Patent ID: 8886370

Claim:
A friction device for maintaining a manual control member of an aircraft in a determined position, wherein the device comprises: a contact part movable between a declutched stable position and a clutched stable position, and vice versa, said clutched stable position corresponding to a position in which the contact part bears against the control member in such a manner as to establish a determined friction force; electromechanical drive means for moving the contact part between the two stable positions, wherein the drive means comprise an electric motor imparting rotary drive to a threaded shaft having a nut mounted thereon, the nut being secured to the contact part, said nut being prevented from moving in rotation by a stationary stop finger having one end engaged transversely in said nut in such a manner as to impose movement in translation on said nut in a guide jacket under an effect of rotation of the threaded shaft; remote control means for manually activating and deactivating the drive means, wherein the remote control means are installed on the control member; and limiter means for automatically limiting the friction force to a determined maximum friction threshold, wherein the limiter means comprise an oblong slot formed in the nut and having the end of the stop finger engaged therein, thereby limiting a stroke of movement in translation of the nut to a distance corresponding to the longitudinal dimension of the oblong slot and consequently limiting a compression of the spring.