll axis or pitch axis of the side stick of the aircraft and rotates and deviates from the center as the side stick rotates. Thus, the cam pulls the spring by pushing the platform, causing the platform to slide on the guide rails extending in the vertical direction on both sides of the housing. The concave guide rails enable the platform to only move along the direction of the guide rails, thereby ensuring that the tension received by the spring is always along the vertical direction.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, each roller is connected to the corresponding end of the platform by a spring. The setting of the spring provides a movement allowance for the roller along the extension direction of the platform, usually the horizontal direction, which can prevent the roller and thus prevent the platform from jamming when moving along the slide rail.

[0028] In another preferred embodiment, a key structure for restricting rotation is provided at the connection between the roller and the platform, so that the roller structure is only allowed to slide along the guide rails formed as grooves on both sides of the platform.

[0029] In still another preferred embodiment, limit members are installed on both sides of the cam of the force feedback device to limit the rotatable angle of the cam, so as to indirectly limit the rotation angle of the roll axis or pitch axis connected to the cam, and further limit the stroke of the pilot to control the roll motion or pitch motion by operating the side stick handle.

[0030] Optionally or additionally, the profile surface of the cam can be divided into at least two regions.

[0031] Preferably, the profile surface of the cam is divided into three regions.

[0032] Optionally, these three regions of the profile surface of the cam respectively correspond to the dead zone of roll control, the first force feedback gradient, and the second force feedback gradient. The pilot has a corresponding force feedback for pushing and pulling the side stick outwards and inwards respectively. When the cam is not subject to external force, under the action of the spring force, the dead zone of the profile surface of the cam contacts the platform.

[0033] Thus, the force feedback device proposed by the present invention drives the platform to move through the cam and then pulls the spring to provide different gradient force feedbacks for the user of the force feedback device by means of different regions of the profile surface of the cam.

[0034] Another object of the present invention is to propose an active side stick device, which can improve at least one of the defects still existing in the current research and development of active side sticks mentioned at the beginning of this article.

[0035] The active side stick device includes:

[0036] A side stick handle;

[0037] A pitch axis fixedly connected to the side stick handle;

[0038] A roll axis, which includes a first half shaft and a second half shaft. The first half shaft and the second half shaft are connected into one body through a connection structure.

[0039] Two force feedback devices as described above, respectively serving as a pitch axis force feedback device and a roll axis force feedback device. Among them, in the pitch axis force feedback device, the cam is connected to one end of the pitch axis, and in the roll axis force feedback device, the cam is connected to one end of a half shaft of the roll axis.

[0040] Wherein, the pitch axis and the roll axis are respectively installed on the active side stick through a pair of bearings on the side surface of the housing of the active side stick device, and the axes of the pitch axis and the roll axis are perpendicular to each other. The pitch axis passes through the gap between the first half shaft and the second half shaft of the roll axis.

[0041] The pitch / roll motion is transmitted through mechanical transmission connections between components.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, the cross-section of the lower part of the side stick handle is rectangular, and a square hole is provided in the middle of the pitch axis. The width of the direction hole is greater than the width of the lower part of the handle. The lower part of the side stick handle passes through this hole and is rotatably mounted on the pitch axis. The angle that the side stick handle is allowed to rotate due to the width of the middle hole of the pitch axis is exactly the angle required for side stick roll control.

[0043] More preferably, the base surface of the middle section of the pitch axis is rectangular, and the cross-section of the gap between the first half shaft and the second half shaft of the roll axis is also rectangular. When controlling the pitch motion with the side stick handle, when the pitch axis rotates by a certain angle, the middle section of the pitch axis will abut against the rectangular cross-sections of the two half shafts of the roll axis, thereby restricting the rotatable angle of the pitch axis. The allowed rotation angle of the pitch axis is exactly the angle required for side stick pitch control.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the connection structure between the first half shaft and the second half shaft of the roll axis is a parallelogram structure connection. The lower part of the side stick handle is connected to this connection structure, thereby forming two series-connected parallelogram structures. The operation of the side stick handle drives the first half shaft and the second half shaft of the roll axis to rotate through the connection structure that is a parallelogram structure.

