Tray Table Tuning Mechanism for Stable Height and Angle
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Contemporary mechanisms for deploying and stabilizing tray tables in passenger seats, such as those in aircraft, buses, and trains, often wear quickly and fail to maintain the tray table at a desirable height or angle, leading to instability and limited usability.
Innovation Solution
A tray table tuning mechanism comprising a pivot limiting member, a paddle arm deployment member, an adjustment plate, and a paddle arm, where the paddle arm is pivotably coupled to the deployment member and includes stop members to limit rotation, allowing for adjustable deployment and stability through screws that control maximum rotations and angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If springs or other mechanisms are used to limit the tray table, then the tray table can be deployed and stabilized, but the springs wear quickly leading to the tray table rotating beyond an acceptable rotational limit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spring component from the tray table mechanism and replaces it with a cam-based limiting mechanism. The cam profile directly controls the rotational limit of the tray table without relying on elastic elements that wear over time, thereby extracting the problematic spring while maintaining the rotational limiting function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the spring-based elastic mechanical system with a cam-based geometric mechanical system. The cam profile replaces the spring's rotational limiting function through its geometric shape, providing a wear-free alternative that maintains consistent performance throughout the mechanism's service life.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional mechanisms are used to deploy the tray table, then the tray table can be stabilized, but they limit or prevent the table from sitting at a desirable height or angle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic cam profile that allows the tray table to achieve multiple stable positions at different heights and angles. The cam's varying profile enables the mechanism to adapt to different deployment configurations, providing versatility in positioning while maintaining ease of operation through a single deployment motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the cam profile to control the tray table's final position. By varying the cam profile dimensions and shape, the mechanism can achieve desirable heights and angles, allowing parameter adjustment without complicating the deployment operation.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the tray table is deployed at fixed positions, then the mechanism is simple, but it cannot maintain desirable height or angle for extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cam mechanism into multiple adjustable components including the cam profile, paddle arm, and limiting members. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of each component to fine-tune the tray table's stable positions, extending stability duration while managing complexity through modular adjustment rather than a monolithic complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates self-adjusting features where the cam mechanism automatically maintains the tray table at desirable positions through its geometric design. The mechanism serves itself by using the cam profile geometry to inherently provide long-term stability without requiring continuous external adjustment or complex control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are tray table tuning mechanisms for a passenger seat. The tray table tuning mechanisms can include a pivot limiting member, a paddle arm deployment member, an adjustment plate, and a paddle arm. The paddle arm deployment member and the adjustment plate may be pivoted relative to the pivot limiting member. The paddle arm can include at least one stop member and may be pivotably coupled to the paddle arm deployment member. Additionally, the paddle arm may be pivoted between a stowed state and a deployed state. In the deployed state, the stop member can abut a portion of the adjustment plate to limit rotation of the paddle arm deployment member in a first direction.