Aircraft Seat Wireless Power via Inductive Coupling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current power delivery systems for aircraft seats involve hazardous and weighty wires that interfere with maintenance and are not secure or unencumbering, posing safety and logistical challenges.
Innovation Solution
A wireless power delivery system using Near Field Communication (NFC) devices aligned with brackets underneath the aircraft floor and on seat rows for efficient power transfer, eliminating the need for physical wires and allowing for easier seat installation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wires are run throughout the aircraft cabin to each seat row for power delivery, then power can be delivered to seats, but the wires create safety hazards, add substantial weight, and interfere with seat installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power delivery function from physical wires and implements it through wireless NFC technology. The power delivery device is integrated into the seat structure, eliminating the need for exposed wires throughout the cabin while maintaining reliable power delivery to each seat.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire-based power delivery system with an electromagnetic field-based NFC system. This substitution eliminates the physical wires that create safety hazards and weight issues while maintaining the essential power delivery function.
2Reliability
If wires are run throughout the aircraft cabin to each seat row for power delivery, then power can be delivered to seats, but the wires add substantial weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the heavy mechanical wire infrastructure with a lightweight electromagnetic NFC system. The power delivery device integrated into the seat uses NFC technology to receive power wirelessly, eliminating the substantial weight of wires running throughout the cabin.
3Reliability
If wires are run throughout the aircraft cabin to each seat row for power delivery, then power can be delivered to seats, but the wires interfere with the installation and removal of seats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power delivery function from the seat structure itself and integrates it into a wireless NFC system. The power delivery device is built into the seat, allowing seats to be installed and removed without dealing with wire connections, thereby improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire connection system with wireless NFC technology. This substitution allows seats to be easily installed and removed without the complexity of wire routing and connection, while power delivery remains reliable through the NFC interface.
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 system provides a reliable, secure, and weight-reduced power delivery solution that enhances safety and simplifies maintenance by eliminating wires and allowing for flexible cabin reconfiguration.
Implementation Method 1
Aircraft seat power via inductive coupling
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A wireless power delivery system for aircraft seats includes an NFC power receiving device disposed at a known location proximal to floor rail bracket engaging portion of the seat, and an NFC power delivery device engages a corresponding bracket disposed underneath the aircraft floor. The brackets are aligned to each other to ensure the disposition of the NFC power delivery device is sufficiently close to the NFC power receiving device to effectively transfer power. The NFC power delivery device is disposed in a cargo container. Bracket engaging elements in the seat rows include features that indicate a location on a lower bracket to align the NFC power receiving device to the NFC power delivery device.