Active side lever controller

Abstract

An active side lever controller for controlling pitching and rolling motions of an aircraft, having a mechanical backup, comprising: a cross-shaped hinge assembly connected to an operating handle and implementing a two-degree-of-freedom rotation of a side lever in pitching and rolling directions through a pitching hinge shaft and a rolling hinge shaft arranged perpendicularly crossing each other; the multiple spring damping assemblies are coaxially arranged with the pitching hinge shaft and the rolling hinge shaft respectively, and can provide reverse damping force in the rotation process of the pitching hinge shaft and the rolling hinge shaft; and the multiple motor assemblies are coaxially arranged with the pitching hinge shaft and the rolling hinge shaft correspondingly, reverse driving force is provided during normal work, and rotors of the motor assemblies freely rotate in the mode of being disengaged from a transmission system after power failure. According to the active side lever controller, the problems that the fault risk of an electromechanical assembly is high in the past, and a traditional mechanical backup scheme is complex in structure and large in occupied space can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control device in an aircraft flight control system, and more specifically, to an active side stick controller with mechanical backup, belonging to the technical field of aircraft human-machine interaction and flight control actuators.

[0002] This controller can not only realize active side stick functions such as feedback and linkage through electric motors, but also continue to realize basic control of the aircraft such as pitch and roll by means of backup mechanical motion mechanism when the electric motor fails. It is suitable for aircraft flight control systems with high requirements for control reliability. Background Technology

[0003] In the flight control system of modern civil aircraft, the performance and reliability of the control devices directly affect flight safety and piloting experience. Among them, the side stick controller, as the core control component for realizing pitch and roll control of the aircraft, is constantly developing towards "lightweight, integrated, and highly reliable".

[0004] Previously, civil aircraft generally used passive sidestick controllers. Passive sidestick controllers are miniaturized and are usually integrated into the side console of the cockpit. They are made of lightweight composite materials, making them lightweight, and use mechanical components such as springs and dampers to achieve operating force feedback. They do not require a complex column support structure, which can significantly save cockpit space.

[0005] However, passive sidestick controllers have functional limitations: their core relies on the passive response of mechanical linkages and elastic components, and cannot realize the linkage function of the control stick. In addition, passive sidesticks cannot actively output force or displacement through the sidestick to simulate aerodynamic loads during flight, making it difficult to provide intuitive flight status feedback to the pilot, thus greatly limiting the further improvement of flight safety and control precision.

[0006] To address the aforementioned issues, advanced civil aircraft are gradually adopting active sidestick controllers. Active sidestick controllers retain the advantages of passive sidesticks, such as small size and light weight, while introducing electromechanical components such as electric motors, angle sensors, and force feedback modules. They achieve active force output and motion control through motor drive.

[0007] Specifically, its core functions include: first, dual-seat linkage, which uses motors to synchronize the movement of the captain and co-pilot's side sticks, ensuring consistent operating commands from both sides; second, dynamic force feedback, which adjusts the side stick operating resistance in real time according to flight conditions (such as speed, altitude, and angle of attack), simulating the control characteristics of different flight stages (such as increasing the operating force at low speeds to indicate changes in control sensitivity); and third, anti-flight warning, which allows the motors to actively drive the side sticks to generate a reverse force or displacement when the aircraft approaches dangerous conditions such as stall or overload limits, forcibly correcting improper pilot operations and reducing the risk of human error.

[0008] These features give active sidesticks a significant advantage in flight simulation training and precise control under complex weather conditions, and represent the main trend in the future development of sidestick controllers.

[0009] However, despite the functional breakthroughs achieved by the active sidestick controller, its reliability still faces significant challenges: Since the core of the active side stick controller relies on electromechanical components such as motors to achieve active control, the failure risk of these components is significantly higher than that of the mechanical components of the passive side stick.

[0010] Furthermore, faults in electromechanical components such as motors, sensors, and drive circuits are often insidious. For example, aging insulation in motor windings or sensor signal drift are difficult to detect in their early stages through tactile feedback or instrument displays, making fault prediction extremely poor. More seriously, electromechanical components may experience "uncommanded movement" faults: for instance, an abnormal motor drive circuit can cause the side stick to suddenly shift without any input, or a malfunctioning force feedback module can cause the output force to exceed safe limits. These types of faults directly transmit erroneous commands to the flight control system, leading to abnormal aircraft attitude and posing a fatal threat to flight safety.

