Helicopter tail wheel rotation angle measuring device and method

Abstract

The invention provides a helicopter tail wheel rotation angle measuring device and method. The helicopter tail wheel rotating angle measuring device comprises a fuselage connecting piece, a first rotating piece, a tail wheel stand column and a rotating angle measuring assembly. The first rotating piece is annular and is fixed to the fuselage connecting piece. The tail wheel stand column and the first rotating piece are coaxially arranged, and the first rotating piece is rotatably connected with the tail wheel stand column. The rotation angle measuring assembly comprises a stand column connecting piece, a second rotating piece and an angle sensor, the stand column connecting piece is fixed to the tail wheel stand column to rotate along with the tail wheel stand column, the second rotating piece is rotatably arranged on the stand column connecting piece and is coupled with the first rotating piece, and the angle sensor is connected with the second rotating piece; the angle sensor is used for detecting the rotation angle of the second rotating member relative to the first rotating member and generating deflection angle information. According to the technical scheme provided by the invention, the deflection angle of the tail wheel of the helicopter can be effectively and accurately obtained, so that automatic traction and transfer work of the helicopter is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automatic traction and transportation of offshore operation helicopters, and in particular to a device and method for measuring the tail wheel angle of a helicopter. Background Art

[0002] At present, offshore helicopters are mainly transported by manually operating a towing device to tow the fixed force point at the bottom of the helicopter. However, in harsh marine environments, it is very dangerous for personnel to perform towing operations on the deck. In order to further improve towing efficiency and ensure operational safety, automated transportation may become a focus of future research. To achieve automated transportation, it is necessary to obtain the position and attitude information of the helicopter on the deck in real time. Taking the tricycle helicopter as an example, the tail wheel is the key to controlling the direction during the towing process. In order to obtain the attitude position information of the helicopter on the deck and then automatically control its forward path, it is necessary to determine the deflection angle of the tail wheel in real time. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application provides a device and method for measuring the tail wheel angle of a helicopter. The technical solution provided by the present application can effectively and accurately obtain the deflection angle of the tail wheel of the helicopter, so as to facilitate the automatic traction and transportation of the helicopter.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a helicopter tail wheel angle measurement device, comprising a fuselage connector, a first rotating member, a tail wheel column and an angle measurement assembly. The fuselage connector is used to connect to the helicopter fuselage skin. The first rotating member is annular, and the first rotating member is fixed to the fuselage connector. The tail wheel column is coaxially arranged with the first rotating member, and the first rotating member is rotatably connected to the tail wheel column. The angle measurement assembly includes a column connector, a second rotating member and an angle sensor, the column connector is fixed to the tail wheel column to rotate with the tail wheel column, the second rotating member is rotatably arranged on the column connector and coupled with the first rotating member, and the angle sensor is connected to the second rotating member for detecting the rotation angle of the second rotating member relative to the first rotating member and generating deflection information.

[0006] In the above scheme, the helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device can be used to measure the rotation angle of the helicopter tail wheel relative to the helicopter fuselage, that is, the deflection angle, so that the deck transfer control system (host computer) can determine the current helicopter posture position information on the deck based on the deflection angle information, so as to improve the traction efficiency of the helicopter on the deck during offshore operations. The measuring device installs a first rotating member and a second rotating member on the rotating tail wheel column and the non-rotating fuselage skin, respectively, obtains the relative rotation angle of the first rotating member and the second rotating member through an angle sensor, and obtains the tail wheel deflection angle.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first rotating member includes a first gear, the tail wheel column is rotatably inserted into the inner ring of the first gear, the second rotating member includes a second gear, the rotating shaft of the angle sensor is connected to the second gear and is coaxially arranged, and the number of gears of the first gear is greater than the number of gears of the second gear.

[0008] In the above scheme, by setting the first rotating member and the second rotating member as the first gear and the second gear meshing with each other, when the tail wheel rotates, the second gear can rotate measurably based on the first gear, thereby cooperating with the angle sensor to measure the tail wheel deviation angle. At the same time, by setting the number of gears of the first gear to be greater than the number of gears of the second gear, multi-turn counting can be achieved to meet the measurement requirements of large-angle steering of the tail wheel.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present application, the gear ratio between the first gear and the second gear is 2:1.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present application, the fuselage connecting member includes a fixing plate and a gear fixing ring, and the fixing plate and the gear fixing ring are respectively machined parts; a notch is formed on the fixing plate, and the notch is used to avoid the tail wheel column, and the fixing plate is fixed to the helicopter fuselage skin by bolts; the gear fixing ring includes a first part and a second part, and the first part and the second part are respectively connected to the bottom surface of the fixing plate, and jointly define a through hole for the tail wheel column to pass through, and the first part and the second part are respectively connected to the first gear on the side facing away from the fixing plate.