[0045] Due to such a setting, it is beneficial to avoid the influence on the roll axis when the side stick handle drives the pitch axis to rotate. In other words, the rotations of the pitch axis and the roll axis are independent of each other in the active side stick device of the present invention.

[0046] Additionally, the active side stick device of the present invention further includes a roll axis motor assembly, a pitch axis motor assembly, a pitch control reduction gear, a roll control reduction gear, a pitch axis rotation variable differential sensor assembly, and a roll axis rotation variable differential sensor assembly.

[0047] In the active side stick device of the present invention, one end of the pitch axis is connected to a gear reducer. One side of the input end of the reducer is connected to the pitch axis motor assembly, and the other side is connected to the rotation variable differential sensor assembly. The setting of the gear reducer realizes higher rotational speeds and larger strokes for the pitch axis motor and the rotation variable differential sensor, thereby improving the motor output accuracy and the sensor measurement accuracy. Similarly, one end of the roll axis can be connected to a gear reducer. One side of the input end of the reducer is connected to the roll axis motor assembly, and the other side is connected to the rotation variable differential sensor assembly.

[0048] Preferably, both the roll axis motor assembly and the pitch axis motor assembly include two or more motors, motor drivers, and encoders. Each motor in each motor assembly is connected in parallel with the input end of the gear reducer through gears. The provision of multiple motors to provide input ensures that input can still be provided in the event of a failure of a certain motor.

[0049] The other end of the pitch axis is connected to another gear reducer. One side of the output end of this gear reducer is connected to the rotary variable differential sensor assembly. The setting of this gear reducer achieves a higher rotational speed and a greater stroke of the rotary variable differential sensor, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the sensor.

[0050] This end of the pitch axis is connected to the pitch axis cam of the pitch axis force feedback device. By pushing and pulling the spring through the pitch axis cam, the gradient spring force in the passive mode is thus feedback.

[0051] Similarly, the other end of the roll axis, that is, the end of the other half shaft away from the gap between the first half shaft and the second half shaft, is connected to another gear reducer. One side of the output end of this gear reducer is connected to another rotary variable differential sensor assembly. This end of the half shaft is also connected to the roll axis cam of the roll axis force feedback device on the other side, so that the rotation of the roll axis drives the rotation of the roll axis cam, and then pushes and pulls the spring of the roll axis force feedback device to feedback the gradient spring force in the passive mode.

[0052] According to a preferred embodiment, in the active mode, the side stick handle in the active side stick device of the present invention overcomes the spring force of the spring in the force feedback device and provides feedback force to the pilot according to the rudder surface position and load during the flight of the aircraft. In the passive mode, when the motor that provides the rotational torque to the pitch axis and / or the roll axis is powered off, the force feedback gradient is feedback through the spring in the force feedback device, and the damping force is feedback through the motor.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment, the two sets of active side stick devices for the captain and the first officer only need to be electrically coupled and linked through signal lines.

[0054] According to a preferred embodiment, the active side stick device is configured to give the pilot a stick shaker prompt when it detects or confirms through a signal source that the aircraft has stalled or other situations.

[0055] According to a preferred embodiment, the active side stick device of the present invention provides an automatic return drive function during automatic flight, which helps the pilot to monitor the flight state of the aircraft in real time during automatic flight.

[0056] Traditional passive side sticks cannot provide an automatic return drive function during automatic flight, which is not conducive to the pilot to monitor the flight state of the aircraft in real time during automatic flight.

[0057] The active side stick device of the present invention provides a spring force sense gradient feedback in the passive mode by setting a force sense feedback device. The rotation of the pitch axis and / or the roll axis is used to drive the rotation of the cam in the force sense feedback device, and then the platform is pushed to stretch or compress the spring, so as to set different force sense gradients by means of the cam shape.

[0058] In addition, in the active side stick device, the first half shaft and the second half shaft are connected by a parallelogram connection structure, and the lower part of the side stick handle is connected to the parallelogram connection structure, so as to separate and decouple the pitch axis and the roll axis by means of the parallelogram deformation principle.