[0011] In existing technologies, solutions have been proposed to improve the reliability of active sidesticks. For example, Chinese patent CN114655424A discloses an "aircraft sidestick control device supporting active-passive switching," which includes a mode switching control mechanism, a roll control mechanism, a pitch control mechanism, and an emergency control mechanism. Its core idea is to construct a mechanical transmission system through transmission structures such as gears and linkages, and rely solely on springs to provide operating force and damping, attempting to maintain basic control through mechanical structures when the active mode fails.

[0012] However, this technical solution still has some drawbacks: On the one hand, its transmission system consists of multiple sets of meshing gears and hinged connecting rods, which not only involves a large number of parts and high assembly precision requirements, but also the gear meshing clearance and linkage motion interference may lead to control lag or jamming; on the other hand, relying solely on springs to provide force feedback and damping makes it difficult to match the control characteristics of different flight stages, and the springs are prone to plastic deformation under long-term stress, affecting control accuracy. In addition, the complex mechanical transmission structure occupies a large amount of space inside the side stick, which contradicts the design goal of "lightweight and miniaturized" active side sticks and is not conducive to installation and arrangement in the compact space of the cockpit.

[0013] As mentioned above, there is still room for improvement in the reliability and structural rationality of existing active side rod controllers: it is necessary to retain the functional advantages brought by motor drive, solve the potential risks of electromechanical component failure, and avoid the problems of complex structure and large space occupation of traditional mechanical backup solutions.

[0014] To address the shortcomings of the existing technologies, the development of an active sidestick controller with an efficient mechanical backup mechanism, compact structure, and high reliability has become an urgent need to meet the high safety requirements of modern civil aircraft. Summary of the Invention

[0015] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, and its purpose is to provide an active side rod controller. The active side rod controller can retain the advantages of active side rod functions such as feedback and linkage brought by motor drive, while constructing a reliable mechanical backup mechanism through optimized mechanical structure design, so as to solve the problems of high failure risk of electromechanical components in existing active side rod controllers and complex structure and large space occupation of traditional mechanical backup schemes.

[0016] To achieve the objectives of this disclosure, an active sidestick controller is provided for controlling the pitch and roll motions of an aircraft, and has mechanical backup. The active sidestick controller includes: a cross-hinged assembly connected to an operating handle, which achieves two degrees of freedom rotation in the pitch and roll directions via pitch and roll hinge axes arranged perpendicularly to each other; multiple spring-damped assemblies, which are coaxially arranged with the pitch and roll hinge axes respectively, and provide reverse damping forces during rotation of the pitch and roll hinge axes; and multiple electric motor assemblies, which are coaxially arranged with the pitch and roll hinge axes respectively, providing counter-drive forces during normal operation, and whose rotors can rotate freely after power failure, disengaging from the transmission system.

[0017] Based on the above configuration, pitch and roll are independently controlled with dual degrees of freedom through the cross-hinged assembly. Combined with the spring-damping assembly and motor assembly arranged coaxially with the hinge axis, the motor can achieve functions such as active reverse drive and linkage. After the motor is powered off, the transmission system can be disengaged through its freely rotating rotor. Basic control is maintained by relying on the spring-damping assembly. Thus, while retaining the advantages of the active side rod function, a reliable mechanical backup mechanism is constructed, thereby solving the problem of high failure risk of electromechanical components in the prior art.

[0018] Preferably, the active side rod controller further includes a housing that houses the cross hinge assembly, the plurality of spring damping assemblies, and the plurality of motor assemblies, and the operating handle extends from the housing.

[0019] As described above, the housing protects the internal components from external environmental interference and integrates the components into a compact whole, making the extension structure of the operating handle more stable. This facilitates installation and arrangement within the limited space of the cockpit, and improves the structural integrity and environmental adaptability of the device.

[0020] Preferably, the cross-hinged assembly further includes a hinged connecting cylinder and a control connecting shaft. The hinged connecting cylinder is sleeved and fixedly connected to the outside of the cross-hinged structure formed by the pitch hinge shaft and the roll hinge shaft. One end of the control connecting shaft is connected to the cross-connection point of the cross-hinged assembly, and the other end is connected to the operating handle.

