Motion control system for foot-actuated flight controller

Abstract

The present invention discloses improvements to mechanical and electro-mechanical force simulators for aircraft pilot controllers, and particularly foot-actuated controllers. In particular, the invention replaces conventional foot-actuated, pilot controller systems—namely, those that employ multiple, discrete, motion control subsystems to control the various force simulation and trim functions used in modern aircraft to assist pilot control of a given axis of flight—with a single motion control system. The invention accomplishes this in part by eliminating the force-feel spring used in conventional, federated, foot-actuated, motor-coupled pilot controllers. Instead, in a preferred embodiment, the motion control system employs a single actuator (14), such as a BLDC motor/gearhead assembly, driven by control electronics that receives inputs from force sensors (13) and position sensors (9, 10) mounted on the actuator to, at once, provide both the “feel forces” (FEEL, FRICTION, and DAMPING) and controls trim to the pilot's foot pedals.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.