FR2772716A1 - WINCH DEVICE FOR HELICOPTER - Google Patents

Abstract

Helicopter winch device. It comprises several winch frames (4) equipped with a load hook (14) for hooking the ejection cable (22) as well as a release mechanism allowing the load hook to be released for the ejection of the cable. The risk of maneuvering error is reduced considerably because the winch frame (4) has a combined cable recognition and load detection installation (18, 20, 28, 30, 68), integrated into the load hook (14 ), as well as a corresponding load hook occupancy display (52, 56) and an ejection safety device (38, 72) which automatically blocks the release mechanism above a limit value cable load, predetermined.

Description

The present invention relates to a winch device for a helicopter,

comprising at least one chassis of

  winch mounted on the helicopter with a load hook for hanging an ejection cable designed to winch intervention forces, as well as an unlocking mechanism releasing the load hook for ejecting the cable.

  In known winch devices of this type, such as those used for police or civil defense teams interventions, to quickly winch intervention forces, the winch cable is hung at the place of use. , in the load hook,

  the helicopter being hovering. This allows deposition

  serve one or more intervention forces to the ground; then the cable is ejected and the helicopter leaves the place of

  his intervention. For security reasons, it is necessary

  to lock the hook unlocking mechanism

  charge drop so that it does not become free when the cable is loaded. At the same time, regardless of the state of charge of the cable, it is possible to provide emergency ejection so that the pilot of the helicopter

  can, in case of danger, quickly pass from the station flight-

  nary in flight with displacement, without risking that an ejection cable which would remain hung and whose length is typically between 20 and 40 m, catching in the blades of the helicopter. These safety conditions are only met to a limited extent by known winch devices. This is how the state of

  cable load is transmitted mechanically by a mete

  tilt lever mechanism and micro-device

  light switch; there is thus a relatively limited reliability and a relatively high risk of error; in addition,

  cable ejection can only be checked in an op-

  tick so that in case of poor visibility conditions

  summer flight or night flight, there is a risk that the helicopter will fly out of the place of its intervention with an ejection cable which

  would remain hooked accidentally.

  The present invention aims to develop a winch device of the type defined above, which greatly reduces the safety risks mentioned

  for the crew and the helicopter.

  To this end, the invention relates to a device of the type defined above, characterized in that the winch frame comprises a combined cable recognition and load detection installation, integrated into the load hook, as well as a display occupancy of the corresponding load hook and an ejection safety device which in itself blocks the unlocking mechanism above a

  cable load limit value, predetermined.

  According to the invention, the state of charge of the ejection cable or cables is detected on the one hand and this with great reliability, namely directly at the load hook without interposing moving parts, preferably using

  of a strain gauge, thereby decreasing considerably-

  the risk of erroneous ejection and, on the other hand,

  the load hook occupancy display also allows

  ment, if there is no possibility of visual inspection,

  that is, especially in the event of a night flight, to obtain information

  guaranteed that a cable still remains accidental-

  attached to the hook or that all cables have been ejected correctly and that the helicopter can pass

  safely from its hover phase to its de-phase

  placement. According to another advantageous development of

  the invention, the winch frame is pivotally mounted

  aunt on the helicopter to pivot between a rest position tucked inside the helicopter cabin and a working position deployed transversely to the axis

  longitudinal of the helicopter, and which protrudes from the contour ex-

inside the helicopter.

  Thus, the winch frame is mounted so as to pivot in the cabin of the helicopter between a rest position and an active position deployed transversely to

  the longitudinal axis of the helicopter beyond the outer contour

  laughter of the helicopter; this device can thus be housed in a space-saving manner inside the cabin and be deployed at the place of use, when the cabin door is open, through the door opening to pass into position active; the winch frame can be locked pivotally in the relative rotation position, for safety reasons. 5 According to another advantageous characteristic for rapid equipment, the winch frame is mounted on

  the helicopter using quick-connect means. To adapt ejection security without difficulty

  grown at different cable loads, the cable load limit value at which the cable is automatically activated

  ejection security, is adjustable.

  According to another advantageous development of

  the invention, above the threshold value of the load per-

  tial, as predetermined, there is implementation of a partial load display so that the flight personnel have, in addition to the display of occupation hooks

  load, a possibility of checking the state of charge of the ejection cable. For security reasons, it is particularly

  rement advantageous that the unlocking mechanism and the ejection security are made and controlled redundantly namely on the one hand mechanically and on the other

  leaves electrically, so that in the event of an operating incident

  mechanical or electrical operation, there is always the release or protection function by the undisturbed part of the unlocking or protection mechanism

against ejection.

