Thermoplastic Composite Aircraft Seat Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing aircraft seat components, primarily made of sheet metal and covered with thermoplastic, are heavy and expensive due to their high weight and material costs, which do not meet the performance and safety criteria effectively.
Innovation Solution
Thermoplastic composite structural components with reinforcing fibers, such as carbon fibers, are used to replace sheet metal parts, featuring integrated attachment features, bends, and voids to reduce weight and facilitate airflow, formed through a reductive manufacturing process involving heating and pressing to create three-dimensional shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If sheet metal components are used for aircraft seat structure, then strength and safety are ensured, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining thermoplastic resin matrix with reinforcing fibers (such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, or aramid fibers) to create a composite structural component. This composite structure provides high strength-to-weight ratio, maintaining structural integrity while reducing overall weight compared to traditional sheet metal components. The reinforcing fibers are embedded in the thermoplastic matrix to distribute and carry structural loads effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by controlling the crystallization temperature and cooling rate of the thermoplastic resin during manufacturing. By adjusting these parameters, the material achieves optimal crystalline structure that enhances strength properties. The resin is formulated with specific melting and crystallization temperature ranges to enable proper forming and final structural development, optimizing both strength and weight characteristics.
2Stability of the object's composition
If sheet metal components are used for aircraft seat structure, then structural integrity is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structural component replaces expensive sheet metal assemblies with a single molded thermoplastic composite part. This eliminates the need for multiple fastening operations, welding, and assembly steps required for metal components, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining structural integrity through the inherently strong fiber-reinforced composite material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functional features into a single integrated component. The thermoplastic composite part combines structural support, attachment features, and structural reinforcement into one molded piece, eliminating the need for separate metal components and fasteners. This consolidation reduces part count, assembly operations, and overall manufacturing cost while preserving structural integrity through the unified composite design.
3Strength
If traditional sheet metal and plastic cover combination is used, then structural requirements are met, but weight and expense increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional combination of sheet metal structure and plastic cover with a single thermoplastic composite component that integrates both structural and covering functions. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material provides the necessary structural strength while being lighter than metal, and the same material serves as the outer cover surface, eliminating the need for separate metal and plastic layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoplastic composite component performs multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as the structural framework, the outer covering, and the protective layer all in one integrated part. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate sheet metal structure and plastic cover components, reducing total weight while meeting all structural and aesthetic requirements through a single universal component.
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
The thermoplastic composite components provide lightweight, flexible, and structurally sound alternatives to traditional sheet metal parts, reducing weight and potentially improving safety while maintaining high strength and performance, suitable for retrofitting existing aircraft seats.
Implementation Method 1
The sheet is heated to a transition temperature and pressed in a pressure form to bend the sheet along predetermined bend lines
Implementation Method 2
The sheet is cooled to below its transition temperature, at which point the bends are permanent
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
Described are thermoplastic composite parts (30, 110) made up of resin-based fiber composites for use in aircraft furnishings. The thermoplastic composite parts (30, 110) can be formed into various shapes including bends so as to be suitable for replacing heavier sheet-metal components (100), particularly in aircraft furnishings.