Aircraft seat module

Abstract

The aircraft seat module 20 includes a seat mount 26 having a horizontal mounting rail 28 integrally joined to a vertical mounting post 30 at an adjacent elbow 32. The rail 28 includes a mounting boss 34 longitudinally spaced from the post 30 for attachment to the aircraft cabin seat track 18. Both the rail 28 and the post 30 include mounting holes 38 for attaching a passenger seat 22 and associated furniture 24 directly to the seat mount 26 and then indirectly to the seat track 18 in the cabin floor 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to aircraft seats, and more specifically, to the attachment of aircraft seats in the passenger cabin of an aircraft.

Background Art

[0002] Commercial airliners typically have one or two aisles extending along the length of the passenger cabin of the aircraft, along which multiple rows of passenger seats are arranged. Usually, seats in the first-class or business-class cabin are larger and wider than those in the standard cabin or economy-class cabin, and to provide special legroom and also to provide a lateral extension of the premium seat for the passenger to assume a horizontal sleeping position, the former premium seats are spaced wider apart in the aisle than the latter economy seats.

[0003] Regardless of seat class, the seats are fixedly attached to the cabin floor in a similar manner by attaching corresponding seat legs to a pair of seat tracks firmly attached to a cabin frame or beam underlying and supporting the cabin floor. The seat tracks extend longitudinally along and in the same plane as the cabin floorboard and include a row of keyhole slots configured to receive corresponding double-lug screw stud fittings or fasteners.

[0004] The double-lug of this fastener is inserted into the keyhole slot, slides in the middle between the two slots to be held under the flange, and is then fixed there by a corresponding circular washer or plunger sized to fit the mating retaining seat. The threaded stud extends through the seat leg, and a retaining nut on the stud clamps the washer in place to prevent movement of the stud fastener, thereby fixing the seat in place.

[0005] The legs of the various seats are sized and configured to withstand all operating loads due to the weight of each passenger held in the seat mainly by the seat belt.

[0006] Aircraft seats are designed to protect passengers not only during normal aircraft flight but also in survivable crash situations. Therefore, they need to prove to be strong enough to maintain integrity against so-called 16 times gravity (16g) dynamic crash events such as runway departure, hard landing or landing gear failure.

[0007] The inertial loads on a typical passenger during flight reach 4g forward, 2g backward, 2g laterally, 3g upward and 4g downward. On the other hand, during an emergency landing, the inertial loads can be significantly higher, reaching 16g forward, 4g backward, 4g laterally, 8g upward and 14g downward, and all of these inertial loads must be safely transmitted through each passenger's seat and seat legs and through the seat fasteners to the seat track.

[0008] The seat track attached to the floor is a major structural element of the cabin. For aircraft-level certification and structural compliance, seat products are only permitted to be attached to the seat track and cannot be additionally attached to the cabin or its sidewalls or fuselage. Therefore, all forces from the seat need to be transmitted through or within the seat track, including during a 16g dynamic crash event.

[0009] There are various conventional seat frames or adapters attached to seat tracks to provide attachment points at the floor level of the seat. In the case of business class and first class seats, the seats are larger in size than economy seats, usually allowing for a significant incline and being more complex to lie flat for sleeping. Such premium seats typically further include attached amenities and associated privacy partitions, all of which further increase the weight and load, and these still have to be transmitted in the same way through the same seat tracks provided in the aircraft for small and lightweight economy seats.

[0010] The premium class seat environment has evolved to provide a seat module or pod with privacy, entertainment, workspace, and comfort. Due to this evolution, seat manufacturers have come to design pods that use heavy and large mounting plates fixed to the base of the seat and its amenities and attach that base plate to the aircraft's seat track.

[0011] Since airlines are exploring the use of single-aisle aircraft on long-haul routes where dual-aisle aircraft were conventionally operated, the space available for such seat pods is limited, and the conventional seat pod designs are inappropriate as they are too large in size and weight.

[0012] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved aircraft seat module for more efficiently transmitting the weight and load from the aircraft's seat module to the conventional seat tracks on the aircraft's cabin floor. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The aircraft seat module includes a seat mount having a horizontal mounting rail integrally coupled to a vertical mounting post with an adjacent elbow. The rail includes mounting bosses longitudinally spaced from the post for attachment to an aircraft cabin seat track. Both the rail and the post include a plurality of mounting holes for attaching a passenger seat and associated equipment directly to the seat mount and then indirectly to the seat track on the cabin floor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] The invention will be described in more detail in the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, along with its further objects and advantages, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment.

[0015]

Figure 1

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Figure 16

[0016] Figure 1 shows a cross-section of an aircraft 10 having a passenger cabin 10a including a floor 12 and surrounding sidewalls 14, and having a row of windows 16 longitudinally spaced along the longitudinal X-axis of the aircraft. The Y-axis extends across the width of the aircraft and is transverse to the longitudinal X-axis, and the Z-axis extends vertically from the floor 12.

[0017] The aircraft 10 itself includes one or more passenger cabins and aisles separated by revenue class and may have any conventional configuration powered by engines for takeoff, flight, and landing operations.

[0018] A pair of longitudinal seat tracks 18, generally called aircraft-style flanged H-tracks, are fixedly attached to the aircraft floor 12. This track may have any conventional configuration including a series of keyhole slots for securely positioning and attaching various aircraft seats along various aisles as required by the aircraft's cabin configuration.

[0019] Figures 1 and 2 show a row of exemplary aircraft seat pods or modules 20 configured for use in the premium class cabin of a passenger aircraft along one or more passenger aisles. Each module 20 includes an aircraft passenger seat 22 and associated equipment 24 supported on a corresponding pair of seat tracks 18 in the aircraft cabin floor 12.

[0020] Economy seats are relatively compact and lightweight and can be easily attached to the seat tracks through two leg frames and corresponding fasteners.

[0021] In contrast, however, typical premium seats 22 are larger and more complex in order to additionally have a flat lying position, and together form a seat module 20 that is surrounded by the corresponding equipment 24 and requires a significantly larger floor area than some economy seats. Thus, this large seat module 20 significantly increases its total weight and associated loads (especially including the 16 g crash load described above to meet the required safety specifications). And these crash loads must necessarily be transmitted through the conventional seat tracks 18 provided in the cabin floor 12.

