Mechanical automatic locking elbow support and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a mechanical automatic locking elbow support which is characterized in that the mechanical automatic locking elbow support comprises a sensor module, an onboard processing unit and a mechanical elbow support assembly, a mechanical elbow support component is installed on a support component through a supporting arm component, and the support component is installed on the side wall of a cabin through a sliding rail component; and the airborne processing unit analyzes and judges whether the pilot tightly holds the operating lever and whether the elbow is in a correct position, and if yes, the elbow of the pilot is fixed by reducing the field angle of the clamping arm. The novel mechanical elbow support is mainly applied to an aircraft with a laterally-arranged control lever, the elbow of a pilot is actively fixed and released according to the requirements of the pilot, reliable and stable fixation is provided for the elbow of the pilot when the pilot operates the aircraft, and the situation that the elbow of the pilot slips off from the elbow support due to flight lateral force, and flight safety is affected is avoided; and when the pilot needs to operate other functions, the mechanical elbow support can release the elbow in time, and the pilot is not affected to operate other functions and switches.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-cockpit auxiliary device for an aircraft, and in particular, to a mechanical elbow rest in an aircraft cockpit system that actively fixes the pilot's elbows. Background Art

[0002] With the gradual development of aircraft integration and electrification, and the gradual improvement of hydraulic and control systems, more and more aircraft have abandoned the traditional center-mounted joystick layout and switched to a side-mounted joystick, reducing the weight and control difficulty of the control system and the pilot's control load. However, with the popularity of side-mounted joysticks, traditional fixed elbow rests can no longer meet the usage requirements. When the pilot performs a turning maneuver, due to the action of lateral force, the pilot's elbows are prone to slip off the elbow rest, interfering with the pilot's control; and due to the lateral slip of the elbows, the pilot must tense the muscles of the shoulders and back to keep the elbows stable, thereby reducing the pilot's instantaneous response speed for aircraft control.

[0003] On some existing aircraft, a side-mounted joystick structure is adopted. Due to the relatively high sitting position, if no elbow rest is used, the pilot's elbows cannot be well fixed during control, and the swaying of the elbows and shoulder fatigue during large maneuvering actions will affect the driving posture and control flexibility. In addition, when the aircraft performs an emergency lateral maneuver, the instantaneous acceleration is very large, and the force acting on the pilot's arm may cause the pilot's arm to collide with the cabin wall, posing a safety hazard.

[0004] Since the right hand needs to perform operations such as switching and touching in addition to operating the joystick, its function also limits that it cannot be fixed in the form of a restraint strap. To sum up, for aircraft models with side-mounted joysticks, it is very important to develop an active elbow rest that can fix and release the elbows in a timely manner. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem that the elbows cannot be fixed in existing aircraft models with side-mounted joysticks, and to provide a new type of mechanical automatic locking elbow rest that can fix and release the elbows in a timely manner.

[0006] To achieve this purpose, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A mechanical automatic locking elbow rest, characterized in that it includes A sensor module, which is installed in the direction of contact between the joystick 1 and the palm of the hand, and is used to sense whether the pilot grasps the joystick. The output signal of the sensor module is transmitted to the on-board processing unit through a cable; The on-board processing unit is installed on the inner side of the aircraft cabin wall and is used to process the data transmitted by the signal processing module in order to control the action of the mechanical elbow rest assembly; The mechanical elbow rest assembly includes a mechanical elbow rest component, a support arm component, a support base component, and a slide rail component. The mechanical elbow rest component is installed on the support base component through the support arm component, and the support base component is installed on the side wall of the engine compartment through the slide rail component. The on-board processing unit analyzes and determines whether the pilot is holding the joystick and the elbow is in the correct position. If so, it fixes the pilot's elbow by reducing the opening angle of the clamping arms.

[0007] Furthermore, the sensor module includes one or more of a pressure sensor, a capacitive human body sensor, and a microwave human body sensor.

