# US 2014/0156160 A1 · System and method for aircraft brake metering to alleviate structural loading > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156160 A1 - Document ID: US20140156160A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/152,457 - Filed: 2014-01-10 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2006-01-19 - Assignees: Hydro-Aire, Inc. - Applicants: Hydro-Aire, Inc. - Inventors: Garrett H. DeVlieg; John Gowan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156160A1 ## CPC - B60T 8/1703: {for aircrafts} - B60T 8/00: Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force (by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10) - B60T 13/746: {and mechanical transmission of the braking action} - B60T 17/18: Safety devices; Monitoring - B64C 25/445: {Brake regulators for preventing somersaulting} - B60T 8/3255: {Systems in which the braking action is dependent on brake pedal data} - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS ## Abstract In a system and method for aircraft brake metering to alleviate structural loading, one or more electric brake actuators for wheel brakes having a range of brake clamping force are provided, and a brake actuation controller is configured to monitor commanded initiation of the aircraft, to limit initial brake effort of the electric brake actuators to a preset fraction of a maximum possible braking effort for a preset period of time, and to permit brake effort of the electric brake actuators up to the maximum possible braking effort after the preset period of time after initiation of braking has been commanded. The preset fraction is preferably approximately 50% of the maximum possible braking effort, and may be tuneable. The preset period of time is preferably approximately one second, and also may be tuneable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for metering aircraft brakes to alleviate structural loading of an aircraft by delaying a full onset of braking for a preset period of time, the aircraft having left and right landing gear with a plurality of wheels, and a corresponding plurality of wheel brakes configured to be actuated by commanded initiation of braking by brake clamping force commands, comprising: at least one electric brake actuator for each of the plurality of wheel brakes having a range of brake clamping force responsive to brake clamping force commands; and a brake actuation controller configured to monitor commanded initiation of braking of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft, to limit initial brake effort of said at least one electric brake actuator of each of the plurality of wheel brakes to a preset fraction of a maximum possible braking effort of said at least one electric brake actuator for a preset period of time, and to permit brake effort of said at least one electric brake actuator of each of the plurality of wheel brakes up to the maximum possible braking effort after the preset period of time after initiation of braking of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft has been commanded. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one electric brake actuator comprises a plurality of electric brake actuators for each of the plurality of wheel brakes having a range of brake clamping force responsive to brake clamping force commands. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said preset fraction is approximately 50% of the maximum possible braking effort of said at least one electric brake actuator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said preset fraction is tuneable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said preset period of time is approximately one second. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said preset period of time is tuneable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said initiation of braking of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft is commanded by depressing brake pedals of the aircraft by a pilot, and brake effort of said at least one electric brake actuator of each of the plurality of wheel brakes is permitted to increase up to the maximum possible braking effort after said preset period of time after the pilot has begun depressing the brake pedals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said preset period of time is approximately one second. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said preset period of time is tuneable. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said preset fraction is tuneable. ### Claim 11 A method for metering aircraft brakes to alleviate structural loading of an aircraft by delaying a full onset of braking for a preset period of time, the aircraft having left and right landing gear with a plurality of wheels, and a corresponding plurality of wheel brakes configured to be actuated by commanded initiation of braking by brake clamping force commands, comprising: providing at least one electric brake actuator for each of the plurality of wheel brakes having a range of brake clamping force responsive to brake clamping force commands; monitoring commanded initiation of braking of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft; limiting application of initial brake effort of said at least one electric brake actuator of each of the plurality of wheel brakes to a preset fraction of a maximum possible braking effort of said at least one electric brake actuator for a preset period of time in response to said commanded initiation of braking of the plurality of wheel brakes; and permitting brake effort of said at least one electric brake actuator of each of the plurality of wheel brakes up to the maximum possible braking effort after the preset period of time after initiation of braking of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft has been commanded. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said step of providing at least one electric brake actuator comprises providing a plurality of electric brake actuators for each of the plurality of wheel brakes having a range of brake clamping force responsive to brake clamping force commands. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said preset fraction is approximately 50% of the maximum possible braking effort of said at least one electric brake actuator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said preset fraction is tuneable. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said preset period of time is approximately one second. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said preset period of time is tuneable. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein initiation of braking of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft is commanded by depressing brake pedals of the aircraft by a pilot, and brake effort of said at least one electric brake actuator of each of the plurality of wheel brakes is permitted to increase up to the maximum possible braking effort after said preset period of time after the pilot has begun depressing the brake pedals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said preset period of time is approximately one second. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said preset period of time is tuneable. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said preset fraction is tuneable.