US 12,006,023 B2
Aircraft inceptor apparatus and aircraft flight control system
Rodrigo Rizzi Starr, Munich (DE); Robert Austen Fox, Reading (GB); Markus Scherdel, Amstetten (DE); Alex Duarte Gomes, Germering (DE); Vincente Martínez Martínez, Gilching (DE); Fabio Wilson Rodrigues, Huntington Beach, CA (US); and Rogério De Cerqueira Lario, Munich (DE)
Assigned to Lilium eAircraft GmbH, Wessling (DE)
Filed by Lilium eAircraft GmbH, Wessling (DE)
Filed on Feb. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/673,961.
Claims priority of application No. 21158250 (EP), filed on Feb. 19, 2021; and application No. PCT/EP2022/052744 (WO), filed on Feb. 4, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2022/0266983 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 13/04 (2006.01); B64C 13/10 (2006.01); B64C 13/12 (2006.01); B64C 13/14 (2006.01); B64C 13/50 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 13/0421 (2018.01) [B64C 13/10 (2013.01); B64C 13/12 (2013.01); B64C 13/14 (2013.01); B64C 13/503 (2013.01); G05D 1/0077 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flight control system for an aircraft, comprising at least one inceptor apparatus, which is electronically or optically connected with a flight control computer system, the flight control computer system being configured to effect a flight control of the aircraft based on flight control signals or commands received from the at least one inceptor apparatus;
wherein the at least one inceptor apparatus comprises:
an apparatus base;
a primary inceptor member provided in the form of a stick member having a grip portion, at which the stick member can be gripped by a pilot's hand, wherein the primary inceptor member is mounted at a primary inceptor member base relative to the apparatus base;
a primary sensor assembly which is provided to generate electronic flight control signals or commands in response to at least one of i) pivoting movements of the primary inceptor member around each of two independent maneuvering axes, ii) forces acting on or via the primary inceptor member in pivoting directions with respect to each of the two independent maneuvering axes and iii) lateral flexing or bending of the primary inceptor member;
a secondary inceptor member having an actuating portion, at which the secondary inceptor member can be manually actuated by a pilot's thumb, wherein the secondary inceptor member is mounted at a secondary inceptor member base relative to an upper mounting portion of the primary inceptor member opposite to the primary inceptor member base; and
a secondary sensor assembly which is provided to generate electronic flight control signals or commands in response to at least one of i) pivoting movements of the secondary inceptor member around each of two independent maneuvering axes associated to the secondary inceptor member, ii) forces acting on or via the secondary inceptor member in pivoting directions with respect to each of the two independent maneuvering axes associated to the secondary inceptor member, and iii) lateral flexing or bending of the secondary inceptor member;
wherein the flight control computer system is configured to effect the flight control in a primary control mode based on flight control signals or commands corresponding to or being based on the electronic flight control signals or commands generated by the primary sensor assembly of the at least one inceptor apparatus and to effect the flight control in a secondary control mode based on flight control signals or commands corresponding to or being based on the electronic flight control signals or commands generated by the secondary sensor assembly of the at least one inceptor apparatus; and
wherein the flight control system is configured such that the primary control mode is a normal control mode, in which the flight control of the aircraft is based on input provided by a pilot by the primary inceptor member, and that the secondary control mode is a redundancy control mode, in which the flight control is based on pilot input provided by the pilot by means of the secondary inceptor member, so that the secondary inceptor member redundantly enables pilot input in case the pilot input by the primary inceptor member fails.