Airdrop control device and method for small pieces in airplane cargo hold

Abstract

The invention discloses an aircraft cargo hold small piece air-drop control device and method, the input end of a processor is connected with the output end of an air-drop lock state detection unit, the output end of an arresting lock state detection unit, the output end of an arresting force detection unit and the output end of an electric winch movement in-place detection unit, and the detection end of the air-drop lock state detection unit is connected to an air-drop lock; the detection end of the arresting lock state detection unit is connected to the arresting lock, the detection end of the arresting resistance detection unit is connected to the steel cable, and the detection end of the electric winch movement in-place detection unit is connected to the electric winch; the output end of the processor is connected with the input ends of an air-drop lock driving control unit, an arresting lock driving control unit and an electric winch driving control unit, the output end of the air-drop lock driving control unit is connected to an air-drop lock switch, and the output end of the arresting lock driving control unit is connected to an arresting lock switch; the input end and the output end of the electric winch driving control unit are connected to an electric winch output shaft. And an operator can conveniently, quickly and accurately judge the working state of the air-drop lock.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of airdrop, and relates to a control device and method for airdropping small items in an aircraft cargo hold. Background Art

[0002] In previous transport cabin airdrop devices, the mooring and fixing of cargo was mainly done manually. When loading cargo, the operator manually closes the locking device and then controls the movement of the tensioner to fix the cargo. Before the aircraft flies to the designated location, the operator manually opens the locking device and releases the tensioner before the cargo can be dropped. In addition, previous airdrop devices do not have the function of online detection of airdrop locks, and cannot distinguish between offline signals and unlocking signals of airdrop locks, which may cause operators to misjudge the working status of airdrop locks. Therefore, previous aircraft cabin airdrop devices not only have low airdrop efficiency, but also poor safety. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned prior art and provide a small item airdrop control device and method for an aircraft cargo hold, which facilitates operators to quickly and accurately judge the working status of the airdrop lock, thereby improving the airdrop efficiency and safety.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: An aircraft cargo hold small item airdrop control device, comprising a processor; The input end of the processor is connected to the output end of the airdrop lock state detection unit, the arresting lock state detection unit, the arresting force detection unit and the electric winch movement in place detection unit. The detection end of the airdrop lock state detection unit is connected to the airdrop lock, the detection end of the arresting lock state detection unit is connected to the arresting lock, the detection end of the arresting force detection unit is connected to the steel cable, and the detection end of the electric winch movement in place detection unit is connected to the electric winch. The output end of the processor is connected to the airdrop lock drive control unit, the arresting lock drive control unit and the electric winch drive control unit input ends. The output end of the airdrop lock drive control unit is connected to the airdrop lock switch, the output end of the arresting lock drive control unit is connected to the arresting lock switch, and the input and output ends of the electric winch drive control unit are connected to the electric winch output shaft.

[0005] Preferably, the processor is interconnected with a host computer communication unit, and the host computer communication unit is interconnected with the host computer.

[0006] Preferably, the airdrop lock state detection unit, the arresting lock state detection unit and the electric winch movement detection unit all use micro switches.

[0007] Preferably, the airdrop lock drive control unit adopts a rotating electromagnet, and the arresting lock drive control unit and the electric winch drive control unit both adopt motors.

[0008] Preferably, the resistance detection unit adopts a tension sensor.

[0009] A method for controlling the airdrop of small items in an aircraft cargo hold comprises the following steps: When the cargo is loaded onto the guide rail, the winch cable is mounted on the arresting lock, and the winch runs forward to tighten the cargo. When the force value detected by the arresting force detection unit meets the requirement, the processor sends a control signal to the electric winch drive control unit, and the electric winch drive control unit controls the electric winch to stop running, and the cargo is fixed to the guide rail; After the aircraft flies to the designated location, the processor sends a control signal to the arresting lock drive control unit, which controls the arresting lock to open, and the electric winch runs forward to tighten the steel cable. After the electric winch movement detection unit detects that the steel cable is retracted, the electric winch drive control unit controls the electric winch to stop running; The airdrop lock drive control unit controls the airdrop lock to open and realize cargo delivery.

