Passenger Seat Back Arrest Mechanism for Controlled Forward Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft passenger seat designs redirect kinetic energy during impact, creating unexpected hazards and failing to adequately prevent head injuries due to high speeds and limited space constraints in air transport.
Innovation Solution
An arrest mechanism for passenger seats incorporating an energy absorbing element and interference element that work together to slow the forward movement of the seat back during deceleration, using deformable coils, plates, or rods to absorb energy and provide consistent counterforce.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seat back is designed to break away during impact, then passenger safety is improved by preventing head impact with hard surfaces, but kinetic energy is redirected creating unexpected hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful kinetic energy that would otherwise be redirected during impact into beneficial energy absorption through the deformable element. The seat back structure includes a deformable element that yields during impact, transforming the harmful forward motion into controlled deformation that absorbs energy, thereby eliminating the hazard of redirected kinetic energy while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the seat back structure by incorporating a deformable element that alters its parameters during impact. The element transitions from a rigid state during normal operation to a deformable state during impact, changing its stiffness and strength parameters to absorb energy rather than redirect it, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and hazard generation.
2Strength
If the seat back structure is made more rigid to prevent folding, then structural strength is improved, but passenger injury risk increases during abrupt deceleration due to uncontrolled forward movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the seat back structure adaptive rather than statically rigid. The deformable element allows the structure to dynamically adjust its properties during impact - remaining relatively rigid during normal use but yielding during abrupt deceleration. This dynamic behavior enables the structure to control forward movement and reduce injury risk while maintaining necessary structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by designing the seat back with a deformable element that is pre-configured to absorb impact energy. This element acts as a pre-prepared energy absorption mechanism that activates during impact, providing cushioning before the full force of the impact is transmitted to the passenger, thereby reducing injury risk while maintaining structural integrity.
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 mechanism reduces the risk of passenger injury by controlling the speed of seat back folding, absorbing kinetic energy, and ensuring a gradual deceleration that prevents head injuries while maintaining comfort.
Implementation Method 1
an energy absorbing element which, during transition from the first configuration to a second configuration, corresponds to a forward-folded passenger seat back, the energy absorbing element deforms to slow relative movement of the second structural element
Implementation Method 2
an interference element connected to a second structural element of the passenger seat back. The energy absorbing element and the interference element can be operably connected with each other such that... the interference element deforms the energy absorbing element to slow relative movement
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Described are devices and methods for arresting forward motion of a passenger seat back in a controlled manner using an energy absorbing element connected between structural elements of a pivotally-attached passenger seat back. The energy absorbing element includes an interference element and an energy absorbing element that are operably connected with each other so that, in an upright configuration, the combination of the energy absorbing element and the interference element resists movement of the passenger seat back with respect to the first structural element of the passenger seat back, and in transition to a folded- forward configuration, the interference element deforms the energy absorbing element to slow forward movement of the passenger seat back.