GB2171196A - Detecting means for detecting the setting of an adjustable member - Google Patents

Detecting means for detecting the setting of an adjustable member Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2171196A
GB2171196A GB08603571A GB8603571A GB2171196A GB 2171196 A GB2171196 A GB 2171196A GB 08603571 A GB08603571 A GB 08603571A GB 8603571 A GB8603571 A GB 8603571A GB 2171196 A GB2171196 A GB 2171196A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
setting
light
detecting means
detecting
cable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08603571A
Other versions
GB8603571D0 (en
GB2171196B (en
Inventor
Wolfgang Volker
Axel Straube
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Original Assignee
Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH filed Critical Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Publication of GB8603571D0 publication Critical patent/GB8603571D0/en
Publication of GB2171196A publication Critical patent/GB2171196A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2171196B publication Critical patent/GB2171196B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D5/00—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable
    • G01D5/26—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light
    • G01D5/268—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light using optical fibres
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D5/00—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable
    • G01D5/26—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light
    • G01D5/32—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light with attenuation or whole or partial obturation of beams of light
    • G01D5/34—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light with attenuation or whole or partial obturation of beams of light the beams of light being detected by photocells
    • G01D5/341—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light with attenuation or whole or partial obturation of beams of light the beams of light being detected by photocells controlling the movement of a following part

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Length Measuring Devices By Optical Means (AREA)
  • Mechanical Light Control Or Optical Switches (AREA)

