Aircraft refueling vehicle's wireless deadman switch

Abstract

To provide a wireless deadman switch installed on an aircraft fueling vehicle that enables an operator to operate while controlling a fueling amount when aviation fuel is supplied to an aircraft.SOLUTION: There is provided a wireless deadman switch in which a transmitter and a receiver are connected to be capable of wireless communication for supplying aircraft fuel to an aircraft. The transmitter includes: an operation unit for transmitting a fueling signal to the receiver; a mode change button capable of changing a fueling amount; an emergency button for stopping fueling; and various display units for displaying a communication state with the receiver and the fueling amount changed by the mode change button. The receiver includes: a transmitter holder on which the transmitter can be installed; a pairing switch for setting pairing with the transmitter; and various display units for displaying a pairing state with the transmitter and an installed state of the transmitter. The receiver operates a fueling device to supply aviation fuel to the aircraft with the fueling amount set by the mode change button while receiving the fueling signal from the transmitter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless dead man's switch for an aircraft refueling vehicle, and more particularly to a wireless dead man's switch installed on an aircraft refueling vehicle that enables an operator to control the fuel supply amount while performing operations when refueling an aircraft with aviation fuel.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is an aircraft refueling vehicle (refueler type) equipped with a fuel tank for storing aviation fuel and refueling the aircraft with aviation fuel from this fuel tank. Also, at airports where aviation fuel is stored in underground fuel tanks, aviation fuel can be refueled from the underground fuel tank to the aircraft via a fueling port on the ground. For this reason, at airports where aviation fuel is stored in underground fuel tanks, an aircraft refueling vehicle (a hydrant type refueling vehicle also called a servicer) equipped with a hose and a pressure device for refueling aviation fuel from the underground fuel tank to the aircraft is used.

[0003] As a remote control device used in such a refueling vehicle for refueling an aircraft, a fueling vehicle equipped with a wired dead man's switch for an operator to operate the on / off of aviation fuel supply has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Traditionally, when refueling an aircraft, it is rare to completely fill the aircraft's fuel tanks with aviation fuel. Generally, the amount of aviation fuel to be supplied is determined by adding the amount needed to reach the next destination and the amount needed for emergency response, and the determined amount of aviation fuel is supplied to the aircraft's fuel tanks. For this reason, the operator checks the fuel gauge on the fuel tank to confirm the amount of refueling supplied to the aircraft. However, since the dead man's switch as a remote control device described in Patent Document 1 is wired, the operator must be careful with the routing of the wire (cable) when moving to a position where they can see the fuel gauge located near the aircraft's fuel tank in order to confirm the amount of refueling supplied.

[0006] Furthermore, the deadman switch used as a remote control device described in Patent Document 1 is merely for turning refueling on and off, and does not have a function to change the flow rate per unit time (hereinafter referred to as the refueling amount) of aviation fuel supplied from the aircraft refueling vehicle to the aircraft's fuel tank via the refueling hose.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above problems and aims to provide a wireless deadman switch installed in an aircraft refueling vehicle that allows an operator to control the amount of aviation fuel supplied to an aircraft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a wireless deadman switch in which a transmitter and a receiver are wirelessly connected for operating a refueling device installed on an aircraft refueling vehicle to refuel an aircraft with aviation fuel, wherein the transmitter comprises an operating unit for transmitting a refueling signal to the receiver, a mode change button for changing the refueling amount, an emergency stop button for refueling, and various display units for displaying the communication status with the receiver and the refueling amount changed by the mode change button, and the receiver comprises a transmitter holder on which the transmitter can be installed, a pairing switch for setting pairing with the transmitter, and various display units for displaying the pairing status with the transmitter and the installation status of the transmitter, wherein the receiver operates the refueling device with the refueling amount set by the mode change button to refuel an aircraft with aviation fuel while receiving the refueling signal from the transmitter.

