Aircraft Seat Tray Table Mounting for Adjustable Horizontal Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft passenger seats require a high level of user and operational comfort while maintaining safety standards in a confined space, with a need for flexible adaptation of functions and functional elements.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft passenger seat with a pivotable table top attached via a joint arrangement and an adjustment mechanism that allows for precise positioning in multiple directions, ensuring the table top remains horizontal during flight to prevent objects from sliding, and can be folded away for space-saving when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the table top is made fixed and rigid, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability and space efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the table top pivotable rather than fixed. The table top is connected to the seat back via a pivot arrangement that allows it to rotate between a stowed position (flush with the seat back) and a deployed position (extending forward). This dynamic configuration enables the table top to adapt between providing a stable surface when needed and being completely retracted to maximize space when not in use, thus resolving the contradiction between structural stability and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the table top is made adjustable with multiple positions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simple pivot mechanism that provides continuous adjustability along the longitudinal axis without requiring complex positioning systems. The pivot arrangement allows the table top to be positioned at any angle between the stowed and deployed positions, offering infinite adjustment possibilities with a single-degree-of-freedom mechanism. This resolves the contradiction by providing high adaptability through a relatively simple dynamic structure rather than multiple discrete adjustable positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The table top assembly is segmented into the table top surface and the pivot connection mechanism, allowing independent optimization of each component. The table top can be a simple flat surface while the pivot mechanism handles all adjustment functionality, keeping the overall device complexity low while maintaining high adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If the table top is extended forward, then usability is improved, but space consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing a pivot mechanism that allows the table top to rotate between a stowed position where it is flush with the seat back (minimal space consumption) and a deployed position where it extends forward (high usability). This dynamic transformation enables the same component to satisfy both contradictory requirements at different operational states, providing full usability when needed while minimizing space consumption when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft passenger seat is proposed, comprising a structural component, on which a tray table of the aircraft passenger seat is held via a hinge assembly, the tray table being pivotable about a pivot axis of the hinge assembly. According to the invention, a connection assembly for detachably fitting the tray table on the structural component is provided, the connection assembly comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a mounting position for the tray table relative to the structural component, the adjustment mechanism being designed such that the mounting position can be selected from a plurality of different mounting positions for the tray table relative to the structural component.