Composite Aircraft Seat Back With Integrally Molded Diaphragm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft seat back manufacturing techniques require a separate and precise application of a tensioned fabric diaphragm over a seat back frame, which is prone to misalignment and does not provide consistent support, and involves multiple parts and assembly steps.
Innovation Solution
Integrally molding a composite seat back diaphragm into a seat back frame during the manufacturing process, using composite materials like carbon fiber, to form a unitary structure that eliminates the need for separate diaphragm application and allows for varied diaphragm positions and contoured support surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fabric diaphragm is separately manufactured and pulled over the seat back frame, then the seat back can be assembled, but the process is complex and prone to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the diaphragm and seat back frame into a single integrated structure by molding the diaphragm directly onto the frame during composite material curing. This eliminates the separate assembly step of pulling the diaphragm over the frame, reducing both manufacturing complexity and the number of discrete parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm is pre-positioned and molded onto the seat back frame during the composite manufacturing process itself, before final assembly. This preliminary integration ensures proper alignment and eliminates subsequent assembly operations.
2Reliability
If the diaphragm is pulled over the frame under tension, then proper back support is provided, but precise sizing is difficult and mismatch occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By molding the diaphragm directly onto the frame as an integrated structure, the patent eliminates sizing mismatches entirely. The diaphragm is custom-formed to match the specific frame geometry, ensuring consistent tension and support without the need for manual sizing adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded diaphragm can have varying thickness, tension, and contour characteristics at different locations on the seat back frame, allowing optimized back support in specific areas such as lumbar regions while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If aluminum frame with separate diaphragm is used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but weight is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials (such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers) to manufacture both the frame and diaphragm as a single integrated part. This replaces traditional aluminum construction while significantly reducing weight and eliminating the need for separate diaphragm assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The integration of frame and diaphragm into a single molded composite structure eliminates redundant materials and joint weights, achieving weight reduction beyond what would be possible with simply replacing aluminum with composite materials alone.
4Ease of manufacture
If the diaphragm position is fixed relative to the frame, then assembly is simple, but design flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The molded integration allows the diaphragm to be positioned at different locations and orientations relative to the frame depending on design requirements. The single-step molding process accommodates various diaphragm configurations without increasing assembly complexity, enabling dynamic adaptation to different seat back designs.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft seat back including a composite material seat back frame element and a composite seat back diaphragm molded to the seat back frame element during a molding step to provide a composite aircraft seat back formed of a seat back frame element and a seat back diaphragm.