[0009] Furthermore, in another aspect of the present invention, the wireless deadman switch further includes a timer function that monitors the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter, and when the timer function detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter has elapsed to a first predetermined time, it issues a warning, and when it detects that the refueling signal received from the transmitter has been turned off for a certain period of time while the warning is being issued, it cancels the issuance of the warning, and when it does not detect that the refueling signal received from the transmitter has been turned off for a certain period of time while the warning is being issued, it stops the operation of the refueling device even if it is receiving the refueling signal from the transmitter when it detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter has elapsed to a second predetermined time.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is a wireless deadman switch in which the transmitter can be installed in the transmitter holder by the magnetic force of magnets provided on the transmitter and the transmitter holder, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the transmitter includes an operating unit for transmitting a refueling signal to the receiver, a mode change button that can change the refueling amount in stages, an emergency stop button for refueling, and various display units that show the communication status with the receiver and the refueling amount changed by the mode change button. The receiver includes a transmitter holder on which the transmitter can be installed, a pairing switch for setting pairing with the transmitter, and various display units that show the pairing status with the transmitter and the installation status of the transmitter. While the receiver is receiving a refueling signal from the transmitter, it operates the refueling device of the aircraft refueling vehicle to refuel the aircraft with aviation fuel at the refueling amount set by the mode change button.

[0012] Unlike conventional wired deadman switches used as remote control devices, the wireless deadman switch configuration described above allows operators to move freely while carrying the transmitter to a position where they can visually check the fuel gauge located near the aircraft's fuel tanks, without having to worry about the routing of wires (cables). Then, by operating the transmitter's control unit while checking the fuel gauge on the fuel tank, the operator can activate the refueling equipment of the aircraft refueling vehicle and supply the aircraft with the correct amount of aviation fuel.

[0013] Furthermore, by operating the mode change button on the transmitter, the operator can gradually change the amount of fuel dispensed. For example, by increasing the amount of fuel dispensed at the start and during refueling, efficient refueling can be achieved, and by decreasing the amount of fuel dispensed at the end of refueling, accurate refueling can be achieved. At this time, the amount of fuel dispensed, which has been changed by the mode change button, can be confirmed by the operator on multiple (for example, three) displays provided on the transmitter.

[0014] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, the receiver further has a timer function that monitors the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter. When the timer function detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter has elapsed to a first predetermined time, it issues a warning to notify the operator. If the timer function detects that the refueling signal received from the transmitter has been off for a certain period of time while the warning is being issued, it cancels the warning. If the timer function does not detect that the refueling signal received from the transmitter has been off for a certain period of time while the warning is being issued, it detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter has elapsed to a second predetermined time, and stops the operation of the refueling device even if it is receiving a refueling signal from the transmitter.

[0015] In general, the continuous refueling time by an operator is regulated during aircraft refueling. Therefore, the receiver monitors the continuous reception time of the refueling signal transmitted from the transmitter using a timer function. The receiver then alerts the operator with an alarm (warning light, warning buzzer, etc.) when the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter exceeds a predetermined time (e.g., 1 minute 30 seconds). Upon recognizing the alarm, the operator releases the operation of the control unit for a certain period of time (e.g., 0.3 seconds) before operating it again. As a result, the refueling signal transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver is turned off for a certain period of time (e.g., 0.3 seconds). The receiver, upon detecting this, resets the alarm to the operator, and the refueling operation continues as the operator continues to receive the refueling signal by gripping the lever handle of the transmitter. Furthermore, if the receiver does not detect a period of time during which the refueling signal from the transmitter is off while it is alerting the operator, and if it detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter has exceeded a second predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes), it will stop the operation of the refueling device even if it is receiving a refueling signal from the transmitter.

[0016] In this way, by monitoring the continuous refueling time by the operator, it is possible to prevent, for example, the operator from continuing refueling work without checking the fuel gauge or warnings, thereby preventing more fuel than the predetermined amount from being supplied to the aircraft.

[0017] Also, according to another aspect of the present invention, the transmitter can be installed on the transmitter holder by the magnetic force of magnets provided on the transmitter and the transmitter charging holder respectively. By making the shapes of the transmitter holder of the receiver and the transmitter the same, the orientation of the receiver installed on the transmitter charging holder can be limited, and the charging connection terminal provided on the bottom surface of the transmitter can be installed above the charging connection terminal provided on the surface of the transmitter charging holder.

