Hollow Seat Crossbeam Layout for Cooling Onboard Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
In transport means like buses and airplanes, the increasing demand for personalized audio and video entertainment, as well as infrastructure for electronic devices, requires a more integrated and space-efficient way to accommodate control electronics and other electrical components without compromising seat comfort, especially in tight spaces like economy class seating.
Innovation Solution
The hollow seat crossbeam is utilized to house electrical and electronic components, allowing for efficient space use and effective cooling through heat dissipation into the metal structure, with additional cooling measures and modular designs for easy installation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If electrical and electronic components are accommodated in separate boxes underneath the seat, then the components can be effectively cooled and accessed for maintenance, but the legroom for passengers is significantly restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the accommodation of electrical and electronic components directly into the hollow seat crossbeam structure, eliminating the need for separate under-seat boxes. This integration allows components to be housed within the existing structural volume of the crossbeam, thereby preserving passenger legroom while providing dedicated spaces for component installation and cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat crossbeam is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the seat while simultaneously housing electrical and electronic components. The hollow crossbeam structure is utilized as both a load-bearing element and a containment structure for entertainment system components, power supplies, and network equipment.
2Volume of moving object
If electrical and electronic components are integrated into the seat structure, then space is saved and legroom is preserved, but the components may overheat due to reduced cooling capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific regions within the hollow crossbeam that are optimized for different functions: some areas are designed for component mounting while others provide cooling channels or heat dissipation paths. This localized differentiation ensures that heat-generating components have adequate thermal management while maintaining compact integration.
3Reliability
If the seat crossbeam is designed with cavities for components, then installation and maintenance become more complex, but the components are better protected and organized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hollow crossbeam into distinct cavities or compartments, each designed to house specific electrical or electronic components. This segmentation provides organized protection for different component types while maintaining a modular layout that facilitates installation and maintenance access through designated openings or removable sections.
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
This approach enhances seat comfort by freeing up legroom and providing a space-saving, effective cooling system for electronic components, ensuring reliable entertainment and infrastructure without restricting passenger space.
Implementation Method 1
accommodating the components in cavities in the seat crossbeams, which preferably essentially comprise metal, allows the components to be effectively cooled by the dissipation of heat into the preferably metal supporting structure
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a seat for a means of transport, having a supporting structure (1, 2, 3, 4), on which seating surface (5) and backrest (6) are mounted, and having a seat crossbeam (3, 4) of hollow design. The invention provides for the cavity of the seat crossbeam (3, 4) to contain electrical and/or electronic components (7).