Aircraft Seat Back Light Assembly Stowed Joint Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Overhead reading lights in aircraft cabins are inconvenient for passengers due to their distance and limited range of illumination, often causing discomfort and difficulty in reading.
Innovation Solution
A seat light system with a light assembly that can be stowed and easily transitioned to an operable state, featuring a ball and socket joint for directional adjustment and intensity control, integrated into the seat back housing, allowing for focused illumination on a tray and compatibility with existing aircraft designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If overhead reading lights are used in aircraft cabins, then passengers can read, but the lights are inconvenient for co-passengers and have limited illumination range
Solution Approach 1:
The reading light is extracted from the overhead console and relocated to the seat back housing, allowing each passenger to have dedicated lighting without affecting others. The light assembly is removed from its traditional overhead position and integrated into the seat structure, providing localized illumination that does not interfere with co-passengers.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system provides localized illumination focused on the passenger's reading area rather than overhead illumination that spreads indiscriminately. The light is positioned to illuminate only the immediate vicinity of the passenger, creating a localized lighting zone that improves reading comfort without disturbing others in the cabin.
2Illumination intensity
If a light assembly is integrated into the seat back housing, then focused illumination on the tray is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light assembly is merged with the seat back housing to form an integrated unit. The housing, joint, and light components are combined into a single assembled structure that reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies installation while maintaining focused illumination capability on the tray.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat back housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the seat, houses the light assembly, and positions the illumination source. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components and simplifies the overall system design while achieving focused lighting.
3Ease of operation
If the light assembly can be easily transitioned from stowed to operable state, then passenger convenience is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light assembly is made dynamic through the ball and socket joint, allowing it to transition between stowed and operable positions and to be oriented in multiple directions. This dynamic capability enables the light to adapt to different user needs and positions while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical joint structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball and socket joint uses spherical geometry to provide multi-directional movement capability. The spherical ball fits into the socket, allowing rotation and positioning in multiple axes with a simple curved surface interface, achieving complex movement with a relatively simple mechanical design.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A light system may comprise: a seat back housing (105) configured to be coupled to a seat in an aircraft; a light assembly (101) coupled to the seat back housing (105), the light assembly (101) comprising: a main body (220) at least partially disposed in the seatback housing in response to the light assembly (101) being in a stowed state, the main body (220) coupled to a joint and configured to move relative to the joint, and a light coupled to the main body (220).