[0022] The accessory equipment 24 typically includes a privacy partition or wall that surrounds the sides and rear of the seat 22, storage compartments for associated premium features such as integrated shelves, trays, audio and visual equipment, as well as storage compartments for personal items and bedding. The term equipment 24 as used herein includes any accessory structural features associated with each premium seat that must necessarily be supported on the cabin floor during aircraft operation.

[0023] Accordingly, the larger premium seat 22 and its accessory equipment 24 require a larger surface area within the aircraft corresponding to several economy class seats and have a correspondingly greater weight, thus significantly increasing the operating load that must be properly supported by the cabin floor.

[0024] In particular, the design of the relatively large and heavy seat module 20 requires sufficient structural strength to safely withstand the 16g dynamic crash event required by government regulations, but any increase in module weight reduces the overall passenger-carrying capacity of the aircraft in a design trade-off.

[0025] Accordingly, the improved seat module 20 initially shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and installed within the aircraft cabin further includes a novel specially configured seat frame or mount 26 shown separated from the module in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0026] The seat mount 26 provides a novel improved Seat Attachment FramE (S.A.F.E. or simply SAFE) technology in a custom-designed internal bracket or adapter for connecting and transmitting all required three-dimensional seat loads in the aircraft, including seats arranged in various configurations in various aircraft cabin sections, which is particularly convenient for large premium-class seats and associated equipment.

[0027] The seat mount 26 is designed to provide various attachment or mounting points along not only the floor surface but also at the vertical sidewall level, but not directly to the sidewall itself or the surrounding aircraft fuselage.

[0028] The fuselage of a typical aircraft 10 includes a metal outer skin 10b attached to structural frames and beam-receiving vertical members (not shown), and the structural frames and beam-receiving vertical members themselves are covered by interior sidewalls 14 that provide a decorative interior for the passenger cabin. Aircraft or airframe manufacturers typically provide seat tracks 18 on the cabin floor 12 as the sole or only support for the various passenger seats provided in the aircraft, and it is not desirable to modify the aircraft structure itself to support seats on the cabin sidewalls 14, which include the beam-receiving vertical members and interior frames to which the sidewalls are fixed.

[0029] Accordingly, one or more of the SAFE frames or mounts 26 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are not attached to the sidewall or interior frame itself due to prohibitions by corresponding aircraft installation regulations, but are preferentially integrated into the seat module 20 to attach the seat module on the cabin floor 12 or at an elevated sidewall level or both. In these figures, the seat mount 26 is disposed adjacent to the sidewall 14 without being attached to the sidewall inside the cabin 10a.

[0030] In FIG. 5, the seat mount 26 can extend partially inside or within the cabin sidewall 14 but is not attached thereto and has appropriate access holes through the sidewall for attachment to the seat module.

[0031] Figures 6 and 7 show the exemplary or basic features of a SAFE adapter or seat mount 26 in the form of an angled brace or L-shaped bracket, such as a hockey stick shape, that enables attachment of the seat to the airframe in both the lateral X-Y plane and the further perpendicular Z-axis. The mount 26 has appropriate floor-level attachment points and appropriate sidewall-level attachment points. The mount can be carefully designed to handle forces applied from various seat products, including a 16g crash event load and in particular torsional loads.

[0032] A basic example of the SAFE seat mount 26 is first shown in the top view of FIG. 7 and the bottom view of FIG. 8 and includes a horizontal floor attachment rail 28 integrally coupled to a vertical sidewall attachment post 30 at an adjacent transition or coupling elbow 32, which together form a substantially right-angled structural brace.

[0033] The rail 28 and post 30 are elongated, thin, and narrow as necessary, extending over the relevant dimensions or length of the seat module between the attachment points required to minimize weight, while providing sufficient strength custom-designed to withstand the expected or design operating loads that must be transmitted through the seat mount itself.

[0034] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the attachment rail 28 includes locally enlarged attachment tabs or bosses 34 spaced longitudinally from the post 30 to be as thin as practical and thus attach directly to the seat track 18. Since aircraft seats are typically attached to a pair of seat tracks 18, the seat mount 26 has a length sufficient to extend from the cabin sidewall 14, preferably over two parallel seat tracks 18, and end near the corresponding cabin aisle.

[0035] Accordingly, the mounting rail 28 preferably includes two mounting bosses 34 spaced longitudinally from and between the mounting posts 30 at a specific longitudinal position so as to be positioned corresponding to and attached correspondingly to the pair of seat tracks 18. Each mounting boss 34 may include an opening or hole 36 for receiving a suitable fastener for directly fixing the rail 28 to each of the two seat tracks 18.

[0036] Both the rail 28 and the post 30 further include a plurality of mounting holes 38 spaced longitudinally therebetween for using suitable fasteners to directly attach the seat 22 and the equipment 24 to the seat mount 26 and then indirectly attach them to the pair of seat tracks 18 on the cabin floor 12. In this way, the seat mount 26 supports both the passenger seat and both the passenger and the attached equipment at several preferentially arranged mounting points, and the entire seat module 20 is supported entirely only by the pair of seat tracks 18 below without auxiliary support along the cabin sidewall itself.

[0037] However, the mounting post 30 extends vertically along its sidewall and further provides one or more mounting points at a specially arranged and elevated sidewall level for transmitting the load of the equipment downward to the mounting rail 28 and the pair of seat tracks 18. While the floor rail 28 extends laterally from the cabin sidewall 14 under the seat 22 and the equipment 24, the sidewall post 30 may be arranged close to the cabin sidewall 14 either in front of the sidewall within the cabin 10a, in line or in the same plane as the sidewall, or hidden behind the wall, and extends vertically within the height limit of the seat equipment.

[0038] In the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the mounting rail 28 includes two mounting bosses 34 and holes 36 and five mounting holes 38. Also, the mounting post 30 includes two mounting holes 38, and one hole 38 is disposed at the upper distal end of the post 38. The post 38 is also thin, narrow and elongated and has a vertical length appropriate for positioning the upper mounting hole 38 as desired to provide auxiliary support for a particular design of the attached equipment 24, regardless of the height of the equipment, depending on the design of the seat module.

