WO2005119625A1 - Simulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a simulation device for simulating the flight progression or travelling motions of aircrafts, landcrafts, or watercrafts, said device comprising a displaceably mounted cockpit (5) which is connected to means (1, 2, 2', 3, 3', 4, 4') for moving the cockpit and to a central control unit (7) which controls the means (1, 2, 2', 3, 3', 4, 4') for moving the cockpit (5) and optical and acoustic information reproduction devices arranged inside the simulation device, on the basis of a simulation program and in response to human interactions carried out in the cockpit (5). In order to exploit the possible displacement potential as far as possible, the means (1, 2, 2', 3, 3', 4, 4') for moving the cockpit (5) enable the cockpit to be rotated about three orthogonal rotational axes (x, y, z) which are othogonally arranged in relation to each other in terms of a cartesian system of co-ordinates.

Description

 simulation device

The present invention relates to a simulation device for simulating flight or driving movements of aircraft, land or water vehicles with a movably mounted pulpit, which is connected to means for moving the pulpit and to a central control unit, which means for moving the Pulpit and optical and acoustic information reproduction devices arranged in the interior of the simulation device based on a simulation program and in response to human interactions carried out in the pulpit controls according to the preamble of claim 1.

For the training of vehicle, aircraft and ship personnel, for test purposes and also for training and entertainment purposes, simulators are used which simulate the flight or driving movements of aircraft, vehicles or ships as realistically as possible.

Such simulators generally have pulpits that are modeled in the interior of the vehicles to be simulated, particularly as far as the arrangement of the control instruments is concerned, and instead of windows have screens and loudspeakers that visually and in relation to the movements and processes in the outside world depending on the vehicle movement represent acoustically simulated.

In known simulators according to the prior art, the pulpit is equipped with a number of hydraulically adjustable, linear suspensions or supports (telescopic legs), which make it possible to move the pulpit in the six directions of movement available in three-dimensional space (according to a Cartesian coordinate system). These movements are finite due to the design and the linear movement of the suspensions or supports limited. Endless movements such as 360 ° complete rotations are not possible with known simulators, which also offer a corresponding optical and acoustic simulation. This means that only 10% -15% of the possible movement potential is used in such known simulators.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to prevent this disadvantage and, through a new arrangement of the suspension of the pulpit, several degrees of freedom of movement without restriction, ie. endlessly.

According to the invention, this is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

Due to the means provided for moving the pulpit, the pulpit can rotate through all three spatial axes by 360 °. Such complete rotational movements have so far not been possible for the simulators described in the preamble for the reasons mentioned. In the past, however, simple, limited tilting movements of the pulpit had to be carried out in practice by tilting movements which were simulated by the telescopic legs carrying the pulpit being extended to different extents. Due to the possibility of "real" rotation of the pulpit around the three spatial axes, the movements occurring in practice can be simulated very impressively and much better than with known simulators. At the same time, however, translatory movements, in particular changes in movement, can also be simulated as before, namely by Tilting, that is, rotations by a limited angle. Since the people in the pulpit are optically and acoustically decoupled from the environment and, in addition, images and sounds adapted to the current simulation state are applied, they generally do not take such a tilting as a rotation true but as translational movement or change of movement. The simulation of braking or acceleration processes is typical for the application of such rotations through limited angles. The present invention thus improves the

Possibility of simulation of rotation movements occurring in practice, while at the same time maintaining the quality of the simulation possibility of translatory movements, so that overall there is a substantial improvement in the overall simulation possibility.

In order to enable the 360 ° rotations of the pulpit according to the invention, a lower base element, an upper base element, a support arm and a holding fork are provided, the pulpit being rotatably mounted on the holding fork about the first axis of rotation, the holding fork on the supporting arm being rotatable about the second axis of rotation is mounted and the support arm together with the upper base element is fastened to the lower base element so as to be rotatable about the third axis of rotation. The support arm is in turn rotatably supported on the upper base element about an axis parallel to the first axis of rotation, which results in a further, but only limited, possibility of rotation of the pulpit around the y-axis in order to generate a more realistic simulation of braking and acceleration processes.