  Preferably, the load hook can be cut automatically regardless of the cable load for emergency ejection, by short-circuiting the

  ejection security; the emergency eject order is nevertheless

  less triggered exclusively by the pilot and, moreover, the pilot is also informed of the state of occupation and

  the state of charge of the emergency hook.

  Advantageously, several winch frames, each with separate unlocking mechanisms and separate ejection safety devices, are distributed over the helicopter to allow several people to be

  winches simultaneously and speed up team filing.

  It is advantageous, especially for reasons of emergency ejection, to have a common actuating element for simultaneously triggering all the unlocking mechanisms. The present invention will be described below using 'an embodiment shown schematically in the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a top view of a helicopter with a winch device composed of several winch frames shown in the deployed position in the upper half

  of the figure and in the retracted position in the lower half

  lower of the figure, - Figure 2 is a side view of a single winch frame, and - Figure 3 shows the load hook and the mechanical unlocking mechanism as well as the corresponding ejection safety and the diagram of command and security of a

winch frame.

  The winch device shown in the figures generally consists of six winch frames 4 distributed in rows of three on each side of the helicopter at cabin doors 2. These winch frames are assembled and disassembled by connecting members fast 6 between

  anchor points 8, 10 on the floor and ceiling of the cell

  lule from the helicopter; they are rotatably mounted about a vertical axis and can be locked in the respective rotational position by a hand lever 12. In the rest position shown in broken lines in Figure 1, the winch frames 4 are folded to inside the cabin

  so as not to block access to cabin doors 2 and allow

  be closed during the flight. At the place of the intervention, the cabin doors 2 are opened and the winch frames 4 are deployed in the active position shown.

  in the upper half of Figure 1.

  Each winch frame 4 has a hook for

  load 14 as well as a declutching mechanism which can be released

  lock either with a Bowden 16 cable

  either by electrical means. The load hook 14 corres-

  pond for the above to a known construction. Moreover,

  the load hook 14 carries a feeler lever 18 with a microswitch 20 (FIG. 3) urged when the launch cable 22 is hooked by its eyelet 24 to the load hook 14.

  The load hook 14 is mounted on the winch frame 4 by means of a sliding sleeve 26 guided vertically in a limited manner on the frame 4; it is hingedly attached to the chassis 4 by an ex-tensile stud 28 connected to the sliding sleeve 26. To measure the state of charge of the extensible stud 28 and thus of the load hook 14, the extensible stud 28 comprises gauges of stress 30. The sliding sleeve 26 guarantees that in the event of the stud 28 breaking, the load hook 14 remains connected to the

winch frame 4.

  The mechanical release of the load hook 14 is effected by an actuating mechanism 32 fixed to the winch frame 4 by a handle 34 (FIG. 3) fixed to a member

  sliding 36 slidingly guided and connected to an ex-

  end of Bowden cable 16; this sliding member is pushed in

  cé to unlock the load hook 14. An electromechanical ejection security 38 with a control slide 40 is associated with the actuation mechanism 32; this drawer 40

  pushes elastically in the locking position shown

  felt in Figure 3 and it is lifted using an electro-

  magnet 42 against the force of a spring in the released position

  tion. The control slide 40 in the locking position blocks the sliding member 36, by the locking element 44, against any release movement. If on the other hand the control slide 40 is raised in the release position, then the locking element 44 is moved by the actuation of the handle 34 by the sliding member 36, to the right

  according to FIG. 3, against the extension 46 of diameter red

  output from the control drawer; it thus frees the sliding organ

  sant 36 and frees the load hook 14 for the

cable launch.

  The control diagram and the logic diagram of the winch device according to FIG. 3 comprise a display box 48 placed in the cockpit for the pilot, as well as a control box 50 used by the attendant who controls the evacuation of the crew. The display 52 of the cockpit box 48 lights up if one or more hooks of load 14 of the winch chassis 4 are fitted with a launching cable 22, while the display 54 lights up if, on a

  or more load hooks 14, a li value is exceeded

  pre-set cable load mite. The state of occupancy is

  displayed separately by the indicators 56 for each of the cro-

  load drops 14, on the control box 50 and, by the LEDs 58, the state of charge relative to a preset cable load limit value is displayed. The box 48 of the cockpit comprises an emergency ejection switch 60 which makes it possible to unlock all the load hooks 14 simultaneously and independently of

  the state of charge of the cable, by an electrical command 62 ac-

  piloted. The control box 50, on the other hand, has separate cable ejection switches 64 for separately controlling the hooks electrically.

charging 14.

