Integrated Tray Table Frame for Parallel Slide Guide Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tray tables in passenger seats often suffer from unnecessary tolerance stack build-up between slide guides, leading to non-parallel sliding surfaces and potential warpage, which compromises their rigidity and sliding performance.

Innovation Solution

The tray table assembly features a table body with an integrally formed frame, slide guides, and diagonal supports, eliminating tolerance stack build-up and providing a rigid, lightweight structure by manufacturing the components as a single piece, typically using materials like aluminum or polycarbonate, and configuring them to fit within a seat back recess.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If slide guides are formed individually and attached to the internal aluminum structure, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but tolerance stack build-up occurs leading to non-parallel slide guides and inferior sliding properties

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidslide guide alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the slide guides directly into the aluminum extrusion structure, forming them as a single integrated component rather than separate attached parts. This merging eliminates the interfaces between components that cause tolerance accumulation, ensuring parallel alignment while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through extrusion processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If the tray table structure uses multiple separate components, then ease of assembly is improved, but structural rigidity deteriorates due to potential warpage and tolerance build-up

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidstructural rigidity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The tray table structure is formed as an integrated aluminum extrusion where the frame, slide guides, and support structures are unified into a single rigid component. This eliminates assembly interfaces that could compromise structural integrity while maintaining ease of installation as a complete unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes aluminum extrusion material that combines strength, lightweight properties, and structural rigidity. The extrusion process creates a composite-like integrated structure that maintains high strength-to-weight ratio while preventing warpage through unified material construction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If the tray table is designed with thicker structure, then structural integrity is improved, but weight increases and space occupation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidtray table weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a thin-walled aluminum extrusion structure that achieves high structural integrity through optimized cross-sectional geometry and material distribution. The extruded profile creates efficient load-bearing shapes that provide strength with minimal material thickness, reducing weight while maintaining rigidity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS9499083B2Tray table structure

Publication Date: 2016.11.22 ZODIAC SEATS US LLC

AI summary

Described are tray table assemblies comprising a table body including a frame. The frame is formed of an upper bar and a lower bar that connect a pair of slide guides, wherein the upper bar, the lower bar, and the pair of slide guides are integrally formed as a single piece.