[0008] Furthermore, the on-board processing unit includes a power module, a surge protection module, a signal processing module, a database module, a processing module, and an execution module. The power module provides DC power supply for the entire mechanical elbow rest; the surge protection module protects the circuit against surges and voltage spikes; the signal processing module converts the signals of the sensor module into digital data and transmits it to the processing module; the database module stores test comparison data for comparing and determining whether the input signal belongs to holding the joystick, improving the judgment accuracy, and also facilitating the personalized settings for the pilot; the core of the processing module is a high-performance processor and a six-axis high-precision acceleration sensor, which compares and matches the data transmitted by the signal processing module with the data in the database, and adjusts the output of the execution module in real time in cooperation with the values of the built-in six-axis acceleration sensor; the execution module is mainly composed of MOS transistors and provides power supply for the motor of the mechanical elbow rest.

[0009] Furthermore, the mechanical elbow rest component includes two relatively arranged clamping arms. The two clamping arms are respectively arranged on both sides of the elbow rest housing. The lower ends of the clamping arms are connected to the elbow rest housing through return springs. The upper surface of the elbow rest housing is integrated with a pressure sensor. A cam and a motor connected to the cam are installed at the lower part of the elbow rest housing. The cam contacts the clamping arm to control the movement of the clamping arm. An elbow rest base is provided at the bottom of the elbow rest housing. A connection support arm mounting hole is provided at the bottom of the elbow rest base. One end of the positioning pin column can be stuck in the positioning groove of the support arm component, the other end is equipped with a spring, and is fixed to the mechanical elbow rest component through an end cover. A round hole is opened at the end to install the pin column cable. One end of the pin column cable is fixed to the elbow rest base through a cable screw, and the other end is fixed to the hole of the positioning pin column through a triangular pull ring.

[0010] Furthermore, the support arm component includes a support arm. The front end of the support arm has an installation plane for installing the mechanical elbow rest component. An inner hole is opened at the rear end. A large spring and a positioning ball are placed in the inner hole and cooperate with the positioning groove on the support base for positioning when folding and unfolding the support arm.

[0011] Further, the support member includes a support, on which a vertical through-hole is provided. The upper and lower mounting lugs provided at the rear end of the support arm are located at the upper and lower ends of the vertical through-hole. A large rivet passes through the mounting holes of the mounting lugs and the vertical through-hole to connect the support arm and the support. Self-lubricating gaskets are provided at both the upper and lower ends of the vertical through-hole. A circular groove for cooperating with the positioning ball is provided on the support for positioning the folding and unfolding of the support arm.

[0012] Further, the slide rail member includes a slide rail and a slider cooperating with the slide rail. The slide rail is fixed to the side wall of the cabin by screws. The support member is connected to the slider by a knurled bolt. The cross-section of the slider is T-shaped, and a T-shaped groove for cooperating with the slider is provided on the slide rail. The slider can slide within the slide rail when the knurled bolt is loosened, and can be effectively fixed after the knurled bolt is tightened.

[0013] A control method for a mechanical automatic locking elbow rest, which can achieve timely fixing and releasing of the elbow, is characterized in that the method includes: In the initial state, the mechanical elbow rest is folded on the side wall, and at this time, the electromagnet of the mechanical elbow rest is not energized; when the aircraft engine starts, the system starts to work. If the pilot holds the joystick and the elbow is placed on the pressure sensor of the mechanical elbow rest component at this time, the sensor generates a change in the electrical signal. The system analyzes and judges whether the pilot holds the joystick tightly and the elbow is in the correct position. If so, the driving motor rotates the cam, and the elbow of the pilot is fixed by reducing the opening angle of the clamping arm; when the pilot releases the joystick, the system quickly rotates the cam, and the clamping arm quickly returns to its original position to release the elbow.

[0014] Further, according to different flight states, the opening angle of the clamping arm can be appropriately adjusted according to the magnitude of the lateral acceleration to provide a comfortable clamping force.

