Cantilevered Jointed Arm Table Assembly for Angled Aircraft Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft passenger seats require improved tray table arrangements that can variably support tables in cabin environments, ensuring passenger comfort and convenience, especially in non-traditional seating arrangements where the back of a forward seat may not be accessible to a passenger in a next seat.
Innovation Solution
A jointed arm assembly is used, with a first arm attached to a fixed structure, a second arm pivotally attached to the first, and a third arm pivotally attached to the second, maintaining the longitudinal axes of the first and third arms parallel as they pivot to raise or lower a table, utilizing tension and compression members to facilitate smooth movement and horizontal alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tray tables deploy from the back of forward seats in traditional parallel row seating, then passengers can access the tray tables easily, but this arrangement is not available in angled seating configurations where the back of the forward seat is not accessible
Solution Approach 1:
The tray table support system is divided into multiple independent arm segments (first arm, second arm, third arm) that can be independently positioned and configured. This segmentation allows the table to be deployed from alternative locations such as the side of the seat rather than requiring access to the back of the forward seat, making it compatible with both parallel row and angled seating arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The jointed arm assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism that transfers the support function from the traditional location (back of forward seat) to alternative locations (side of seat). The multi-arm linkage system with tension and compression members serves as a mechanical mediator that enables tray table deployment in configurations where direct access to the forward seat back is not available.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a jointed arm assembly with multiple pivot points is used to enable alternative tray table deployment locations, then adaptability to different seating arrangements is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional components are merged into a single integrated jointed arm assembly. The first arm, second arm, third arm, tension members, and compression members are combined into one cohesive mechanism that performs both the structural support and the adaptive positioning functions, reducing the need for separate control systems or additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly incorporates dynamic elements including pivot joints that allow rotation and tension/compression members that can extend and retract. This dynamic design enables the structure to adapt to different seating configurations while maintaining structural integrity, and the mechanisms are designed to be self-adjusting through mechanical advantage rather than requiring complex active control.
3Ease of operation
If the longitudinal axes of the first and third arms are maintained parallel during pivoting, then the table remains horizontally oriented for passenger comfort, but the mechanism requires precise coordination of multiple arms
Solution Approach 1:
The jointed arm assembly employs an asymmetric linkage configuration where the second arm is positioned at a specific angle and length relative to the first and third arms. This asymmetric geometry is carefully designed so that when the arms pivot, the parallelism of the first and third arm axes is maintained through the mechanical constraints of the linkage, automatically keeping the table horizontal without requiring active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism utilizes changes in the angular parameters of the jointed arms during deployment. As the arms pivot, the angles between them change in a coordinated manner dictated by the mechanical linkage geometry, which ensures that the longitudinal axes of the first and third arms remain parallel throughout the motion sequence, maintaining horizontal table orientation.
Data Source
AI summary
A table assembly including a first arm attachable to a fixed structure, a second arm pivotally attached to the first arm, a third arm is pivotally attached to the second arm, and a table attached to the third arm. The second arm is configured to maintain the first arm and the third arm parallel as the first arm and the third arm pivot simultaneously relative to the second arm. The second arm includes a tension member configured to transfer tension along the second arm from the first arm to the third arm as the first arm and third arm pivot simultaneously relative to the second arm. The tension member may be further configured to transfer compression along the second arm from the third arm to the first arm as the first arm and third arm pivot simultaneously relative to the second arm.