[0059] Furthermore, the pitch axis passes through the gap between the first half shaft and the second half shaft of the roll axis, making the structure of the active side stick device symmetric.

[0060] In addition, the parallelogram connection structure not only connects the side stick handle and the pitch axis, but also connects the first half shaft and the second half shaft of the roll axis, improving the stability of the roll axis.

[0061] The additional features and advantages described herein will be set forth in the detailed description below, and will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description or will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art from practicing the embodiments described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] With reference to the above objects, the technical features of the present invention are clearly described in the following claims, and its advantages are apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, which illustrate by way of example the preferred embodiments of the present invention without limiting the scope of the inventive concept.

[0063] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the active side stick device of the present invention is shown;

[0064] Figure 2 A side view perspective view of the force sense feedback device of the present invention is shown;

[0065] Figure 3 A side view perspective view of an embodiment of the active side stick device of the present invention is shown, and the active side stick device includes Figure 2 the force sense feedback device shown;

[0066] Figure 4 is shown Figure 2 a partial detailed view of the force sense feedback device shown;

[0067] Figure 5 is shown Figure 2 a partial cross-sectional view of the force sense feedback device shown;

[0068] Figure 6A graph showing the surface profile of the pitch axis cam of the pitch axis force feedback device;

[0069] Figure 7 Shows Figure 2 An enlarged detailed perspective three-dimensional view of the active side stick device shown;

[0070] Figure 8 A graph showing the surface profile of the roll axis cam of the roll axis force feedback device.

[0071] List of reference numerals

[0072] 1 Active side stick device

[0073] 10 Side stick handle

[0074] 2 Pitch axis

[0075] 210 Rotating shaft

[0076] 221 Pitch axis bearing

[0077] 222 Pitch axis bearing

[0078] 231 First pitch axis rotational variable differential sensor assembly

[0079] 232 Second pitch axis rotational variable differential sensor assembly

[0080] 241 Pitch control reduction gear

[0081] 242 Pitch control reduction gear

[0082] 250 Pitch axis motor assembly

[0083] 260 Pitch axis force feedback device

[0084] 261 Pitch axis cam

[0085] 262 Spring

[0086] 263 Cam limit pin

[0087] 264 Platform

[0088] 265 Roller

[0089] 266 Guide rail

[0090] 267 Roller mounting spring

[0091] 268 Key

[0092] 3 Roll axis

[0093] 301 First half shaft

[0094] 302 Second half shaft

[0095] 321 Rotating shaft bearing

[0096] 322 Rotating shaft bearing

[0097] 331 First rotating shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly

[0098] 332 Second rotating shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly

[0099] 341 Roll control reducer

[0100] 342 Roll control reducer

[0101] 350 Rotating shaft motor assembly

[0102] 360 Rotating shaft force feedback device

[0103] 361 Cam

[0104] 362 Spring

[0105] 363 Cam limit pin

[0106] 364 Platform

[0107] 365 Roller

[0108] 366 Guide rail

[0109] 367 Roller mounting spring

[0110] 368 Key

[0111] 4 Connection structure

[0112] 411 First rotating shaft

[0113] 412 Second rotating shaft

[0114] 413 Third rotating shaft

[0115] 414 Fourth rotating shaft

[0116] 415 Fifth rotating shaft

[0117] 421 First component

[0118] 422 Second component

[0119] 423 Third component. Detailed implementation mode

[0120] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover not only these exemplary embodiments, but also various alternative forms, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. For the purpose of explanation and precise definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", and "outer" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings with reference to the positions of these features.

[0121] The following will describe in conjunction with Figures 1 to 8 an embodiment of the active side stick device of the present invention generally designated by reference numeral 1.