[0015] Advantages of the present invention: It is mainly applied to aircraft with the joystick on the side. The aim is to design a new type of mechanical elbow rest that can actively fix and release the pilot's elbow according to the pilot's needs, provide a reliable and stable fixation for the pilot's elbow when the pilot operates the aircraft, and avoid the pilot's elbow slipping off the mechanical elbow rest due to the flight lateral force, which affects flight safety; while when the pilot needs to operate other functions, the mechanical elbow rest can release the elbow in time without affecting the pilot's operation of other functions and switches. It can actively fix the pilot's elbow according to the usage scenario, provide a reliable and stable fixation point for the pilot, avoid potential safety hazards caused by elbow slipping, reduce the pilot's operation fatigue, and improve the operation reaction speed and comfort. Description of the Drawings

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the main system composition of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the operation in the working state of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the mechanical elbow rest assembly of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the clamping process of the mechanical elbow rest of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the mechanical elbow rest component of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the support arm component of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the support seat component and the slide rail component of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 It is a folding schematic diagram of the mechanical elbow rest of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 9 It is a folding schematic diagram of the support arm of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 10 It is a logic block diagram of the control method of the present invention. Specific embodiments

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings through specific embodiments. It should be noted here that the description of these embodiments is for helping to understand the present invention, but does not constitute a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0027] Figures 1 to 10A novel active fixation mechanical elbow rest that can achieve timely fixation and release of the elbow, characterized in that it is composed of a sensor module 2 integrated in the operating handle, an on-board processing unit 3, and a mechanical elbow rest assembly 4. The sensor module 2 includes a pressure sensor, a capacitive human body sensor, and a microwave human body sensor; the on-board processing unit 3 includes a power module, a surge protection module, a signal processing module, a database module, a processing module, and an execution module, etc.; the mechanical elbow rest assembly includes a mechanical elbow rest component 10, a support arm component 20, a support seat component 30, and a slide rail component 40. The sensor module 2 contains a pressure sensor, a capacitive human body sensor, and a microwave human body sensor; the sensor module 2 is installed in the direction of contact between the joystick 1 and the palm of the hand to sense whether the pilot grasps the joystick; the signal output by the sensor module is transmitted to the on-board processing unit 3 through a cable. The on-board processing unit 3 is installed on the inner side of the aircraft cabin wall and includes a power module, a surge protection module, a signal processing module, a database module, a processing module, and an execution module. The power module provides DC power supply for the whole mechanical elbow rest; the surge protection module protects the circuit against surges and voltage spikes; the signal processing module converts the signal of the sensor module into digital data and transmits it to the processing module; the database module stores test comparison data for comparing and judging whether the input signal belongs to grasping the joystick, improving the judgment accuracy and also facilitating the personalized setting of the pilot; the core of the processing module is a high-performance processor and a six-axis high-precision acceleration sensor, which compares and matches the data transmitted by the signal processing module with the data in the database, and adjusts the output of the execution module in real time in cooperation with the value of the built-in six-axis acceleration sensor; the execution module is mainly composed of MOS transistors and provides power supply for the motor 104 of the mechanical elbow rest.