[0018] In addition, by providing magnets (for example, neodymium magnets) on the transmitter and the transmitter charging holder respectively, the transmitter can be stably installed on the transmitter holder, and the transmitter can be integrally installed on the receiver.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the wireless dead man's switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing a state where the transmitter and the receiver of the wireless dead man's switch according to an embodiment of the present invention are separated. [Figure 3] It is a plan view for explaining the refueling operation using the wireless dead man's switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view for explaining the refueling operation of an operator using the wireless dead man's switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a three-view drawing for explaining the configuration of the transmitter of the wireless dead man's switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. [[ID=’26]] [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal configuration of the transmitter of the wireless dead man's switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a plan view for explaining the configuration of the receiver of the wireless dead man's switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] The present invention relates to a wireless deadman switch in which a transmitter and a receiver for operating a fuel supply device installed in an aircraft refueling vehicle are wirelessly communicably connected to supply aviation fuel to an aircraft. The transmitter includes a lever handle that transmits a fuel supply signal to the receiver when an operator grips it with a predetermined pressure, a mode change button by which the operator can stepwise change the fuel supply amount, an emergency stop button for fuel supply, a rechargeable battery, and various LEDs that display the communication state with the receiver, the remaining amount of the battery, and the fuel supply amount changed by the mode change button. The receiver includes a transmitter charging holder that enables the transmitter to be installed integrally with the receiver and enables the battery of the transmitter to be charged, a pairing switch for setting pairing with the transmitter, and various LEDs that display the charging status of the battery of the transmitter, the pairing state with the transmitter, and the installation state of the transmitter. The receiver relates to a wireless deadman switch that operates a fuel supply device to supply aviation fuel to an aircraft at the fuel supply amount set by the mode change button while receiving a fuel supply signal from the transmitter.

[0021] [ Hereinafter, the configuration and functions of the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the transmitter and the receiver of the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention are separated. FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining a fuel supply operation using the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining an operator's fuel supply operation using the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a three-view for explaining the configuration of the transmitter of the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal configuration of the transmitter of the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of the receiver of the wireless deadman switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The wireless deadman switch described below is used by an operator with the base end of the refueling hose 102 mounted on the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 connected to the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100, and the refueling nozzle 300 (see Figure 4) at the tip connected and fixed to the refueling section 210 of the aircraft 200, as shown in Figure 3. The aircraft refueling vehicle 100 in this embodiment may be either an aircraft refueling vehicle 100 equipped with a fuel tank for storing aviation fuel (refueler type) or an aircraft refueling vehicle 100 capable of supplying aviation fuel to an aircraft from an underground fuel tank (hydrant type).

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wireless deadman switch 1 of this embodiment consists of a transmitter 10 and a receiver 20. When the wireless deadman switch 1 is not in use, the transmitter 10 is integrally mounted on the top surface of the receiver 20. Only when in use is the transmitter 10 separated from the top surface of the receiver 20, and the operator operates the transmitter 10 near the refueling section 210 of the aircraft 200 to activate the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100, thereby supplying the aircraft 200 with a predetermined amount of aviation fuel.

[0024] The transmitter 10 is shaped like a vertically elongated rod (stick) so that it can be easily grasped by a worker with one hand. The material used to construct the transmitter 10 is preferably a plastic material made from polycarbonate resin, a type of thermoplastic resin with excellent impact resistance and durability. Furthermore, in terms of impact resistance, it is strong enough to withstand a free fall from a height of 1 meter onto a concrete surface. For convenience, in the following description, the side of the transmitter 10 where the various buttons and LEDs are installed will be referred to as the front, and the side where the lever handle 15, which is grasped by the worker, is installed will be referred to as the rear.

[0025] On the upper front of the transmitter 10, an emergency stop button 11 and a mode change button 12 are arranged vertically as operator control buttons. When the operator presses the emergency stop button 11, refueling by the aircraft refueling vehicle 100's refueling device 101 is immediately stopped. When the pressing of this emergency stop button 11 is detected, a refueling stop signal is transmitted to the receiver 20 with the highest priority over the various buttons and switches on the transmitter 10.

[0026] The mode change button 12 allows the operator to change the refueling amount (the flow rate of aviation fuel supplied to the fuel tank via the refueling hose per unit time) in stages. In this embodiment, each time the operator presses the mode change button 12, the output of the refueling pump (not shown) mounted on the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 can be changed in three stages: low, medium, and high. The output of the refueling pump is linked to the rotational speed of the engine of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100. In other words, by changing the engine rotational speed to low, medium, or high mode, the output of the refueling pump is also changed in three stages: low, medium, and high. Accordingly, the refueling amount also changes in three stages: small, medium, and large. One example of how to use this mode change button 12 is to set it to high-speed mode at the start and during refueling to increase the amount of fuel supplied for efficient refueling, and then, when refueling is complete (when the predetermined supply amount is approaching), operate the mode change button 12 to medium-speed or low-speed mode to gradually decrease the amount of fuel supplied, thereby supplying the aircraft 200 with the correct amount of aviation fuel.