[0021] As described above, the articulated connecting cylinder integrates a cross-hinged structure, which enhances the connection stability and motion consistency of the dual-hinged shafts; the control connecting shaft enables direct connection between the operating handle and the cross-hinged core, ensuring precise and efficient transmission of control commands, reducing force transmission loss, and improving control response speed.

[0022] Preferably, the pitch hinge shaft can rotate around its own axis to achieve pitch control of the side rod, and the roll hinge shaft can rotate around its own axis to achieve roll control of the side rod, and the rotational degrees of freedom of the two are independent of each other.

[0023] As described above, the independent rotational degrees of freedom of the pitch and roll articulated axes can avoid mutual interference between the two directions of control, allowing the pilot to accurately control the pitch and roll motion of the aircraft separately, thereby effectively improving the independence and precision of control and adapting to the control requirements of complex flight conditions.

[0024] Preferably, the spring damping assembly includes an elastic member, a damping member, a levering member, and a rotary bearing. The rotary bearing is through which the hinge shaft of the cross hinge assembly passes. The levering member is fixedly connected to the rotary bearing and can rotate synchronously with the hinge shaft. The elastic member and the damping member cooperate with the levering member to generate elastic force and damping force when the levering member rotates.

[0025] As described above, the rotary bearing ensures smooth rotation of the hinge shaft and the actuating component. The cooperation between the actuating component and the elastic and damping components can generate elastic and damping forces simultaneously when the side rod rotates. This provides both tactile feedback and buffers rotational impact, making the operation process smoother and more stable, and effectively reducing shaking or sudden stops.

[0026] Preferably, the elastic member and the damping member are arranged in a ring along the circumference of the spring damping assembly. The elastic member can store elastic potential energy and provide restoring force, and the damping member can dissipate rotational energy to buffer impact.

[0027] As described above, the annular distribution of the elastic and damping components enables more uniform force distribution, more stable storage and release of elastic potential energy, and more continuous damping force. This allows the system to adapt to the force feedback requirements of the side rod's full-angle rotation range, while also extending the service life of the components and reducing the risk of localized wear.

[0028] Preferably, the actuating member is fixedly connected to the hinge shaft of the cross hinge assembly and the rotor shaft of the motor assembly respectively through a fixed connector, so as to realize that the hinge shaft and the rotor shaft rotate synchronously.

[0029] As described above, the actuating component can achieve synchronous rotation of the hinge shaft and the motor rotor shaft through the fixed connecting piece, eliminating transmission gaps, ensuring accurate and efficient bidirectional power transmission, reducing the lag problem of traditional multi-component transmission, simplifying the transmission structure, and reducing the risk of mechanical jamming.

[0030] Preferably, the motor assembly includes a pitch motor and a roll motor as excitation motors, wherein the rotor shaft of the pitch motor is coaxial with and driven by the pitch hinge shaft, and the rotor shaft of the roll motor is coaxial with and driven by the roll hinge shaft.

[0031] Based on the above configuration, the selection of the excitation motor enables the motor to stably provide active reverse driving force during normal operation, meeting the functional requirements of linkage, reverse driving warning, etc.; while the coaxial transmission connection between the pitch motor, roll motor and the corresponding hinge shaft realizes independent control of the power in two directions, improving the pertinence and reliability of the active function.

[0032] Preferably, the annular structure of the spring damping assembly is coaxially connected to the rotor shaft of the motor assembly and the hinge shaft of the cross hinge assembly, and the actuating member directly transmits the rotational motion of the rotor shaft and the hinge shaft to the elastic member and damping member of the spring damping assembly.

[0033] As described above, the coaxial design of the spring damping assembly with the motor and hinge shaft, and the direct transmission of the actuating component, significantly shorten the transmission path and avoid the use of additional transmission structures such as connecting rods. This not only improves space utilization and makes the overall structure more compact, but also reduces the failure points in the transmission links and lowers the risk of mechanical jamming.

[0034] Preferably, the elastic member is a spring member or an elastic sheet, and the damping member is a damping sheet or a damping cavity.

[0035] Based on the above-described configuration, the diverse selection of elastic and damping components (spring / elastic sheet, damping sheet / damping cavity) can be flexibly adapted to the control characteristics requirements of different flight stages, ensuring that the magnitude and characteristics of elastic and damping forces meet the design requirements, thereby improving the applicability and control accuracy of the device.

