Passenger Seat Arresting Mechanism Eliminates Spring Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passenger seat systems in transport vehicles, such as aircraft, face issues with short service life due to mechanical defects in springs used for quick reconfiguration, leading to temporary unavailability of seats if a spring fails.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seat system with a rigidly coupled arresting mechanism that uses an operating unit to directly control the arresting body's position, eliminating reliance on springs for reliable and quick seat arrest and release, ensuring longer service life and easy tool-free operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a resiliently mounted arresting body with spring force is used for quick seat fastening, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to short service life of springs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spring component from the arresting device, eliminating the reliability issue associated with spring service life. The arresting body is no longer resiliently mounted but is instead directly coupled to the operating unit through a rigid mechanical linkage, extracting the problematic elastic element while preserving the quick actuation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the spring-based resilient mechanical system with a rigid mechanical coupling system. The operating unit is mechanically directly coupled to the arresting body through linkages and pivots, substituting the elastic energy storage mechanism with a direct mechanical transmission that eliminates wear and service life limitations of springs.
2Ease of operation
If a spring is used to push the arresting body into the opening, then the ease of operation is improved, but the duration of action deteriorates due to mechanical defects
Solution Approach 1:
The spring component is completely removed from the system. The arresting body is no longer pushed into the opening by spring force but is instead positioned and secured through the rigid mechanical coupling between the operating unit and the arresting body, eliminating the time-dependent degradation associated with spring fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid mechanical coupling is designed to automatically position the arresting body into the engagement opening when the operating unit is actuated, performing the seating action as a direct consequence of the operating unit's movement rather than relying on spring force accumulation and release over time.
3Reliability
If a rigid coupling between operating unit and arresting device is used, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the operating unit and arresting body into a single integrated mechanical assembly through rigid coupling. The linkages and pivots combine multiple functions (actuation, positioning, and locking) into one unified mechanism, reducing the number of separate components while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid mechanical coupling serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transmits actuation force, positions the arresting body, provides mechanical advantage, and ensures positive engagement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components that would otherwise be required to achieve each function separately.
Data Source
AI summary
A passenger seat system for a means of transport has a carrier structure which can be attached, fixedly with respect to a structure, and a seat having a seat frame being displaceable and arrestable on the carrier structure, a bottom side lying on the carrier structure, and a top side holding a seat surface. The seat frame has an arresting device on the bottom side and has an operating unit coupled to the arresting device. The operating unit is movable into an arresting position and an unlocking position. The arresting device has an arresting body movable perpendicularly with respect to the carrier structure and which can be moved into an engagement position and a release position. An arresting mechanism mechanically directly couples the arresting device to the operating unit such that the position of the arresting body is determined exclusively by the position of the operating unit.