[0027] Above the left and right of the emergency stop button 11 are communication LEDs 13, which inform the operator of the communication status with the receiver 20, and power LEDs 14, which inform the operator of the charging status of the battery B (see Figure 6) built into the transmitter 10. Above the mode change button 12, three mode LEDs 12a are arranged in a horizontal line to indicate the amount of fuel supplied changed by the operator. These mode LEDs 12a are used to display the low-speed, medium-speed, and high-speed modes from left to right, according to the rotational speed of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100's engine. For example, each time the operator presses the mode change button 12, the rotational speed of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100's engine rotates through three stages: low-speed → medium-speed → high-speed → low-speed mode.

[0028] A lever handle 15, which is gripped by an operator, is mounted on the rear of the transmitter 10, with its upper end pivotally supported. As will be described in detail later, the middle and lower parts of the lever handle 15 are biased by two coil springs S1 and S2 (see Figure 6) such as a gripping force that presses the lower part outward from the transmitter 10 (away from the rear). When the operator grips the lever handle with a pressure greater than the biasing force of the two coil springs S1 and S2, the dead man's switch 18 (see Figure 6) is pressed. The transmitter 10 detects that the dead man's switch 18 is pressed and sends a refueling signal to the receiver 20. The receiver 20 then activates the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 to refuel the aircraft 200. In this way, by activating the refueling with a gripping force contrary to the biasing force of the two coil springs S1 and S2, it is possible to prevent the operator from erroneously operating the lever handle 15. Furthermore, the outward biasing of the transmitter 10 at the bottom of the lever handle 15 is not limited to the two coil springs S1 and S2 described above. As shown in Figure 6, other means such as leaf springs or torsion springs may be used as long as they can bias the lever handle 15 away from the deadman switch 18.

[0029] The receiver 20, like the transmitter 10, is formed in a box shape from a plastic material made from polycarbonate resin, a type of thermoplastic resin with excellent impact resistance and durability. Since the receiver 20 is permanently installed in the driver's seat 103 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100, it does not need to be as lightweight as the transmitter 10, and may be constructed as a metal box made of aluminum, iron, or other metal. For convenience, in the following description, the front of the receiver 20 will be described as facing the same direction as the front of the transmitter 10, and the rear of the receiver 20 will be described as facing the same direction as the rear of the transmitter 10.

[0030] The top surface of the receiver 20 is provided with a transmitter charging holder 21 that allows the transmitter 10 to be installed integrally with the receiver 20 and also allows the battery B (see Figure 6) of the transmitter 10 to be charged. The transmitter charging holder 21 is configured to surround and hold the outer circumference of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10. As will be described in detail later, the surface of the transmitter charging holder 21 is formed to have the same shape as the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10. In addition, the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10 has different shapes on the front and rear sides. This allows the orientation of the transmitter 10 to be restricted when installing the transmitter 10 in the transmitter charging holder 21, and the position of the battery charging connection terminals (+ terminal and - terminal) on the bottom surface of the transmitter 10 to be aligned with the position of the charging connection terminals (+ terminal and - terminal) on the surface of the transmitter charging holder 21.

[0031] Furthermore, magnets (for example, neodymium magnets) are embedded in the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10 and in the surface of the transmitter charging holder 21. Due to the magnetic force of these magnets, the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10, which is formed into a vertical rod shape, can be stably erected on the top surface of the transmitter charging holder 21, and the transmitter 10 can be compactly installed together with the top surface of the receiver 20 inside the driver's seat 103 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100. Also, when separating the transmitter 10 and the receiver 20, they can be separated with a single touch, as they are not fixed together with screws or the like.

[0032] The receiver 20 has an interlock LED 22 that displays the installation status of the transmitter, a charging LED 23 that displays the charging status of the transmitter 10's battery B, and a communication LED 24 that displays the communication status with the transmitter 10. Furthermore, a pairing switch 25 is provided for setting pairing with the transmitter 10. The front of the receiver 20 has an antenna connection part (not shown) for communication with the transmitter. The rear of the receiver 20 has a cable C connection part 26 that consists of a bundle of signal wires for sending and receiving various signals to control the refueling equipment 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100.

