Fiber-Mesh Seat Shell for Lightweight Load-Bearing Aircraft Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft seats require a balance between being lightweight and strong to minimize overall weight while maintaining structural integrity under various load scenarios, and existing designs have limited improvements in this area.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring a seat shell with a frame and a net-like structure made of fiber-reinforced plastic, where the net-like structure provides dimensional stability and optimal load distribution through a clever fiber pattern, allowing for a lightweight yet robust construction that can be attached to existing fastening elements in a vehicle cabin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional solid seat shell structures are used, then strength and structural integrity are improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a net-like structure made of fiber-reinforced plastic as a thin film shell that replaces traditional solid seat shell constructions. This net-like structure consists of interconnected fibers forming a mesh pattern that provides structural integrity while minimizing material usage and weight, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses fiber-reinforced plastic composite material for the net-like structure. The combination of fibers (providing tensile strength) and plastic matrix (providing structural continuity) creates a composite material that achieves high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing the seat shell to maintain structural integrity while significantly reducing weight compared to traditional solid structures.
2Weight of moving object
If lightweight materials are used to reduce weight, then weight is improved, but strength and load-bearing capacity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The net-like structure functions as a flexible yet load-bearing shell that distributes mechanical loads across its entire surface area. The interconnected fiber network acts as a membrane structure that can bear tensile loads effectively while using minimal material, thus achieving lightweight construction without sacrificing load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameters by transitioning from solid continuous material to a net-like pattern with specific fiber arrangements. By optimizing fiber density, orientation, and intersection patterns, the structure achieves optimal load distribution and strength characteristics while maintaining minimal weight, effectively resolving the strength-weight trade-off.
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
The design achieves significant weight savings while maintaining sufficient strength by optimizing the fiber layout to absorb tensile forces, ensuring the seat shell is both ergonomic and load-appropriate, with the potential for integration with conventional seat frames.
Implementation Method 1
optimizing the fiber layout to absorb tensile forces
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle seat which has at least one seat shell, the seat shell comprising a frame having two frame units, which are spaced apart from one another, and a shell surface assembly extending from one of the frame units to the other frame unit, the shell surface assembly having a mesh-like structure made of a first fiber-reinforced plastic, and the seat shell having at least one retaining element which is connected to a corresponding receiving element for securing the seat shell.