[0122] First, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 which schematically shows the mechanical structure of the active side stick device 1. As shown, the active side stick device 1 includes a side stick handle 10, a roll axis 3, a pitch axis 2, a parallelogram connection structure 4, a roll axis motor assembly 350, a pitch axis motor assembly 250, pitch control reduction gears 241 and 242, roll control reduction gears 341 and 342, a first pitch axis rotation variable differential sensor assembly 231 and a second pitch axis rotation variable differential sensor assembly 232, a first roll axis rotation variable differential sensor assembly 331 and a second roll axis rotation variable differential sensor assembly 332, a pitch axis force feedback device 260, a roll axis force feedback device 360, pitch axis bearings 221 and 222, and roll axis bearings 321 and 322. The components included in the active side stick device 1 are connected by mechanical transmission to achieve the transmission of pitch and roll motions.

[0123] The following will further introduce each component separately.

[0124] As Figure 1 shown, the pitch axis 2 is supported on the housing by a pair of pitch axis bearings 221 and 222 mounted on the housing. The middle section of the pitch axis 2 has a square cross-section and is provided with a hole through which the side stick handle 10 passes and is rotatably connected to the pitch axis 2 through a rotating shaft 210 provided on the pitch axis 2.

[0125] The width of the hole provided in the middle section of the pitch axis 2 allows the angle of rotation of the side stick handle 10 to be exactly equal to the angle required to control the roll motion, and the hole is configured such that when the side stick handle 10 rotates about the axis of the pitch axis, the side stick handle 10 drives the pitch axis 2 to rotate.

[0126] As can be seen from Figure 1Visible on the left side, one end of the pitch axis 2 is drivably connected to the pitch axis motor assembly 250 and the first rotary variable differential sensor assembly 231 through the pitch control reducer 241. The pitch control reducer 241 is a gear reducer here. The pitch axis motor assembly 250 and the first rotary variable differential sensor assembly 231 are respectively connected thereto on both sides of the input end of the pitch control reducer 241.

[0127] The pitch axis motor assembly 250 mainly includes two or more motors, and also includes a motor drive and an encoder. Each motor is connected in parallel to the input end of the pitch control reducer 241 through gears, and drives the pitch axis 2 to rotate through the pitch control reducer 241. Setting multiple motors as inputs ensures that there are still motors available to continue providing input to the pitch control reducer 241 in the event of a failure of a certain motor, thereby driving the pitch axis 2 to rotate.

[0128] The first rotary variable differential sensor assembly 231 includes two or more variable differential sensors, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the rotational speed of the pitch axis 2.

[0129] As Figure 1 Visible on the right side in, the pitch axis 2 is connected to the second pitch axis rotary variable differential sensor assembly 232 through another pitch control reducer 242 at the other end. The second pitch axis rotary variable differential sensor assembly 232 is connected to the input end of the pitch control reducer 242 which is also a gear reducer. The second pitch axis rotary variable differential sensor assembly 232 includes two or more variable differential sensors, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the rotational speed of the pitch axis 2.

[0130] This side of the pitch axis 2 ( Figure 1 the right side in) is also connected to the force-sensing pitch axis force-sensing feedback device 260.

[0131] Figure 2 An embodiment of the force-sensing feedback device of the present invention is shown in, and this force-sensing feedback device is applicable to the pitch axis 2 and the roll axis 3 of the active side stick device 1. In the figure, the reference numerals starting with "2" label the components of the pitch axis force-sensing feedback device 260 applicable to the pitch axis 2, and the reference numerals starting with "3" label the components of the roll axis force-sensing feedback device 360 applicable to the roll axis 3. The same components will use similar reference numerals, differing only by 1 in the hundreds place.

[0132] The pitch axis force-sensing feedback device 260 includes a pitch axis cam 261, a spring 262, a cam limit pin 263, a platform 264, a roller 265, a guide rail 266, and a roller mounting spring 267.

[0133] The pitch axis 2 (not shown) is key-connected to the pitch axis cam 261, such that rotation of the pitch axis 2 drives rotation of the pitch axis cam 261. The pitch axis cam 261 further pushes the platform 264 in the vertical direction, i.e., the up and down direction in the figure. One end of the spring 262 is fixed to the platform 264, and the other end is fixed to the housing. Therefore, movement of the platform 264 in the vertical direction will stretch the spring 262, and the spring force provided by the spring 262 will feedback the spring force feeling.