For a realistic simulation of vehicle movements, briefly occurring forces caused by vibrations of all kinds must also be shown. To simulate these forces as well, it is provided according to the characterizing feature of claim 2 that the upper base element is mounted so as to be translationally movable in at least three directions. This type of mounting of the upper base element and, subsequently, of course also the pulpit enables a translatory movement in accordance with the three translational degrees of freedom of a rigid body. The effects that can be simulated are, for example Vibrations in x, y, z direction, drive load change reactions, shaft runout, simulation of defects in the drive system, stall in the propeller, etc.

Of course, the translatory movements can also be used to support the rotational movements, for example to simulate braking or acceleration processes.

Thus, by mounting the pulpit according to the invention, in particular when the axes of rotation are arranged according to the axes of a Cartesian coordinate system, it is possible to cover all six degrees of freedom that the rigid body has, namely the three degrees of freedom of rotation through actual rotation about the three perpendicular to one another standing axes of rotation and the three translation degrees of freedom by simulation as mentioned, namely by rotation through a small angle or, as will be explained in more detail below, by actual but finite translation.

Since uniform translatory movements do not involve any reaction forces, these are mainly simulated optically and acoustically, as already mentioned, via screens and loudspeakers arranged in the interior of the pulpit. Braking and acceleration processes along the x-axis are usually simulated, as already mentioned, by rotating at a small angle around the y-axis.

In a preferred embodiment variant according to the characterizing feature of claim 3, the three directions for the translational movement of the upper base element coincide with the three axes of rotation.

A further preferred embodiment provides, according to claim 4, that the pulpit can be removed from the holding fork. On this way the pulpit can be replaced very quickly according to the simulation requirements, ie. between different models to be simulated, for example different types of aircraft or ship models. Due to the fact that the pulpit is only rotatably supported about an axis in the holding fork, the exchange can take place much faster than was possible with known simulation devices, since telescopic legs are fixed to the bottom of the pulpit.

Claims 5 to 9 describe a preferred embodiment variant of the invention, which enables the additional translatory movements of the pulpit.

The characterizing feature of claim 10 provides that the holding fork is mounted on one side on the support arm. This arrangement offers advantages in terms of manufacture and better accessibility of the pulpit over a front opening compared to systems according to the prior art, which provide for double mounting of the holding fork.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to drawings. It shows:

Fig.l is an axonometric view of a simulator device according to the invention

2 shows a plan view of a simulator device according to the invention

3 shows a side view of a simulator device according to the invention

Fig. A rear view of a simulator device according to the invention Fig. 5 is an axonometric view of the slide table for realizing translation movements along the x and y axes

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the sliding table according to FIG. 5 along the viewing direction A.

Fig. 7 the drawer according to FIG. 5 seen from above

FIG. 8 shows a side view of the slide table according to FIG. 5 along the viewing direction B.

9 shows an axonometric view of a simulator device according to the invention

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a simulator device according to the invention

11 is a side view of a simulator device according to the invention

12 shows a rear view of a simulator device according to the invention

1 to 4 show a lower base element 1 and an upper base element 2 which is rotatably mounted thereon via a rotating ring 12. A support arm 3 protrudes therefrom which carries a U-shaped holding fork 4 which is also rotatably held on the support arm 3. The U-shaped holding fork 4 also receives a pulpit 5 between its arms 4a, 4b in a rotatable manner.

In the position shown, the pulpit 5 is in its neutral position, which, together with the optical and acoustic effects imported into the pulpit 5, corresponds to a simulation of a uniform or no movement of the vehicle.

The axes of rotation are labeled with x, y, z. As can easily be seen, the pulpit 5 rotates in the direction of the Holding fork 4 around the y-axis, whereby processes such as loops, climbs, descents, pounding, ascents and descents can be simulated. The rotation of the holding fork 4 on the support arm 3 causes the pulpit 5 to rotate about the x-axis, as a result of which processes such as rollers, cranks and capsizing can be simulated, and rotation of the upper base element 2 on the lower base element 1 causes the pulpit 5 to rotate about the z-axis, whereby processes such as skidding, yawing and rolling can be simulated, whereby in the latter rotation care must be taken that the support arm 3 or the holding fork 4 are dimensioned such that the pulpit 5 is positioned centrally above the axis of rotation z ,

According to the invention, 360 ° rotations are possible around the axes mentioned.