[0033] A frame F is provided on the lower front and rear surfaces of the receiver 20 for fixing the receiver 20 to the driver's seat 103 (see Figure 3) of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100. This frame F has two elongated holes Fa for inserting bolts and screws, and the receiver 20 can be fixed to the driver's seat 103 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 by fastening these elongated holes Fa with bolts and nuts.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the wireless deadman switch 1 with the above configuration is used by an operator with the base end of the refueling hose 102 mounted on the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 connected to the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100, and the refueling nozzle 300 (see Figure 4) at the tip connected and fixed to the refueling section 210 of the aircraft 200. Specifically, the operator S carries the transmitter 10 of the detached wireless deadman switch 1 to a position where the refueling section 210 of the aircraft 200 can be seen and operates it to perform the refueling operation. The refueling device 101 in this embodiment includes a reel (not shown) for winding / unwinding the refueling hose 102 for refueling the aircraft 200 with aviation fuel, a refueling pump (not shown) for refueling, and a control device for a control valve that controls the on / off of refueling and changes the amount of refueling. Therefore, a button for controlling the rotation direction (winding rotation / unwinding rotation) of the reel that winds up / unwinds the fuel supply hose 102 may be provided on the transmitter 10, and the operator S may operate this button to wirelessly control the rotation of the reel.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the refueling unit 210 is located on the wing or underside of the fuselage of the aircraft 200. With the refueling unit cover 213 open, the refueling nozzle 300 at the end of the refueling hose 102 is connected to the refueling port 211. The refueling nozzle 300 can be locked to the refueling port 211 by the operator S holding the left and right handles 301R and 301L, which are provided to expand backward from the tip of the refueling nozzle 300, with both hands, and rotating the refueling nozzle 300 around its axis by a certain angle (approximately 90 degrees) while the tip of the refueling nozzle 300 is locked to the refueling port 211. In addition, a nozzle opening / closing lever 302 is attached to the side of the refueling nozzle 300. After connecting the refueling nozzle 300 to the refueling port 211 in the locked position, the operator S rotates the nozzle opening / closing lever 302 to a predetermined position, which opens the shut-off valve at the tip of the refueling nozzle 300, connecting the tip of the refueling nozzle 300 to the refueling port 211. In this state, aviation fuel can be supplied to the fuel tank. When the tip of the refueling nozzle 300 and the refueling port 211 are connected, the shut-off valve that opens the tip of the refueling nozzle 300 restricts the rotation of the refueling nozzle 300 around its axis. In other words, when the tip of the refueling nozzle 300 and the refueling port 211 are connected, the refueling nozzle 300 cannot be detached from the refueling port 211. This prevents accidents such as aviation fuel leaking from the refueling nozzle 300 at the end of the refueling hose 102 due to operator S's incorrect operation. Furthermore, the refueling nozzle 300 can be separated from the refueling port 211 by the operator S performing opposite operations on the nozzle opening / closing lever 302 and the left and right handles 301R and 301L. In this state, the operator S grasps the lever handle 15 on the rear of the transmitter 10 with his fingers (excluding his thumb). While the operator S is grasping the lever handle 15 with a predetermined pressure, the deadman switch 18 (see Figure 6) is pressed, and a refueling signal is transmitted from the transmitter 10 to the receiver 20.

[0036] Upon receiving the refueling signal, the receiver 20 transmits a signal to operate the refueling pump to the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 via cable C connected to the refueling device 101. At this time, the operator S refuels the aircraft 200 with a predetermined amount of aviation fuel while visually checking the fuel gauge 212 provided on the refueling unit 210. In other words, in this embodiment, the operator S can refuel the aircraft 200 with a predetermined amount of aviation fuel by visually checking the fuel gauge 212 provided on the refueling unit 210 and gripping the lever handle 15 on the rear of the transmitter 10 with a predetermined pressure.

[0037] The receiver 20 is equipped with a timer function that monitors the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter 10 when the operator S grips the lever handle 15. The timer function monitors the continuous gripping time of the lever handle 15 by the operator S. Specifically, when the receiver 20 detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter 10 has elapsed to a first predetermined time (for example, 1 minute and 30 seconds), it issues an alarm to notify the operator S. The alarm is notified by a warning light or warning buzzer (not shown) installed in a position where the operator S can see or hear it. Upon recognizing the alarm, the operator S releases their grip on the lever handle 15 for a certain period of time (for example, within 0.3 seconds) and then grips it again. As a result, the refueling signal transmitted from the transmitter 10 to the receiver 20 is turned off for a certain period of time (for example, within 0.3 seconds). Upon detecting this, the receiver 20 resets the alarm for the operator S, and the refueling operation continues as the operator S continues to receive the refueling signal by gripping the lever handle 15 of the transmitter 10. At this time, the amount of aviation fuel supplied to the aircraft 200 remains the same as when operator S changed the mode using the mode change button 12 on the transmitter 10.

