Unified Flight Control Stick for Thrust and Yaw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional aircraft flight control systems require separate controls for thrust and yaw, which are heavy, difficult to install, and not intuitive for pilots, necessitating a unified and simplified control system.
Innovation Solution
A thrust lever configured as a control stick that can be moved along a first direction to control thrust magnitude and twisted to control yaw, incorporating a finger-operated stick for braking, allowing unified control of thrust, yaw, and braking, and potentially steering during taxiing, reducing the need for separate controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate controls are used for thrust and yaw, then each control can be optimized for its specific function, but the cockpit becomes more complex, heavier, and more difficult to install and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the thrust lever and yaw control into a single unified control mechanism. The thrust lever is configured to both control thrust magnitude through forward/backward movement and control yaw through rotational movement, eliminating the need for separate rudder pedals and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust lever is designed as a multi-functional control element that performs multiple functions: thrust control, yaw control, and potentially braking control. This universal control element replaces multiple specialized controls, reducing the number of components while maintaining all necessary control capabilities.
2Reliability
If separate controls are used for thrust and yaw, then each control can be independently optimized, but the weight of the aircraft increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the thrust lever and yaw control into a single physical component, the patent eliminates redundant controls that would add weight. The unified lever mechanism replaces multiple separate controls (thrust lever, rudder pedals, spoiler levers), directly reducing the aircraft's overall weight.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional separate controls are used, then installation and maintenance procedures are established, but they become difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The unified control mechanism reduces the number of components that need to be installed and maintained. By integrating multiple control functions into a single lever system, the patent simplifies installation procedures and reduces maintenance complexity compared to managing multiple separate controls.
4Device complexity
If a unified control system is implemented, then the cockpit becomes simpler and lighter, but the control mechanism must accommodate multiple functions
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust lever incorporates multiple degrees of freedom including rotational movement for yaw control and linear movement for thrust control. This dynamic multi-degree-of-freedom mechanism allows a single control element to accommodate multiple functions while maintaining intuitive pilot control.
Data Source
AI summary
A flight control system for an aircraft. The flight control system includes a thrust lever configured to control a thrust magnitude for the aircraft during flight. The thrust lever is in the form of a control stick that can be moved along a first direction to control the thrust magnitude. The thrust lever is also configured to control a yaw angle of the aircraft during flight. The control stick, or at least a portion of the control stick, can be twisted to control the yaw angle of the aircraft.