[0010] Preferably, after the aircraft flies to the designated location, the electric winch runs in reverse, and when the tension sensor detects that the tension on the steel cable is less than a threshold value, the processor sends a control signal to the arresting lock drive control unit, and the arresting lock drive control unit controls the arresting lock to open.

[0011] Preferably, when the goods need to be delivered individually, the airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the offline and unlocked airdrop locks, and opens the last airdrop lock on the guide rail to achieve single delivery of the goods.

[0012] Preferably, when goods need to be delivered in a single row, the airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips offline and unlocked airdrop locks, and the airdrop locks on the guide rail are opened sequentially from back to front according to set time intervals to achieve single-row delivery of goods.

[0013] Preferably, when the goods need to be delivered individually, the airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the offline and unlocked airdrop locks, and the airdrop locks in the interval columns are opened sequentially from back to front according to the set time intervals to achieve continuous delivery of double-column goods.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention has the functions of online detection of airdrop lock, detection of locking status of airdrop lock and arresting lock, detection of arresting resistance value, detection of electric winch running status, electric opening drive control of arresting lock, electric opening drive control of airdrop lock and forward and reverse drive control of electric winch. It can integrate the working status of airdrop lock, arresting lock, steel cable and electric winch, facilitate operators to quickly and accurately judge the working status of airdrop lock and control their movement, realize the cargo delivery function, and improve airdrop efficiency and safety.

[0015] Furthermore, the small-item airdrop control device can receive instructions from the host computer and convert the instructions into control signals according to the internal program code, intelligently controlling the movement of the airdrop lock, arresting lock, and electric winch to achieve the fixation and delivery of the cargo.

[0016] Furthermore, the reversal of the electric winch can reduce the tension on the steel cable and prevent the steel cable from flying out and injuring people when the arresting lock is opened due to the large tension on the steel cable.

[0017] Furthermore, when an airdrop lock is offline or open, any form of delivery will skip the lock, improving the system delivery efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a hardware structure block diagram of the aircraft cargo hold small parts airdrop control device of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-linking of the aircraft cargo hold small parts airdrop control device of the present invention; Figure 3 The present invention is a flow chart of the method for controlling the airdrop of small items in the aircraft cargo hold. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. The terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or can communicate with each other; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. The term "and / or" used in this article includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances. The terms used in the specification of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0022] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize different structures of the present invention. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention can repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and this repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, which itself does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present invention provides various specific examples of processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the aircraft cargo hold small items airdrop control device of the present invention is composed of a processor, an airdrop lock state detection unit, an airdrop lock drive control unit, an arresting lock drive control unit, an arresting lock state detection unit, an arresting force detection unit, an electric winch drive control unit, an electric winch movement detection unit and a host computer communication unit.

[0024] The processor adopts a microcontroller, which has functions such as power supply, crystal oscillator, reset, and program download.

[0025] The airdrop lock status detection unit adopts a micro switch, which is set on the airdrop lock to collect the online, offline, unlocking and locking information of the airdrop lock and send it to the microcontroller.

[0026] The airdrop lock drive control unit adopts a rotating electromagnet, which is connected to the switch of the airdrop lock. The airdrop lock drive control unit can realize the electric unlocking of the airdrop lock according to the instructions of the host computer.

[0027] The arresting lock drive control unit adopts a motor, which is connected to the switch of the arresting lock. The arresting lock drive control unit can realize the electric unlocking of the arresting lock according to the instructions of the host computer.

[0028] The arresting lock status detection unit adopts a micro switch, which is set on the arresting lock to collect the unlocking and locking information of the arresting lock and send it to the microcontroller.

[0029] The resistance detection unit uses a tension sensor to collect the tension value of the steel cable and send it to the microcontroller.

[0030] The electric winch drive control unit adopts a motor, which is connected to the electric winch output shaft and is used to control the forward rotation, reverse rotation and stop of the electric winch.

[0031] The electric winch movement detection unit adopts a micro switch, which is set on the electric winch to determine whether the winch cable is tightened and sent to the microcontroller.