[0039] In the two exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the cabin sidewall 14 extends vertically along the Z-axis on the cabin floor 12, and the seat track 18 extends parallel to the cabin sidewall along the longitudinal X-axis of the aircraft. The mounting rail 28 extends laterally from the cabin sidewall 14 along the Y-axis of the aircraft and is configured to align the mounting boss 34 with the seat track 18 for proper attachment of the seat track 18 by fasteners.

[0040] The mounting post 30 is configured to stand vertically from the horizontal mounting rail 28 as described above and to extend vertically along the cabin sidewall 14 without being attached to the cabin sidewall 14. In FIG. 3, the mounting post 30 may be disposed inside the cabin 10a itself, proximate to the inner surface of the sidewall 14. In FIG. 5, the mounting post 30 may be hidden behind the sidewall 14 in the internal space between the sidewall and the outer skin 10b of the aircraft fuselage. The vertical length or height of the mounting post 30 is selected as needed to provide appropriate support for a particular design of the attached seat equipment 24.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6, the mounting rail 28 is configured to extend laterally from the cabin sidewall 14 at a suitable rail floor or seat angle A for tilting the rail in the X-Y floor plane with respect to a pair of seat tracks 18 oriented parallel to the longitudinal X-axis of the aircraft. The rail angle A may have a zero value with respect to the lateral Y-axis to direct the rail 28 perpendicular to the sidewall 14, i.e., 90 degrees. The rail angle A may range up to approximately 50 degrees towards the front of the aircraft cabin. Since the two seat tracks 18 are parallel to the sidewall 14 and laterally spaced from the sidewall 14, and the mounting posts 30 are preferably mounted as close as possible to the sidewall, the length of the rail 28 must necessarily increase to overlap both tracks 18 as the rail angle A increases from 0 degrees (perpendicular) to an exemplary maximum of 50 degrees.

[0042] Furthermore, the rail angle A is mainly controlled by the specific geometric design of the seat module 20 and its desired orientation within the passenger cabin. This is because it is preferable for the seat mount 26 to be integrated and hidden within the module while providing suitable attachment points for transmitting operating loads. Accordingly, the mounting bosses 34 have suitable sizes, positions, and spacings in the mounting rail 28, which will vary with respect to the floor angle A of the rail for aligning the individual bosses with respect to the pair of seat tracks 18 and directly attaching them with corresponding fasteners.

[0043] As described above, the seat mount 26 is a new feature or member for an aircraft seat pod that was conventional, and it can be specifically integrated there to enhance its structural rigidity and strength so that it can be mounted only on a conventional pair of seat tracks. The seat mount 26 is sized and configured to be small within a practical range, and the additional weight is minimized to structurally reinforce the seat module 20 with only floor mounting, whereby, especially by mounting the attached equipment 24 at an additional height along the vertical mounting post 30, it may be possible to reduce the size and weight of the combined seat module itself, and the pod design is synergistically improved and the total weight is reduced.

[0044] Figures 7 and 8 show the basic design of the seat mount 26 including a vertical post 30 that extends upward from the horizontal rail 28 in a single structure that provides the directionality and special rigidity and strength required for special integration into the desired seat module 20.

[0045] The desired strength of the seat mount 26 begins with an analysis of the weight of the passenger restrained by the passenger seat 22, the weight of the seat 22 itself, and the weight of the attached equipment 24. These various weights and positions within the module must be transmitted singly and directly to the two support seat tracks 18 without the auxiliary support of the cabin sidewall 14 and the associated fuselage structure.

[0046] These weights are represented as corresponding loads that can be preferentially transmitted entirely, either by the special seat mount 26 or, if necessary, by a lesser part of the whole. The horizontal mounting rail 28 is disposed under or preferably at the base of the module, directly above the cabin floor and the seat track 18 therein. The vertical post 30 extends upward from the proximal end of the rail 28 adjacent to the cabin sidewall 14 and is supported cantilevered therefrom to be self-supporting only by the joint with the proximal end of that rail, and here too there is no structural attachment to the cabin sidewall that supports the load.

[0047] The vertical post 30 is appropriately fixed to one or more elevated attachment points of the spare parts as required according to the module design, and transmits the operating load therefrom. These loads applied to the post 30 can be along any of the three X, Y, and Z axes of the aircraft. In particular, since the post 30 is supported in a cantilever beam shape from the rail, an additional torque or torsional load is applied to the rail from the lateral loads transmitted by the post along the X and Y axes, and it should be noted that the longitudinal X load applied to the post 30 will generate a torsional load around the longitudinal axis (e.g., the Y axis) of the rail 28 itself.

[0048] Therefore, the rail 28, the post 30, and the connecting elbow 32 therebetween must be preferentially configured and designed to have appropriate strength, rigidity, and minimum size and weight to withstand the loads transmitted therethrough during the operation of the aircraft, including the 16g collision event load.

[0049] Therefore, the seat mount 26 can be manufactured from any suitable material including high-strength metal or fiber-reinforced composite material and can be custom-designed to withstand the specific loads transmitted therethrough when integrated into the seat module.

[0050] Therefore, the specific configuration, shape, size, length, width, height, thickness, and material composition can be preferentially selected for each design application as required by the local geometry and load path, provided that the basic L-shaped configuration of the exemplary seat mount 26 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is met.

[0051] Figures 9 - 12 show additional features of the seat mount 26 according to a preferred embodiment that maximizes rigidity and strength while minimizing the weight of an exemplary seat module. Considering the torsional loads imposed by the vertical attachment posts 30, it is preferred that the cross-sectional configuration adjacent the adjacent elbows 32 be varied to increase the torsional strength of the seat mount for transmitting the loads applied in sequence from the vertical post 30 to the horizontal rail 30 and the seat track 18.

[0052] Away from the elbow 32, the rail 28 and post 30 may be relatively thin, while approaching the elbow 32, the size of the configuration may increase at the transition elbow 32 to increase strength and rigidity, particularly to withstand without damage the maximum (e.g., a 16 g crash event) load transferred in sequence from the post to the rail and the seat track 18.