[0028] The clamping working process of the mechanical elbow rest component 10 is as Figure 4As shown in the figure. The mechanical elbow rest component 10 includes a clamping arm 101, a return spring 102, an elbow rest housing 103, a motor 104, a cam 105, an elbow rest base 106, a pin cable 107, an end cap 108, a spring 109, a zip screw 110, and a positioning pin 111. The clamping arms 101 are divided into left and right ones, which are the main functional components for providing left and right fixation. They are installed on the elbow rest housing 103 and are in contact with the surface of the cam 105. One end of the return spring 102 is installed on the clamping arm 101, and the other end is connected inside the elbow rest housing 103 to provide elastic force for the quick opening and release of the clamping arm 101. A pressure sensor 113 is integrated on the upper surface of the elbow rest housing 103. The pressure sensor 113 transmits pressure data to the on-board processing unit 3 to provide data on whether the elbow is placed on the elbow rest. The motor 104 is a servo motor with a reduction mechanism, installed inside the elbow rest housing 103, directly connected to the cam 105, driving the cam to rotate and feedback the cam angle information to the on-board processing unit 3 to achieve closed-loop control. The cam 105 is installed on the motor 104 and is in contact with the clamping arms 101. By rotating the cam 105, the opening angle of the two clamping arms 101 is controlled, and thus the clamping force is controlled. Its rotation angle and the opening angle of the clamping arm 101 are as Figure 4 shown. In particular, the cam is designed to have the function of quickly releasing the clamping arm 101. The bottom of the elbow rest base 106 is provided with a connection support arm mounting hole 112. One end of the pin cable 107 is fixed to the elbow rest base 106 through the zip screw 110, and the other end is fixed to the hole of the positioning pin 111 through a triangular pull ring. The end cap 108 is fixed to the elbow rest base 106 by threads, fixing the positioning pin 111 and the spring 109. The positioning pin 111 has a stepped shaft structure. One end can be stuck in the positioning groove of the support arm 204 of the support arm component 20, the other end is equipped with the spring 109, and is fixed to the mechanical elbow rest component 10 through the end cap 108. A round hole is opened at the end to install the pin cable 107.

[0029] The support arm component 20 includes a fixed pin post 201, a washer 1202, a washer 2203, a support arm 204, a small rivet 205, a large spring 206, and a positioning ball 207; one end of the fixed pin post 201 is a flat head, and the other end is radially provided with a pin hole. The fixed pin post 201 is located in the connecting support arm mounting hole 112 of the elbow rest base 106. The first washer 202 and the second washer 203 are placed on both sides of the connecting support arm mounting hole 112. The fixed pin post 201 is fixed to the support arm 204 by a small rivet 205. The first washer 202 and the second washer 203 are self-lubricating washers; the front end of the support arm 204 is provided with a mounting plane for mounting the mechanical elbow rest component 10, and the rear end is provided with an inner hole. The large spring 206 and the positioning ball 207 are placed in the inner hole to position the support arm 204 on the support 303 and cooperate with the positioning groove on the support 303 for positioning when the support arm 204 is folded and unfolded. Two upper and lower mounting lugs are provided at the rear end of the support arm 204, and connecting support mounting holes 208 are provided on the lugs; The support component 30 includes a knurled bolt 301, a washer 3302, a support 303, a large rivet 304, and a slider 305; the knurled bolt 301 passes through the screw hole of the support 303 to connect the slider 305 and is fixed on the slide rail. The slider 305 is embedded in the slide rail 402. After loosening the knurled bolt 301, the slider 305 can slide back and forth on the slide rail 402, thereby adjusting the position of the mechanical elbow rest assembly 4 to make the mechanical elbow rest easy to meet the usage requirements of different arm lengths; a vertical through hole is provided on the support 303. The two upper and lower mounting lugs provided at the rear end of the support arm 204 are located at the upper and lower ends of the vertical through hole. A large rivet 304 is passed through the mounting hole 208 on the lug and the vertical through hole to connect the support arm 204 and the support 303. Self-lubricating washers 302 are provided at both the upper and lower ends of the vertical through hole; between the support arm 204 and the slide rail 402, a circular groove is provided on the support 303 for positioning the folding and unfolding of the support arm 204; the large rivet 304 is used for assembling the support arm 204 and the support 303; the cross section of the slider 305 is "T"-shaped, and a threaded hole is provided on it to cooperate with the knurled bolt 301; when the knurled bolt 301 is loosened, the slider can slide in the slide rail 402, and it can be effectively fixed after the knurled bolt

[301] is tightened. The slide rail component 40 includes a screw 401 and a slide rail 402. The slide rail component 40 installs the mechanical elbow rest assembly to the cabin side wall by the screw 401. A "T"-shaped groove is provided in the slide rail 402 for installing the slider 305.