[0032] The host computer communication unit adopts ARINC429 communication chip, which can not only send the information collected by the small-item airdrop control device to the host computer, but also receive instructions from the host computer to realize the control of each functional unit.

[0033] The input end of the microcontroller is connected to the output ends of the airdrop lock state detection unit, the arresting lock state detection unit, the arresting force detection unit and the electric winch movement detection unit, and the output end of the microcontroller is connected to the input ends of the airdrop lock drive control unit, the arresting lock drive control unit and the electric winch drive control unit. The microcontroller is interconnected with the host computer communication unit, and the host computer communication unit is interconnected with the host computer.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the aircraft cargo hold small parts airdrop control device described in the present invention is connected to the electric winch, airdrop lock, arresting lock and host computer, and the electric winch and the arresting lock are connected by a steel cable.

[0035] When the cargo in the cabin is fixed, the small-piece airdrop control device in the cargo cabin of the aircraft reads the online information of the airdrop lock through the shift register inside the microcontroller, and reads the locking information of the airdrop lock and the arresting lock through the multi-way analog switch inside the microcontroller to determine that the cargo has been reliably locked. Then, in order to prevent the cargo from moving along the course during the flight of the aircraft, after receiving the arresting command sent by the host computer, the electric winch is driven to operate to arrest and fix a column of cargo. At the same time, the small-piece airdrop control device collects the voltage value output by the tension sensor in real time, converts it into a digital value using the built-in ADC of the microcontroller, and then parses the tension value of the tension sensor. When the tension value meets the requirements, the small-piece airdrop control device automatically controls the electric winch to stop running. The above information is packaged into the form of ARINC429 data frames in the microcontroller and sent to the host computer through a dedicated host computer communication unit, which is convenient for operators to monitor the operation status of the system in real time. The small-item airdrop control device can receive various instructions sent by the host computer. The instructions are parsed and calculated by the microcontroller to generate corresponding control signals. These signals then directly control the movement of the electric winch through the I / O port, or indirectly control the movement of the arresting lock and airdrop lock through the decoder to achieve the fixation and delivery of the cargo.

[0036] The software of the small-item airdrop control device can control the sending of status information and the receiving of host computer instructions. The software collects the status information of devices such as arresting locks, airdrop locks, and electric winches through the I / O ports of the microcontroller, and packages them into the form of ARINC429 data frames, which are sent to the host computer at a fixed period. The received instructions are parsed into control signals, and combined with the corresponding algorithms, the intelligent control of electric winches, arresting locks, and airdrop locks is realized. After the cargo is loaded onto the track and the electric winch cable is mounted on the arresting lock, the software controls the operation of the electric winch. When the tension on the sensor exceeds the threshold, the winch automatically stops to complete the fixation of the cargo. Before the cargo is dropped, in order to prevent the occurrence of large tension on the steel cable, the steel cable will fly out and injure people after the arresting lock is opened. The program will control the winch to reverse and reduce the tension of the steel cable. When the force value meets the requirements, the arresting lock automatically opens, and the winch rotates forward to tighten the steel cable. After the electric winch movement detection unit installed on the electric winch detects that the steel cable is retracted, the electric winch automatically stops running.

[0037] After completing the above actions, the software integrates the online status of the airdrop lock, the locking status of the airdrop lock and the arresting lock, and the operating status of the electric winch, and intelligently controls the action of the airdrop lock to achieve single-row, single-row continuous and double-row continuous dropping of cargo. When dropping cargo in double rows (assuming that 4 rails are installed in the cabin), in order to prevent the center of gravity of the aircraft from shifting too much after the cargo is dropped, affecting flight safety, only 1, 3 rows or 2, 4 rows can be dropped, and 1, 2 rows or 3, 4 rows cannot be dropped, further improving the safety of the system.

[0038] The aircraft cargo hold small item airdrop control device described in the present invention belongs to an aircraft mission system and is installed inside the cabin. Its function is to complete the fixing and delivery of cargo in the cabin, and one piece is provided for a single aircraft.