[0036] Preferably, angular displacement sensors are respectively provided on the pitch hinge axis and roll hinge axis to measure the rotation angle of the corresponding hinge axis and output the angle signal.

[0037] As described above, the angular displacement sensor on the articulated shaft can accurately measure the rotation angle in real time, providing a reliable side stick position signal for the flight control system and ensuring the accuracy of control commands; the dual-axis independent sensing design can further improve the independent accuracy of pitch and roll control.

[0038] Preferably, when the pitch motor and the roll motor are working normally, they can drive the corresponding hinge shaft to rotate through the rotor shaft to provide a counter-drive force, and the side rod position signal is jointly provided by the angular displacement sensor on the hinge shaft and the angular displacement sensor of the motor; when the pitch motor or the roll motor fails, the rotor of the corresponding motor is in a free rotation state after power is cut off, and the side rod realizes pitch or roll control through the cross hinge assembly and the spring damping assembly, and the side rod position signal is only provided by the angular displacement sensor on the corresponding hinge shaft.

[0039] As described above, when the motor is in normal operation, it provides position signals through the joint use of dual sensors, which improves signal reliability and control accuracy and meets the requirements of active functions. When the motor fails, it disconnects from the transmission system and relies solely on the hinge shaft sensor and mechanical structure to maintain basic control, which effectively reduces the impact of a single component failure on flight safety and significantly improves the redundancy and reliability of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0040] In view of the above objectives, the technical features of the present invention are clearly described in the following technical solutions, and its advantages are apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention by way of example, without limiting the scope of the inventive concept.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the active side rod controller of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a perspective schematic diagram illustrating the spring damping assembly of the active side rod controller of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 3A This is a block diagram of the operating logic of the active side rod controller of the present invention when the motor is working normally. Figure 3BThis is a block diagram of the operating logic of the active side rod controller of the present invention when the motor fails.

[0044] Symbol Explanation 1. Active side stick controller; 11. Cross-hinged assembly; 111 Pitch hinge axis; 112 Rolling hinge shaft; 113 Hinged connecting cylinder; 114 Control connection shaft; 12. Spring damping assembly; 121 Elastic member; 122 Damping components; 123. Moving components; 124 Rotary bearing; 13. Electric motor assembly; 131 Pitch motor; 132 Rolling motor; KT storage case; HD control handle. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0046] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the invention to the exemplary embodiments described below. Rather, the invention is intended to cover not only these exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0047] (Overall structure) The following is for reference Figure 1 The overall structure of the active side rod controller 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the active side rod controller 1 of the present invention mainly includes a cross hinge assembly 11, a spring damping assembly 12, and a motor assembly 13 housed in a housing KT.

[0049] The aforementioned housing KT is formed in a generally cubic shape, and an operating handle HD extends from the housing KT. The operating handle HD is connected to a cross-hinged assembly 11 housed in the housing KT to control the pitch and roll motion of the aircraft.

[0050] In the active side stick controller 1 of the present invention, the aforementioned cross-hinged assembly 11 is the core structure for realizing the "pitch-roll" dual-degree-of-freedom rotation control and power / signal transmission of the side stick. Its main structure and working principle are as follows: The aforementioned cross-hinged assembly 11 mainly consists of a pitch hinge shaft 111, a roll hinge shaft 112, a hinge connecting cylinder 113, and a control connecting shaft 114.

[0051] The pitch hinge axis 111 and roll hinge axis 112 are arranged perpendicularly to each other and together form a "cross-shaped" hinge core, thereby providing the side rod with two independent rotational degrees of freedom in the pitch direction (rotation about the pitch hinge axis 111) and the roll direction (rotation about the roll hinge axis 111).

[0052] The aforementioned hinged connecting cylinder 113 is sleeved and fixedly connected to the outside of the cross hinge structure formed by the pitch hinge shaft 111 and the roll hinge shaft 112, serving as a support and connection to integrate the two hinge shafts and transmit rotational motion, thereby enabling the operating force of the side rod or the driving force of the motor to be stably transmitted to the external control mechanism.

