US-20260126825-A1 - CONTROL DEVICE WITH PASSIVE FORCE FEEDBACK

US20260126825A1US 20260126825 A1US20260126825 A1US 20260126825A1US-20260126825-A1

Abstract

A control device includes a mechanical seal which guides a rotation of a control lever relative to a frame about two pivot connections of orthogonal axes. The mechanical seal includes, for one or both of the pivot connections, a device that returns a movable part into a neutral position relative to a stationary part. The return device includes one or more elastic members including two branches each extending orthogonally to an axis of the pivot connection from a finger of one of the movable and stationary parts as far as a free end. Each elastic member prevents the free ends from moving towards one another. The elastic member is inserted, in a transverse direction orthogonal to a bisector of an angle between the two branches, between a stationary pin which is secured to the stationary part and a movable pin which is secured to the movable part.

Inventors

Emilien MACCHI
Yannick Ghislain Sébastien Xavier ATTRAZIC
Nicolas RAUCH
Julie Denise QUEROIS
Benoït CRAPART

Assignees

SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20230928
Priority Date: 20220930

Claims (9)

1 . A control device including a frame a control lever and a mechanical seal guiding the control lever in rotation relative to the frame about two pivot connections with orthogonal axes, the mechanical seal comprising, for each of said pivot connections, a part that is stationary relative to the axis of the pivot connection and a part that is jointly movable with the control lever around the axis, of the pivot connection relative to the stationary part the mechanical seal also comprising, for at least one of the pivot connections a device for returning the movable part into a predetermined position, called the neutral position, relative to the stationary part wherein said return device comprises at least one elastic member including a first branch extending in a first direction orthogonal to the axis of the pivot connection from a finger integral with one of the movable and stationary parts until a first free end, and a second branch extending in a second direction orthogonal to the axis of the pivot connection from said finger until a second free end the or each elastic member being able to oppose a convergence of the first free end with the second free end, the elastic member being inserted, in a transverse direction orthogonal to the bisector of the angle between the first direction and the second direction between a stationary pin integral with the stationary part and a movable pin integral with the movable part, and wherein the or each movable pin has a surface supported against the first or the second branch of the elastic member, said support surface being constituted by a cam surface
2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is inserted, in the transverse direction, between a first stationary pin integral with the stationary part and a second stationary pin integral with the stationary part.
3 . The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the first branch is supported against the first stationary pin and the second branch is supported against the second stationary pin when the movable part is in its neutral position, the elastic member being preloaded between said first stationary pin and said second stationary pin.
4 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is inserted, in the transverse direction between a first movable pin integral with the movable part and a second movable pin integral with the movable part.
5 . The control device according to claim 4 , wherein, when the movable part is in its neutral position, a first distance between the first movable pin and the first branch is substantially equal to a second distance between the second movable pin and the second branch.
6 . The control device according to claim wherein a first distance between the first movable pin and the finger is strictly less than or equal to a second distance between the second movable pin and the finger.
7 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is inserted, in the transverse direction between, on the one hand, a plurality of movable pins integral with the movable part and, on the other hand, at least one stationary pin integral with the stationary part the movable pins being aligned along a straight line intersecting with the axis of the pivot connection and comprising a proximal movable pin, near the finger, and a distal movable pin, distant from the finger, the first branch comprising a rectilinear portion, able to be supported against said movable pins and extending in a direction not intersecting with the axis of the pivot connection when the movable part is in its neutral position, said portion being closer to the proximal movable pin that to the distal movable pin when the movable part is in its neutral position, the finger being integral with the stationary part.
8 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the return device comprises a plurality of elastic members.
