Aircraft Seat Swivel Base Assembly for Multi-Axis Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft seat retaining systems lack the ability to efficiently allow for directional movement and stability, particularly in military and medical air vehicles, where seats need to be movable in various directions while securely attached to the airframe.
Innovation Solution
A swivel base assembly comprising a swivel center beam pivotally coupled to a swivel plate, with side rails and track lugs that enable the seat to pivot and translate, featuring a monolithic center beam with sliding bars and fasteners for stability and adjustable components for accommodating warping and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed base assembly is used to attach seats to the airframe, then structural stability is maintained, but the seat cannot move in various directions
Solution Approach 1:
The base assembly incorporates multiple degrees of freedom including swivel movement about a vertical axis, fore/aft translation along tracks, and rotational movement. The swivel plate rotates relative to the airframe, while side rails with track lugs enable linear translation, and sliding bars with shearable pins allow rotational movement of the seat pan. This dynamic structure resolves the contradiction by enabling directional movement while maintaining stability through controlled mechanical joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The base assembly is divided into multiple independent components: an airframe, a swivel plate pivotally coupled to the airframe, side rails coupled to the swivel plate, track lugs that translate along tracks, sliding bars that couple to the side rails, and a seat pan. Each segment can move relative to the others, allowing the seat to achieve multi-directional movement while each individual connection maintains structural integrity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a swivel base assembly with multiple movement capabilities is implemented, then directional flexibility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The swivel plate serves multiple functions: it provides the primary swivel movement about the vertical axis, supports the side rails that enable fore/aft translation, and accommodates the sliding bars for rotational movement. This multi-functional design reduces overall system complexity by consolidating multiple movement capabilities into a single integrated component rather than requiring separate mechanisms for each degree of freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The base assembly employs a nested structure where the seat pan rotates relative to the sliding bars, which themselves move relative to the side rails, which translate along the tracks on the swivel plate. This nested arrangement of moving parts allows multiple degrees of freedom to be achieved through compact, integrated movements rather than requiring separate, bulky mechanisms for each motion type.
3Strength
If rigid connections are used between base components, then structural strength is maintained, but the assembly cannot accommodate structural warping
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the side rails and the seat pan uses shearable pins that allow rotational movement. Under normal conditions, the pins maintain rigid connections for structural strength, but when excessive force or warping occurs, the pins can shear off to allow the seat pan to rotate and accommodate the structural deformation. This parameter change from rigid to flexible connection resolves the contradiction between strength and warping accommodation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding bars with shearable pins provide a fail-safe mechanism that anticipates potential structural warping or overload conditions. The pins are designed to shear at a predetermined load threshold, allowing the base assembly to accommodate structural deformation before catastrophic failure occurs. This beforehand cushioning protects the overall structure while maintaining strength under normal operating conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for swivel base assemblies for seats are provided. A swivel base assembly for an aircraft seat may comprise a swivel center beam, a swivel plate pivotally coupled to the swivel center beam, the swivel plate configured to rotate with respect to the swivel center beam about a first centerline axis, a first side rail coupled to the swivel center beam, and a second side rail coupled to the swivel center beam, the swivel center beam being located between the first side rail and the second side rail.