[0038] If the receiver 20 does not detect a period of time (e.g., within 0.3 seconds) during which the refueling signal from the transmitter 10 is turned off while the receiver 20 is alerting the operator S, and if it detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter 10 has exceeded a second predetermined time (e.g., 2 minutes), it will stop the operation of the refueling device even if it is receiving a refueling signal from the transmitter 10. As a result, the refueling operation corresponding to the operator S gripping the lever handle 15 of the transmitter 10 is stopped. At this time, the amount of aviation fuel supplied to the aircraft 200 is reset to the state changed by operator S using the mode change button 12 on the transmitter 10, for example, to the initial low-speed mode.

[0039] In this way, by monitoring the continuous refueling time by worker S (continuous gripping time of the lever handle 15), it is possible to draw the attention of worker S to the fact that refueling is in progress, and prevent, for example, worker S from continuing refueling without checking the fuel gauge or warnings. This prevents more fuel than the supply capacity from being supplied to the aircraft 200's fuel tank.

[0040] The functions of the various buttons and LEDs installed on the transmitter 10 and receiver 20 of the wireless deadman switch 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 5 to 7. As shown in Figure 5(a), an emergency stop button 11 and a mode change button 12 are arranged vertically on the upper front of the transmitter 10 as operation buttons for the operator. As shown in Figure 4, the operator S grasps the lever handle 15 provided on the rear of the transmitter 10 with the finger side (excluding the thumb) of one hand, and the emergency stop button 11 and mode change button 12 provided on the upper front of the transmitter 10 are operated with the thumb of one hand. When the operator presses the emergency stop button 11 with the thumb, the press of the emergency stop button 11 is transmitted from the transmitter 10 to the receiver 20 with the highest priority, and the receiver 20 immediately stops the refueling by the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100.

[0041] The mode change button 12 is operated by the operator S's thumb, and as described above, the operator S changes the output of the refueling pump (not shown) to the refueling device 101, which is linked to the engine speed of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100, in three stages: low speed, medium speed, and high speed, thereby changing the amount of refueling.

[0042] The communication LED 13, located in the upper right of the emergency stop button 11, notifies the operator of the communication status with the receiver 20. When the LED alternates between yellow and blue, it indicates that the connection with the receiver 20 is good. When only yellow is lit, it notifies the operator S that communication with the receiver 20 is not taking place. By notifying the operator of the communication status with the receiver 20 in this way, the operator can quickly grasp any abnormalities in the communication status between the transmitter 10 and the receiver 20, and refueling operations can be prevented from being carried out while communication is poor.

[0043] The power LED 14, located in the upper left of the emergency stop button 11, which is built into the transmitter 10 and notifies the worker of the charging status of battery B, flashes red when it detects that the charge level of battery B has decreased. When the transmitter 10 is placed in the transmitter charging holder 21 of the receiver 20 and battery B is charging, the LED lights up red to notify the worker S. Furthermore, when the battery B built into the transmitter 10 is fully charged, the LED lights up yellow-green to notify the worker S. In this way, by notifying the worker of the status of battery B built into the transmitter 10, it is possible to prevent work interruptions due to battery B running out of charge, etc.

[0044] Three mode LEDs 12a, located in a horizontal row above the mode change button 12 and below the emergency stop button 11, will light up in response to the operator S's operation (i.e., pressing) of the mode change button 12. These mode LEDs 12a will then illuminate to indicate whether the mode has been changed to low-speed, medium-speed, or high-speed mode, which have different fuel supply amounts.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5(b), a lever handle 15, which is gripped by the fingers (excluding the thumb) of one hand of the operator S, is provided on the rear surface of the transmitter 10, with its upper end 15a pivotally supported. As shown in Figure 6, the middle and lower parts of the lever handle 15 are biased by two coil springs S1 and S2, etc., so that the lower end is pressed against the outside of the transmitter 10. When the operator S grips the lever handle with a pressure greater than the biasing force of the two coil springs S1 and S2, the lower end of the lever handle 15 rotates towards the front in the space 16a inside the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10, causing the middle part of the lever handle 15 to press down the dead man's switch 18. As a result, the control board 17 installed inside the transmitter 10 detects that the dead man's switch 18 has been pressed, and a refueling signal is transmitted to the receiver 20 by a short-range wireless device (not shown) mounted on the control board 17 of the transmitter 10. Furthermore, the outward biasing of the transmitter 10 at the bottom of the lever handle 15 is not limited to the two coil springs S1 and S2; other means such as leaf springs or torsion springs may be used as long as they can bias the lever handle 15 away from the deadman switch 18.