[0134] Rollers 265 are installed on both sides of the platform 264. The platform 264 slides along the guide rail 266 under the guidance of the rollers 265, and the arrangement of the guide rail enables the platform 264 to move only along the extending direction of the guide rail.

[0135] A roller mounting spring 267 (not fully shown in the figure) is installed at the connection between the roller 265 and the platform 264, and a key 268 for restricting its rotation is also provided.

[0136] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The key 268 is shown in Figure 4 The roller mounting spring 267 and the roller 265 are also shown in. As Figure 4 shown, the key 268 is a protruding portion extending in the transverse direction on the mounting portion of the roller 265. The arrangement of the key 268 enables the roller 265 to slide only transversely along the platform 264.

[0137] Furthermore, as Figure 5 shown, due to the provision of the roller mounting spring 267, when the platform 264 slides along the guide rail 266, it is telescopic in the transverse direction by compressing the roller mounting spring 267, which can reduce or even avoid jamming encountered when the platform 264 moves along the guide rail 266.

[0138] The pitch axis cam 261 is configured to have a contour surface. Specifically, Figure 6 shows the setting of the contour curve of the contour surface. According to the angle of the contour surface to the rotation center of the pitch axis cam 261, it includes three regions: θ, β, and γ, where θ corresponds to the dead zone of pitch control, β corresponds to the first force feeling gradient, and γ corresponds to the second force gradient. When the pilot pushes and pulls the side stick handle 10 forward and backward, there are two force feeling gradients. When the pitch axis cam 261 pushes the platform 264 of the pitch axis force feeling feedback device 260 with different regions of the contour surface, due to the contour setting, the force feeling provided by the pitch axis force feeling feedback device 260 is also different, thereby providing the pilot with a spring force feeling gradient feedback. When the pilot does not operate the side stick handle 10, under the action of the spring force of the spring 262, the dead zone of the contour surface of the pitch axis cam 261, i.e., the region corresponding to the angle θ, contacts the platform 264, thereby setting the side stick handle 10 in the neutral position.

[0139] Return to Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, cam limit pins 263 are respectively provided on both sides of the pitch axis cam 261 to limit the angle by which the pitch axis cam 261 can deviate relative to the rotation center, thereby realizing the limitation of the stroke when the pilot operates the side stick handle 10 to control the pitch movement.

[0140] Thus, in both the active and passive modes of the active side stick device, the pilot can control the pitch axis 2 by rotating the side stick handle 10 and obtain different and gradient spring force feedback through the pitch axis force feedback device 260.

[0141] Next, turn to the introduction of the roll axis 3 and its related components.

[0142] Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the roll axis 3 is supported on the housing by a pair of roll axis bearings 321 and 322 mounted on the housing. The roll axis 3 is composed of two half shafts 301 and 302 that are coaxially arranged but spaced apart. The first half shaft 301 and the second half shaft 302 are integrally connected by a connection structure 4.

[0143] The pitch axis 2 passes through the space between the first half shaft 301 and the second half shaft 302. Two truncation planes limit the rotation angle of the pitch axis 2. The allowable rotation angle of the roll axis 3 is exactly equal to the angle required to control the roll movement.

[0144] Next, further illustrate the connection structure 4 for connecting the first half shaft 301 and the second half shaft 302 of the roll axis 3 in combination with Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the connection structure 4 is in the shape of a parallelogram structure. The lower part of the side stick handle 10 is connected to the connection structure 4 to form two series-connected parallelograms. When operating the side stick handle 10, the roll axis 3 is driven to rotate through the connection structure 4. The setting of the connection structure 4 and the setting of the roll axis 3 composed of the first half shaft 301 and the second half shaft 302 can prevent the movement of the side stick handle 10 from accidentally affecting the roll axis 3 when driving the pitch axis 2 to rotate. In other words, in the active side stick device 1, the rotation of the pitch axis 2 around its rotation axis and the rotation of the roll axis 3 around its rotation axis are independent of each other.

