Brake system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12325331-B2
Application number	US-202218565651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2022
Priority date	Jun 4, 2021
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A brake system for an air vehicle having more than one wheel is described. The system has at least one rotating structure provided on the aircraft o as to be concentric with the wheel and to perform rotational movement together with the wheel, a friction element, contacting and compressing the rotating structure so as to generate a brake force to slow down the air vehicle, at least one actuator triggered by an electric motor to actuate the friction element so that it moves closer to and/or away from the rotating structure, a control unit enabling to control the amount of current given to the electric motor, more than one brake level changing in dependence to the amount of current given to the electric motor and expressing the magnitude of brake force applied to the air vehicle, through which the rotating structure and friction element contact each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A brake system ( 1 ) configured for an air vehicle (V) having a plurality of wheels ( 2 ) enabling the air vehicle (V) to move on a ground (Z), comprising:
at least one rotating structure ( 3 ) provided on the air vehicle (V) so as to be concentric with the wheel ( 2 ) and to perform rotational movement together with the wheel ( 2 );
a friction element ( 4 ) contacting and compressing the rotating structure ( 3 ) so as to generate a brake force to slow down the air vehicle (V);
an actuator ( 5 ) triggered by an electric motor (E) to actuate the friction element ( 4 ) so that it moves closer to and/or away from the rotating structure ( 3 );
a control unit ( 6 ) enabling to control an amount of current supplied to an electric motor (E), more than one brake level ( 7 ) changing in dependence to the amount of current supplied to the electric motor (E) and expressing a magnitude of the brake force applied to the air vehicle (V), according to which the rotating structure ( 3 ) and friction element ( 4 ) contact each other;
wherein the control unit ( 6 ) is configured to prevent the contact between the rotating structure ( 3 ) and the friction element ( 4 ) for a period of time as predetermined by a manufacturer when it is switched between brake levels ( 7 ) on a brake command given by a user and/or the control unit ( 6 ), thereby enabling to reduce losses due to power transmission elements and thus enabling predetermined brake forces to be applied to the wheels ( 2 ); and
wherein the actuator ( 5 ) increases a distance between the friction element ( 4 ) and the rotating structure ( 3 ) according to a manufacturer-predetermined time command it receives from the control unit ( 6 ), moves the friction element ( 4 ) only in a time-dependent manner so as to move the friction element ( 4 ) away from the rotating structure ( 3 ) and bring the friction element ( 4 ) closer to the rotating structure ( 3 ) in equal time, so as to move the friction element ( 4 ) away from the rotating structure ( 3 ) when the brake system is brought to a released position (R), in which the rotating structure ( 3 ) does not contact the friction element ( 4 ), thereby enabling the generated brake force to be not varied in dependence to a wearing out level of the friction element ( 4 ) and/or the rotating structure ( 3 ) and/or in dependence to a thickness of the friction element ( 4 ).

2. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) is configured to enable the friction element ( 4 ) to be brought to a remote position (U), in which the distance between the friction element ( 4 ) and the rotating structure ( 3 ) is maximum once contact of at least one of the plurality of wheels ( 2 ) with the ground (Z) is lost during takeoff, or just before at least one of the plurality of wheels ( 2 ) contacts the ground (Z) during landing, thereby enabling almost an identical force to be applied to the plurality of wheels ( 2 ) with the friction element ( 4 ) on the air vehicle (V) taking the same position before braking.

3. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , comprising a limiter ( 10 ) provided on the actuator ( 5 ) to terminate movement of the friction element ( 4 ) when the distance between the friction element ( 4 ) and the rotating structure ( 3 ) takes a maximum value as determined by the user.

4. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , comprising a first brake level ( 701 ) in which the brake force applied to the plurality of wheels ( 2 ) and the current used by the electric motor (E) are kept constant at a predetermined level, and more than one second brake level ( 702 , 703 ) in which the friction element ( 4 ) is brought from the first brake level ( 701 ) by increasing the brake force and the corresponding current value when a constant command is given by the user and/or the control unit ( 6 ).

5. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) configured to prevent contact between the rotating structure ( 3 ) and the friction element ( 4 ) between each brake level ( 7 ) for identical periods of time as predetermined by the manufacturer.

6. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) configured to prevent contact between the rotating structure ( 3 ) and the friction element ( 4 ) between each brake level ( 7 ) for different periods of time as predetermined by the manufacturer.

7. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein when the brake level ( 7 ) is changed the electric motor (E) is operated in the opposite direction for a predetermined period of time and the actuator ( 5 ) moves the friction element ( 4 ) in the direction in which it extends so as to increase the distance between the friction element ( 4 ) and the rotating structure ( 3 ).

8. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) has a maintenance mode in which the friction element ( 4 ) is brought to a remote position (U) for ease of access when commanded by the user and/or the control unit ( 6 ) during air vehicle (V) maintenance operations and parts replacement.

9. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , comprising at least one input unit ( 8 ) enabling the user to determine a brake level ( 7 ).

10. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized by multiple brake level indicators ( 9 ) indicating to the user an applied brake level ( 7 ).

11. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) configured to protect the system against freeze-ups by enabling the friction element ( 4 ) to be brought to a remote position (U) when repeated brake application and release commands in excess of a specified threshold value are given by the user to the input unit ( 8 ).

12. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) configured to move the friction element ( 4 ) for a period of time less than a second so as to move it away from the rotating structure ( 3 ) when the brake level ( 7 ) is changed.

13. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) has an autonomous mode in which air vehicle (V) control commands are given by the control unit ( 6 ), and a manual mode that allows the air vehicle (V) to be controlled by a pilot.

14. The brake system ( 1 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit ( 6 ) configured to automatically apply brake force and/or warns the user through one or more of the brake level indicators ( 9 ) if the user has not given a brake level ( 7 ) change command while a taxi operation is being carried out following landing in manual mode.

Assignees

• Tusas Turk Havacilik Ve Uzay Sanayii Anonim Sirketi
• Tusas—Turk Havacilik Ve Uzay Sanayii Anonim Sirketi

Inventors

• Akgun Burak
• Ceyhan Halil

Classifications

• B60T13/741

  acting on an ultimate actuator · CPC title

• B60T8/325

  Systems specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• B60L2240/429

  Current · CPC title

• F16D2121/24

  using motors · CPC title

• B60L7/18

  Controlling the braking effect (B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence) · CPC title