[0046] Furthermore, when the control board 17 installed inside the transmitter 10 detects the operator S's operation (i.e., pressing) of the emergency stop button 11 and the mode change button 12, it transmits a predetermined signal (for example, a refueling stop signal) to the receiver 20 via short-range wireless communication implemented on the control board 17 of the transmitter 10. The control board 17 also controls the color, illumination, and blinking of the various LEDs mentioned above. Moreover, the control board 17 is powered by electricity supplied from the battery B built into the transmitter 10, and the implemented control unit (not shown) operates to detect (i.e., press) the short-range wireless device and various buttons implemented on the control board 17, as well as the illumination, color, extinguishing, and blinking of the various LEDs.

[0047] In this embodiment, the international standard IEEE 802.15.4 is preferably used as the short-range wireless communication. This international standard is a standard formulated by the IEEE (Institute of Human Resources and Electronics), which is headquartered in the United States, and stability can be ensured because products based on the standard are supplied by multiple vendors without relying on a single company's proprietary standard. Furthermore, when using the 2.4GHz ISM band, it can be used not only in Japan but also all over the world.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5(c), the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10 is provided with connection terminals 19a (+ terminal) and 19b (- terminal) for charging the battery B. A magnet M1 (for example, a neodymium magnet) is also provided.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, a transmitter charging holder 21 is provided on the top surface of the box-shaped housing of the receiver 20, allowing the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10 to be installed integrally with the receiver 20. The transmitter charging holder 21 surrounds and holds the outer circumference of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10. The inner surface of the transmitter charging holder 21 is formed to have the same shape as the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10. Furthermore, the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10 has different shapes on the front and rear sides. This allows the orientation of the transmitter 10 to be restricted when installing the transmitter 10 in the transmitter charging holder 21.

[0050] The transmitter charging holder 21 has charging terminals 26a (+ terminal) and 26b (- terminal) on its inner surface. The battery charging terminals 19a (+ terminal) and 19b (- terminal) on the bottom of the transmitter 10 are connected to the charging terminals 26a (+ terminal) and 26b (- terminal) on the surface of the transmitter charging holder 21, respectively, thereby charging the battery B built into the transmitter 10.

[0051] Furthermore, a magnet M2 (for example, a neodymium magnet) is installed in the center of the surface of the transmitter charging holder 21. This magnet M2 and the magnet M1 provided on the bottom surface of the lower part 16 of the transmitter 10 are installed with opposite polarities, and the magnetic force of magnets M1 and M2 allows the vertically elongated rod-shaped (stick-shaped) transmitter 10 to be erected integrally on the top surface of the transmitter charging holder 21. Also, when separating the transmitter 10 and the receiver 20, the transmitter 10 can be separated with a single touch simply by lifting it from the top of the receiver 20 against the magnetic force, as they are not fixed with screws or anything else.

[0052] The surface of the receiver 20 is equipped with an interlock LED 22 that displays the installation status of the transmitter 10, a charging LED 23 that displays the charging status of the transmitter 10's battery B, and a communication LED 24 that displays the communication status with the transmitter 10. Furthermore, a pairing switch 25 is provided to set the pairing with the transmitter 10.

[0053] The interlock LED 22 lights up blue when the transmitter 10 is not installed on the receiver 20. This interlock LED 22 functions as a safety device. Specifically, when the transmitter 10 is not installed (mounted) on the receiver 20 (when the interlock LED 22 is lit up blue), if, for example, an operator releases the parking brake or changes the driving gear from parking or neutral, the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 will shut down its engine. In other words, the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 cannot be moved when the transmitter 10 is not installed on the receiver 20.

[0054] The charging LED 23 displays the charging status of the transmitter 10's battery B. It lights up red while charging and turns yellow-green when charging is complete. The communication LED 24 displays the communication status with the transmitter 10. It blinks yellow when wireless transmission is being made from the receiver 20 to the transmitter 10. It also blinks yellow to notify the operator S of the pairing result with the transmitter 10, as described later.