[0011] In the above scheme, the fuselage connector is a machined part, which can be made of aluminum alloy, and has a simple and reliable structure, a long service life, and can effectively withstand the harsh environment of offshore operations. By setting a notch on the fixing plate, the difficulty of installing the fuselage connector near the helicopter tail wheel can be reduced, and the assembly efficiency of the measuring device can be improved; at the same time, by setting the gear fixing ring as two independent first parts and second parts, it can be easily set around the tail wheel column.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first gear includes two gear rings, and the two gear rings are respectively connected to the first part and the second part to jointly constitute the first gear.

[0013] In the above solution, the first gear is configured as a structural member that can be jointly spliced ​​with the gear ring, so as to avoid the tail wheel column during assembly, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the measuring device.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present application, the column connector includes a connecting plate and a protective shell, the protective shell is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the tail wheel column through the connecting plate, the angle sensor is arranged inside the protective shell, and the second gear is rotatably arranged on the top of the protective shell.

[0015] In the above scheme, by providing a protective shell, the angle sensor can be protected and the influence of external positions on the angle sensor can be reduced, so that the angle sensor can effectively measure the rotation angle of the second gear and output the deflection angle information.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present application, the angle sensor is an absolute single-turn potentiometer, and the absolute single-turn potentiometer is provided with a measurement zero point.

[0017] In the above scheme, an absolute single-turn potentiometer is used, and the absolute single-turn potentiometer is provided with a measurement zero point to provide a reference for the tail wheel angle measurement, so that the current tail wheel deflection angle is judged based on the measurement zero point each time it is used, thereby improving the measurement efficiency.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present application, the helicopter tail wheel angle measurement device also includes a wireless communication module, and the wireless communication module is used to send the deflection angle information to the deck transfer control system in a wireless communication manner.

[0019] In a second aspect, some embodiments of the present application provide a method for measuring a helicopter tail wheel angle, the method using the helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device of the first aspect, the method comprising the following steps:

[0020] Provide a fuselage connector, fix the fuselage connector to the helicopter fuselage skin, and avoid the tail wheel column;

[0021] Providing a first rotating member, fixing the first rotating member to the fuselage connecting member, and making the first rotating member coaxially arranged with the tail wheel column, and making the first rotating member able to rotate around the tail wheel column;

[0022] A turning angle measuring assembly is provided, and the turning angle measuring assembly is fixed to the tail wheel column, and the second rotating member is coupled with the first rotating member.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present application, a single-chip microcomputer and a wireless communication module are provided, and the single-chip microcomputer is electrically connected to the angle sensor to process the deflection angle information to generate a data signal; the single-chip microcomputer is electrically connected to the wireless communication module to send the data signal to the deck transfer control system by wireless communication. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device in some embodiments of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a communication principle diagram of a helicopter tail wheel angle measurement device in one embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for measuring a helicopter tail wheel angle in some embodiments of the present application.

[0028] Icons: 10-fuselage connecting part, 11-fixing plate, 12-gear fixing ring, 20-first rotating part, 30-tail wheel column, 40-column connecting part, 41-connecting plate, 42-protective shell, 50-second rotating part, 60-angle sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0030] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0031] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the products of the application are conventionally placed when in use, or are the orientations or positional relationships conventionally understood by those skilled in the art. They are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0033] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", and "connect" 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 directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0034] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other.

[0035] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a helicopter tail wheel angle measurement device in some embodiments of the present application.

[0036] The present application provides a helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device, comprising a fuselage connecting member 10, a first rotating member 20, a tail wheel column 30 and an angle measuring assembly. The fuselage connecting member 10 is used to connect with the helicopter fuselage skin. The first rotating member 20 is annular and fixed to the fuselage connecting member 10. The tail wheel column 30 is coaxially arranged with the first rotating member 20, and the first rotating member 20 is rotatably connected to the tail wheel column 30. The angle measuring assembly comprises a column connecting member 40, a second rotating member 50 and an angle sensor 60, the column connecting member 40 is fixed to the tail wheel column 30 to rotate with the tail wheel column 30, the second rotating member 50 is rotatably arranged on the column connecting member 40 and coupled with the first rotating member 20, and the angle sensor 60 is connected to the second rotating member 50, and is used to detect the rotation angle of the second rotating member 50 relative to the first rotating member 20 and generate deflection information.

