Honeywell International Inc.

Wittenstein Aerospace and Simulation Ltd.

Casey Hanlon

Paul T Wingett

Calvin C Potter

Donald Jeffrey Christensen

Andrew T Johnson

Kellan P Geck

James I Kern

James Neil Quitmeyer

David M Eschborn

Steve G Abel

Dwayne Michael Benson

Louie Timothy Gaines

Dean R Wilkens

Don Christensen

Allan Blunt

Toren S Davis

Larry James Yount

Kevin K Chakkera

Todd Langston

Pablo Bandera

Stephen G Abel

Brent Bristol

Glenn H Lane

George T Woessner

David M Mathis

Paul S Evans

Justin A Tanner

Gary A Farnsworth

Joseph W Jackson

John Thurston

Steven Talbert Forrest

Mitchell Laidlaw

David B Tornquist

Douglas C Smith

Cal Potter

David A Cowling

Douglas T Hopper

Doug Kortum

Robert D Kortum

Timm E Hartman

Carol Lynn Eschborn, Legal Representative

Shmuel Ezran

Dave Eschborn

Steve Spicer

David Corcino

Carol Lynn Eschborn

An aircraft electric brake actuator assembly includes an actuator housing, a motor housing, an actuator, an electric motor, and an actuator brake. The actuator housing is configured to be mounted on an aircraft landing gear. The motor housing is coupled to the actuator housing and is removable therefrom. The motor housing is also accessible when the actuator housing is mounted on an aircraft. The electric motor is disposed within the motor housing and is coupled to the actuator. The actuator brake is disposed within the motor housing and is removably coupled to the motor.

Aircraft electric brake actuator assembly with line replaceable actuator brake

An actuator includes a ball nut, a ball screw, and a ball screw stop. The ball nut is adapted to receive an input torque and in response rotates and supplies a drive force. The ball screw extends through the ball nut and has a first end and a second end. The ball screw receives the drive force from the ball nut and in response selectively translates between a retract position and a extend position. The ball screw stop is mounted on the ball screw proximate the first end to translate therewith. The ball screw stop engages the ball nut when the ball screw is in the extend position, translates, with compliance, a predetermined distance toward the first end upon engaging the ball nut, and prevents further rotation of the ball screw upon translating the predetermined distance.

Ball screw actuator including a compliant ball screw stop

A system and method of controlling aircraft brakes in an aircraft that includes a brake pedal and an electric brake actuator. An aircraft operational state is determined and an application force that is supplied to the brake pedal is determined. When the determined aircraft operational state is a ground-idle state and the determined application force is greater than a set force magnitude, an actuator brake is moved to engage the electric brake actuator and the electric brake actuator is de-energized.

Aircraft electric brake actuation system and method

An actuator includes an actuator housing, a ball screw, and an axial soft stop assembly. The ball screw extends through the actuator housing and has a first end and a second end. The ball screw is coupled to receive a drive force and is configured, upon receipt of the drive force, to selectively move in a retract direction and an extend direction. The axial soft stop assembly is disposed within the actuator housing. The axial soft stop assembly is configured to be selectively engaged by the ball screw and, upon being engaged thereby, to translate, with compliance, a predetermined distance in the extend direction, and to prevent further movement of the ball screw upon translating the predetermined distance.

Ball screw actuator including an axial soft stop

A human-machine interface includes a user interface, a gimbal assembly, a gimbal interface rod, a force sensor mount, and a spacer. The gimbal assembly is coupled to the user interface. The gimbal interface rod is coupled to and extends from the gimbal assembly. The force sensor mount is coupled to the user interface and to the gimbal assembly, is configured to have a plurality of force sensors coupled thereto, and surrounds a portion of the gimbal interface rod and is spaced apart therefrom to define a circumferential gap. The spacer is disposed between and engages the portion of the gimbal interface rod and the force sensor mount, and is configured to maintain the circumferential gap between the force sensor mount and the gimbal interface rod until a predetermined user input force is supplied to the user interface whereupon the force sensor mount engages the gimbal interface rod.