[0055] The pairing switch 25 is a switch for confirming and setting the pairing between the transmitter 10 and the receiver 20. The wireless deadman switch 1 of this embodiment is configured so that only the pair of transmitters 10 and receiver 20 can communicate wirelessly, thereby preventing wireless interference and erroneous operation. Therefore, when worker S presses the pairing switch 25 on the receiver 20 while performing a predetermined operation on the transmitter 10, the pairing is confirmed via wireless communication between the transmitter 10 and the receiver 20, and the result is notified to worker S by the communication LED 24 (for example, it flashes yellow three times if pairing is OK). In addition, if either the transmitter 10 or the receiver 20 malfunctions and needs to be replaced, the pairing with the malfunctioning transmitter 10 (or receiver 20) is initialized, and the pairing between the transmitter 10 and the receiver 20 is set by performing a predetermined operation similar to the pairing confirmation with the new transmitter 10 (or receiver 20).

[0056] As described above, the wireless deadman switch 1 of the present invention differs from conventional wired deadman switches used as remote control devices in that, when an operator S moves to a position where they can see the fuel gauge 212 located near the fuel tank of the aircraft 200 in order to check the supply amount, they can move freely without having to worry about the routing of wires (cables), etc. Then, while the operator S checks the fuel gauge 212 on the fuel tank, they can grab the lever handle 15 of the transmitter 10 to activate the refueling device 101 of the aircraft refueling vehicle 100 and refuel the aircraft 200 with a predetermined amount of aviation fuel.

[0057] Furthermore, by operating the mode change button 12 on the transmitter 10 to change the refueling amount (the flow rate of aviation fuel supplied to the fuel tank per unit time), the operator S can, for example, increase the refueling amount at the start and during refueling to ensure efficient refueling, and decrease the refueling amount at the end to ensure accurate refueling. At this time, the refueling amount changed by the mode change button 12 can be confirmed by the operator using multiple (for example, three) LEDs provided on the transmitter.

[0058] Furthermore, the receiver 20 is equipped with a timer function that monitors the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter 10 when the operator S grips the lever handle 15. When the receiver 20 detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter 10 has elapsed to a first predetermined time (for example, 1 minute and 30 seconds), it emits an alarm (such as a warning light or warning buzzer, not shown) to notify the operator S. Upon recognizing the alarm, the operator S releases their grip on the lever handle 15 for a certain period of time (for example, within 0.3 seconds) and then grips it again. As a result, the refueling signal transmitted from the transmitter 10 to the receiver 20 is turned off for a certain period of time (for example, within 0.3 seconds). Upon detecting this, the receiver 20 resets the alarm for the operator S and continues the refueling operation in response to the reception of the refueling signal. On the other hand, if the receiver 20 detects that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter 10 has elapsed for a second predetermined time (e.g., 2 minutes) without detecting a certain period of time (e.g., within 0.3 seconds) of the refueling signal being turned off while notifying the worker S of the warning, the receiver 20 will stop the operation of the refueling device even if it is receiving a refueling signal from the transmitter 10.

[0059] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and design changes and the like that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1. Wireless dead man's switch 10 Transmitters 11. Emergency Stop Button 12 Mode change button 15 Lever handle 17 Control board 18 Dead Man's Switch 20 receivers 21 Transmitter Charging Holder 25 Pairing Switch 100 aircraft refueling vehicles 200 aircraft

Claims

1. A wireless deadman switch in which a transmitter and receiver are wirelessly connected to operate a refueling device installed on an aircraft refueling vehicle to refuel an aircraft with aviation fuel, The aforementioned transmitter is An operating unit for transmitting a refueling signal to the receiver, A mode change button that allows you to change the amount of fuel dispensed, The emergency stop button for refueling, It includes various display units that show the communication status with the receiver and the amount of fuel dispensed changed by the mode change button, The aforementioned receiver is A transmitter holder on which the aforementioned transmitter can be installed, A pairing switch for setting pairing with the aforementioned transmitter, It includes various display units that show the pairing status with the transmitter and the installation status of the transmitter, The receiver is a wireless deadman switch characterized in that, while receiving the refueling signal from the transmitter, it operates the refueling device to refuel the aircraft with aviation fuel at the amount set by the mode change button.

2. The aforementioned receiver is The system further includes a timer function that monitors the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter, The aforementioned timer function, When it is detected that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter has exceeded a first predetermined time, a warning is issued. If it is detected that the refueling signal received from the transmitter has been off for a certain period of time while the warning is being issued, the warning will be canceled. The wireless dead man's switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the refueling signal received from the transmitter is not detected to have been turned off for a certain period of time while the warning is being issued, the operation of the refueling device is stopped even if the refueling signal from the transmitter is being received when it is detected that the continuous reception time of the refueling signal received from the transmitter has elapsed to a second predetermined time.

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