Abstract

Detecting means for detecting the displacement or setting of an adjustable member, for example, a vehicle flap or rudder comprises a light source (1) which emits parallel light and the emitted light beam of which is split into a measurement and a reference beam. These beams are conducted through respective fibre-optic cables (6, 7) which extend to the member and back to respective light-sensitive elements (8, 9) arranged in the vehicle. The cable (6) for the measurement beam includes, in the proximity of the flap, an optical stop (10) which acts as a displacement angle pick-up and the light passage area of which is variable in dependence on the setting of the flap. The cable (7) for the reference beam may include an optical reference stop (11), the light passage area of which is variable by a setting motor (12) in dependence on the difference between the output signals of the elements (8, 9) until this difference is zero. The motor (12) can be coupled with equipment (15, 17) for determining the setting of the flap from the displacement of the reference stop (11). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Detecting means for detecting the setting of an adjustable member The present invention relates to detecting means for detecting the setting of an adjustable member.
Detecting means of that kind are used in, for example, aircraft, submarines and torpedoes, in which a change in, for example, directional movement is produced through displaceable airfoils, rudders, dive planes orthe like. Provided for the displacement of the airfoils or other adjustable members are preferably electrical systems which essentially consist of an electrical spindle drive, electronic control equipment, displacement angle pick-ups acting as actual value transmitters and signal transmission lines. It is disadvantageous in these known systems that they can be put out of operation partially or completely by electrical interference. It would thus be desirable to provide detecting means which may be able to operate passively and contactlessly and to be largely secure against interference due to electromagnetic disturbance of hard radiation, for example y radiation.
According to the present invention there is provided detecting means for detecting the setting of an adjustable member, comprising light-emitting means for emitting a beam of light, beam-splitting means for splitting such emitted beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, a respective fibre-optic cable for conducting each of the measurement and reference beams, optical stop means arranged in the measurement beam cable in the region of such adjustable member to influence light conduction through that cable in dependence on the instantaneous setting of the member, a respective light-sensitive element to receive conducted light from each cable and to provide a signal having a magnitude indicative of the level of the received light, and determining means to determine the setting of the member from the difference between the signal magnitudes.
In one embodiment the determining means may comprise further optical stop means arranged in the reference beam cable and adjustable to vary the light conduction through that cable, and adjusting means responsive to such signal magnitude difference to adjust the further optical stop means until the difference is zero. Also present may be evaluating means to evaluate the adjustment of the further optical stop means as a measure of the setting of the member.
In another embodiment the determining means may comprise comparison means to compare the signal mignitudes for determination of the difference therebetween and evaluating means to derive an indication of the setting of the member directly from the determined difference.
Detecting means embodying the present invention may have the advantage of using technically relatively simple aids. The arrangement employs lightconducting fibre cables and interference magnitudes acting on the arrangement can be compensated for by the provided measurement and reference circuits.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a schematic circuit diagram of detecting means embodying the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, a vehicle, for example an aircraft, in its interior space has a light source 1 which emits a parallel light, for example a Laser beam. The emitted light beam of the light source 1 is split into a measurement and a reference beam by means of two mirrors 2 and 3 which can, for example, be arranged at an angle of 90 relative to each other and at angles of 45 relative to the emitted light beam (optical axis of the source 1). Arranged downstream of the mirrors 2 and 3 are, for example, optical entry systems 4 and 5 of light-conducting fibre cables 6 and 7, respectively, wherein the cable 6 is associated with the measurement beam and the cable 7 with the reference beam.
The cables 6 and 7 are led to a flap (not shown) of the vehicle, the flap being displaceable by a displacing mechanism (not shown) in correspondence with control commands set by the vehicle driver. The cables 6 and 7 are led from the flap back into the interior space of the vehicle, where their optical ends are coupled to respective light-sensitive elements 8 and 9, in particular light-sensitive semi-conductor diodes.
The cable 6 for the measurement beam is provided in the proximity of the flap with an optical stop 10, which acts as a pick-up for the displacement angle of the flap and the light passage area of which is variable in dependence on the setting of the flap. An optical reference stop 11 in the vehicle interrupts the cable 7 for the reference beam and is advantageously arranged in the immediate proximity of the associated light-sensitive element 9. The light passage surface of the reference stop 11 is displaceable by a setting motor 12 in dependence on the difference of output signals Ust and Uref, which are delivered by the elements 8 and 9, until this difference is zero. A setting signal AU corresponding to the difference is generated by an operational amplifier 13, which is arranged downstream of the elements 8 and 9.A variation of the light passage areas of the two stops can, for example, take place through a variation in diameter in the case of circular constructions or through displacement of one longitudinal side in the case of square constructions.
The setting motor 12 is coupled with an indicating device 14forthe determination ofthe angular displacement of the reference stop 11. For this case there can be provided a decoder disc 15 which stands in mechanical connection with a shaft 16 of the setting motor 12 and the markings of which are scanned contactlessly by an opti-electronic sensor 17. The output signals of the sensor 17 are conducted to a opti-electronic evaluating device (not shown) which evaluates and optionally also indicates the angular displacement or setting of the shaft 16 of the setting motor 12 and thereby of the reference stop 11, the optical stop 10 and the displaceable flap. The determined measurement values can also be made available by way of an appropriate converter system of a measuring or regulating installation. The afore-described arrangement with its manifold possibilities of use and forms of construction is also usable as target value generator.
In a further embodiment of the invention and by contrast to the afore-described embodiment, the electrical output values of the elements 8 and 9 can be compared directly and travel or angle information data derived by way of the difference between the electrical values. In this case, the components 11, 12, 14,15,16 and 17 can, for example, be dispensed with.

Claims (17)

