US 11,945,570 B2
Device for piloting an aircraft and associated method
Fabien Cockenpot, Saint Cloud (FR); François Pineau, Saint Cloud (FR); and Jérôme Le Borloch, Saint Cloud (FR)
Assigned to DASSAULT AVIATION, Paris (FR)
Filed by DASSAULT AVIATION, Paris (FR)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/550,006.
Claims priority of application No. 20 13258 (FR), filed on Dec. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0185455 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 13/04 (2006.01); B64C 13/06 (2006.01); B64C 13/12 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 13/0421 (2018.01) [B64C 13/06 (2013.01); B64C 13/12 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A piloting device for piloting an aircraft comprising:
a first control stick and a second control stick, each mounted on a support,
each of the first and second control sticks being movable in relation to the support, between a plurality of positions around a neutral position in at least one degree of freedom,
each of the first and second control sticks being configurable between a piloting configuration, in which said first or second control stick is configured for piloting the aircraft by sending a trajectory command to a control unit, and a non-piloting configuration, in which no trajectory command from said first or second control stick is taken into account by the control unit;
a priority selection module configured to switch the first control stick between the piloting configuration and the non-piloting configuration, the selection module being configured to switch the second control stick to the non-piloting configuration when the first control stick is in the piloting configuration and to the piloting configuration when the first control stick is in the non-piloting configuration;
a detection system for detecting the position of the first control stick and the position of the second control stick;
a first actuation system configured to generate a first force on the first control stick according to the degree of freedom;
a second actuation system configured to generate a second force on the second control stick according to the degree of freedom;
a control module configured to control the actuation system of the first or second control stick which is in the non-piloting configuration, such that the position of said first or second control stick in the non-piloting configuration and the position of the first or second control stick which is in the piloting configuration are identical; and
at least one control system for controlling the selection module, the control system being configured to be operated by a first or second pilot to control the selection module, so as to switch the first control stick between the piloting configuration and the non-piloting configuration;
the control system further comprising at least two individual control elements, each of the first and second control sticks comprising an individual control element,
each individual control element being an individual button, the selection module being configured to switch the first control stick to its piloting configuration when the individual button of the first control stick is selected by the first pilot,
the selection module being configured to switch the first control stick to its piloting configuration when the individual button of the first control stick is held down by the first pilot, the selection module being further configured to switch the first control stick to its non-piloting configuration when the individual button of the first control stick is released.