Curved Mounting Rail Interface for Defined Seat Load Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft seat mounting rails face issues with wear and corrosion, leading to undefined load transfer behavior due to varied fittings, which affects the connection interfaces and seating adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A mounting rail interface with a longitudinal body featuring lateral and central portions, including concave curved contours for tolerance compensation, allowing connectors to engage in multiple orientations, enabling linear or areal force transfer instead of concentrated force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional punctual connection interfaces are used for mounting seats to the floor, then the structure is simple, but the load transfer behavior becomes undefined due to wear and corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved surfaces including a concave curved surface on the mounting rail and a convex curved surface on the connector that complement each other. This curved interface design distributes contact over an area rather than a point, creating defined load transfer paths while accommodating tolerance variations and wear without compromising reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a specialized curved connection interface as an intermediary between the mounting rail and connector. This intermediate curved surface design acts as a mediator that ensures defined load transfer behavior while compensating for wear and corrosion effects, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and reliability
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple types of fittings are used for seat attachment, then adaptability is improved, but wear and corrosion increase leading to undefined load transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal curved connection interface design that can accommodate various seat configurations and adjustment requirements through a single standardized interface type. The curved surfaces provide multi-functional adaptability while maintaining consistent load transfer characteristics, eliminating the wear and corrosion issues associated with multiple different fitting types
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the curved surface geometry parameters to provide adaptability for different seating patterns and positions. By varying the orientation and position of connectors within the curved interface framework, multiple seating configurations are achieved while maintaining reliable, defined load transfer behavior through the consistent curved contact geometry
3Reliability
If concentrated force transmission is used at connection points, then the structure is simpler, but wear and corrosion lead to undefined load transfer behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The curved contact surfaces transform concentrated point contact into distributed area contact. The concave and convex curved surfaces create a line or area contact zone that distributes forces across multiple points, providing defined load transfer behavior while resisting wear and corrosion more effectively than concentrated point loads
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4a~4b
Figure 5a~5c
AI summary
The present invention relates to mounting rails. In order to provide improved fastening in a floor area, a mounting rail interface (10) for a vehicle is provided that comprises a longitudinal body (12). The body comprises two longitudinal lateral portions (14); and a longitudinal central portion (16) arranged between the two lateral portions. The lateral portions are provided for providing a transition portion to an adjacent surface. The central portion comprises a plurality of openings (18) with a respective circumferential edge flange (20). The openings are provided as longitudinal openings configured to allow a range of different orientations of a connector. The edge flange is provided with a concave curved contour (22) on its rear side (24). The concave curved contour provides an abutting surface for a connector configured to engage with the edge flange of the opening. The curved contour provides an abutting surface over at least an angular range.