[0053] One end of the aforementioned control connection shaft 114 is fixedly connected to the intersection of the pitch hinge shaft 111 and the roll hinge shaft 112, and the other end is fixedly connected to the external operating handle HD. It is used to transmit the control commands from the operating handle HD to the active side stick controller 1 to realize the pitch and roll motion control of the aircraft.

[0054] Next, refer to Figure 2 The spring damping assembly 12 of the active side rod controller 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0055] The aforementioned spring damping assembly 12 is used to provide elastic restoring force and damping buffer to the rotation of the side rod, thereby improving the smoothness of operation and control stability.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the spring damping assembly 12 of the above-mentioned active side rod controller 1 mainly includes an elastic component 121, a damping component 122 and a toggle component 123, which are centrally housed in the cylindrical shell.

[0057] The aforementioned elastic member 121 is distributed in a ring along the circumference of the cylindrical shell. It can adopt the structural form of spring group, elastic sheet, etc., to store the elastic potential energy when the side rod rotates, and to provide elastic restoring force to the side rod to reset.

[0058] The aforementioned damping member 122 is also distributed in a ring along the circumference of the cylindrical shell. One end of it abuts against the stop portion provided inside the cylindrical shell, and the other end is arranged adjacent to the elastic member 121. It can adopt the structural form of damping plate, damping cavity, etc., to generate damping force during the rotation of the side rod, consume rotational energy, thereby reducing impact and making the operation smoother.

[0059] The aforementioned actuating member 123 is formed in a generally plate-like shape. One end of it is fixedly connected to the centrally located rotary bearing 124, and the other end abuts against the free end of the elastic member 121. It can rotate internally as the rotary bearing 124 rotates, thereby pressing the elastic member 121 and triggering the action of the damping member 122.

[0060] The aforementioned cylindrical shell is formed as a hollow cylinder with a central hole, and a rotary bearing 124 capable of rotating relative to the cylindrical shell is inserted in the hole. The rotary bearing 124 is used for the aforementioned pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112 to transmit the rotational motion from the pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112 to the aforementioned actuating member 123 in order to control the pitch and roll motion of the aircraft.

[0061] The spring damping assembly 12 described above enables elastic and damping effects to be achieved in the active side rod controller 1 of the present invention.

[0062] Elastic effect: When an operating force is applied to the side rod, the aforementioned actuating member 123 can compress or stretch the elastic member 121, causing the elastic member 121 to undergo elastic deformation and store elastic potential energy. After the operating force on the side rod is removed, the elastic potential energy is released, which can push the actuating member 123 to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby driving the side rod to reset through the cross hinge assembly 11.

[0063] Damping effect: When an operating force is applied to the side rod, the aforementioned actuating member 123 will generate relative motion with the damping member 122. The damping member 122 consumes rotational energy through friction and other means, which can keep the rotation process and reset process of the side rod stable, thereby effectively avoiding shaking or sudden stop.

[0064] Next, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The assembly method of the active side rod controller 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0065] In the active side stick controller 1 of the present invention, as Figure 1 As shown, for the aforementioned cross-hinged assembly 11, firstly, the pitch hinge shaft 111 and the roll hinge shaft 112 are assembled in a spatially perpendicular manner to ensure that the two form a stable "cross-shaped" hinge structure, providing the side rod with two independent rotational degrees of freedom: pitch and roll.

[0066] Subsequently, the hinged connecting cylinder 113 is sleeved and fixedly connected to the outside of the cross hinge structure composed of the pitch hinge shaft 111 and the roll hinge shaft 112, so that the hinged connecting cylinder 113 can move synchronously with the rotation of the cross hinge structure, thereby playing the role of integrating the two hinge shafts and transmitting rotational motion.

[0067] Finally, one end of the control connecting shaft 114 is fixedly connected to the hinge connecting cylinder 113, and the other end of the control connecting shaft 114 is fixedly connected to the motor assembly 13 and the spring damping assembly 12. The cross hinge assembly 11 is located inside the housing KT, and the operating handle HD is fixedly connected to the top of the cross hinge assembly 11. The operator can drive the cross hinge assembly 11 to rotate in the pitch or roll direction by operating the operating handle HD.

