Aircraft Seat Panel Support for Lightweight Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passenger seat designs for aircraft and similar vehicles face inefficiencies in structural design, leading to excessive weight due to inefficient load transfer and comfort features, which can be optimized for lighter materials while maintaining safety and comfort standards.
Innovation Solution
The passenger seat design incorporates a frame with vertically stacked panels and elastic attachment members that allow independent movement of panels, along with a rear support structure, to efficiently transfer loads and adapt to passenger shapes, reducing material usage while enhancing comfort and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional seat structural assemblies are designed to meet specific loading conditions and include safety and convenience features, then passenger safety and comfort are ensured, but the seat weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The seat back is divided into multiple panels (first panel, second panel, third panel, fourth panel) that can move independently relative to each other and to the frame. This segmentation allows each panel to be optimized for specific functions while reducing overall material requirements compared to a solid monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat back panels are designed with dynamic movement capabilities through elastic attachment members that allow the panels to move independently in response to passenger interaction. This dynamic behavior provides comfort adaptation while using less material than a rigid fixed structure.
2Ease of operation
If conventional seat structural assemblies are designed to meet specific loading conditions and include safety and convenience features, then passenger comfort is ensured, but the seat weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic attachment members enable the seat back panels to move dynamically in response to passenger interaction, providing adaptive comfort support. This dynamic response replaces heavier conventional mechanisms while maintaining or enhancing comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat back structure utilizes changes in panel position and configuration to adapt to different passenger needs and loading conditions. The panels can move to different positions to optimize comfort while using lighter materials than fixed conventional designs.
3Ease of operation
If seat panels are allowed to move independently to adapt to passenger shapes, then comfort and load distribution are improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat back is segmented into multiple independent panels that can move relative to each other, allowing each panel to adapt to different parts of the passenger body. This segmentation provides complex adaptive behavior through simple individual panel movements rather than requiring a complex integrated mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic attachment members function as flexible elements that connect the panels to the frame, allowing independent panel movement while maintaining structural integrity. These flexible connections provide the necessary complexity for adaptive comfort without requiring heavy mechanical joints or actuators.
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 design achieves a lighter structural weight while maintaining passenger comfort and safety by allowing panels to move and adapt to passenger shapes, effectively distributing loads and reducing material requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one attachment member comprises an elastic material configured to allow movement of at least one panel of the seat back assembly due to interaction with a passenger seated in the passenger seat
Data Source
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AI summary
Described is a passenger seat that includes a seat bottom assembly (201) with a forward edge and a rear edge and a seat back assembly (101) extending up from the rear edge of the seat bottom assembly (201). The seat back assembly (101) may include a frame (103), a plurality of panels (104-107)within a perimeter of the frame (103), and at least one attachment member (161) configured to attach the plurality of panels (104-107) to the frame (103). The seat bottom assembly (201) may include a frame (203) and a plurality of panels (204,205,206) within a perimeter of the frame (103).