1. Detecting means for detecting the setting of an adjustable member, comprising light-emitting means for emitting a beam of light, beam-splitting means for splitting such emitted beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, a respective fibre-optic cable for conducting each of the measurement and reference beams, optical stop means arranged in the measurement beam cable in the region of such adjustable member to influence light conduction through that cable in dependence on the instantaneous setting of the member, a respective light-sensitive element to receive conducted light from each cable and to provide a signal having a magnitude representative of the level of the received light, and determining means to determine the setting of the member from the differnece between the signal magnitudes.
2. Detecting means as claimed in claim 1, the determining means comprising further optical stop means arranged in the reference beam cable and adjustable to vary the light conduction through that cable, and adjusting means responsive to such signal magnitude difference to adjust the further optical stop means until the difference is zero.
3. Detecting means as claimed in claim 2 comprising evaluating means to evaluate the adjustment of the further optical stop means as a measure of the setting of the member.
4. Detecting means as claimed in either claim 2 or claim 3, the further optical means being arranged in the immediate proximity of the light-sensitive elementforthe reference beam cable.
5. Detecting means as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, the determining means comprising a operational amplifier connected to the light-sensitive elements to receive the output signals thereof and arranged to provide a control signal having a magnitude representative of the difference between the magnitudes of the output signals, and the adjusting means comprising a setting motor controllable by the control signal to adjust the further optical stop means.
6. Detecting means as claimed in claim 3, the adjusting means comprising a setting motor with a drive shaft to drive the further optical stop means and the evaluating means comprising a disc drivably coupled to the shaft and sensing means to scan markings on the disc to sense the rotational setting of the shaft.
7. Detecting means as claimed in claim 6, the evaluating means comprising an electronic evaluating device to evaluate the shaft setting sensed by the sensing means.
8. Detecting means as claimed in claim 1, the determining means comprising comparison means to compare the signal magnitudes for determination of the difference therebetween and evaluating means to derive an indication of the setting of the member directly from the determined difference.
9. Detecting means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the light-sensitive elements comprises a semiconductor diode.
10. Detecting means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the beam-splitting means comprising two mirrors arranged at an angle of 90 relative to each other and each at 45 relative to the optical axis of the light-emitting means.
11. Detecting means as claimed in claim 10, comprising a respective input optical element for conveying light from each of the mirrors into an associated one of the cables.
12. Detecting means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising processing means to process data indicative of the determined setting of the member for use in measuring or regulating equipment.
13. Detecting means as claimed in claim 12, the processing means being arranged to process the data for generation of a target value.
14. Detecting means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
15. Avehicle provided with an adjustable control member and detecting means as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims for detecting the setting of the member.
16. A vehicle as claimed in claim 15, wherein the vehicle is submarine and the member a rudder or dive plane.
17. A vehicle as claimed in claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and the member is an airfoil.
GB08603571A 1985-02-20 1986-02-13 Vehicle with detecting means for detecting the setting of a movable control member of the vehicle Expired GB2171196B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19853505810 DE3505810A1 (en) 1985-02-20 1985-02-20 ARRANGEMENT FOR DETERMINING THE ADJUSTMENT OR ADJUSTING A WAY OR ANGLE

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8603571D0 GB8603571D0 (en) 1986-03-19
GB2171196A true GB2171196A (en) 1986-08-20
GB2171196B GB2171196B (en) 1988-07-13

Family

ID=6263002

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08603571A Expired GB2171196B (en) 1985-02-20 1986-02-13 Vehicle with detecting means for detecting the setting of a movable control member of the vehicle

Country Status (3)

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DE (1) DE3505810A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2577665B1 (en)
GB (1) GB2171196B (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2266142A (en) * 1992-04-15 1993-10-20 Butler Newall Ltd Registering a datum position between two relatively moveable components of a machine tool
CN1316226C (en) * 2005-01-04 2007-05-16 李小路 Method for real-time measurement of airfoil deformation using dual laser

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE8915839U1 (en) * 1989-11-27 1992-01-16 Bodenseewerk Gerätetechnik GmbH, 7770 Überlingen Position sensor for landing flap levers on aircraft
DE4042302A1 (en) * 1990-12-31 1992-07-09 Bodenseewerk Geraetetech Switch position sensor - measures position of switchable, control component and incorporates optical transmitter fed with different frequencies
DE19621709A1 (en) * 1996-05-30 1997-12-04 Daimler Benz Ag Absolute linear or rotary encoder for airplane control