[0068] like Figure 2 As shown, for the spring damping assembly 12, firstly, the elastic member 121 (e.g., a spring group or elastic sheet distributed along the circumference) and the damping member 122 (e.g., a damping sheet or damping cavity) are installed in corresponding positions within the housing KT in an adjacent arrangement, so as to ensure that the elastic member 121 can store elastic potential energy and the damping member 122 can generate damping force.

[0069] Next, the actuating component 123 is assembled through the rotary bearing 124 to ensure that the actuating component 123 can rotate smoothly; at the same time, the actuating component 123 and the hinge connecting cylinder 113 (or control connecting shaft 114) of the cross hinge assembly 11 form a linkage relationship, that is, when the cross hinge assembly 11 rotates, it can drive the actuating component 123 to rotate synchronously.

[0070] Ultimately, it is ensured that the actuating member 123 can interact with the elastic member 121 and the damping member 122 during rotation (compressing / stretching the elastic member 121 and generating relative motion with the damping member 122), thereby providing elastic restoring force and damping buffer for the rotation of the side rod.

[0071] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, the motor assembly 13 includes a pitch motor 131 and a roll motor 132, both of which are excitation motors used to provide active reverse drive, linkage and other functions of the side rod. Furthermore, the assembly of the motor assembly 13 with the cross hinge assembly 11 must achieve precise power transmission and quick disengagement in case of failure.

[0072] The rotor shafts of the aforementioned pitch motor 131 and roll motor 132 are respectively connected to the pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112 of the cross hinge assembly 11. The actuating member 123 of the aforementioned spring damping assembly 12 restricts the pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112 of the cross hinge assembly 11 to the rotor shafts of the pitch motor 131 and roll motor 132 to a synchronous rotation state through rivets.

[0073] When the motor assembly 13 is working normally, the rotor shaft of the pitch motor 131 drives the pitch hinge shaft 111 to rotate synchronously through the actuating member 123, and the rotor shaft of the roll motor 132 drives the roll hinge shaft 112 to rotate synchronously through the actuating member 123; conversely, the rotation of the pitch hinge shaft 111 can drive the rotor shaft of the pitch motor 131 to rotate synchronously through the actuating member 123, and the rotation of the roll hinge shaft 112 can drive the rotor shaft of the roll motor 132 to rotate synchronously through the actuating member 123, thereby enabling bidirectional power transmission in both directions.

[0074] Since both the pitch motor 131 and the roll motor 132 are excitation motors, a power-off operation can be performed when either motor fails. After power is cut off, the rotor of the corresponding excitation motor loses its electromagnetic constraint and is in a free-rotating state, no longer hindering the rotation of the corresponding hinge shaft (pitch hinge shaft 111 or roll hinge shaft 112). At this time, the hinge shaft in this direction can drive the actuating member 123 to rotate freely. The actuating member 123 only plays a follower role. The motor rotor shaft rotates synchronously with the actuating member 123 and the hinge shaft, which can realize the disengagement of the motor from the transmission system and will not affect the basic control operation of the side rod in the pitch or roll direction through the cross hinge assembly 11.

[0075] Furthermore, the actuating member 123 on the rotor shaft of the motor assembly 13 is directly connected to the annular spring damping assembly 12 (the spring damping assembly 12 is coaxially arranged with the motor assembly 13). When the motor assembly 13 is working normally, the pitch hinge shaft 111 / roll hinge shaft 112, the rotor shaft of the corresponding motor, and the actuating member 123 rotate synchronously. The rotation of the actuating member 123 will compress or stretch the elastic member 121 and the damping member 122 in the spring damping assembly 12, thereby enabling the spring damping assembly 12 to provide the corresponding spring force and damping. After any motor in the motor assembly 13 fails and disconnects from the transmission system, the rotation of the hinge shaft (pitch hinge shaft 111 or roll hinge shaft 112) and the actuating member 123 in the corresponding direction can still drive the spring damping assembly 12 to work, thereby continuously providing spring force and damping to the side rod operation.

[0076] (Work process) The following is for reference Figure 3A and Figure 3BThe specific working process of the active side rod controller 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0077] It should be noted that angular displacement sensors are respectively installed on the pitch hinge axis 111 and the roll hinge axis 112 to measure the rotation angle of the pitch hinge axis 111 and the roll hinge axis 112 and output the corresponding angle signals. Meanwhile, a spring damping assembly 12 and a pitch motor 131 are configured on the pitch hinge axis 111, and a spring damping assembly 12 and a roll motor 132 are configured on the roll hinge axis 112. Both the pitch motor 131 and the roll motor 132 are excitation motors.

