Height Adjustable Seat Pan With Pivot Guide Tracks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cabin attendant seats in aircraft have a fixed seat pan height, which can cause discomfort for occupants of varying statures, as they do not accommodate individuals who are either very tall or very short, failing to provide ergonomic seating.
Innovation Solution
A cabin attendant seat with a stowable and repositionable seat pan that translates along parallel guide tracks with successive pivot positions, allowing the seat pan to adjust to different heights, pivoting between stowed and deployed conditions to lock in chosen heights, and featuring a mechanism with a hinge pin, lever arm, and barrel lock for vertical translation and locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed seat pan height is used in conventional cabin attendant seats, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easier, but comfort and adaptability are reduced for occupants of varying statures
Solution Approach 1:
The seat pan is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between multiple height positions. The guide tracks enable vertical movement, and the locking mechanism allows the seat pan to be positioned at different heights corresponding to various occupant statures, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat adjustment mechanism is divided into distinct functional components: guide tracks for movement, locking mechanisms for position fixation, and release mechanisms for repositioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system manageability despite increased complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a hinged seat pan is used to allow movement, then adaptability is improved, but the risk of inadvertent deployment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to automatically engage when the seat pan reaches a desired position during movement. The system self-locks without requiring additional manual intervention, ensuring stable positioning while maintaining the ability to be repositioned when needed, thus balancing adaptability with reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the seat pan is made repositionable with multiple height options, then comfort for different occupant heights is improved, but the mechanism complexity and potential failure points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tracks serve as an intermediary mechanism that guides and constrains the seat pan movement to predetermined vertical positions. This intermediary structure simplifies the overall adjustment process by providing clear movement paths and engagement points, reducing the complexity of direct manual positioning while improving ergonomic comfort.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a height adjustable seat pan assembly such as for use in an aircraft cabin attendant seat. The assembly includes a seat pan supported between spaced frame members defining guide tracks including successive pivot positions each corresponding to a different seat pan height. The seat pan is movable between a deployed condition and a stowed condition in which the seat pan stows generally vertically below a backrest to provide a low profile seat in the stowed condition. Features provided on opposing sides of the seat pan interact with the successive pivot positions in the guide tracks, and the seat can be repositioned to a different pivot position to change the seat pan height. Pivoting motion of the seat pan between the stowed and deployed conditions locks or unlocks the seat pan relative to its aligned successive pivot position.