[0030] The mechanical elbow rest assembly 4 can be adjusted back and forth through the slide rail to meet the usage requirements of different arm lengths; The mechanical elbow rest assembly 4 can be folded towards the cabin wall, and the folding process is as Figure 8 shown, in which the folding process of the support arm component 20 is as Figure 9As shown in the figure. The folded mechanical elbow rest assembly 4 provides more space for ground crew maintenance and pilot access to and from the cabin. When placed normally, one end of the pin cable 107 is fixed to the elbow rest base 106 through a cable screw 110, and the other end is fixed to the hole of the positioning pin column 111 through a triangular pull ring. The positioning ball 207 at the rear end of the support arm 204 is located in the positioning groove on the support 303. When folding, first pull the pin cable 107 to release the positioning, then rotate the elbow rest to the vertical direction, and push the elbow rest inward forcefully so that the positioning ball 207 exits the positioning groove on the support 303 to complete the folding. There are also two corresponding positioning holes above the connecting support arm mounting hole 112, namely the deployment position positioning hole and the folding position positioning hole. Here, after pulling out the positioning pin column 111 from the deployment position positioning hole through the pin cable 107, the elbow rest can be folded. When the folding is in place, the positioning pin column 111 will automatically insert into the folding position positioning hole under the action of the spring 109.

[0031] The control method of the novel active fixation mechanical elbow rest that can achieve timely fixation and release of the elbow is as follows Figure 10 shown, and the process is as follows: In the initial state, the mechanical elbow rest can be folded on the side wall without affecting the pilot's access to and from the cockpit. At this time, the electromagnet of the mechanical elbow rest is not energized; when the aircraft engine starts, the system starts to work. If the pilot holds the joystick at this time and the elbow is placed on the pressure sensor 113 of the mechanical elbow rest component 10, the sensor generates a change in the electrical signal. The CPU analyzes and judges whether the pilot holds the joystick tightly and the elbow is in the correct position. If so, it drives the motor 104 to rotate the cam 105, and fixes the pilot's elbow by reducing the opening angle of the clamping arm 101. According to different flight states, the opening angle of the clamping arm 101 can be appropriately adjusted according to the magnitude of the lateral acceleration to provide a comfortable clamping force. When the pilot needs to perform switch operations or flip through the manual, just release the hand, and the system quickly rotates the cam 105, and the clamping arm 101 quickly returns to its original position to release the elbow without affecting the operation.

[0032] In terms of recognition, by collecting a large number of electrical signal samples of holding with gloves and pressure samples of elbow placement, a sufficient number of underlying databases are constructed to accurately recognize when the pilot operates while wearing flight gloves, meeting the usage requirements.

[0033] Since the opening angle of the clamping arm 101 is adjustable, the mechanical elbow rest can fix the elbow within a certain range without causing excessive restraint and affecting comfort; and since the elbow is allowed to slide back and forth within a certain range, it has little impact on the actions of pressing and retracting the lever, meeting the usage requirements.

[0034] The above only expresses the embodiments of the present invention, which are described in a relatively specific and detailed manner. However, it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several modifications and improvements can still be made, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention patent shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A mechanical automatic locking elbow rest, characterized in that It includes a sensor module, which is installed in the direction where the joystick 1 contacts the palm of the hand, and is used to sense whether the pilot grasps the joystick. The signal output by the sensor module is transmitted to the on-board processing unit through a cable; an on-board processing unit, which is installed inside the cabin bulkhead of the aircraft and is used to process the data transmitted by the signal processing module so as to control the action of the mechanical elbow rest assembly; a mechanical elbow rest assembly, which includes a mechanical elbow rest component, a support arm component, a support component and a slide rail component. The mechanical elbow rest component is installed on the support component through the support arm component, and the support component is installed on the side wall of the cabin through the slide rail component. The on-board processing unit analyzes and judges whether the pilot holds the joystick tightly and the elbow is in the correct position. If so, it fixes the pilot's elbow by reducing the opening angle of the clamping arm.

2. The mechanical automatic locking elbow rest according to claim 1, characterized in that The sensor module includes one or more of a pressure sensor, a capacitive human body sensor, and a microwave human body sensor.

