Dual-Paddle Button With Separable Link for Blockage Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Paddle buttons in human-machine interfaces, particularly in aircraft controls, face issues of mechanical failure and inconsistent sensor measurements due to accidental engagement with a single paddle, leading to unexpected equipment behavior or failure detection.
Innovation Solution
A paddle button design with two mechanically connected paddles that can be moved together via a separable zone, allowing independent movement if one paddle is blocked, and incorporating redundant sensors to ensure reliable position measurement and communication of failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two independent paddles are used to overcome sensor failure, then reliability is improved, but inconsistency between sensor measurements occurs when one paddle is accidentally engaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the two independent paddles into a single mechanical unit through a connection zone, ensuring they move together as one entity. This eliminates the measurement inconsistency problem while maintaining the redundancy benefit, as both paddles now reflect the same user input intent.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection zone is designed as a separable element that can break under excessive force. This segmentation allows the system to maintain structural integrity during normal operation while providing a failure mode that prevents damage propagation and maintains operational capability.
2Measurement precision
If paddles are mechanically connected to move together, then measurement consistency is improved, but ability to continue operation when one paddle is blocked is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The connection zone is designed as a separable element that can break under excessive force. This segmentation allows the paddles to move together during normal operation (maintaining measurement consistency) while providing a failure mode where the connection breaks if one paddle becomes blocked, allowing the other paddle to continue operating independently.
3Reliability
If a separable connection zone is introduced to allow independent paddle movement, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection zone is designed as a simple separable element (such as a frangible connection or detachable joint) that adds minimal structural complexity. This segmentation provides the reliability benefit of allowing independent paddle operation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity and ease of assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A paddle button, operable by a user, includes first and second paddles mechanically attached to each other only via a separable zone so as to allow only simultaneous movement of the first and second paddles as long as no blocking of one of the paddles relative to the other occurs. The separable zone is capable of yielding as soon as the difference between the pressing forces exerted, on the first and second paddles respectively, exceeds a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold is adjusted so as to be crossed if the user presses on one of the paddles while the movement of the other of the paddles is blocked.