Control Stick Pivot Redundancy With Bearing Failure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current control stick pivot systems for aircraft, which incorporate redundant bearings for reliability, can be improved by incorporating a detection component to promptly identify primary bearing malfunctions, ensuring seamless operation and maintaining ergonomic control stick functionality.
Innovation Solution
A control stick pivot system featuring a primary pivot bearing, a redundant pivot bearing, and a detection component, such as sensors or visual indicators, to detect primary bearing malfunctions, allowing the redundant bearing to seamlessly take over and alert maintenance personnel during operation or testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a redundant pivot bearing is incorporated to ensure continuous operation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The redundant pivot bearing is mounted concentrically within the primary pivot bearing, with the redundant bearing's inner race positioned inside the primary bearing's outer race. This nested arrangement allows both bearings to share the same space, providing redundancy while minimizing additional structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A detection component is introduced as an intermediary element that monitors the condition of the primary pivot bearing and detects when it malfunctions. This mediator enables automatic or semi-automatic switching between primary and redundant bearings, reducing the complexity of manual detection and intervention.
2Ease of operation
If rolling-element bearings are used to provide low-friction pivot, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to shock loads and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The redundant pivot bearing is pre-positioned and ready to take over immediately upon detection of primary bearing malfunction. This beforehand preparation ensures that when shock loads or wear affect the primary bearing, the system can switch to the redundant bearing without loss of control functionality, cushioning against the reliability issues of rolling-element bearings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of the bearing configuration from single-bearing operation to dual-bearing standby mode when malfunction is detected. This parameter change allows the system to transition from low-friction rolling operation to a more robust configuration that can handle shock loads and wear conditions.
3Reliability
If a detection component is added to detect primary bearing malfunction, then reliability is improved through timely detection, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection component is integrated into the existing bearing structure, utilizing the relative motion between the primary and redundant bearings as the detection mechanism. This self-service approach allows the system to detect malfunctions using its own operational characteristics rather than requiring entirely separate detection systems, thereby minimizing additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A control stick pivot (200) comprises a primary pivot bearing (210), a redundant pivot bearing (220), and a detection component for detecting malfunction of the primary pivot bearing. The redundant pivot bearing is provided on one side of the primary pivot bearing. The redundant pivot bearing becomes operative as a bearing in the event that the primary pivot bearing malfunctions. The detection component may comprise one or more features (230) provided on the redundant pivot bearing for applying a torque to the redundant pivot bearing during maintenance or testing and/or a sensor (300; 310; 320) configured to detect relative motion at an interface between the primary pivot bearing and the redundant pivot bearing.