[0039] The working process of the aircraft cargo hold small items airdrop control device is as follows: When the cargo is loaded onto the guide rail and the electric winch cable is mounted on the arresting lock, the electric winch runs forward to tighten the cargo. When the force value detected by the tension sensor meets the requirement, the data is sent to the microcontroller. The microcontroller sends a control signal to the electric winch drive control unit. The electric winch drive control unit controls the electric winch to stop running, and the cargo is fixed to the guide rail.

[0040] The aircraft flies to the designated location, and the electric winch runs in the reverse direction. When the tension sensor detects that the tension on the steel cable is less than the threshold value, the data is sent to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller sends a control signal to the arresting lock drive control unit. The arresting lock drive control unit controls the arresting lock to open, and the electric winch automatically runs forward to tighten the steel cable. After the electric winch movement in place detection unit installed on the electric winch detects that the steel cable is retracted, it sends data to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller sends a control signal to the electric winch drive control unit, and the electric winch drive control unit controls the electric winch to stop running.

[0041] The microcontroller of the small-item airdrop control device receives the "single drop" command from the host computer. The airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the "offline" and "unlocked" airdrop locks, and the last airdrop lock on the guide rail is opened to realize the single delivery of goods.

[0042] The microcontroller of the small-item airdrop control device receives the "single-row continuous delivery" command from the host computer. The airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the "offline" and "unlocked" airdrop locks, and the airdrop locks on the guide rail are opened in sequence from back to front according to the set time intervals to achieve single-row continuous delivery of goods.

[0043] The microcontroller of the small-item airdrop control device receives the "double-column continuous delivery" command from the host computer (assuming that 4 guide rails are installed in the cabin). The airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the "offline" and "unlocked" airdrop locks, and opens the alternate column airdrop locks, that is, the 1st and 3rd columns or the 2nd and 4th columns of airdrop locks from the back to the front according to the set time interval, to achieve double-column continuous delivery of goods.

[0044] With the large number of domestic transport aircraft, in order to give full play to the airdrop performance of transport aircraft, to meet the logistics support of ammunition, food, and medicine in war fronts, border outposts, islands and sea islands, and the needs of airdrop of survival materials after disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and fires. The small airdrop control device designed in this application has the functions of online detection of airdrop lock, detection of airdrop lock and arresting lock locking state, detection of arresting resistance value, detection of electric winch operation state, electric opening drive control of arresting lock, electric opening drive control of airdrop lock, and forward and reverse drive control of electric winch. The above status information can also be sent to the upper computer in the form of ARINC429 bus, which is convenient for operators to monitor the operation status of the whole system in real time.

[0045] The microcontroller of the small-item airdrop control device can receive instructions from the host computer and convert the instructions into control signals according to the internal program code, intelligently controlling the movement of the airdrop lock, arresting lock, and electric winch to achieve the fixation and delivery of the cargo.

[0046] After the cargo is mounted on the guide rail, the electric winch cable is mounted on the arresting lock, and the electric winch operates normally, when the tension value detected in real time by the arresting force detection unit meets the requirement, the electric winch automatically stops running, thus ensuring that the cargo is fixed on the guide rail without damaging the cargo.

[0047] Before the small-item airdrop control device controls the electric winch to run in the reverse direction, and the pulling force detected by the arresting force detection unit gradually decreases. When the force value is less than the threshold, the electric winch stops running, and the arresting lock drive control unit controls the arresting lock to open automatically. The electric winch runs forward to tighten the steel cable. After the electric winch movement detection unit installed on the electric winch detects that the steel cable is retracted, the electric winch stops running. The entire process is automatically operated by the system, without the need for human intervention, which improves the efficiency and safety of airdrops.

[0048] The small-item airdrop control device can integrate the working status of the airdrop lock, arresting lock (including tension sensor), and electric winch, and intelligently control their movements to realize the functions of single drop, single-row continuous drop, and double-row continuous drop of cargo.

[0049] The small-item airdrop control device adopts a dual-redundancy design during delivery, which effectively prevents misdelivery caused by interference signals and improves the safety of the device.

[0050] The algorithm in the small-item airdrop control device can ensure that when a certain airdrop lock is offline or open, any form of delivery will skip the lock, thereby improving the system delivery efficiency.