[0053] As best shown in FIG. 10, the attachment post 30 preferably has an increasing thickness B from its distal upper end toward its proximal lower end at the elbow 32. The proximal lower end has the maximum thickness. Correspondingly, the attachment rail 28 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 has a substantially uniform thickness C over its entire length, but has greater local structural strength and rigidity (including particularly torsional strength and rigidity) at its proximal end portion adjacent the elbow 32 than at its opposite distal end portion.

[0054] For example, FIGS. 9 and 12 show an exemplary tip-cut cover plate 40 having a pair of integral sidewall flanges 40a for forming a U-shaped channel fixed to a mounting rail adjacent to the elbow, where a box-shaped cross-section is collectively formed. The cover plate 40 has a suitable length extending from the elbow 32 to approximately the central mounting boss 34 and is suitably fixed or adhesively joined to the underside of the rail 28 to locally increase strength and rigidity, including torsional strength and rigidity, to better transmit torsional loads from the vertical post 30 to the horizontal rail 28. The rail 28 has a uniform U-shaped cross-section over its entire length and has a corresponding structural moment of inertia, which is significantly increased locally by the addition of the cover plate 40, and the resulting box structure increases the structural moment of inertia as well as the torsional strength and rigidity.

[0055] The mounting post 30 shown in FIG. 10 is in a preferred form of a thin vertical plate having a pair of integral adjacent sidewall flanges 30a whose height or thickness B increases downward between its opposite distal and proximal ends to form a U-shaped channel adjacent to the elbow 32. The upper part of the post 30 has a minimum thickness B, while the lower part has an increasing thickness B along the sidewall flanges 30a, which defines a local gusset that significantly increases the strength and rigidity for transmitting loads through the elbow 32. The elbow may be a complete solid having a thickness matching the flanges 30a, or those flanges 30a may follow other thin-plate elbows where their joint ends with the rails are locally solid.

[0056] FIG 9 The mounting rail 28 shown in is also in a preferred form of a thin horizontal plate having a pair of integral adjacent sidewall flanges 28a extending over its entire length between its opposite proximal and distal ends to form a U-shaped channel between preferably locally solid portions defining the mounting bosses 34. The outer flange 28a defines the maximum thickness C of the rail, which is sufficiently larger than the minimum thickness C of the rail in the inner thin plate between the flanges 28a.

[0057] The sidewall mounting posts 30 shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 9 are generally curved to conform to the curved cabin sidewall, with a vertical side flange 30a forming a gusset on its lower surface, which is tapered and increasing in height from top to bottom to increase the bending and torsional strength at the elbow 32. They are largest at the bottom.

[0058] The floor rail 28 is substantially flat, with a vertical side flange 28a forming a gusset on its lower side to increase bending and torsional strength. The proximal end of the rail 28 includes another locally enlarged mounting or fixing boss 34A, which is preferably completely solid to provide a mounting boss having a mating surface that coincides with the mating surface of the elbow 32 shown in FIGS. 9 and 12 for adhesively bonding and integrating the post 30 and the rail 28 into an integrated or single assembly.

[0059] In FIGS. 9 and 12, the transition elbow 32 at the lower end of the sidewall post 30 has a flat mating surface that is substantially parallel to the vertical plane of the post above it and that matches in size and area the corresponding flat mating surface at the proximal end of the floor rail 28, and their opposing flat surfaces are joined to each other by a suitable adhesive.

[0060] FIG. 12 also shows that the cover plate 40 preferably surrounds the bottom of the floor rail 28 and overlaps or projects from the transition elbow 32 to collectively define, with the elbow flange 30a, a multi-gusset or multi-brace joint that provides increased mechanical strength to the adhesive joint between the elbow 32 and the rail 28.

[0061] This embodiment of the integrated or single-piece seat mount 26 shown in FIG. 7 is substantially straight or linear in its vertical L-shaped profile, symmetric about a common longitudinal axis, and the two joint surfaces between the elbow 32 and the rail 28 are perpendicular to that common axis. This seat mount 26 can be installed on the two seat tracks 18 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 perpendicular or at a right angle to the cabin sidewall 14 at a zero rail angle A with respect to the lateral Y-axis.

[0062] In an alternative embodiment, this same linear seat mount 26 can be laterally inclined at any suitable rail angle A schematically shown in FIG. 6, and the vertical post 30 is parallel to the cabin sidewall 14 or angled obliquely from the cabin sidewall 14. For example, a linear version of the seat mount 26 shown in FIG. 7 is also shown as one alternative on the right side of FIG. 6, where the post 30 would have the same rail angle A as the rail 28 itself. FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 14, 15, and 16 show exemplary configurations of seat modules using this linear-shaped seat mount.

[0063] An angled version of the seat mount 26 is partially shown in FIG. 11, where the fixed boss 34B has a locally inclined joint surface at the desired rail angle A instead of having a perpendicular joint surface like the fixed boss version 34A, thereby positioning the rail 28 at the same rail angle A while the adjacent post 30 remains parallel to the cabin sidewall 14, with a slight modification. This angled version of the seat mount 26 is shown on the left side of FIG. 6, resulting in an L-shaped mount that is angled or offset from the longitudinal axis of the rail to maintain its parallel orientation with the cabin sidewall 14 and the seat track 18, although the post 30 is no longer linearly aligned with the longitudinal axis of the rail.

[0064] The basic seat mount 26 has a generally L-shaped vertical configuration between the horizontal rail 28 and the vertical post 30, so the rail 28 and the post 30 can have any suitable configuration as needed to best fit the corresponding mounting positions within the seat module in order to preferentially support the seat and attached equipment. The rail 28 and the post 30 can be custom designed as desired while having any shape suitable for attachment to the available mounting portions of the conventional seat track 18 and attached equipment, and providing sufficient strength to withstand the operating loads of the design specifications.

[0065] The seat mount 26 may be made of a high-strength metal, but is preferably made entirely of a high-strength composite material such as resin-impregnated carbon fiber properly thermoset to achieve high strength with minimal weight and minimal thickness. Using composite materials allows for custom-designed manufacturing by various conventional methods, including molds or dies for defining their corresponding shapes.

