Adjustable Seat-Back Utility Tray With Friction Pivot Stowage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing utility trays for airplanes lack adjustability and are often difficult to operate, frequently malfunctioning, and fail to provide easy and trouble-free adjustment, stowage, and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A foldable food and beverage tray with a seat back connector mechanism, friction pivot joint assemblies, support rails, and a hingeable design that allows for multiple degrees of adjustment, easy operation, and convenient stowage, featuring grooved roller bearings for smooth movement and a beverage container aperture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If utility trays are made adjustable with multiple degrees of freedom, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but device complexity increases and reliability deteriorates due to more moving parts and potential malfunction points
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is divided into multiple independent sections (first tray section and second tray section) that can be adjusted separately. Each section has its own adjustment mechanism, allowing independent control of position and orientation. This segmentation enables complex adaptability while isolating potential failure points to individual sections rather than the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms including friction pivot joints that allow smooth rotation between fixed and movable states, and roller bearings that enable controlled sliding along guide rails. These dynamic elements provide multiple degrees of freedom for positioning while incorporating friction control to maintain stability once adjusted, balancing adaptability with operational reliability.
2Ease of operation
If utility trays incorporate multiple adjustment mechanisms, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases making the tray harder to manufacture and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The friction pivot joints are designed to provide self-latching capability where the friction force itself maintains the tray in position without requiring additional locks or fasteners. The roller bearings on guide rails enable self-guided movement along the intended path. These self-service features simplify operation while avoiding complex control systems, achieving ease of use without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple adjustment functions (rotation, sliding, positioning) are merged into integrated assemblies. The friction pivot joint combines rotational adjustment with positioning capability in a single component. The roller bearing assembly combines smooth movement with guidance and positioning functions. This merging reduces the number of separate mechanisms needed, simplifying both operation and manufacturing.
3Ease of operation
If utility trays are designed with foldable and slideable sections, then ease of stowage improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper alignment and operation
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rails are designed with built-in alignment features and tolerance compensation that accommodate normal manufacturing variations. The roller bearings are pre-positioned on the tray sections with locators that ensure correct alignment during assembly. These beforehand provisions cushion against manufacturing precision issues, enabling easy stowage without requiring extremely tight tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller bearings serve as intermediary elements between the tray sections and guide rails, providing a interface that tolerates minor misalignments. The friction pivot joints act as intermediaries that smooth out transitions between different tray positions. These intermediary components absorb alignment variations, reducing the impact of manufacturing precision limitations while maintaining smooth stowage operation.
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 tray is sturdy, easy to operate, provides trouble-free adjustment, and is simple to manufacture and install, ensuring easy cleaning and convenient deployment and stowage, while safely supporting beverages.
Implementation Method 1
two spaced apart sets of conventional grooved roller bearings mounted on the first tray section for rolling engagement with the first and second support rails
Implementation Method 2
first and second friction pivot joint assemblies connected to the seat back connector mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A utility tray for use with a substantially upright seat back which includes a seat back connector mechanism and a support tray assembly connected to the seat back connector mechanism. The support tray assembly includes a pair of first and second friction pivot joint assemblies connected to the seat back connector mechanism; a pair of support rails connected to and extending from the friction pivot joint assemblies; a first tray section connected to the pair of support rails for movement between a first retracted position and a second extended position, and a second tray section hingeably connected to the first tray section.