[0078] like Figure 3A As shown, when the motor assembly 13 is working normally, the pilot needs to overcome the counterforce of the pitch motor 131 and roll motor 132, the spring force of the elastic member 121 of the spring damping assembly 12, and the damping of the damping member 122 when operating the side stick to control the aircraft. The side stick position signal is jointly provided by the angular displacement sensors on the pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112 of the cross hinge assembly 11 and the angular displacement sensor of the motor assembly 13.

[0079] Specifically, when the driver pushes the side stick forward / backward or left / right, the cross-hinged assembly 11 decouples the two-way motion into rotational motion on the pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112. The pitch hinge shaft 111 rotates synchronously with the rotor shaft of the pitch motor 131 and the actuating component 123, and the roll hinge shaft 112 rotates synchronously with the rotor shaft of the roll motor 132 and the actuating component 123. The rotation of the actuating component 123 drives the elastic component 121 and the damping component 122 to provide spring force and damping. At the same time, the pitch motor 131 and the roll motor 132 rotate their rotor shafts according to the counter-drive, linkage, and other functional control rates to provide counter-drive force.

[0080] like Figure 3B As shown, when the motor assembly 13 fails, the pilot only needs to overcome the spring force of the elastic member 121 and the damping of the damping member 122 of the spring-damping assembly 12 to control the aircraft by manipulating the side stick, and the side stick position signal is provided only by the angular displacement sensors on the pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112 of the cross hinge assembly 11.

[0081] Specifically, when the driver pushes the side stick forward, backward, left, or right, the cross-hinged assembly 11 decouples the two-way motion into rotational motion on the pitch hinge shaft 111 and roll hinge shaft 112. The rotation of the pitch hinge shaft 111, roll hinge shaft 112, and the corresponding actuating member 123 will drive the elastic member 121 and damping member 122 to provide spring force and damping. At this time, the corresponding motor (pitch motor 131 or roll motor 132) is de-energized, and its rotor is in a free-rotating state, no longer applying force to its own rotor shaft.

[0082] (Technical effect) In the active side rod controller of the present invention, the spring damping assembly is designed as a ring and is arranged coaxially with the motor assembly (including pitch motor and roll motor). Moreover, the spring damping assembly and the motor assembly are directly connected through a toggle member on the rotor shaft.

[0083] This eliminates the need for additional transmission structures such as linkages, simplifying the transmission path and effectively reducing the risk of mechanical jamming caused by the multi-component coordination of traditional transmission structures. At the same time, the compact circular layout and coaxial design can significantly improve the utilization rate of the internal space of the active side rod controller, making the overall structure simpler and more compact.

[0084] In addition, the design of the circular spring damping assembly, combined with the excitation motor (pitch motor, roll motor), allows for power-off operation of the motor after a failure, while the side rod can still be controlled normally, and the transmission system will not be affected by the faulty motor.

[0085] Therefore, when the motor assembly is working normally, the side stick can achieve active side stick functions such as linkage and reverse drive with the help of the annular spring damping assembly and the excitation motor, thereby providing the pilot with rich control feedback and active control capabilities. When the motor (pitch motor or roll motor) fails, the power to the faulty motor can be cut off, and its rotor loses electromagnetic constraint and enters a free rotation state, disengaging from the transmission system. At this time, the side stick can still achieve basic control functions such as pitch and roll through the cross hinge assembly and the annular spring damping assembly, thereby effectively reducing the impact of a single component failure on the overall safety of the aircraft and improving the reliability and redundancy of the system.

[0086] While the structure and working principle of the present invention have been described above in conjunction with preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation of the invention. Modifications and variations can be made to the invention within the spirit and scope of the claims, and all such modifications and variations will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0087] For example, in the active side rod controller 1 of the present invention, an example is shown where the spring damping assembly 12 includes two sets of elastic members 121, damping members 122 and actuating members 123. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Depending on the actual usage requirements and the material properties of the elastic members and damping members, more than two sets of components can be used to construct the spring damping assembly.

