Aircraft Parking Brake Control With Multiple Operating Locations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft parking brake systems are typically controlled from a single location in the cockpit, which can be inconvenient for ground crew members who need to manage the brakes from other locations, increasing the time and effort required for aircraft parking operations.
Innovation Solution
A system with multiple control points for the parking brake, including a switch interface in the cockpit and another on the landing gear, connected via a virtual machine controller, allowing remote control and illumination patterns to indicate the brake's status, enabling efficient management by both pilots and ground crew.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the parking brake is controlled from a single location in the cockpit, then the control system is simple, but the ease of operation deteriorates for ground crew members who need to manage brakes from other locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single cockpit control into multiple distributed control locations, including cockpit controls and external controls positioned near the landing gear. This segmentation allows different users (pilots and ground crew) to operate the parking brake from their respective optimal locations, improving ease of operation without significantly increasing overall system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control system with multiple interfaces that acts as an intermediary between the parking brake mechanism and various users. This intermediary system receives commands from multiple locations (cockpit and external positions) and coordinates them to control the single parking brake mechanism, thereby improving accessibility while maintaining controlled complexity through centralized logic.
2Productivity
If the parking brake control is located only in the cockpit, then the device complexity is low, but the time required for ground crew to manage parking brakes increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the control functionality into multiple locations including external controls near the landing gear, ground crew members can directly access and operate the parking brake without traveling to the cockpit. This reduces the time required for parking brake management and improves overall productivity of ground operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The external control positions are pre-positioned near the landing gear areas where ground crew naturally congregate during parking operations. This preliminary placement of controls eliminates unnecessary movement and allows ground crew to immediately manage the parking brake when needed, reducing operational time and improving productivity.
3Ease of operation
If multiple control locations are provided, then the ease of operation improves for ground crew, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed with universal functionality that handles commands from multiple locations through a unified control logic. The same parking brake mechanism responds to commands whether initiated from the cockpit or external positions, providing multi-functionality without proportionally increasing complexity. The system universally processes different control inputs through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized control system acts as an intermediary that receives commands from multiple distributed locations and coordinates them to control the single parking brake mechanism. This intermediary layer manages the complexity by providing a unified control logic that handles multiple inputs, thereby improving ease of operation while containing device complexity through centralized intelligence.
4Loss of information
If visual indicators are provided at multiple locations, then the information availability improves, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
Visual indicators are provided locally at each control position (cockpit and external controls) to show the parking brake status relevant to that location. This local quality ensures that each user sees the brake status from their operational perspective, improving information availability. The energy consumption is minimized by providing only the necessary local indicators rather than comprehensive system-wide displays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback indicators at multiple locations that show the current state of the parking brake. This feedback mechanism ensures that users at any control position can immediately see whether the brake is applied or released, improving information availability. The energy use is optimized by using simple visual indicators (such as LEDs) that consume minimal power while providing clear status information.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for controlling a parking brake system on an aircraft (10) is provided. The system includes a switch interface (56) comprising an enable switch (83) and an activate switch (84). The parking brake system is configured to switch the state of a parking brake in response to the enable switch and the activate switch being engaged at the same time. A second switch interface (58) also includes an enable switch (73) and an activate switch (74) with the parking brake system configured to switch the state of the parking brake system in response to the second enable switch and the second activate switch being engaged at the same time. The system may also be controlled from a remote and/or virtual location.