Furthermore, the support arm 3 is rotatably mounted on the upper base element 2 about an axis v, which is aligned parallel to the axis y. The rotation of the support arm 3 and thus the pulpit 5 about the axis v, however, is only possible to a limited extent, as can be seen immediately. It is mainly used to simulate braking and acceleration processes.

Examples of processes that can be simulated by rotation have already been mentioned above. The effects that can be simulated by means of finite translation along the x-axis are, for example, vibrations in the x-direction, drive load change reactions, shaft runout in the x-direction, defects in the drive system, stalling of the propeller. The effects that can be simulated by means of finite translation along the y-axis are, for example, vibrations in the y-direction, aerodynamic turbulence, lateral waves, cornering beyond the adhesion limit. The effects that can be simulated by means of finite translation along the z axis are, for example, vibrations in z-direction, bumps in the road, short waves, aerodynamic turbulence, suspension reactions.

In addition to the means according to the invention for carrying out rotational movements of the pulpit 5, means are also provided for carrying out limited translational movements of the pulpit 5 in the direction of the axes x, y, z. This means is a drawer whose operation is described in detail below.

The rotation and translation movements are controlled via a central control unit 7 and control motors, for example hydraulic motors or cylinders 8, 9, 10, 11, 17. Hydraulic motor 8 is responsible for the rotation of the pulpit 5 about the x-axis, hydraulic motor (cylinder) 10 for the limited rotation of the support arm 3 about the v-axis, hydraulic motor (cylinder) 17 for the translational movements of the upper base element 2 along the x-axis, hydraulic motor (cylinder) 9 for the translatory movements of the upper base element 2 along the y-axis and hydraulic motor (cylinder) 11 for the translatory movement along the z-axis.

In Fig. 5 the push table for realizing translational movements along the x and y axes is shown. The sliding table essentially consists of two table levels that can be moved relative to one another, the first, lower table level being formed by support struts 6 parallel to the x-axis, which are connected by reinforcing struts 13, and the second, upper table level being formed by support struts parallel to the y-axis 14, which are connected by reinforcing struts 15. The support struts 6 of the lower table level are firmly connected to the slewing ring 12 and the support struts 14 of the upper table level to the upper base element 2. Furthermore, both table levels are connected to one another, as will be explained in more detail below. In each case two of the support struts 6, in FIG. 5 roughly the two outermost support struts 6, are L-shaped at their ends and connected in the region of the shorter legs to sliding guides 16 which run parallel to the y-axis and on which a hydraulically operated, with the upper table level fixedly connected push element 9 is slidably arranged. An actuation of the thrust element 9 will cause a translational movement of the upper table plane in the y direction due to the fixed fixation of the support struts 6 of the lower table plane on the rotating ring 12. The push elements 9 can also be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, FIG. 8 showing a side view of the structure according to FIG. 5 along the viewing direction B.

Thrust elements 9 lying opposite one another in the x direction are connected via sliding guides 18 which are parallel to the x axis and which are spaced apart from one another by a limiting element 19. Thrust elements 17 are arranged on each of these sliding guides 18, which are fixedly connected to the upper table level. An actuation of the push elements 17 thus causes a translational movement of the upper table plane and thus of the upper base element 2 in the x direction.

The push elements 17 can also be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, which shows a side view of the push table according to FIG. 5 along the viewing direction A.

In a preferred embodiment variant, the slide guides 16, 18 and the thrust elements 8, 9 are designed as hydraulic piston / cylinder units.

5 to 8, the slewing ring 12 is not shown, by means of which the upper base element 2 and the sliding table on the lower base element 1 are rotatably mounted. 5, the slewing ring 12 will be connected to the lower table level, for example with two of the support struts 6, and will be supported on the lower base element 1 (see also FIG. 2). at When the corresponding hydraulic cylinder 11 is actuated (see also FIG. 3), the first, lower table plane is therefore displaced along the z-direction, this vertical translation movement being transmitted to the second, upper table plane and thus also to the upper base element 2.

It is obvious that the translatory movements are all finite, in contrast to the rotating movements.

