Tilt-ball turret with gimbal lock avoidance
View Patent ↗A turret assembly for attachment on the undersurface of an aircraft that reduces performance limitations due to gimbal lock and reduces the cross section profile of the assembly. The assembly includes a roll actuator including a drive shaft. A yoke having a cross member is coupled to the drive shaft and a pair of prongs. The yoke is rotated via the roll actuator and drive shaft along a roll axis oriented substantially parallel to the body of the aircraft. A turret is mounted on the prongs of the yoke. A tilt actuator is contained within the turret. The tilt actuator tilts the turret on a tilt axis relative to the yoke. The tilt axis is perpendicular to the roll axis.
1. A turret assembly for attachment on the undersurface of an aircraft, the assembly comprising:
a roll actuator including a drive shaft;
a yoke having a cross member coupled to the drive shaft and a pair of prongs, the yoke being rotated via the roll actuator and drive shaft along a roll axis oriented substantially parallel to the body of the aircraft;
a turret mounted on the prongs of the yoke;
a tilt actuator within the turret, the tilt actuator tilting the turret on a tilt axis relative to the yoke, the tilt axis being perpendicular to the roll axis;
a fairing containing the roll actuator, the fairing coupled to the undersurface of the aircraft behind the turret; and
a wiring harness for delivery of electrical signals between the turret and the fairing, the wiring harness including one or more wires having a first portion that extends through the drive shaft and a second portion that is mounted exteriorly of a first prong of the yoke, between the first prong and the turret.
2. The turret assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turret has a generally spherical shape.
3. The turret assembly of claim 1 , wherein the turret has an aperture and includes a sensor positioned in the aperture.
4. The turret assembly of claim 3 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a color camera and an infrared camera.
5. The turret assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a video controller located within the turret, the video controller coupled to the sensor and providing a video output from the sensor.
6. The turret assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tilt actuator includes a processor and a tilt motor and the roll actuator includes a processor and a roll motor, the processors accepting positioning inputs and controlling the respective tilt and roll motors to position the ball turret.
7. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage having an undersurface;
a control system accepting positioning commands from a ground station;
a data control system for sending data to the ground station;
a roll actuator including a drive shaft;
a yoke having a cross member coupled to the drive shaft and a pair of prongs, the yoke being rotated via the roll actuator and drive shaft along a roll axis oriented substantially parallel to the body of the aircraft;
a turret mounted on the prongs of the yoke;
a tilt actuator within the turret, the tilt actuator tilting the turret on a tilt axis relative to the yoke, the tilt axis being perpendicular to the roll axis;
a fairing containing the roll actuator, the fairing coupled to the undersurface of the aircraft behind the turret; and
a wiring harness for delivery of electrical signals between the turret and the fairing, the wiring harness including one or more wires having a first portion that extends through the drive shaft and a second portion that is mounted exteriorly of a first prong of the yoke, between the first prong and the turret.
8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the turret has a generally spherical shape.
9. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the turret has an aperture and includes a sensor positioned in the aperture.
10. The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a color camera and an infrared camera.
11. The aircraft of claim 9 , further comprising a video controller located within the turret, the video controller coupled to the sensor and providing a video output from the sensor.
12. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the tilt actuator includes a processor and a tilt motor and the roll actuator includes a cortex controller and a roll motor, the processor accepting positioning inputs and controlling the respective tilt and roll motors to position the ball turret.