Offset Joint Axes for Airline Seat Attachment Operability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing seat attachment devices for aircraft passenger seats face challenges in usability, particularly when multiple devices are used simultaneously, leading to restricted operability and increased risk of injury during operation.

Innovation Solution

A seat attachment device with a support arm piece, an intermediate piece, and a device receiving piece, featuring offset joint axes that are oriented at right angles to each other, allowing for improved stowability and reduced risk of injury by enhancing the spatial separation of joint axes, thus facilitating easier operation and assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If joint axes are arranged with offset and at right angles to each other, then operability and safety are improved by reducing finger injury risk, but device complexity increases due to additional spatial constraints

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveoperabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dimensionality change by arranging the first and second joint axes at right angles to each other in at least one projection direction. This spatial separation in multiple dimensions creates offset between the joint axes, which improves operability by reducing finger injury risk while managing device complexity through structured spatial arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple seat attachment devices are used simultaneously, then functionality is enhanced, but operability is restricted due to interference between devices

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidoperability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The offset arrangement of joint axes in different projection directions creates spatial separation that reduces interference between multiple simultaneously used seat attachment devices, thereby maintaining operability while enhancing overall functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If joint axes are arranged with offset, then stowability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to precise alignment requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestowabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies that joint axes are arranged at right angles in at least one projection direction, which improves stowability through compact spatial arrangement. The structured geometric constraints provide clear manufacturing guidelines that manage alignment precision requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2547584B1Seat attachment device
Publication Date: 2017.05.03 RECARO AIRCRAFT SEATING GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2547584B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2547584B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2547584B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a seat attachment device, in particular an airline passenger seat attachment device, for the movable fastening of an object (12) to a seat (14), comprising a supporting arm part (16), a device receiving part (18) for fastening the object (12), an intermediate part (20) for coupling the device receiving part (18) to the supporting arm part (16), and at least one first joint (22) which is disposed between the supporting arm part (16) and the intermediate part (20) and has a first joint axis (24), and a second joint (26) which is disposed between the intermediate part (20) and the device receiving part (18) and has a second joint axis (28). According to the invention, the intermediate part (20) provides an offset (30) which offsets the first joint axis (24) of the first joint (22) and the second joint axis (28) of the second joint (26) with respect to one another in at least one projection direction.