[0066] In the preferred three-part configuration of the floor rail 28, sidewall post 30, and lower cover plate 40, each of these components can be individually adjusted and formed to maximize strength while minimizing weight, and then properly assembled and joined into an integrated or one-piece assembly having improved bending and torsional strength. A suitable bonding adhesive for integrally joining these components is, for example, an epoxy adhesive such as commercially available Magnobond 6166, but otherwise, any other suitable joining method may be used, and preferably, the seat mount 26 may be formed as a single and integrated structural frame member.

[0067] The forming die can be changed, and then the configuration, length, and height of the components of the seat mount 26 for different seat configurations of the aircraft can be changed. And the elbow 32 can be further adjusted to control the angular orientation of the sidewall post 30 with respect to the floor rail 28 when the floor rail 28 changes the angular orientation with respect to the longitudinal seat track 18 according to different seat designs.

[0068] In FIG. 7, a plurality of mounting holes 38 are longitudinally spaced along both the vertical mounting post plate 30 and the horizontal mounting rail plate 28, and each of the mounting bosses 34 is integrally coupled to the horizontal mounting plate 28 inside the U-shape and is integral with the adjacent sidewall flange 28a. By molding carbon fiber, locally enlarged bosses 34 appropriately spaced along the relatively thin plate rail 28 shown in FIG. 11 can be easily provided, with mounting bosses at both the proximal and distal ends and intermediate bosses longitudinally spaced therebetween.

[0069] The fixed boss 34A at the proximal end of the rail 28 is preferably solid to provide a mating joint surface with the elbow 32 as shown in FIG. 9. The remaining two mounting bosses 34 preferably include downward blind threaded holes 36 for receiving corresponding threaded floor fasteners 42 for fixing the mounting rail 28 to the two seat tracks 18 as shown in FIG. 11.

[0070] Accordingly, the seat mount 26 described above provides a basic or fundamentally new seat attachment frame (SAFE) that can be configured to vary significantly to complement various designs of aircraft seats in order to improve its attachment to a conventional seat track 18 without secondary attachment and support from the cabin sidewall.

[0071] In a basic combination, the seat module 20 first includes an aircraft seat 22 fixedly coupled to a seat mount 26 by a mounting rail 28, along with any attached equipment 24 that requires support. That equipment of any suitable shape is preferably fixedly coupled to the seat mount 26 by both a mounting post 30 and the mounting rail 28.

[0072] Accordingly, the collective combination of the seat 22, the equipment 24, and the mount 26 is integrated with an interconnected load path, thereby strengthening its structural integrity and enabling attachment or support only to the cabin floor with the provided seat track 18.

[0073] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 - 4, each seat module 20 includes a single seat mount 26 at an oblique rail angle A from the cabin sidewall 14. Note that this seat mount extends between two seat modules 20 along the aisle and can even be appropriately fixed thereto as desired.

[0074] FIGS. 13 - 16 show another embodiment of the seat module 20, in which a pair of seat mounts 26 are integrated into each module, and each mount 26 includes a respective mounting rail 28 having a respective pair of mounting bosses 34. The aircraft seat 22 is fixedly coupled to the pair of mounting rails 28, and the attached equipment 24 is fixedly coupled to both the pair of mounting posts 30 and the pair of mounting rails 28.

[0075] FIG. 15 shows that the two seat mounts 26 are arranged perpendicular to the sidewall 14 without being obliquely inclined, and instead the seat 22 is rotated obliquely so as to face the sidewall 14 or angled to face the aisle at an appropriate seat angle to enhance privacy within the privacy wall 24 of the surrounding equipment.

[0076] Conventionally, the seat 22 would have been directly fixed to the seat track 18, but in the improved seat module 20, the seat 22 is instead fixed to the seat mount 26 by a suitable seat bolt or fastener 44 that extends through one of the mounting holes 38 of the mounting rail 26. If desired, several seat fasteners 44 may be used to fix the seat to two seat mounts 26.

[0077] The spare part 24 is also fixed to the seat mount 26 by corresponding spare part bolts or fasteners 46 that extend through different ones of the mounting holes 38 of both the rail 28 and the post 30, wherever the design permits. The seat 22 and the spare part 24 thus fixed to the two seat mounts 26 define a self - standing integrated seat pod that can be attached to the cabin floor 12 by a floor fastener 42 that couples the mounting boss 34 to the seat track 18.

[0078] Figure 15 and Figure 16 It also shows different positions of different mounting holes 38 depending on the position of the corresponding fasteners 46, and different positions of different mounting bosses 34 depending on the position of the seat fasteners 44.

[0079] In this embodiment, the seat 22 is obliquely fixed on a pair of seat mounts 26, and the seat mounts 26 have different configurations for correspondingly supporting different portions of the seat and the spare part fixed thereto.

[0080] The spare part 24 may be arranged on both sides of the seat 22, the mounting rail 28 extends transversely across the seat, and the spare part 24 is fixed to the mounting rail 28 on both sides of the seat.

[0081] The pattern of mounting holes 38 and threaded bosses 34 is determined by the particular orientation of the seat mounts 26 relative to the cabin sidewalls and relative to the seats and furniture supported on those mounts 26, and Figure 15 shows that these patterns may be different for two seat mounts 26 used in a common seat module. In this embodiment, the forward mounting rail 26 is shorter than the aft mounting rail 26, and the forward rail has five mounting holes 38 for securing seats and furniture with fasteners 44, 46, while the longer aft mounting rail 26 has four mounting holes 38 for fasteners 44, 46, and both rails have two bosses 34 each for floor fasteners 42.

[0082] Note that due to this particular geometric layout between the seat legs and the parallel seat tracks 18, the angled seat is supported by only three fasteners 44 (two fasteners 46 on the forward rail 28 and one fastener 46 on the aft rail 26). The right leg 22a of the seat (closer to the cabin sidewall) has two seat fasteners 44 at both the front and rear ends of the seat, while the left leg 22a of the seat has a single seat fastener 44 between the front and rear ends of the seat.