  The control as shown works from

the following way.

  When a load hook 14 is occupied by an ejection cable 22 and the microswitch 20 is closed, the corresponding occupation display 56 appears on the control box 50 and, by the last position of an OR gate 66, the occupation display 52 is implemented

  on box 48 of the cockpit. At the same time, the micro-

  switch 20 activates a threshold detector 68 associated with the winch frame 4; this detector is connected at the output to the strain gauge 30 and is implemented when one exceeds

  a cable load limit value preset

  reliable. The signal for implementing the threshold detector 68 connects the load display 58 to the control box 50 and, via an OR gate 70, the load display 54 of the cockpit box 48; the information is applied to a NON 72 door which cuts the power to the ejection switch 64 to protect the load hook 14 against any electrical release by the flight attendant. At the same time, the electromagnet 42 which is tensioned below the

  cable load threshold value, preset, thus deactivates

  if the mechanical ejection safety device 38 to keep it in the release position; the control slide 40 thus arrives in the locking position as shown in FIG. 3 and blocks the mechanical unlocking mechanism of the hook

charging 14.

  The control box 50 is completed by an in-

  global switch (not shown in Figure 3) which allows

  simultaneously eject all unloaded cables. In or-

  tre, the control box 50 includes a control switch

  hole (also not shown for reasons of simplification) which must be actuated at the same time with the ejection switch 64 or the global switch to electrically release the load hook (s) 14. For safety reasons, the electrical / electronic part of the winch device, including the strain gauges 30, the threshold detector 68 and the optical displays 52, 54,

  56, 58 are provided redundantly.

Claims (10)

R E V E N D I C A T IONS   1) Winch device for helicopter, comprising at least one winch frame mounted on the helicopter with a load hook for hanging an ejection cable intended to winch intervention forces, as well as an unlocking mechanism releasing the load hook for cable ejection, characterized in that   the winch frame (4) includes a recon-   cable birth and load detection (18, 20, 28, 30, 68) combined, integrated into the load hook (14), as well as a corresponding load hook occupation display (52, 56) and a ejection security (38, 72) which automatically locks the unlocking mechanism above a   cable load limit value, predetermined.   2) Winch device according to claim 1, characterized in that the winch frame (4) is pivotally mounted on   the helicopter to pivot between a rest position   inside the helicopter cabin and a posi-   working position deployed transversely to the axis   longitudinal of the helicopter, and which protrudes from the contour ex- inside the helicopter.   3) Winch device according to claim 2, characterized in that the winch frame (4) is locked in rotation   in each of its end positions.   4) Winch device according to any one of the claims   previous cations, characterized in that the winch frame is detachably installed on   the helicopter by rapid connection means (6).    ) Winch device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that   the cable load limit value is adjustable.   6) Winch device according to any one of the claims   previous cations, characterized by a cable load display (54, 58) exceeding the value   predetermined cable load limit.   7) Winch device according to any one of the claims   previous cations, characterized in that the unlocking mechanism and the protection against ejection (38, 72) are produced redundantly on the one hand mechanically and on the other hand electrically, and are   controlled by two separate signal paths (16, 62).   8) Winch device according to any one of the claims   previous cations, characterized in that   the load hook (14) can be released independently   of the cable load for an emergency ejection, in   short-circuiting the ejection safety device (38, 72).   9) Winch device according to claim 8, characterized in that   the emergency ejection (60), independent of the load of the cable   ble, is triggered from the cockpit by a release order issued by the pilot.    ) Winch device according to any one of the claims   previous cations, characterized in that an occupancy display of the load hook (52) is provided in the cockpit.   11) Winch device according to any one of the claims   previous cations, characterized by several winch chassis (4) distributed laterally with respect to the helicopter, each having a load hook (14) as well as a cable recognition and load measurement installation (18, 20, 30, 68), combined, an unlocking mechanism (32, 62, 64) and a protection against ejection (38, 72).   12) Winch device according to claim 11,   characterized by a common actuating element (60) for ejecting simultaneously all cables (22).