The data connection between the pulpit 5 and the central control unit for controlling the screens and loudspeakers and for transmitting the inputs of the people in the pulpit 5 can either be made mechanically via slip rings attached to the suspensions or preferably by means of wireless data transmission.

9 to 12 relate to a further embodiment of an inventive

Simulation device, the lower base element 1 and the slewing ring 12 not being shown. The simulation device according to FIGS. 9 to 12 represents another embodiment for the rotatably mounted, upper base element 2 ', as well as the support arm 3'. The support arm 3 'is in this case designed as a cylinder jacket segment which can be moved via guide and holding rollers 20 is stored. The guide and holding rollers 20 position the support arm 3 'relative to the base element 2', for this purpose the base element 2 'has two pairs of laterally projecting retaining tabs 21. The mutually oriented inner surfaces of the retaining tabs 21 of a pair carry the guide and holding rollers 20, which are arranged approximately vertically one above the other and spaced apart from one another in order to receive the support arm 3 ′ between them. The support arm 3 'is clamped in this way between the retaining tabs 21. Using a rotation of the leadership and Holding rollers 20, the support arm 3 'is rotated about the y or v axis.

The support arm 3 'in turn carries a holding fork 4' which is also rotatably held on the support arm 3 '. The holding fork 4 'in the embodiment according to FIGS. 9 to 12 is however designed to be closed, i.e. that it completely surrounds the pulpit 5 and is supported on two sides on the support arm 3'. The pulpit 5 is in turn held rotatably between the arms 4a ', b' of the holding fork X.

Claims

EXPECTATIONS 1. Simulation device for simulating flight or driving movements of aircraft, land or water vehicles with a movably mounted pulpit (5), which with means (1,2,2 ', 3,3', 4,4 ') for movement the pulpit (5) and is connected to a central control unit (7) which arranged the means (1, 2, 2 ', 3, 3', 4, 4 ') for moving the pulpit (5) and inside the simulation device controls optical and acoustic information display devices on the basis of a simulation program and in response to human interactions carried out in the pulpit (5), the means (1, 2, 2 ', 3, 3', 4, 4 ') for moving the pulpit (5) a lower base element (1), an upper base element (2,2 '), a support arm (3,3') and a holding fork (4,4 '), and the pulpit (5) on the holding fork (4,4' ) is rotatably mounted about the first axis of rotation (y), the holding fork (4,4 ') on the support arm (3,3') is rotatably mounted about the second axis of rotation (x) and the support arm (3,3 ') together with the upper one Base element (2, 2 ') about the third axis of rotation (z) is fastened to the lower base element (1) in order to enable rotation thereof about three axes of rotation (x, y, z) orthogonal to one another in the sense of a Cartesian coordinate system characterized in that the support arm (3,3 ') about an axis (v) parallel to the first axis of rotation (y) is rotatably mounted on the upper base element (2,2'). 2. Simulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper base element (2, 2 ') is mounted so as to be translationally movable in at least three directions. 3. Simulation device according to claim 2, characterized in that the three directions with the axes of rotation (x, y, z) are identical. 4. Simulation device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pulpit (5) with the holding fork (4,4 ') is detachably connected. 5. Simulation device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that between the upper and lower base element (1, 2, 2 ') a sliding table constructed from two table planes which are displaceable relative to one another is arranged, the upper table plane being fixed to the upper base element (2,2 ') and the lower table level is fixedly connected to a turntable (11) which is rotatably arranged on the lower base element (1). 6. Simulation device according to claim 5, characterized in that one of the two table levels, preferably the lower, movable thrust elements (9) which are fixedly connected to the other table level. 7. Simulation device according to claim 6, characterized in that in each case opposite thrust elements (9) of one table level are connected to one another via slide guides (18), on which thrust elements (17) of the other table level are movably mounted. 8. Simulation device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that each table level consists of mutually parallel support struts (6, 14) which are connected to one another via reinforcing struts (13, 15) running at right angles thereto. 9. Simulation device according to claim 8, characterized in that the support struts (6, 14) are arranged at right angles to one another. 10. Simulation device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the holding fork (4) is mounted on one side on the support arm (3).