Separable Seat Frame Assembly for Wide Aircraft Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft passenger seats are limited to four seating positions laterally due to practicality issues with shipping and installation, making it difficult to accommodate five or more positions without being impractical or unworkable.
Innovation Solution
A separable multiple-piece frame assembly that allows the seat to be disassembled into structurally independent sections, using fasteners and clamps for attachment, enabling easy shipping and reassembly with a forward coupler and aft coupler for load transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the lateral dimension of the seat is increased beyond four seating positions, then the seating capacity is improved, but the seat becomes impractical to ship and too large to manipulate into the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The seat frame is divided into multiple separable sections (first section, second section, third section) that can be independently shipped and manipulated. The lateral members are discontinuous with gaps between sections, and spreader members are separated into first and second spreader members that can be independently handled during shipping and assembly operations
2Ease of operation
If the seat is designed as a single continuous frame, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the seat cannot be easily separated for shipping and assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous frame is segmented into separate sections connected by couplers. The first lateral member has a first gap, and the second lateral member has a second gap, creating discontinuous segments that can be separated for shipping while maintaining structural integrity when assembled
Solution Approach 2:
Couplers serve as intermediary components that connect the separate frame sections. The first coupler connects the first spreader member to the second spreader member, and the second coupler provides additional connection, ensuring structural integrity while allowing separation for shipping
3Ease of operation
If the frame is separated into multiple pieces, then the ease of shipping and assembly is improved, but the complexity of the assembly process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into three main sections that can be independently shipped, reducing shipping complexity. The discontinuous lateral members with gaps allow each section to be handled separately during both shipping and assembly operations
4Ease of operation
If conventional attachment methods are used for multiple-piece frames, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the load transfer efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Couplers act as intermediary components that efficiently transfer loads between separate frame sections. The first coupler connects spreader members across the first gap, and the second coupler connects across the second gap, ensuring proper load transfer while maintaining ease of assembly through standardized connection interfaces
Data Source
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AI summary
A separable multiple-piece frame assembly (100) for a passenger seat of a vehicle includes a first spreader portion (101) with an inner face, a second spreader portion (201) with an inner face, a plurality of attachments (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) for releasably attaching the first spreader portion (101) and the second spreader portion (201), and an attached configuration. In the attached configuration, the inner face of the first spreader portion and the inner face of the second spreader portion are in contact with one another.