Aircraft Seat Baggage Bar Supports for Dynamic Load Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing baggage bars in passenger seats, such as those found in aircraft, are heavy due to the use of doublers for added strength and stiffness, which increases weight and production costs.
Innovation Solution
The incorporation of energy absorbers, spring mechanisms, damping vibration isolators, or bearing mechanisms as supports for the baggage bar, allowing for movement relative to the seat frame, thereby reducing the need for thicker materials and enabling weight and cost savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If doublers are added to the baggage bar to increase strength and stiffness, then the structural performance is improved, but the weight of the baggage bar and overall seat increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing energy absorbers at the connection points between the baggage bar and seat frame. These energy absorbers are pre-installed to cushion and absorb dynamic loads during take-off, landing, and other dynamic events, preventing excessive stress from reaching the baggage bar structure. This allows the baggage bar to be designed with thinner walls and less material while still maintaining adequate strength, thereby reducing weight while preserving structural performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy absorbers serve as intermediary elements between the baggage bar and the seat frame. Instead of directly connecting the baggage bar to the frame with rigid doublers, the energy absorbers act as mediators that decouple the rigid connection. This intermediary layer absorbs and dissipates energy from dynamic events, protecting the baggage bar from peak loads and allowing for weight reduction while maintaining structural integrity during normal and dynamic conditions.
2Strength
If thicker materials are used for the baggage bar to reduce stress during dynamic events, then the strength is improved, but the weight and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The energy absorbers are installed beforehand at critical connection points to cushion against dynamic loads. This pre-cushioning mechanism allows the baggage bar to be designed with thinner materials since the energy absorbers will absorb the impact energy during dynamic events, preventing excessive stress concentrations that would otherwise require thicker bar walls to resist.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the system parameters by introducing energy-absorbing characteristics at the connection points. Instead of uniformly increasing the baggage bar thickness to handle dynamic loads, the parameter change involves adding compliant energy absorbers that modify the load transmission characteristics. This allows optimization of the baggage bar wall thickness to a lower value while maintaining adequate stress resistance through the combined system of bar plus energy absorbers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These supports absorb energy during dynamic events, reducing stress on the baggage bar and enabling thinner designs, thus providing weight and cost savings while maintaining functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The support allows for movement of the baggage bar relative to the passenger seat assembly during a dynamic event, thereby absorbing energy and decreasing stiffness of the baggage bar
Implementation Method 2
The spring mechanism may define an aperture that receives a portion of the baggage bar such that the baggage bar extends through the spring mechanism
Implementation Method 3
The damping vibration isolators may be provided between portions of the baggage bar and the passenger seat assembly
Implementation Method 4
The bearing mechanisms may define an aperture that receives a portion of the baggage bar such that the baggage bar extends through the bearing mechanisms
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A baggage bar assembly may be provided for a passenger seat such as but not limited to an aircraft passenger seat. The baggage bar assembly includes a baggage bar and a support for supporting the baggage bar relative to the passenger seat. The support of the baggage bar assembly also allows for movement of the baggage bar relative to the passenger seat.