[0037] In the above scheme, the helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device can be used to measure the rotation angle of the helicopter tail wheel relative to the helicopter fuselage, that is, the deflection angle, so that the deck transfer control system (host computer) can determine the current helicopter's attitude position information on the deck based on the deflection angle information, so as to improve the traction efficiency of the helicopter on the deck during offshore operations. The measuring device installs a first rotating member 20 and a second rotating member 50 on the rotating tail wheel column 30 and the non-rotating fuselage skin, respectively, and obtains the relative rotation angle of the first rotating member 20 and the second rotating member 50 through the angle sensor 60 to obtain the tail wheel deflection angle.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first rotating member 20 includes a first gear, the tail wheel column 30 is rotatably inserted into the inner ring of the first gear, the second rotating member 50 includes a second gear, the rotating shaft of the angle sensor 60 is connected to the second gear and is coaxially arranged, and the number of gears of the first gear is greater than the number of gears of the second gear.

[0039] In the above solution, by setting the first rotating member 20 and the second rotating member 50 as the first gear and the second gear meshing with each other, when the tail wheel rotates, the second gear can rotate measurably based on the first gear, thereby cooperating with the angle sensor 60 to measure the deflection angle of the tail wheel. At the same time, by setting the number of gears of the first gear to be greater than the number of gears of the second gear, multi-turn counting can be achieved to meet the measurement requirements of large-angle steering of the tail wheel.

[0040] According to some embodiments of the present application, the gear ratio between the first gear and the second gear is 2:1.

[0041] According to some embodiments of the present application, the fuselage connector 10 includes a fixing plate 11 and a gear fixing ring 12, and the fixing plate 11 and the gear fixing ring 12 are respectively machined parts; the fixing plate 11 is formed with a notch, and the notch is used to avoid the tail wheel column 30, and the fixing plate 11 is fixed to the helicopter fuselage skin by bolts; the gear fixing ring 12 includes a first part and a second part, and the first part and the second part are respectively connected to the bottom surface of the fixing plate 11, and jointly define a through hole for the tail wheel column 30 to pass through, and the first part and the second part are respectively connected to the first gear on the side away from the fixing plate 11.

[0042] In the above scheme, the fuselage connector 10 is a machined part, which can be made of aluminum alloy, and has a simple and reliable structure, a long service life, and can effectively withstand the harsh environment of offshore operations. By providing a notch on the fixing plate 11, the difficulty of installing the fuselage connector 10 in the vicinity of the helicopter tail wheel can be reduced, and the assembly efficiency of the measuring device can be improved; at the same time, by providing the gear fixing ring 12 with two mutually independent first and second parts, it can be easily arranged around the tail wheel column 30.

[0043] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first gear includes two gear rings, and the two gear rings are respectively connected to the first part and the second part to jointly constitute the first gear.

[0044] Exemplarily, the first gear provided in the present application is a large gear, which is formed into a complete gear by two gear rings, and the two gear rings are half gears respectively.

[0045] Optionally, some embodiments of the present application provide parameters of a first gear (large gear) and a second gear (small gear), see Table 1:

[0046]

[0047] Table 1

[0048] In the above solution, the first gear is configured as a structural member that can be jointly spliced ​​with the gear ring, so as to avoid the tail wheel column 30 during assembly, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the measuring device.

[0049] According to some embodiments of the present application, the column connector 40 includes a connecting piece 41 and a protective shell 42, the protective shell 42 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tail wheel column 30 through the connecting piece 41, the angle sensor 60 is arranged inside the protective shell 42, and the second gear is rotatably arranged on the top of the protective shell 42.

[0050] In the above solution, by providing the protective shell 42, the angle sensor 60 can be protected, and the influence of external positions on the angle sensor 60 can be reduced, so that the angle sensor 60 can effectively measure the rotation angle of the second gear, thereby outputting the deflection angle information.

[0051] According to some embodiments of the present application, the angle sensor 60 is an absolute single-turn potentiometer, and the absolute single-turn potentiometer is provided with a measurement zero point.

[0052] For example, some embodiments of the present application provide parameters of a potentiometer, see Table 2:

[0053] model WDD35D4 Effective travel 0～355° Resistance Value 5000Ω Dimensions Diameter 38.5mm Output shaft 6mm Linear accuracy ±0.1％ Output signal Voltage Divider Repeatability 0.007° Temperature drift 9ppm / ℃

[0054] Table 2

[0055] In the above scheme, an absolute single-turn potentiometer is used, and the absolute single-turn potentiometer is provided with a measurement zero point to provide a reference for the tail wheel angle measurement, so that the current tail wheel deflection angle is judged based on the measurement zero point each time it is used, thereby improving the measurement efficiency.

[0056] According to some embodiments of the present application, the helicopter tail wheel angle measurement device also includes a wireless communication module, and the wireless communication module is used to send the deflection angle information to the deck transfer control system in a wireless communication manner.