3. A mechanical automatic locking elbow rest according to claim 1, characterized in that The on-board processing unit includes a power module, a surge protection module, a signal processing module, a database module, a processing module and an execution module. The power module provides DC power supply for the whole mechanical elbow rest; the surge protection module protects the circuit against surges and voltage spikes; the signal processing module converts the signal of the sensor module into digital data and transmits it to the processing module; the database module stores test comparison data, which is used to compare and judge whether the input signal belongs to holding the joystick, improving the judgment accuracy and facilitating the personalized setting of the pilot; the core of the processing module is a high-performance processor and a six-axis high-precision acceleration sensor, which compares and matches the data transmitted by the signal processing module with the data in the database, and adjusts the output of the execution module in real time in combination with the value of the built-in six-axis acceleration sensor; the execution module is mainly composed of MOS transistors and provides power supply for the motor of the mechanical elbow rest.

4. The mechanical automatic locking elbow rest according to claim 1, characterized in that The mechanical elbow rest component includes two relatively arranged clamping arms, which are arranged on both sides of the elbow rest housing. The lower ends of the clamping arms are connected to the elbow rest housing through return springs. A pressure sensor is integrated on the upper surface of the elbow rest housing. A cam and a motor connected to the cam are installed at the lower part of the elbow rest housing. The cam contacts the clamping arm and is used to control the action of the clamping arm. An elbow rest base is arranged at the bottom of the elbow rest housing. A connecting support arm mounting hole is arranged at the bottom of the elbow rest base. One end of the positioning pin column can be stuck in the positioning groove of the support arm component, the other end is equipped with a spring and is fixed to the mechanical elbow rest component through an end cover. A round hole is opened at the end to install the pin column cable. One end of the pin column cable is fixed to the elbow rest base through a cable screw, and the other end is fixed to the hole of the positioning pin column through a triangular pull ring.

5. A mechanical automatic locking elbow rest according to claim 1, characterized in that The support arm component includes a support arm. The front end of the support arm has an installation plane for installing the mechanical elbow rest component. An inner hole is opened at the rear end, and a large spring and a positioning ball are placed in the inner hole, which cooperate with the positioning groove on the support to position when folding and unfolding the support arm.

6. The mechanical automatic locking elbow rest according to claim 5, characterized in that The support component includes a support. A vertical through-hole is provided on the support. The upper and lower mounting lugs provided at the rear end of the support arm are located at the upper and lower ends of the vertical through-hole. A large rivet is inserted through the mounting holes of the mounting lugs and the vertical through-hole to connect the support arm and the support. Self-lubricating gaskets are provided at both the upper and lower ends of the vertical through-hole. A circular groove that cooperates with the positioning ball is provided on the support for positioning the folding and unfolding of the support arm.

7. A mechanical automatic locking elbow rest according to claim 1, characterized in that The slide rail component includes a slide rail and a slider that cooperates with the slide rail. The slide rail is fixed to the side wall of the engine nacelle by screws. The support component is connected to the slider by a knurled bolt. The cross-section of the slider is T-shaped, and the slide rail is provided with a T-shaped groove that cooperates with the slider. The slider can slide in the slide rail when the knurled bolt is loosened, and can be effectively fixed after the knurled bolt is tightened.

8. A control method for a mechanical automatic locking elbow rest, characterized in that The method includes: In the initial state, the mechanical elbow rest is folded against the side wall, and at this time, the electromagnet of the mechanical elbow rest is not energized. When the aircraft engine starts, the system starts to work. If the pilot holds the joystick and the elbow is placed on the pressure sensor of the mechanical elbow rest component at this time, the sensor generates a change in the electrical signal. The system analyzes and judges whether the pilot holds the joystick tightly and the elbow is in the correct position. If so, it drives the motor to rotate the cam, and fixes the pilot's elbow by reducing the opening angle of the clamping arm. When the pilot releases the joystick, the system quickly rotates the cam, and the clamping arm quickly returns to its original position to release the elbow.

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