Claims

1. An active sidestick controller (1), said active sidestick controller (1) for controlling the pitch and roll motions of an aircraft, characterized in that, The active side stick controller (1) includes: A cross-hinged assembly (11) is connected to an operating handle (HD) and achieves dual-degree-of-freedom rotation of the side rod in the pitch and roll directions through pitch hinge shafts (111) and roll hinge shafts (112) arranged perpendicularly to each other. Multiple spring-damping assemblies (12) are arranged coaxially with the pitch hinge axis (111) and the roll hinge axis (112), respectively, and are capable of providing opposing damping forces during rotation of the pitch hinge axis (111) and the roll hinge axis (112); and Multiple motor assemblies (13), which are arranged coaxially with the pitch hinge shaft (111) and the roll hinge shaft (112), are capable of providing counter-drive force during normal operation and their rotors can rotate freely after power failure in a manner that is disconnected from the drive system.

2. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The active side rod controller (1) also includes a housing (KT). The housing (KT) houses the cross-hinged assembly (11), the plurality of spring-damped assemblies (12), and the plurality of motor assemblies (13), and the operating handle (HD) extends from the housing (KT).

3. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-hinged assembly (11) also includes a hinged connecting cylinder (113) and a control connecting shaft (114). The hinged connecting cylinder (113) is sleeved and fixedly connected to the outside of the cross hinge structure formed by the pitch hinge shaft (111) and the roll hinge shaft (112). One end of the control connecting shaft (114) is connected to the cross joint of the cross hinge, and the other end is connected to the operating handle (HD).

4. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The pitch hinge shaft (111) can rotate around its own axis to achieve pitch control of the side rod, and the roll hinge shaft (112) can rotate around its own axis to achieve roll control of the side rod, and the rotational degrees of freedom of the two are independent of each other.

5. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The spring damping assembly (12) includes an elastic member (121), a damping member (122), an actuating member (123), and a rotary bearing (124). The rotary bearing (124) is through which the hinge shaft of the cross hinge assembly (11) passes. The actuating member (123) is fixedly connected to the rotary bearing (124) and can rotate synchronously with the hinge shaft. The elastic member (121) and the damping member (122) cooperate with the actuating member (123) to generate elastic force and damping force when the actuating member (123) rotates.

6. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic member (121) and the damping member (122) are distributed in a ring along the circumference of the spring damping assembly (12). The elastic member (121) can store elastic potential energy and provide a restoring force, and the damping member (122) can consume rotational energy to buffer the impact.

7. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The actuating member (123) is fixedly connected to the hinge shaft of the cross hinge assembly (11) and the rotor shaft of the motor assembly (13) respectively through a fixed connector, so as to realize that the hinge shaft and the rotor shaft rotate synchronously.

8. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The motor assembly (13) includes a pitch motor (131) and a roll motor (132) as excitation motors. The rotor shaft of the pitch motor (131) is coaxial with and driven by the pitch hinge shaft (111), and the rotor shaft of the roll motor (132) is coaxial with and driven by the roll hinge shaft (112).

9. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The annular structure of the spring damping assembly (12) is coaxially connected to the rotor shaft of the motor assembly (13) and the hinge shaft of the cross hinge assembly (11). The actuating member (123) directly transmits the rotational motion of the rotor shaft and the hinge shaft to the elastic member (121) and the damping member (122) of the spring damping assembly (12).

10. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The elastic member (121) is a spring member or an elastic sheet, and the damping member (122) is a damping sheet or a damping cavity.

11. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 10, characterized in that, An angular displacement sensor is provided on the pitch hinge shaft (111) and roll hinge shaft (112) respectively, for measuring the rotation angle of the corresponding hinge shaft and outputting the angle signal.

12. The active side stick controller (1) as described in claim 11, characterized in that, When the pitch motor (131) and the roll motor (132) are working normally, they can drive the corresponding hinge shaft to rotate through the rotor shaft to provide a counter-driving force, and the side rod position signal is provided by the angular displacement sensor on the hinge shaft and the angular displacement sensor of the motor. When the pitch motor (131) or the roll motor (132) fails, the rotor of the corresponding motor is in a free rotation state after power is cut off. The side rod realizes pitch or roll control through the cross hinge assembly (11) and the spring damping assembly (12), and the side rod position signal is only provided by the angular displacement sensor on the corresponding hinge axis.

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