[0083] Depending on the layout of the two seat legs 22a on the two mounting rails 28 on the two seat tracks 18, any suitable attachment of the seat to the seat tracks may be provided indirectly, preferably in most cases, if not all, through one or more of the mounting rails themselves for the seat fasteners shown, or directly at any one or more alignable locations (not shown) as required.

[0084] Figure 4 shows that a single seat mount 26 can be used with a single seat module 20, and this seat mount 26 can also extend to the next seat module, as defined by the specific design and orientation of the seat and seat module in the cabin layout, and as defined by the size and orientation of the mounting rails 28 relative to the support seat legs.

[0085] Accordingly, the basic seat mount 26 provides significant flexibility in design for use in mounting passenger seats in an aircraft cabin, regardless of size and complexity, and is dependent on the changing design of the seat itself and any attached equipment.

[0086] Of great importance to the design of the seat mount 26 is the basic configuration of the size, strength, and weight of the seat mount 26 to support the seat and equipment and withstand the operating loads experienced by the seat module 20 during aircraft operation, including a 16g collision event.

[0087] Due to this improved strength of the seat module 20 by the integrated seat mount 26, the attached equipment 24 may be configured to be correspondingly lightweight as it is supported by the special seat mount 26 instead of being directly supported by the cabin floor with respect to the operating loads experienced by the seat module during aircraft operation.

[0088] The equipment 24 includes a partition partially fixed to a vertical mounting post 30 that bounds the seat 22 and enables the equipment to stand on its own on the seat mount 26 without being attached to or supported by the cabin sidewall.

[0089] The spare part 24 can be redesigned to be thinner, taller, closer to the cabin sidewall, and lighter by additional support along the vertical mounting post 30, thereby improving the strength synergistically and in some cases reducing the weight of the resulting seat module 20.

[0090] By fixing the seat 22 and the spare part 24 to the seat mount 26, the assembled seat pod or module 20 will be self - standing and, in a preferred embodiment, can be attached to the cabin floor only by the floor fastener 42 that couples the mounting boss 34 to the seat track 18.

[0091] The seat 22 itself is fixed to a pair of seat mounts 26 by corresponding seat fasteners 44 that extend through the mounting holes 38 of the mounting rails 28. Also, the spare part 24 is fixed to a pair of seat mounts 26 by corresponding spare - part fasteners 46 that extend through different ones of the mounting holes 38 of both the rail 28 and the post 30.

[0092] As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the seat mounts 26 are parallel to each other and spaced apart at the front and rear ends of the seat 22, and the seat 22 includes a pair of legs 22a spaced apart across the width of the seat. The legs 22a may have any conventional configuration and typically have holes for receiving a conventional T - shaped double - lug stud fastener that would have been fixed to a conventional keyhole slot of a seat track.

[0093] In contrast to the direct attachment of the seat to this conventional seat track 18, the seat legs 20a are instead fixed to the mounting rails 28, preferably at both the front and rear ends of the seat, by simple seat bolts or fasteners 44.

[0094] The attachment rail 28 is directly fixed to a conventional seat track 18 attached to the cabin floor, so these rails can be attached using conventional floor fasteners such as the exemplary T-shaped floor fastener 42 shown in FIG. 16. The seat track 18 extends longitudinally along and in the same plane as a cabin floor board in the form of a typical L-shaped aircraft track and includes a row of keyhole slots 18a configured to receive exemplary double-lug or T-shaped threaded stud fittings or floor fasteners 42.

[0095] The threaded stud end of the floor fastener 42 is pre-threaded into the threaded hole 36 of the mounting boss 34 (see FIG. 11), corresponding circular washer or and the plunger washer 42a is also loosely attached to the stud. Next, the double-lug end of this floor fastener 42 is inserted into one of the keyhole slots 18a and slid in the middle between the two keyhole slots to be held under the corresponding flange, and then sized to fit the mating seat between adjacent keyhole slots of the pu plunger washer and fixed there by 42a.

[0096] Since each attachment rail 28 has two mounting bosses and attached floor fasteners 42, each rail 28 is manually positioned on two seat tracks 18, the double-lugs of the corresponding keyhole slots are simultaneously engaged, and then, to fix each rail 28 in the vertical, longitudinal, and lateral directions with respect to all movements, the corresponding plunger washers 42a may be slid to the final position where they drop into their retaining seats within the tracks.

[0097] FIG. 16 shows one floor fastener 42 when entering one keyhole slot 18a, with its cooperating washer 42a shown in the upward position, and shows another fastener 42 locked intermediate two adjacent keyhole slots by the washer 42a within its retaining socket. Of course, in this embodiment, the threaded end of the fastener 42 is first screwed into the mounting boss. However, in a fastener design that projects upward through the rail 28, other designs of floor fasteners to which a nut cooperating with the stud threads can be attached may be used.

[0098] The novel seat mount 26 provides an internal frame to a seat pod or module 20 that was previously conventional, and provides a significant improvement in that it is self - supported above the cabin floor without sidewall attachment. In a novel method of manufacturing an improved aircraft seat module 20, both the aircraft seat and its associated equipment are attached to a common seat mount, and then the seat, equipment, and seat mount are collectively attached to a pair of seat tracks on the aircraft cabin floor without attachment to the aircraft cabin sidewall.

[0099] Conventional seat pod designs require that they be sized to have sufficient strength for both the seat and its associated equipment to be attached to the aircraft seat tracks, and thus there is a significant weight that must be safely supported during aircraft operation, including the 16g crash event requirement.

[0100] However, by incorporating the new SAFE seat mount 26 into the seat pod design, the seat mount 26 may first be attached to the seat tracks, and then the seat 22 and its associated equipment 24 may be attached to the mount, and the mount provides new structural elements to the pod to support the operating loads transmitted to the seat tracks by the mount without any attachment to the cabin sidewall.

[0101] Since the seat mount 26 reinforces the seat pod in this way, various features of the pod can be redesigned to reduce the size and strength of those features in response to the increased strength provided by the seat mount. Further, the improved seat, furnishings, and seat mount can collectively provide sufficient integrated strength to transmit the intended operating loads to the seat track and can further reduce the total weight of the pod. The reduced weight of the pod has a synergistic effect in that it can reduce the size, strength, and weight of the seating mount itself.