Citations (6)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB670880A (en) * 1948-03-23 1952-04-30 Bailey Meters Controls Ltd Improvements in measuring instruments for steam generators
GB868219A (en) * 1957-11-29 1961-05-17 Oscar Henri Ingber Device for measuring the width or diameter of fixed or movable tapes, wires, tubes, bars and the like
GB932648A (en) * 1958-08-06 1963-07-31 Honeywell Regulator Co Improvements in or relating to apparatus for testing fluid properties
US4275295A (en) * 1977-10-05 1981-06-23 Hectronic Ag Limit and measurement value transmitter
EP0079988A1 (en) * 1981-11-23 1983-06-01 Dennis William Burt Optical fibre transmission instrumentation
EP0082007A2 (en) * 1981-12-16 1983-06-22 Teijin Limited Apparatus for measuring thickness of a film

Family Cites Families (9)

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DE1930111C3 (en) * 1969-06-13 1975-02-20 Vierling, Oskar, Prof. Dr.Phil.Habil., 8553 Ebermannstadt Optical device for measuring the movement of parts moving in relation to one another
FR2063251A5 (en) * 1969-09-08 1971-07-09 Edf
DE2148696A1 (en) * 1971-09-29 1973-04-05 Krauss Maffei Ag OPTICAL DEVICE FOR GENERATING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL DEPENDING ON THE IMMERSION DEPTH OF A MOVABLE COMPONENT IN A MEASURING LIGHT BEAM
US3802784A (en) * 1972-02-16 1974-04-09 Technical Operations Inc Microdensitometer having linear response
GB1395246A (en) * 1972-10-17 1975-05-21 Short Brothers & Harland Ltd Method of and apparatus for sensing the position of a body
DE2646674A1 (en) * 1974-09-30 1977-04-21 Keystone Int Optical angular position indicator - senses light reflection from sector shaped marking around circumference
US4091280A (en) * 1976-09-13 1978-05-23 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Fiber optic position sensing and indicating apparatus for electrical interference sensitive environments
DE3111722C2 (en) * 1981-03-25 1984-11-15 Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH, 8000 München Passive line system for aircraft for the transmission of control signals
US4476567A (en) * 1981-12-11 1984-10-09 The Boeing Company Electronic protractor

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB670880A (en) * 1948-03-23 1952-04-30 Bailey Meters Controls Ltd Improvements in measuring instruments for steam generators
GB868219A (en) * 1957-11-29 1961-05-17 Oscar Henri Ingber Device for measuring the width or diameter of fixed or movable tapes, wires, tubes, bars and the like
GB932648A (en) * 1958-08-06 1963-07-31 Honeywell Regulator Co Improvements in or relating to apparatus for testing fluid properties
US4275295A (en) * 1977-10-05 1981-06-23 Hectronic Ag Limit and measurement value transmitter
EP0079988A1 (en) * 1981-11-23 1983-06-01 Dennis William Burt Optical fibre transmission instrumentation
EP0082007A2 (en) * 1981-12-16 1983-06-22 Teijin Limited Apparatus for measuring thickness of a film

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2266142A (en) * 1992-04-15 1993-10-20 Butler Newall Ltd Registering a datum position between two relatively moveable components of a machine tool
GB2266142B (en) * 1992-04-15 1996-09-25 Butler Newall Ltd Improvements in or relating to methods and control systems for registering a datum position between two relatively movable components of a machine tool
CN1316226C (en) * 2005-01-04 2007-05-16 李小路 Method for real-time measurement of airfoil deformation using dual laser

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3505810A1 (en) 1986-08-21
FR2577665A1 (en) 1986-08-22
DE3505810C2 (en) 1992-11-12
GB8603571D0 (en) 1986-03-19
GB2171196B (en) 1988-07-13
FR2577665B1 (en) 1989-06-30

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
732 Registration of transactions, instruments or events in the register (sect. 32/1977)
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19930213