[0051] When the arresting lock in the small-item airdrop control device is locked, the airdrop lock is prohibited from opening and the cargo cannot be dropped in any form to prevent damage to personnel and cargo.

[0052] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device.

[0053] It should be understood that the above description is for illustration and not for limitation. Many embodiments and many applications beyond the examples provided will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of this patent should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather with reference to the preceding claims and the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. For the purpose of comprehensiveness, all articles and references, including disclosures of patent applications and publications, are incorporated herein by reference. The omission of any aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein in the preceding claims is not intended to be a waiver of such subject matter, nor should it be considered that the applicant has not considered such subject matter to be part of the disclosed inventive subject matter.

Claims

1. A small item airdrop control device for an aircraft cargo hold, characterized in that: Including processors; The input end of the processor is connected to the output end of the airdrop lock state detection unit, the arresting lock state detection unit, the arresting force detection unit and the electric winch movement in place detection unit. The detection end of the airdrop lock state detection unit is connected to the airdrop lock, the detection end of the arresting lock state detection unit is connected to the arresting lock, the detection end of the arresting force detection unit is connected to the steel cable, and the detection end of the electric winch movement in place detection unit is connected to the electric winch. The output end of the processor is connected to the airdrop lock drive control unit, the arresting lock drive control unit and the electric winch drive control unit input ends. The output end of the airdrop lock drive control unit is connected to the airdrop lock switch, the output end of the arresting lock drive control unit is connected to the arresting lock switch, and the input and output ends of the electric winch drive control unit are connected to the electric winch output shaft.

2. The aircraft cargo hold small item airdrop control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processors are interconnected with a host computer communication unit, and the host computer communication unit is interconnected with a host computer.

3. The aircraft cargo hold small item airdrop control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airdrop lock status detection unit, arresting lock status detection unit and electric winch movement detection unit all use micro switches.

4. The aircraft cargo hold small item airdrop control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airdrop lock drive control unit adopts a rotating electromagnet, and the arresting lock drive control unit and the electric winch drive control unit both adopt motors.

5. The aircraft cargo hold small item airdrop control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The resistance detection unit adopts a tension sensor.

6. A method for controlling the airdrop of small items in an aircraft cargo hold based on the device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The process includes: When the cargo is loaded onto the guide rail, the winch cable is mounted on the arresting lock, and the winch runs forward to tighten the cargo. When the force value detected by the arresting force detection unit meets the requirement, the processor sends a control signal to the electric winch drive control unit, and the electric winch drive control unit controls the electric winch to stop running, and the cargo is fixed to the guide rail; After the aircraft flies to the designated location, the processor sends a control signal to the arresting lock drive control unit, which controls the arresting lock to open, and the electric winch runs forward to tighten the steel cable. After the electric winch movement detection unit detects that the steel cable is retracted, the electric winch drive control unit controls the electric winch to stop running; The airdrop lock drive control unit controls the airdrop lock to open and realize cargo delivery.

7. The method for controlling the airdrop of small items in the aircraft cargo hold according to claim 6, characterized in that: After the aircraft flies to the designated location, the electric winch runs in reverse. When the tension sensor detects that the tension on the steel cable is less than the threshold, the processor sends a control signal to the arresting lock drive control unit, and the arresting lock drive control unit controls the arresting lock to open.

8. The method for controlling the airdrop of small items in the aircraft cargo hold according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the goods need to be delivered individually, the airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the offline and unlocked airdrop locks, and opens the last airdrop lock on the guide rail to realize the single delivery of the goods.

9. The method for controlling the airdrop of small items in the aircraft cargo hold according to claim 6, characterized in that: When goods need to be delivered in a single row, the airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the offline and unlocked airdrop locks, and the airdrop locks on the guide rail are opened from back to front in sequence according to the set time intervals to achieve single-row delivery of goods.

10. The method for controlling the airdrop of small items in the aircraft cargo hold according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the goods need to be delivered individually, the airdrop lock status detection unit detects the status of each airdrop lock, skips the offline and unlocked airdrop locks, and the airdrop locks in the interval columns are opened in sequence from back to front according to the set time interval to realize continuous delivery of double-column goods.

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