Active Control Column With Manually Activated Reversion to Passive Control Column
First Claim
1. A control column for an aircraft comprising:
- a passive feedback arrangement moveable relative to a mechanical ground;
a stick movable relative to the mechanical ground; and
a ground lock mechanism having a locked state in which the passive feedback arrangement is maintained in a fixed position relative to the mechanical ground and a normal state in which the passive feedback arrangement is permitted to move relative to the mechanical ground.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An active control column transitionable to a fully passive state for an aircraft and methods of use are provided. The control column includes a passive feedback arrangement, a stick and a ground lock mechanism is provided. The passive feedback arrangement is moveable relative to a mechanical ground to adjust a feedback profile provided to the stick. The stick is movable relative to the mechanical ground and the passive feedback arrangement. The ground lock mechanism has a locked state in which the passive feedback arrangement is maintained in a fixed position relative to the mechanical ground. This places the control column in a fully passive state. The ground lock mechanism also has a normal state in which the passive feedback arrangement is permitted to move relative to the mechanical ground such that active feedback can be provided to the stick.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A control column for an aircraft comprising:
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a passive feedback arrangement moveable relative to a mechanical ground; a stick movable relative to the mechanical ground; and a ground lock mechanism having a locked state in which the passive feedback arrangement is maintained in a fixed position relative to the mechanical ground and a normal state in which the passive feedback arrangement is permitted to move relative to the mechanical ground. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of converting a control column from being an active control column to a passive control column that provides passive feedback to a stick of the control column, comprising the steps of:
transitioning a ground lock mechanism of the control column between a normal state in which a passive feedback arrangement is permitted to move relative to a mechanical ground and a locked state in which the passive feedback arrangement is maintained in a fixed position relative to the mechanical ground, wherein the stick is permitted to move relative to the mechanical ground and the passive feedback arrangement in both the normal and the locked states through the passive feedback arrangement.
- 16. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of decoupling an actuator, which is operably coupled to the passive feedback arrangement when the ground lock mechanism is in the normal state to move the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground, from the passive feedback arrangement such that the passive feedback arrangement can be transitioned relative to the mechanical ground independent of the actuator.
Specification