Floor-Level Edge Actuator Theater Seating to Reduce Facility Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional motion theater designs face challenges in minimizing facility height while providing immersive experiences, as they often rely on overhead or subterranean equipment setups that increase height and pose safety issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of lift and rotate mechanisms for seat rows, employing identical machines to lift sides and rotate seat rows independently, allowing them to pivot and flatten to navigate obstacles, thereby minimizing facility height and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If overhead framework and sheaves are used for suspension, then seating can be suspended and moved, but facility height increases and safety issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the suspension mechanism from the overhead framework and relocates it to the floor level. Edge actuators are positioned at the perimeter of the floor, eliminating the need for overhead cables and sheaves, thereby reducing facility height while maintaining seating movement capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of suspending seats from above using overhead framework, the patent inverts the approach by supporting and moving seats from below using floor-level edge actuators. This inversion eliminates overhead equipment and reduces the vertical space required
2Length of stationary object
If subterranean equipment setups are used, then facility height may be reduced, but safety issues and access difficulties arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses edge actuators positioned at the floor perimeter as intermediaries between the floor level and the seating rows. These actuators provide safe and accessible connection points that are easily reachable for maintenance while maintaining compact facility height
Solution Approach 2:
The seating system is segmented into modular rows that can be independently controlled by edge actuators. This segmentation allows for easier maintenance and safety access compared to integrated subterranean systems, as individual components can be serviced without accessing deep underground mechanisms
3Device complexity
If identical lift machines are used on both sides, then device complexity is reduced, but independent rotation control of seat rows becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The edge actuators are designed with multi-functionality, serving both as lift mechanisms and rotation actuators. Each actuator can independently control both the vertical position and angular orientation of adjacent seat rows, eliminating the need for separate rotation mechanisms and maintaining system symmetry
4Manufacturing precision
If seat rows are lifted and rotated independently, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the lift and rotation functions into a single edge actuator mechanism. Each actuator simultaneously performs both lifting and rotating operations on the seat rows, achieving precise positioning control while minimizing the total number of mechanical components and control systems
Data Source
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AI summary
A suspended theater system uses a seat moving machine comprising a passenger seat assembly (160,260) disposed in between opposing seat supports (100a,100b,200a,200b) which raise and lower the passenger seat assembly (160,260). One or more passenger seat beam rotators (141,241) are operative to rotate the passenger seat assembly to change the pitch independently of the raising and lowering. In embodiments, rather that the seat rows being pivoted up with a rotating floor, a rotate function alters their mutual positions to one another while the lift function is taking place which brings the back seat rows up and over the front seat rows, allowing control over mutual row position during lift and in the show. Though no cables are involved, by combining the motions of lift and rotate and without any further equipment, an immersive theater system comprising the seat moving machine still employs seating that is suspended.