Back to results
US 4,470,570 AGranted
Control assembly for aircraft
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsSeiya Sakurai, Jack N. Funk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pedal control assembly for a pilot station of an aircraft. The pedals are arranged in a module for linear sliding movement and position sensing members transmit appropriate signals to control components of the aircraft.
Claims26
A pilot control station particularly adapted for use in an aircraft where control signals are generated at the control station to control movement of aircraft components remote from the control station, said station having a vertical axis, a longitudinal axis generally coinciding with a flight path of the aircraft and a transverse axis, said pilot station comprising:
- (a) a pilot seat having a body support platform to support a pilot at the station and to establish:
- (1) an eye reference location, corresponding to a proper viewing location for a view through a window of said aircraft;
- (2) a pedal control area located downwardly and forwardly of said support platform for convenient placement of a pilot's feet;
- (3) a pedal control axis aligned relative to said support platform for optimized extended and retracted movement of the feet of the pilot;
- (b) a pedal assembly comprising:
- (1) a main frame located at the pedal control area and having right and left laterally spaced guide frame members establishing substantially linear right and left travel paths generally aligned with said pedal control axis;
- (2) right and left pedal mounting members mounted to said right and left guide frame members, respectively, for movement along said right and left travel paths;
- (3) right and left pedal members adapted to be engaged by right and left feet of the pilot, respectively, said right and left pedal members being pivotally mounted to said right and left mounting members about respective generally transversely aligned axes to be rotated by rotation of the pilot's feet;
- (4) first sensing means operatively arranged relative to said pedal mounting members to be responsive to linear location of said pedal members along said travel paths to generate a control signal related to said linear location;
- and
- (5) second sensing means operatively arranged relative to said pedal members to sense angular movement of said pedal members relative to said pedal mounting members and generate a control signal corresponding to said angular movement;
- (c) a base frame located at said pedal control area, said main frame being adjustably mounted to said base frame in a manner that said main frame can be moved to a higher and more rearward position to accommodate leg position of shorter pilots, and to a lower and more forward position to accommodate leg position of a taller pilot, with the positions of the main frame maintaining the travel paths of the pedal mounting members in substantial alignment with said pedal control axis;
- whereby the control pedals can conveniently be moved linearly along said pedal control axis and rotated relative to said pedal mounting members to generate control signals in said first and second sensing means.
10 more elements
A pilot control station particularly adapted for use in an aircraft where control signals are generated at the control station to control movement of aircraft components remote from the control station, said station having a vertical axis, a longitudinal axis generally coinciding with a flight path of the aircraft and a transverse axis, said pilot station comprising:
- (a) a pilot seat having a body support platform to support a pilot at the station and to establish:
- (1) an eye reference location, corresponding to a proper viewing location for a view through a window of said aircraft;
- (2) a pedal control area located downwardly and forwardly of said support platform for convenient placement of a pilot's feet;
- (3) a pedal control axis extending forwardly and downwardly from said seat and aligned relative to said seat platform for optimized extended and retracted movement of the feet of the pilot along said axis;
- (b) said pilot seat being vertically adjustable so as to raise or lower said support platform relative to said eye reference location and said pedal control axis;
- (c) a pedal assembly comprising:
- (1) a base frame located at said pedal control area;
- (2) a main frame adjustably mounted to said base frame in a manner that said main frame can be moved to a higher and more rearward position relative to said pedal control axis and to a lower and more forward position relative to said pedal control axis, said main frame having right and left laterally spaced guide members establishing substantially linear right and left travel paths generally aligned with said pedal control axis;
- (3) right and left laterally spaced elongate pedal mounting members mounted to said right and left guide frame members, respectively, for movement along said right and left travel paths;
- (4) right and left pedal members adapted to be engaged by right and left feet of the pilot, respectively, said right and left pedal members being pivotally mounted to said right and left mounting members about respective generally transversely aligned axes to be rotated by rotation of the pilot's feet;
- (5) first sensing means operatively arranged relative to at least one of said pedal mounting members and its related frame member to be responsive to linear location of said one pedal mounting member along said travel paths to generate a control signal related to said linear location;
- and
- (6) second sensing means operatively arranged relative to both of said pedal members and to the pedal mounting members to sense angular movement of said pedal members relative to said pedal mounting members independently of linear movement of said pedal mounting members and generate a control signal corresponding to said angular movement;
- whereby to accommodate a taller pilot, said seat can be moved to a lower location and said main frame can be moved to said lower and more forward position, and for a shorter pilot, the pilot seat can be moved to a higher position and the main frame to said higher and more rearward position, so that pilot location at the eye reference location is maintained and the travel paths of the pedal mounting members can be maintained in substantial alignment with the pedal control axis.
11 more elements
A pilot control station particularly adapted for use in an aircraft where control signals are generated at the control station to control movement of aircraft components remote from the control station, said station having a vertical axis, a longitudinal axis generally coinciding with a flight path of the aircraft and a transverse axis, said pilot station comprising:
- (a) right and left pilot seats, each having a body support platform to support a pilot at the station and to establish:
- (1) an eye reference location, corresponding to a proper viewing location for a view through a window of said aircraft;
- (2) a pedal control area located downwardly and forwardly of said support platform for convenient placement of a pilot's feet;
- (3) a pedal control axis extending forwardly and downwardly from said seat and aligned relative to said seat platform for optimized extended and retracted movement of the feet of the pilot along said axis;
- (b) each pilot seat being vertically adjustable so as to raise or lower said support platform relative to said eye reference location and said pedal control axis;
- (c) a pedal assembly comprising right and left pedal modules, each module comprising:
- (1) a base frame located at said pedal control area;
- (2) a main frame adjustably mounted to said base frame in a manner that said main frame can be moved to a higher and more rearward position relative to said pedal control axis and to a lower and more forward position relative to said pedal control axis, said main frame having right and left laterally spaced guide members establishing substantially linear right and left travel paths generally aligned with said pedal control axis;
- (3) right and left laterally spaced elongate pedal mounting members mounted to said right and left guide frame members, respectively, for movement along said right and left travel paths;
- (4) right and left pedal members adapted to be engaged by right and left feet of the pilot, respectively, said right and left pedal members being pivotally mounted to said right and left mounting members about respective generally transversely aligned axes to be rotated by rotation of the pilot's feet;
- (d) sensing apparatus comprising:
- (1) first sensing means operatively arranged relative to at least one of said pedal mounting members and its related frame member to be responsive to linear location of said one pedal mounting member along said travel paths to generate a control signal related to said linear location;
- and
- (2) second sensing means operatively arranged relative to both of said pedal members of at least one module and to the pedal mounting members to sense angular movement of said pedal members relative to said pedal mounting members independently of linear movement of said pedal mounting members and generate a control signal corresponding to said angular movement;
- (e) module interconnecting means operatively connected between said pedal modules so that movement of pedal members of one module causes a corresponding movement of the corresponding pedal member of the other module;
- whereby to accommodate a taller pilot, each seat can be moved to a lower location and said main frame can be moved to said lower and more forward position, and for a shorter pilot, each pilot seat can be moved to a higher position and the main frame to said higher and more rearward position, so that pilot location at the eye reference location for each seat is maintained and the travel paths of the pedal mounting members can be maintained in substantial alignment with the pedal control axis.
13 more elements
A pedal assembly for a pilot control station where there is an optimized pedal control axis for linear pedal control movement, said pedal assembly comprising:
- (a) a base frame located at said pedal control area;
- (b) a main frame adjustably mounted to said base frame in a manner that said main frame can be moved to a higher and more rearward position relative to said pedal control axis and to a lower and more forward position relative to said pedal control axis, said main frame having right and left laterally spaced guide members establishing substantially linear right and left travel paths generally aligned with said pedal control axis;
- (c) right and left laterally spaced elongate pedal mounting members mounted to said right and left guide frame members, respectively, for movement along said right and left travel paths;
- (d) right and left pedal members adapted to be engaged by right and left feet of the pilot, respectively, said right and left pedal members being pivotally mounted to said right and left mounting members about respective generally transversely aligned axes to be rotated by rotation of the pilot's feet;
- (e) first sensing means operatively arranged relative to at least one of said pedal mounting members and its related frame member to be responsive to linear location of said one pedal mounting member along said travel paths to generate a control signal related to said linear location;
- and
- (f) second sensing means operatively arranged relative to both of said pedal members and to the pedal mounting members to sense angular movement of said pedal members relative to said pedal mounting members independently of linear movement of said pedal mounting members and generate a control signal corresponding to said angular movement.
4 more elements
A pedal control assembly particularly adapted for use in an aircraft where control signals are generated at the control station to control movement of aircraft components remote from the control station, said pedal assembly comprising:
- (a) right and left pedal modules, each module comprising:
- (1) a base frame located at said pedal control area;
- (2) a main frame adjustably mounted to said base frame in a manner that said main frame can be moved to a higher and more rearward position relative to said pedal control axis and to a lower and more forward position relative to said pedal control axis, said main frame having right and left laterally spaced guide members establishing substantially linear right and left travel paths generally aligned with said pedal control axis;
- (3) right and left laterally spaced elongate pedal mounting members mounted to said right and left guide frame members, respectively, for movement along said right and left travel paths;
- (4) right and left pedal members adapted to be engaged by right and left feet of a pilot, respectively, said right and left pedal members being pivotally mounted to said right and left mounting members about respective generally transversely aligned axes to be rotated by rotation of the pilot's feet;
- (b) sensing apparatus comprising:
- (1) first sensing means operatively arranged relative to at least one of said pedal mounting members and its related frame member to be responsive to linear location of said one pedal mounting member along said travel paths to generate a control signal related to said linear location;
- and
- (2) second sensing means operatively arranged relative to both of said pedal members of at least one module and to the pedal mounting members to sense angular movement of said pedal members relative to said pedal mounting members independently of linear movement of said pedal mounting members and generate a control signal corresponding to said angular movement;
- (c) module interconnecting means operatively connected between said pedal modules so that movement of pedal members of one module causes a corresponding movement of the corresponding pedal member of the other module.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.