[0102] Each seat pod can optionally have one or two seat mounts, and the seat and furnishings can be attached to its one or two mounts as a whole, or otherwise optionally additionally attached to the seat track via a plurality of load paths thereto.

[0103] The seat pod with its integrated seat mount may be designed to be attached to the seat track as an assembly unit, or it may be designed to be assembled by attaching multiple parts to the seat track in sequence.

[0104] SAFE technology provides many advantages in a design that includes structural support or internal bracing in both the horizontal Y-axis at the floor level and the vertical Z-axis through a vertical post or arm that may extend through the cabin sidewall while using only the seat track to couple to the aircraft.

[0105] Furthermore, its structure from compression molded carbon fiber enables modular tools that can be adjusted to specific configurations (length, width, height, angle), providing flexibility to customers such as seat providers and airlines.

[0106] SAFE technology aims to reduce current design constraints and provide design flexibility to optimize seat products for single-aisle aircraft, but is also suitable for application to twin-aisle aircraft.

[0107] Some unique aspects of SAFE technology include its lightweight, strength, rapid manufacturing, and its preferred composite structure for minimal processing steps. SAFE features also include vertical and horizontal structural supports. Horizontal rigidity is achieved by floor rails or arms that extend along existing floorboards and are attached through conventional seat track systems. Vertical rigidity is provided by vertical sidewall posts or arms that extend along the inside or back of the cabin sidewalls and provide anchor points at the top of the seat equipment.

[0108] SAFE seat mounts can be designed to withstand the loads anticipated by the equipment under standard 16G test conditions. Attachment points along the sidewall posts provide new fixed points for the seat equipment, which enables improvements to the seat equipment, including a thinner structure, higher seat density, lighter structure, higher structure, improved privacy, more space for in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens, closer access to the cabin sidewalls, wider aisles, larger seat pitch, and compatibility with existing seat tracks.

[0109] SAFE technology does not require special modification of the aircraft's floorboard, which is often considered a structural element of the airframe. The horizontal floor rails or arms are compatible with standard seat track attachment systems and can be applied to any aircraft platform using current seat track hardware.

[0110] The flexible geometric design envelope provided by SAFE technology can be adapted to specific seat designs without the need for major tooling changes or design modifications. The adjustable height of the vertical posts or arms allows for variable fixed points along the cabin sidewalls to support seat equipment walls of various heights without any fixed attachment to the cabin sidewall itself.

[0111] The length of the adjustable horizontal floor rail or arm can make the attachment of the seat variable in relation to the cabin sidewall and the aisle. The angle of the adjustable horizontal floor rail or arm can make the attachment of the seat variable in the forward or rearward direction of the aircraft. It is compatible with forward-facing, rearward-facing, or side-facing seat concepts. The seat track attachment complies with the certification requirements.

[0112] SAFE technology uniquely provides for the attachment of seat products at the cabin sidewall level without fixation to the cabin sidewall itself. The SAFE solution can adapt the design of seat adapters or mounts at any location along the seat track by combining careful geometric design and material selection. The adapter is designed to allow for lower attachment at any position along its length. The adapter is also designed to have an upper sidewall level attachment at any height, preferably below the window, either behind, integral with, or in front of the aircraft cabin sidewall.

[0113] This adapter is designed to receive the force applied to the vertical sidewall post attachment and transmit it to the seat track. The seat adapter itself is a unique product used to attach the aircraft seat to the aircraft fuselage. The unique shape utilizes standard hardware and the seat track to provide an upward attachment position along the floor and along the cabin sidewall, which provides additional support for equipment not currently offered by other solutions on the market.

[0114] Accordingly, the seat adapter provides a common frame for transmitting all loads experienced during flight operations through the adapter to a conventional airframe seat track and an internal structural frame of a seat module that integrates the seat and its attached equipment. The sidewall posts may extend vertically upward from the floor rail within the available height range of the seat module to provide additional attachment points for equipment for transmitting loads downward through the sidewall posts and along the floor rail to the seat track without requiring any attachment points on the cabin sidewall itself.

[0115] Accordingly, an improved seat module may be designed as a stand-alone component that only needs to be attached to a conventional seat track. Also, since the internal seat adapter provides improved strength to the seat module, the various components of the module, particularly the attached equipment, can be made thinner and lighter, and the correspondingly reduced loads therefrom are appropriately transmitted, in whole or in part, by the seat adapter instead of only by the attached equipment itself.

[0116] What is disclosed above are preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention, where its various features are described in the subject matter using general terms and more specific terms, and such features are progressively combined in successive detail with respect to one or more exemplary detailed species combinations that are combined as follows, as described above and as recited in the appended claims.

[0117] Accordingly, any one or more of the specific features recited in any one or more of the appended claims, or described in the above description, or shown in the drawings, may be combined with any one or more of the appended claims, including the preceding claims or parent claims, when defining various modifications of the invention in various combinations and sub-combinations in accordance with the above description, the corresponding drawings and / or the appended patent claims as filed. Accordingly, the following patent claims are presented above as merely illustrative of the true spirit and scope of the invention and may be construed, varied, corrected or supplemented by additional features without being limited from the original appended patent claims themselves according to the original subject matter presented above.

Claims

1. An aircraft seat module (20) configured to support an aircraft passenger seat (22) and equipment (24) only on a seat track (18) of a floor (12) of an aircraft cabin (10a) having a cabin sidewall (14) surrounding the floor (12), comprising a seat mount (26) including a horizontal mounting rail (28) integrally coupled to a vertical mounting post (30) by an adjacent elbow (32); the horizontal mounting rail (28) including mounting bosses (34) longitudinally spaced from the vertical mounting post (30) for attachment to the seat track (18); and both the horizontal mounting rail (28) and the vertical mounting post (30) include a plurality of longitudinally spaced mounting holes (38) for directly attaching the seat (22) and equipment (24) to the seat mount (26) and then indirectly attaching to the seat track (18) of the floor (12); the vertical mounting post (30) is configured to stand vertically independently from the horizontal mounting rail (28) and extend vertically along the cabin sidewall (14) without being attached to the cabin sidewall (14); the horizontal mounting rail (28) extends laterally from the cabin sidewall (14) and is configured to align the mounting bosses (34) with the seat track (18) for attachment to the seat track (18); both the vertical mounting post (30) and the horizontal mounting rail (28) change a cross-sectional configuration adjacent the elbow (32) to increase the torsional strength of the seat mount (26) for transmitting loads applied in sequence from the vertical mounting post (30) to the horizontal mounting rail (28) and the seat track (18); an aircraft seat module.

