Aircraft Throttle Quadrant Gust Lock Lever with Asymmetric Tactile Warning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gust lock lever systems in aircraft throttle quadrants require maintenance downtime for reconfiguration, leading to potential operational hazards due to asymmetrical throttle positioning and incomplete engine thrust recognition by flight crews during ground taxiing.
Innovation Solution
An adaptable gust lock lever system with a pivotally movable crossbar and slideably coupled stop member allows for asymmetric differential positioning of throttle levers, enabling single-engine taxiing without maintenance intervention, providing a tactile warning for incomplete stowage and allowing crew choice in engine usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the crossbar is fixed in a predetermined position to provide tactile warning, then the tactile warning function is improved, but maintenance downtime increases due to periodic reconfiguration needs
Solution Approach 1:
The crossbar is made movable between a first position (providing tactile warning on the left throttle) and a second position (providing tactile warning on the right throttle). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to adapt to different operational requirements without requiring maintenance intervention, as the flight crew can independently switch between positions during flight operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The gust lock lever system is divided into separable functional components: the crossbar that can be independently positioned, the tactile warning feature, and the throttle control function. This segmentation allows the crossbar to be repositioned independently without affecting other system components, eliminating the need for complete system reconfiguration during maintenance.
2Reliability
If the crossbar prevents both throttles from advancing simultaneously, then safety is improved by preventing incomplete thrust recognition, but operational flexibility deteriorates due to restricted throttle control
Solution Approach 1:
The crossbar is positioned asymmetrically relative to the two throttles, creating a tactile warning on only one throttle lever at a time. This asymmetric positioning allows the other throttle to advance freely, providing tactile feedback to the pilot that one throttle is restricted while the other is not, thereby maintaining both safety and operational flexibility.
3Ease of manufacture
If the gust lock lever system uses a fixed crossbar position, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability deteriorates due to inability to accommodate different taxiing preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The crossbar is designed to be repositionable between at least two distinct positions during operation, allowing the flight crew to select which engine will provide primary thrust during taxiing operations. This dynamic capability provides adaptability without complicating the fundamental manufacturing process, as the repositioning mechanism uses simple mechanical linkages.
Data Source
AI summary
A gust lock lever system associated with an aircraft throttle quadrant allows flight crew to freely choose which engine to use for ground taxing operations. A stop member is connected to a crossbar of the gust lock lever system for moveable positioning into alignment with a respective one of the port and starboard engine throttle levers. The stop member causes the port and starboard throttle levers to thereby assume an asymmetrically differential side-by-side position relative to one another in response to advancement of the port and starboard throttle levers toward the crossbar when the crossbar is in an intermediate position thereof. The asymmetrically differential side-by-side position of the throttle levers therefore provide the flight crew with an unordinary tactile sensation in the event that the aircraft's engine throttles are attempted to be advanced to a take-off thrust condition with the gust lock lever system improperly deployed in the intermediate ground taxiing position.