METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REDUNDANT CONTROL AND/OR FAILURE DETECTION
First Claim
1. A vehicle control system comprising:
- a first control link operatively coupled between at least one control input device and at least one control output device, the first control link being configured to transmit control inputs for a vehicle between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device during normal operation, the first control link including an elongated flexible input transmission member; and
a second control link, at least one portion of which is changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state in response to a structural change in the elongated flexible input transmission member, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state, the at least one portion being operatively coupled between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Redundant control systems and/or failure detection systems and associated methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment of the invention, the control system can include a first control link that transmits control inputs between at least one control input device and at least one control output device and a second control link, at least one portion of which is changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state. In another embodiment, the control system can include at least one detection system that detects failures of a control link. In yet another embodiment, the second control link can be automatically engaged when a failure in the first control link is detected.
32 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A vehicle control system comprising:
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a first control link operatively coupled between at least one control input device and at least one control output device, the first control link being configured to transmit control inputs for a vehicle between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device during normal operation, the first control link including an elongated flexible input transmission member; and
a second control link, at least one portion of which is changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state in response to a structural change in the elongated flexible input transmission member, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state, the at least one portion being operatively coupled between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. (canceled)
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17. A vehicle control
a first control link operatively coupled between at least one control input device and at least one control output device, the first control link being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device, the first control link including an elongated flexible input transmission member positioned to transmit control inputs between a first portion of the first control link and a second portion of the first control link while under tension; -
a detection system operatively coupled to the first control link to detect a tension of the elongated flexible input transmission member;
a second control link, at least one portion of which is changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state and being operatively coupled between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state; and
an engagement link operatively coupled to the detection system, the engagement link being configured to automatically couple the second control link between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to actively transmit control inputs when the detection system detects a level of tension corresponding to a failure of the first control link.
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18. A vehicle control system comprising:
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a first control link operatively coupled between at least one control input device and at least one control output device, the first control link being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device, the first control link including an elongated flexible input transmission member positioned to transmit control inputs between a first portion of the first control link and a second portion of the first control link while under tension, the first control link including a coupler configured to operatively engage the elongated flexible input transmission member;
a detection system operatively coupled to the first control link to detect a tension of the elongated flexible input transmission member, the detection system being operatively associated with the coupler. a second control link, at least one portion of which is changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state and being operatively coupled between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state; and
an engagement link operatively coupled to the detection system, the engagement link being configured to automatically couple the second control link between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to actively transmit control inputs when the detection system detects a level of tension corresponding to a failure of the first control link.
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19. A vehicle control system comprising:
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a first control link operatively coupled between at least one control input device and at least one control output device the first control link being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device, the first control link including an elongated flexible input transmission member positioned to transmit control inputs between a first portion of the first control link and a second portion of the first control link while under tension, the elongated flexible input transmission member including a cable member, the first control link further including a pulley system configured to operatively engage the cable member, the pulley system including two pulley portions pivotally coupled to each other, at least one of the pulley portions being movable relative to the other between a first position and a second position, the at least one portion being in the first position when the cable member is under a first amount of tension, the at least one portion being in the second position when the cable member is under a second amount of tension different than the first amount of tension, the second amount of tension being associated with at least one failure in the first control link, the detection system being configured to detect movement of the at least one pulley portion between the first and the second positions;
a detection system operatively coupled to the first control link to detect a tension of the elongated flexible input transmission member;
a second control link, at least one portion of which is changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state and being operatively coupled between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state; and
an engagement link operatively coupled to the detection system, the engagement link being configured to automatically couple the second control link between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to actively transmit control inputs when the detection system detects movement of the at least one pulley portion between the first and the second positions.
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20. An aircraft flight control system comprising:
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an aircraft;
at least one pilot input control;
at least one flight control surface;
a first control link operatively coupled between the at least one pilot input control and the at least one flight control surface, the first control link being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one pilot input control and the at least one flight control surface during normal operation, wherein the first control link includes a cable member configured to transmit control inputs between a first portion of the first control link and a second portion of the first control link;
a detection system operatively coupled to the cable member to detect a tension level in the cable member;
a second control link, at least one portion of which is changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state and operatively coupled between the at least one pilot input control and the at least one flight control surface to transmit control inputs between the at least one pilot input control and the at least one flight control surface when in the engaged state; and
an engagement link configured to automatically couple the second control link between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to actively transmit control inputs when the detection system detects a tension below a threshold tension level. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A vehicle control system comprising:
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first control link means for operatively coupling at least one control input device and at least one control output device, the first control link means being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device during normal operation, the first control link means including an elongated flexible input transmission member; and
second control link means for operatively coupling the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device, at least one portion of the second control link means being changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state in response to a structural chance in the elongated flexible input transmission member, the at least one portion being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27-28. -28. (canceled)
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29. An aircraft flight control system comprising:
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first control link means for actively transmitting control inputs between at least one control input device and at least one control output device during normal operation, the control link means including an elongated flexible input transmission member, the first control link means further including coupler means operatively coupled to the elongated flexible input transmission member, the coupler means having a first state and a second state, the first state associated with a first amount of tension in the elongated flexible input transmission member and the second state associated with a second amount of tension in the elongated flexible input transmission member, the second amount of tension associated with the at least one failure in the first control link;
detection means configured to detect a transition between the first state and the second state;
second control link means for operatively coupling the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device, at least a portion of the second control link means being changeable from an engaged state to a disengaged state, the at least one portion being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state; and
engagement means for automatically engaging the second control link means to actively transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when the detection means detects the transition between the first state and the second state.
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30. A method for manufacturing an aircraft flight control system comprising:
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coupling a first control link between at least one control input device and at least one control output device, the first control link being configured to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device during normal operation, the first control link including an elongated flexible input transmission member; and
coupling a second control link between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device, with at least one portion of the second control link being changeable from a disengaged state to an engaged state in response to a structural change in the elongated flexible input transmission member, the at least one portion being inactive when in the disengaged state, the at least one portion being operatively coupled between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device to transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device when in the engaged state. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33-35. -35. (canceled)
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36. A method for controlling a control output device of an aircraft flight control system comprising:
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transmitting a control input between at least one control input device and at least one control output device via a first control link during normal operation without transmitting the control input to the at least one control output device via a second control link, at least a portion of the second control link between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device being disengaged, the first control link including an elongated flexible input transmission member; and
engaging the second control link to actively transmit control inputs between the at least one control input device and the at least one control output device in response to a structural change in the elongated flexible input transmission member. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39-43. -43. (canceled)
Specification