Aircraft braking systems

• US 6,478,252 B1
• Filed: 05/07/1991
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meggitt Aerospace Ltd. (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Limited (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Miller, Richard John, Carrier, Graham, Stimson, Ian Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US07/696,750
• Time in Patent Office: 4,207 Days
• Field of Search: 246/111, 188/264.R, 188/18.R, 188/16, 188/79, 188/71.1, 188/354, 188/382, 188/85, 188/116.R, 303/93, 303/9.61, 303/92
• US Class Current: 244/111
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/42 Arrangement or adaptation of brakes

Abstract

An aircraft braking system for a main undercarriage or undercarriages incorporates at least two brakes, which may be carbon type brakes, and a control unit for selectively disabling at least one brake during taxiing only, the control unit being arranged to ensure that the disabling of the brake or brakes does not affect the directional stability of the aircraft when the braking system is operated.

Claims

1. A method of increasing the service life of carbon disks which form the functional braking elements of a brake disk stack of an aircraft brake assembly, each brake assembly associated with a respective wheel of a plurality of wheels which comprises a landing gear configuration of the aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a preselect first group of brake assemblies of a total number of brake assemblies which are actuated for both low-pressure and high pressure braking of the aircraft;

establishing a preselect second group of brake assemblies which comprises the remaining number of the total number of brake assemblies which are actuated only during high-pressure braking of the aircraft;

actuating the first group of brake assemblies during the taxi-snub stops of the aircraft when it is on the ground; and

actuating the first and second groups of brake assemblies during landing of the aircraft.

2. A method of increasing the service life of carbon disks which form the functional braking elements of a brake disk stack of an aircraft brake assembly, each brake assembly associated with a respective wheel of a plurality of wheels comprising a landing gear configuration of the aircraft, the method comprising a the steps of:

proving a programmable brake controller which operates in conjunction with a pilot'"'"'s control for braking of the aircraft;

installing switch means within the circuitry of each brake assembly, the switch means being interconnected through the brake controller to actuate each of said respective brake assemblies; and

programming the brake controller to select various of the brake assemblies for braking action in accordance with a particular sequence such that all of the brake assemblies are actuated during an aircraft landing operation and only a preselected group of the total of brake assemblies is actuated during taxi braking operations of the aircraft when it is on the ground.

3. A method of minimizing the rate of wear of carbon discs in a stack of discs in an aircraft brake assembly comprising the steps of:

associating each aircraft brake assembly with a corresponding wheel of the aircraft;

establishing a landing gear configuration comprising at least two wheels each including an aircraft brake assembly arranged on each side of the center line of the aircraft;

applying an operative braking condition to all the brake assemblies during landing of the aircraft;

applying an operative braking signal to less than all the brake assemblies during taxiing of the aircraft.

4. A method of minimizing the rate of wear of carbon discs of a stack of discs of an aircraft brake assembly, each brake assembly associated with a respective wheel of a plurality of wheels which comprise a landing gear configuration of the aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing as an undercarriage at least two wheels on each side of the aircraft and a preselected first group of brake assemblies associated with each wheel;

establishing a preselected second group of brake assemblies which is at least one, but less than all, of the brake assemblies associated with the wheels on each side of the aircraft;

disabling all the brake assemblies save the second preselected group of brake assemblies during taxiing.