Active human-machine interface with force sensor overload protection

An apparatus includes a shaft, a device, a fastener, and an anti-rotation clip. The shaft is configured for rotation. The device is mounted on, and surrounds at least a portion of, the shaft, and has first and second protrusions that are formed on one side and are spaced apart to define a tab space. The fastener is rotationally mounted relative to the shaft, and includes a tab slot formed in its outer surface that extends radially inwardly and is disposed radially inwardly of the tab space. The anti-rotation clip includes a main body portion and a head portion that has a first tab portion and a second tab portion. At least a portion the main body portion is disposed between the device and the fastener, the first tab is disposed in the tab space, and the second tab is disposed in the tab slot.

Threaded fastener positive anti-rotation locking device

An apparatus and method is provided for operating an aircraft control stick in an active mode and a passive mode. The method comprises subjecting the control stick to an a resilient restoring force in the passive mode, and neutralizing the restoring force in the active mode. A spring assembly is provided for exerting and neutralizing the restoring force, which may be varied between minimum and maximum values.

Aircraft control stick operational in active and passive modes

An aircraft brake system electromechanical actuator is provided. The actuator is configured with features that allow the electric motor to be a line replaceable unit. One such feature is a foreign-object-damage shield that inhibits dust, debris, and/or other particulate contaminants from entering the electromechanical actuator during electric motor removal and replacement.

Brake actuator assembly with line replaceable motor features

An active user interface system includes a gimbal assembly that is configured as a dual-input/single-output differential mechanism. The differential mechanism implements a speed reduction from the inputs of the differential mechanism to the output of the differential mechanism. Speed reduction enables the maximum drive torque that is supplied to the user interface about one rotational axis to be greater than the maximum drive torque that is supplied to the user interface about another, perpendicular axis.

Active feedback user interface system and gimbal assembly therefor

An actuation assembly is provided. The actuation assembly includes a casing, a plurality of linear actuators coupled to the casing, each of the linear actuators having first and second components and being configured to move the second component thereof relative to the first component thereof along a respective first axis, and a plurality of translational member sets, each being coupled to the second component of a respective one of the linear actuators and the casing and being configured such that when the second component of the respective linear actuator moves along the respective first axis, a selected portion of the translational member set moves substantially along a respective second axis.

Actuation assembly

In some examples, a system includes a brake rotor, a brake armature configured to engage with the brake rotor to substantially fix a rotational position of the brake rotor relative to the brake armature, and a mechanism mechanically coupled to the brake armature. The brake armature may be configured to rotate in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction substantially opposite the first rotational direction. The mechanism may be configured to maintain the brake armature in a fixed rotational position when a torque applied to the brake armature in a second rotational direction is less than or equal to a threshold torque value. The mechanism also may be configured to permit rotation of the brake armature in the second rotational direction when torque on the brake armature in the second rotational direction exceeds the threshold torque value.

Electromechanical brake actuator motor brake

A system and method for determining the input force supplied to a user interface by a user is provided. A passive feedback mechanism is coupled to the user interface, and a change in position of the passive feedback mechanism is sensed. The input force supplied by the user to the user interface is then calculated from the sensed change in position.

Human-machine interface with integrated position sensors and passive haptic feedback devices

Electromechanical actuators (EMAs) include an output disposed at a location that is axially central between two EM devices. The EMAs include either one or two motors and an output mechanism. The motors are adapted to be energized and are operable, upon being energized, to either generate torques about a first axis or drive forces along a first axis. The output mechanism is responsive to the torques or forces to translate along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

Dual drive electromechanical actuator with center output

An electromechanical actuator is provided for converting rotary action into linear action, and includes an electric motor, a cable yoke, an output shaft, and a pair of cables. The electric motor is adapted to be selectively energized and is configured, upon being energized to generate a drive torque. The cable yoke is coupled to receive the drive torque and is configured, upon receipt thereof, to rotate about a rotational axis. The output shaft is coupled to receive a drive force and is configured, upon receipt thereof, to translate along a linear axis that is disposed at least substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis. Each cable is wound, in pretension, on a portion of the cable yoke and around a portion of the output shaft. The pair of cables is configured, upon rotation of the cable yoke, to supply the drive force to the output shaft.

High accuracy, zero backlash rotary-to-linear electromechanical actuator

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Queen Creek, AZ, United States of America

Casey Hanlon