[0145] The connection structure 4 is composed of the first to fifth rotating shafts 411 to 415 and the first to third members 421 to 423, wherein each member is rotatably connected to each other; the second member 422 is rotatably connected to the side stick handle 10, and when the side stick handle 10 drives the pitch axis 2 to rotate, the connection structure 4 can be deformed without affecting the roll axis 3; the side stick handle 10 drives the second member 422 to rotate, thereby causing the first member 421 and the third member 423 to rotate, and thus driving the roll axis 3 to rotate.

[0146] Returning again to Figure 1 , the roll shaft 3 is connected at one end to a roll control reduction gear 341, a roll shaft motor assembly 350, and a first roll shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly 331 through the roll control reduction gear 341. Among them, the roll control reduction gear 341 is also a gear reduction gear in the illustrated embodiment. The roll shaft motor assembly 350 and the first roll shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly 331 are respectively connected to both sides of the input end of the roll control reduction gear 341. The roll shaft motor assembly 350 includes two or more motors, motor drive components, encoders, etc. Among them, each motor is connected in parallel to the input end of the roll control reduction gear 341 through a gear. Thus, the roll shaft 3 is driven to rotate by the roll control reduction gear 341. The setting of multiple motors ensures that other motors can continue to provide input in the event of a failure of a certain motor. The first roll shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly 331 includes two or more variable differential sensors, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the rotational speed of the roll shaft 3.

[0147] The roll shaft 3 is connected at the other end to a second roll shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly 332 through another roll control reduction gear 342. As Figure 1 shown, the second roll shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly 332 is connected to the input end of the roll control reduction gear 342. The second roll shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly 332 includes two or more variable differential sensors, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the rotational speed of the roll shaft 3.

[0148] In Figure 1 , it can also be noted that a roll shaft force feedback device 360 is further connected to the end of the roll shaft 3 that is connected to the roll control reduction gear 342. The roll shaft force feedback device 360 is a spring force feedback device, and its specific working principle and components are similar to those described above in conjunction with the pitch shaft force feedback device 260, and will not be repeated here for the sake of clarity.

[0149] It should be noted that, similar but different from the pitch-axis cam 261, the roll-axis cam 361 included in the roll-axis force feedback device 360 also has a specific profile, which can also be divided into three regions α, ρ, and η. Among them, α corresponds to the dead zone of roll control; ρ corresponds to the first force gradient; η corresponds to the second force gradient. When the pilot extrapolates and pulls the side stick handle 10 backward and inward, there is a force gradient in each case. When different regions of the above three regions on the profile surface of the roll-axis cam 361 push the platform 364, the force feeling is different with different profile regions, thereby providing spring force feedback for the pilot. When the pilot does not operate the side stick handle 10, under the action of the spring force of the spring 362, the region α corresponding to the dead zone on the profile surface of the roll-axis cam 361 contacts the platform 364, thereby placing the side stick handle 10 in the neutral position. Thus, it is possible to achieve the pilot's control of the roll movement in both the active and passive modes of the active side stick device 1.

[0150] As described above, since the rotation axes of the roll axis 3 and the pitch axis 2 are orthogonal to each other, and the roll axis composed of two half-axes 301 and 302 is connected to the side stick handle 10 through the connection structure 4, while the pitch axis 2 is directly connected to the side stick handle 10 and passes through the gap between the first half-axis 301 and the second half-axis 302. Therefore, with the aid of the active side stick device 1, in both the active mode and the passive mode, the pitch control and the roll control of the aircraft can be carried out simultaneously, and the two controls are decoupled and independent of each other.

[0151] In addition, the active side stick device 1 has a passive backup mode, so that when the motors in the pitch-axis motor assembly 250 and / or the roll-axis motor assembly 350 stop providing rotational torque, the active side stick device 1 has the function of a passive side stick.

[0152] Within its scope, the present invention can freely combine various embodiments, or appropriately deform and omit various embodiments.