2. The cabin sidewall (14) extends vertically on the floor (12), and the seat track (18) extends parallel to the cabin sidewall (14). The seat module according to claim 1.

3. The aircraft cabin (10a) includes a pair of the seat tracks (18) fixed to the floor (12), and the horizontal mounting rail (28) includes a pair of spaced mounting bosses (34) for attachment corresponding to and aligned with the pair of seat tracks (18). The seat module according to claim 2.

4. The horizontal mounting rail (28) is configured to extend laterally from the cabin side wall (14) at a rail angle (A) in the range from perpendicular to an acute angle with respect to the cabin side wall (14), and includes corresponding positions and spacings of the mounting bosses (34) for alignment with the pair of seat tracks (18). The seat module according to claim 3.

5. The vertical mounting post (30) increases in thickness from its distal upper end towards its proximal lower end at the elbow (32). The horizontal mounting rail (28) has a greater structural strength at its proximal end portion adjacent to the elbow (32) than at its opposite distal end portion. The seat module according to claim 2.

6. The vertical mounting post (30) comprises a vertical plate having a pair of adjacent side wall flanges (30a) whose height increases downwardly between its opposite distal and proximal ends to form a U-shaped channel adjacent to the elbow (32). The horizontal mounting rail (28) comprises a horizontal plate having a pair of adjacent side wall flanges (28a) extending between its opposite proximal and distal ends to form a U-shaped channel. The seat module according to claim 2.

7. The plurality of mounting holes (38) are longitudinally spaced along the vertical mounting post (30) and along the horizontal mounting rail (28). The mounting boss (34) is integrally joined to the horizontal mounting rail (28) inside the U-shaped channel and is integral with the adjacent side wall flange (28a). The seat module according to claim 6.

8. The mounting boss (34) includes a downwardly facing threaded hole (36) for receiving a threaded fastener (42) for fixing the horizontal mounting rail (28) to the seat track (18). The seat module according to claim 7.

9. The seat mount (26) further comprises a cover plate (40) having a pair of side wall flanges (40a) for collectively forming a box-shaped cross-section therein, which forms a U-shaped channel fixed to the horizontal mounting rail (28) adjacent to the elbow (32). The seat module according to claim 6.

10. In the horizontal mounting rail (28), the seat (22) of an aircraft passenger fixedly coupled to the seat mount (26); The equipment (24) fixedly coupled to the seat mount (26) by both the vertical mounting post (30) and the horizontal mounting rail (28); further comprising; The seat module according to claim 3.

11. The seat (22) is fixed to the seat mount (26) by a seat fastener (44) extending through one of the mounting holes (38) of the horizontal mounting rail (28); The equipment (24) is fixed to the seat mount (26) by a corresponding equipment fastener (46) extending through a different one of the mounting holes (38); The seat (22) and the equipment (24) fixed to the seat mount (26) define a self - standing integrated seat pod that can be attached to the floor (12) by a floor fastener (42) that couples the mounting boss (34) to the seat track (18); The seat module according to claim 10.

12. The seat mount (26) is sized, strengthened, and weighted to support the seat (22) and the equipment (24) and withstand the operating loads experienced by the seat module (20) during aircraft operation; The equipment (24) is configured to be supported by the seat mount (26) instead of being directly supported by the floor (12) against the operating loads experienced by the seat module (20) during aircraft operation, and is correspondingly lightweight; The seat module according to claim 11.

13. The equipment (24) includes a partition fixed to the vertical mounting post (30) to bound the seat (22) and to stand the equipment (24) on the seat mount (26) without attaching it to the cabin sidewall (14); The seat module according to claim 11.

14. A pair of seat mounts (26) each including a respective horizontal mounting rail (28) having a respective pair of mounting bosses (34); The seat (22) of the aircraft fixedly coupled to the respective horizontal mounting rail (28) of the pair of seat mounts (26); each of the vertical mounting posts (30) of the pair of seat mounts (26) and the equipment (24) fixedly coupled to the horizontal mounting rails (28) further comprising the seat module according to claim 3.

15. The seat (22) is fixed to the pair of seat mounts (26) by corresponding seat fasteners (44) extending through the mounting holes (38) of the horizontal mounting rails (28), The equipment (24) is fixed to the pair of seat mounts (26) by corresponding equipment fasteners (46) extending through different ones of the mounting holes (38), The seat (22) and the equipment (24) fixed to the seat mounts (26) define a self - standing integrated seat pod that can be attached to the floor (12) by a floor fastener (42) that couples the mounting boss (34) to the seat track (18). The seat module according to claim 14.

16. The seat mounts (26) are parallel to each other and are spaced apart at the front and rear ends of the seat (22), The seat (22) includes a pair of seat legs (22a) spaced apart across the width of the seat (22), The pair of seat legs (22a) are fixed to the horizontal mounting rails (28) by the seat fasteners (44) at both the front and rear ends of the seat (22). The seat module according to claim 15.

17. The seat (22) is fixed obliquely on the pair of seat mounts (26), The seat mounts (26) have different configurations for supporting different corresponding portions of the seat (22) and the equipment (24) attached to the seat (22) differently. The seat module according to claim 15.

18. The equipment (24) is disposed on both sides of the seat (22), The horizontal mounting rails (28) extend laterally across the seat (22), and the equipment (24) is fixed to the horizontal mounting rails (28) on both sides of the seat (22). The seat module according to claim 17.

19. A method of manufacturing the aircraft seat module (20) according to claim 2, attaching both the aircraft seat (22) and the equipment (24) to the seat mounts (26), mounting the seat (22), the spare parts (24) and the seat mount (26) together on the seat track (18) of the floor (12) of the aircraft without attaching them to the cabin side wall (14) of the aircraft A method comprising.

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