9 . The control device according to claim 8 , wherein the elastic members comprise a primary elastic member inserted, in the transverse direction between a first primary movable pin integral with the movable part and a second primary movable pin integral with the movable part, and a secondary elastic member inserted, in the transverse direction between a first secondary movable pin integral with the movable part and a second secondary movable pin integral with the movable part, a first primary distance between the first primary movable pin and the first branch of the primary elastic member and/or a second primary distance between the second primary movable pin and the second branch of the primary elastic member being different from a first secondary distance between the first secondary movable pin and the first branch of the secondary elastic member and from a second secondary distance between the second secondary movable pin and the second branch of the secondary elastic member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a control device, particularly intended for piloting a vehicle comprising at least one aerodynamic or hydrodynamic control surface, such as an aircraft or a vessel. More particularly, the invention relates to a control device used by the pilot in the cockpit of an aircraft, in particular a “side stick” comprising force feedback integrated to assist the pilot. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND Numerous control devices are known which serve for the operation of machines, such as vehicles or robots, by human pilots maneuvering at least one control member such as a joystick, a lever, a rudder, a pedal, etc. These known control devices comprise in particular control devices of the “joystick” type including a control lever mounted in rotation relative to a frame about a first axis called roll and a second axis called pitch, these two axes being orthogonal to one another. Depending on the position of the control member about these two axes, the joystick transmits movement commands to a machine. Such joysticks commonly equip aircraft, but also other vehicles, particularly vehicles comprising at least one aerodynamic or hydrodynamic control surface. They also serve for controlling remote robots in the context of teleoperation. Conventionally, a system of cables provides a connection between the joystick and the control surfaces so that the pilot, by maneuvering the lever, directly transmits his forces to the control surfaces. This system of cables is still used in “light” airplanes. In heavier airplanes, hydraulic devices allow assisting the pilot. In the more recent aircraft models, the control of the movements of the aircraft is generally electronic. The control device integrated in the cockpit is most often constituted by a particular type of joystick: the “side stick.” In this type of joystick, the position of the control lever about the two axes of roll and pitch is measured by sensors and translated into movement commands. These movement commands are then sent to actuators which control the movement of movable parts of the aircraft depending on said commands. The side sticks also find an application in other conventional domains of application of the joystick. One disadvantage of the side stick is that, as the lever is not directly linked mechanically to the movable parts of the aircraft, there is no direct mechanical feedback to the lever. Hence the pilot is deprived of control sensations. For guiding his control, the pilot must then integrally rely on the signaling systems of the cockpit. However, these can be insufficient for triggering a sufficiently rapid reaction of the pilot during flight. In order for a variable resistance to oppose the movement of the side stick actuated by the pilot, it is known to provide the latter with a force feedback system, also called “haptic feedback,” simulating a counter-reaction force of the control surfaces to a “conventional” joystick. It is generally sought that the force law of these systems, i.e. the intensity of the counter-force produced as a function of the angle of inclination of the lever, be: asymmetrical for the roll axis, i.e. the intensity slope of the counter-force must vary depending on whether the angle of inclination of the lever is positive or negative, this in order to compensate the difference of strength of the pilot between pronation and supination, andvariable for the pitch axis, i.e. the intensity slope of the counter-force must vary when the lever separates by more than a certain angle from the neutral position. Two major types of force feedback systems are distinguished: force feedbacks called “passive,” like those described in document FR 2 988 689 A1, in which the counter-reaction force is produced by passive elements such as springs, and so-called “active” force feedbacks, like that described in document EP 3 011 815, in which the counter-reaction force is produced by active elements such as actuators. These known force feedback systems, however, do not give complete satisfaction. Passive force feedbacks, first of all, have the disadvantage of generally simulating very poorly the counter-reaction force of the control surfaces. The force law is in fact mostly very simplistic. Very few passive force feedbacks are known that are able to produce an asymmetrical or variable force law, and those that can are generally bulky and complex to implement, often unreliable, and most often necessitate a long and laborious adjustment. As for active force feedback systems, they are generally costly. In addition, they are vulnerable to electrical failure. Disclosure of the Invention One object of the invention is to propose a control device of the joystick type equipped with a passive force feedback system able to produce a complex force law. Other objects of the invention are that this force feedback system be simple, inexpensive, easy to implement, reliable and easily configurable. To this end, the invention has