Upholstery-Guided Footrest to Reduce Spring Force and Stowing Effort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft seat footrests are heavy, difficult to stow due to excessive spring forces, and often cannot reach a horizontal position.
Innovation Solution
An upholstery-guided footrest system with a flexible, non-stretchy member embedded within the upholstery fabric, which supports and guides the footrest during stowing and deployment, using a combination of carriages, springs, and a locking mechanism to facilitate easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If traditional spring mechanisms are used to deploy the footrest, then the footrest can be extended, but excessive spring forces are required making it heavy and difficult to stow
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible upholstery member acts as an intermediary between the footrest and the seat, guiding the footrest's movement path and distributing forces throughout the upholstery structure rather than relying on a single high-force spring mechanism. This mediator approach reduces the peak spring forces needed while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible upholstery member enables the footrest to guide its own stowing motion by bending and flexing during movement. The upholstery's inherent flexibility provides the guidance function without requiring additional mechanical guides or complex control systems, allowing the footrest to stow itself with minimal user effort.
2Force
If heavy spring mechanisms are used to support the footrest, then the footrest can be deployed, but the overall weight of the footrest increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional heavy mechanical spring support systems with a flexible upholstery-based support mechanism. The upholstery's flexibility and tension provide the necessary support forces through its structural integration with the seat, eliminating the need for separate heavy spring assemblies and reducing overall footrest weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible upholstery member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides the footrest movement, provides structural support, and enables stowing assistance. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated support springs, reducing the overall weight while maintaining all necessary functions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid mechanical guides are used to constrain the footrest, then the footrest movement can be controlled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible upholstery member instead of rigid mechanical guides to control footrest movement. The flexible material naturally constrains the footrest's path through its attachment points and bending characteristics, providing stable movement control without the complexity of rigid guide rails, hinges, or other mechanical constraint systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible upholstery member self-regulates the footrest's movement path through its inherent flexibility and attachment geometry. As the footrest moves, the upholstery naturally bends and flexes to guide the motion, eliminating the need for external mechanical guidance systems and reducing overall device complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the footrest is designed to reach horizontal position, then user comfort is improved, but the stowing space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible upholstery member enables the footrest to achieve horizontal positioning while utilizing three-dimensional space efficiently. The upholstery's flexibility allows the footrest to fold and conform to the seat's contours during stowing, reducing the projected volume requirements while maintaining the ability to reach a comfortable horizontal position during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The footrest nests within the seat structure when stowed, with the flexible upholstery member allowing the footrest to fold compactly against the seat. This nesting arrangement minimizes the stowing space requirement while preserving the full range of motion needed to achieve a horizontal user position.
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 system allows for a lightweight, efficient footrest that automatically extends and retracts, reaching a horizontal position without requiring excessive user force, and is compact when stowed, reducing the complexity of mechanical assemblies.
Implementation Method 1
A flexible member is fastened to the seat and the footrest. While stowing the footrest, the flexible member bends around a frontside of the seat and is configured to guide and support the footrest into a stowed position.
Data Source
AI summary
An upholstery-guided footrest includes a footrest mechanically coupled to a seat. The footrest is configured for moving between a stowed position and one or more deployed positions. A flexible member has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end is fastened to the seat and the second end is fastened to the footrest such that the flexible member supports the footrest during stowing. The flexible member bends around a frontside of the seat and is configured to guide and support the footrest into a stowed position.