[0057] It should be noted that in some embodiments, after the data processing of the tail wheel angle is realized in the lower computer (single chip microcomputer, Arduino development board can be selected), the data is wirelessly output to the upper computer (that is, the deck transfer control system). The realization of wireless communication mainly relies on RS-485 communication. For example, see Figure 2 , Figure 2 The communication principle diagram of the helicopter tail wheel angle measurement device in one embodiment of the present application. Optionally, some embodiments of the present application provide a wireless communication module, which includes a 433MHz carrier to RS-485 device, and its main parameters can be seen in Table 3:

[0058]

[0059]

[0060] Table 3

[0061] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for measuring a helicopter tail wheel angle in some embodiments of the present application.

[0062] Some embodiments of the present application provide a method for measuring a helicopter tail wheel angle, the method using the helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device of the first aspect, the method comprising the following steps:

[0063] S1. Provide a fuselage connector and fix the fuselage connector to the helicopter fuselage skin, avoiding the tail wheel column;

[0064] S2. Provide a first rotating member, fix the first rotating member to the fuselage connecting member, and make the first rotating member coaxially arranged with the tail wheel column, and make the first rotating member able to rotate around the tail wheel column;

[0065] S3. Provide a turning angle measurement component, fix the turning angle measurement component to the tail wheel column, and couple the second rotating member with the first rotating member.

[0066] According to some embodiments of the present application, a single-chip microcomputer and a wireless communication module are provided, and the single-chip microcomputer is electrically connected to the angle sensor to process the deflection angle information to generate a data signal; the single-chip microcomputer is electrically connected to the wireless communication module to send the data signal to the deck transfer control system by wireless communication.

[0067] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device, characterized in that: include: Fuselage connector, used to connect with the helicopter fuselage skin; A first rotating member, which is ring-shaped and fixed to the fuselage connecting member; A tail wheel column, which is coaxially arranged with the first rotating member, and the first rotating member is rotatably connected to the tail wheel column; The angle measurement component includes a column connecting member, a second rotating member and an angle sensor. The column connecting member is fixed to the tail wheel column to rotate with the tail wheel column. The second rotating member is rotatably arranged on the column connecting member and coupled with the first rotating member. The angle sensor is connected to the second rotating member and is used to detect the rotation angle of the second rotating member relative to the first rotating member and generate deflection angle information.

2. The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first rotating member includes a first gear, the tail wheel column is rotatably inserted into the inner ring of the first gear, the second rotating member includes a second gear, the rotating shaft of the angle sensor is connected to the second gear and is coaxially arranged, and the number of gears of the first gear is greater than the number of gears of the second gear.

3. The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gear ratio between the first gear and the second gear is 2:

1.

4. The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fuselage connecting part includes a fixing plate and a gear fixing ring, and the fixing plate and the gear fixing ring are respectively machined parts; the fixing plate is formed with a notch, and the notch is used to avoid the tail wheel column, and the fixing plate is fixed to the helicopter fuselage skin by bolts; the gear fixing ring includes a first part and a second part, the first part and the second part are respectively connected to the bottom surface of the fixing plate, and jointly define a through hole for the tail wheel column to pass through, and the first part and the second part are respectively connected to the first gear on the side away from the fixing plate.

5. The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first gear includes two gear rings, and the two gear rings are respectively connected to the first part and the second part to jointly constitute the first gear.

6. The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The column connecting member includes a connecting piece and a protective shell, the protective shell is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tail wheel column through the connecting piece, the angle sensor is arranged inside the protective shell, and the second gear is rotatably arranged on the top of the protective shell.

7. The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle sensor is an absolute single-turn potentiometer, and the absolute single-turn potentiometer is provided with a measurement zero point.

8. The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device also includes a wireless communication module, and the wireless communication module is used to send the deflection angle information to the deck transfer control system in a wireless communication manner.

9. A method for measuring the tail wheel angle of a helicopter, characterized in that: Using the helicopter tail wheel angle measuring device according to claim 1, the method comprises the following steps: Providing a fuselage connector, fixing the fuselage connector to the helicopter fuselage skin and avoiding the tail wheel column; Providing a first rotating member, fixing the first rotating member to the fuselage connecting member, and making the first rotating member coaxially arranged with the tail wheel column, and making the first rotating member able to rotate around the tail wheel column; A turning angle measuring assembly is provided, and the turning angle measuring assembly is fixed to the tail wheel column, so that the second rotating member is coupled with the first rotating member.

10. The method for measuring the helicopter tail wheel angle according to claim 9, characterized in that: A single-chip microcomputer and a wireless communication module are provided, and the single-chip microcomputer is electrically connected to the angle sensor to process the deflection angle information to generate a data signal; the single-chip microcomputer is electrically connected to the wireless communication module to send the data signal to the deck transfer control system in a wireless communication manner.

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