Claims

1. A force feedback device (260; 360) for a side stick device of an aircraft, the force feedback device comprising: a housing having guide rails (266; 366) formed on both sides thereof; a cam (261; 361) having a profiled surface, the cam being connectable to a roll axis or a pitch axis of the aircraft; a platform (264; 364), the profiled surface always being tangent to the platform (264; 364) when the cam (261; 361) rotates; a spring (262; 362) having one end connected to the housing and the other end connected to the platform (264; 364); rollers (265; 365), two rollers (265; 365) being provided at both ends of the platform (264; 364), and the rollers being slidably disposed in the guide rails (266; 366), wherein the rollers (265, 365) are connected to the ends of the platform (264; 364) by roller mounting springs, and wherein a key structure (268; 368) is further provided at the connection between the rollers (265; 365) and the platform (264; 364); two cam limit pins (263; 363) disposed on both sides of the cam (261; 361); wherein the profiled surface of the cam has three regions, wherein the first region is a dead zone, and when the side stick handle to which the cam (261; 361) is applied is in a neutral position, the first region of the profiled surface of the cam contacts the platform (264; 364); the second region corresponds to a first force feedback gradient; the third region corresponds to a second force feedback gradient; wherein the first force feedback gradient is different from the second force feedback gradient.

2. An active side stick device (1) for an aircraft, comprising a side stick handle (10); a pitch axis (2); a roll axis (3) perpendicular to the pitch axis (2); wherein the pitch axis (2) is connected to the side stick handle (10), and the roll axis (3) is connected to the side stick handle (10) by a connection structure (4), a pitch axis force feedback device (260), the pitch axis force feedback device being the force feedback device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam of the pitch axis force feedback device (260) is connected to the first end of the pitch axis (2); a roll axis force feedback device (360), the roll axis force feedback device being the force feedback device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam of the roll axis force feedback device (360) is connected to the first end of the roll axis (3), and when the first region of the surface profile of the cam (261; 361) contacts the platform (264; 364), the side stick handle (10) is in a neutral position.

3. The active side stick device (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that The rolling shaft (3) includes a first half shaft (301) and a second half shaft (302) that are coaxial but spaced apart, and the first half shaft (301) and the second half shaft (302) are also connected into one body through the connection structure (4). The pitching shaft (2) extends through the gap between the first half shaft (301) and the second half shaft (302).

4. The active side stick device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, the cross-sectional shape of the lower part of the side stick handle (10) is flat, and a hole is provided in the middle section of the pitching shaft (2). The width of the hole is greater than the width of the lower part of the side stick handle (10). The lower part of the side stick handle (10) passes through the hole and is rotatably connected to the pitching shaft (2).

5. The active side stick device (1) according to claim 4, wherein, the connection structure (4) is a parallelogram structure, and the lower part of the side stick handle (10) is connected to the parallelogram structure.

6. The active side stick device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that, it further includes a pitching shaft motor assembly (250), a rolling shaft motor assembly (350), a first pitching control reduction gear (241), a second pitching control reduction gear (242), a first rolling control reduction gear (341), a second rolling control reduction gear (342), a first pitching shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (231), a second pitching shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (232), a first rolling shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (331), and a second rolling shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (332). Among them, the first end of the pitching shaft (2) is connected to the second pitching control reduction gear (242), and one side of the output end of the second pitching control reduction gear (242) is connected to the second pitching shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (232); the second end of the pitching shaft (2) is connected to the first pitching control reduction gear (241). One side of the input end of the first pitching control reduction gear (241) is connected to the pitching shaft motor assembly (250), and the other side is connected to the first pitching shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (231); the first end of the rolling shaft (3) is connected to the second rolling control reduction gear (342), and one side of the output end of the second rolling control reduction gear (342) is connected to the second rolling shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (332); and the second end of the rolling shaft (3) is connected to the first rolling control reduction gear (341). One side of the input end of the first rolling control reduction gear (341) is connected to the rolling shaft motor assembly (350), and the other side is connected to the first rolling shaft rotation variable differential sensor assembly (331).

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