Indirect drive active control column
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An indirect drive active control column comprising:
- a stick moveable relative to a mechanical ground;
a passive feedback arrangement movable relative to the mechanical ground, the passive feedback arrangement directly acting on the stick providing a passive feedback force profile to the stick when the stick is moved relative to the passive feedback arrangement;
an actuator coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for actively adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground; and
wherein the passive feedback assembly includes a cam including a cam surface and a resistance arrangement, the cam surface defining a feedback neutral position, the stick includes a cam follower following the cam surface, wherein the resistance arrangement increasingly biases the cam surface to resists movement of the cam follower from the feedback neutral position to provide the passive tactile feedback.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An indirect drive active control column for an aircraft control system is provided. The indirect drive active control column provides both active and passive feedback to the control stick. The passive feedback relates to adjustments of the control stick relative to a feedback neutral position. The active feedback actively adjusts the position of the feedback neutral position to adjust a feedback profile of the passive feedback.
25 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An indirect drive active control column comprising:
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a stick moveable relative to a mechanical ground; a passive feedback arrangement movable relative to the mechanical ground, the passive feedback arrangement directly acting on the stick providing a passive feedback force profile to the stick when the stick is moved relative to the passive feedback arrangement; an actuator coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for actively adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground; and wherein the passive feedback assembly includes a cam including a cam surface and a resistance arrangement, the cam surface defining a feedback neutral position, the stick includes a cam follower following the cam surface, wherein the resistance arrangement increasingly biases the cam surface to resists movement of the cam follower from the feedback neutral position to provide the passive tactile feedback. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An indirect drive active control column comprising:
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a stick moveable relative to a mechanical ground; a passive feedback arrangement movable relative to the mechanical ground, the passive feedback arrangement directly acting on the stick providing a passive feedback force profile to the stick when the stick is moved relative to the passive feedback arrangement; an actuator coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for actively adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground; and wherein the passive feedback arrangement is operably coupled between the stick and the actuator such that any failure of the actuator does not completely prevent movement of the stick relative to the mechanical ground and the feedback assembly. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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8. An indirect drive active control column comprising:
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a stick moveable relative to a mechanical ground; a passive feedback arrangement movable relative to the mechanical ground, the passive feedback arrangement directly acting on the stick providing a passive feedback force profile to the stick when the stick is moved relative to the passive feedback arrangement; an actuator coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for actively adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground; wherein the passive feedback assembly includes at least one biasing member, the biasing member is interposed between the actuator and the stick. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. An indirect drive active control column comprising:
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a stick moveable relative to a mechanical ground; a passive feedback arrangement movable relative to the mechanical ground, the passive feedback arrangement directly acting on the stick providing a passive feedback force profile to the stick when the stick is moved relative to the passive feedback arrangement; an actuator coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for actively adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground; wherein the passive feedback assembly includes a cam including a cam surface and a resistance arrangement, the cam surface defining a feedback neutral position, the stick includes a cam follower following the cam surface, wherein the resistance arrangement increasingly biases the cam surface to resists movement of the cam follower from the feedback neutral position to provide the passive tactile feedback; wherein the passive feedback assembly includes a gimbal arrangement that carries the cam surface and the resistance arrangement, the actuator coupled to the gimbal arrangement and configured to adjust the position of the gimbal arrangement relative to mechanical ground to adjust the position of the passive feedback assembly relative to mechanical ground; and wherein the gimbal arrangement and cam having the cam surface are pivotally coupled to one another. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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14. An aircraft control system comprising:
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a stick movably coupled to a mechanical ground, and a feedback arrangement providing a passive feedback profile for the stick relative to the mechanical ground, at least a portion of the feedback arrangement being movable relative to the mechanical ground and the stick for adjusting the feedback profile relative to the mechanical ground; an actuator coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground for adjusting the feedback profile; and the passive feedback arrangement is operably coupled between the stick and the actuator such that any failure of the actuator does not completely prevent movement of the stick relative to the mechanical ground and the feedback assembly. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method of providing feedback to a control stick of an aircraft control system comprising the steps of:
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passively biasing the control stick when the control stick is transitioned from a feedback neutral position with a passive feedback arrangement movable relative to a mechanical ground, the passive feedback arrangement directly acting on the control stick providing a passive feedback force profile to the control stick when the control stick is moved, relative to the passive feedback arrangement; and actively adjusting the feedback neutral position relative to a mechanical ground so as to adjust a passive feedback profile relative to the mechanical ground with an actuator coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for actively adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground, the passive feedback arrangement being operably coupled between the control stick and the actuator. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification