Trim actuator
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorWilliam L. McKeown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trim actuator for actuating mechanical controls in an aircraft flight control system in response to signals from a pilot having a stepper motor, a gear train member coupled to the stepper motor, an output member coupled to the gear train member. The trim actuator has a locked mode in which the mechanical controls are held in a fixed position relative to the aircraft, and a non-interference mode in which the mechanical controls are free to be moved by the pilot without interference from the aircraft flight control system. The non-interference mode and the locked mode are both achieved by the stepper motor.
Claims14
A trim actuator for actuating mechanical controls in an aircraft flight control system in response to signals from a pilot, the trim actuator comprising:
- a stepper motor;
- a gear train member coupled to the stepper motor;
- an output member coupled to the gear train member;
- wherein said trim actuator is operable in a plurality of modes by operator including:
- a) a locked mode in which the mechanical controls are held in a fixed position relative to the aircraft;
- b) a non-interference mode in which the mechanical controls are free to be moved by the pilot without interference from the aircraft flight control system;
- and
- wherein the non-interference mode and the locked mode both being achieved by the stepper motor.
A method of actuating mechanical controls in an aircraft flight control system, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a stepper motor;
- coupling a gear train member to the stepper motor;
- coupling an output member to the gear train member;
- utilizing the stepper motor to generate a locked mode in which the mechanical controls are held in a fixed position relative to the aircraft;
- and
- utilizing the stepper motor to generate a non-interference mode in which the mechanical controls are free to be moved by the pilot without interference from the aircraft flight control system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.