Articulated Arm Console for Portable Device Accessibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers in seat units, especially in business and first class, face the challenge of not being able to use a portable electronic device when the meal shelf is in use or stored, as existing support systems are integrated with the meal shelf and become inaccessible.
Innovation Solution
A console with an articulated arm that can move between a stored and extended position, allowing a portable electronic device to be held independently of the meal shelf, featuring a holding device with tabs, jaws, or grooves for secure placement, and capable of rotation and translation to maintain accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the support for portable electronic device is integrated in the meal shelf, then the support structure is simplified, but the passenger cannot use the support when the meal shelf is in use or stored
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into two independent parts: the meal shelf and the articulated arm with holding device. The articulated arm is fixed to the console and can move independently from the meal shelf, allowing the support function to remain accessible even when the meal shelf is in use or stored.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated arm is designed to be movable between a stored position (inside the cavity) and an extended position (outside the cavity). This dynamic positioning allows the support to be accessible when needed while maintaining a compact configuration when not in use, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and operational accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the articulated arm is made movable between stored and extended positions, then the accessibility of portable electronic device support is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated arm serves multiple functions: it provides support for portable electronic devices, acts as a structural element of the console, and can be positioned in different configurations (stored or extended). This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated arm can be nested inside the cavity when in the stored position, utilizing the existing space within the console structure. This nesting approach minimizes the space occupied by the movable mechanism while maintaining its functionality, thereby reducing the overall impact on device complexity.
3Reliability
If the holding device uses tabs, jaws, or grooves for secure placement, then the reliability of portable electronic device holding is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding device incorporates specific local features (tabs, jaws, or grooves) at the critical interface with the portable electronic device. These localized elements provide secure placement without requiring complex modifications to the entire articulated arm structure, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while improving holding reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a console for a seat unit comprising:an upper wall forming a table surface on which a passenger can place objects,a cavity,an articulated arm fixed to an internal face of the cavity,said articulated arm comprising a holding device for a portable electronic device provided with a screen,said articulated arm being movable between a stored position, in which the articulated arm is located inside the cavity, and a extended position in which the articulated arm is at least in part outside the cavity.