Vehicle Seating System Modular Track Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passenger vehicle seating systems, such as those in airplanes, are typically fixed and cannot be easily altered after fabrication, making it difficult to accommodate changing seating needs once the vehicle is in service.
Innovation Solution
A seating system comprising a primary pair of seat tracks and a secondary pair of seat tracks, with the secondary pair positioned between the primary pair, allowing for interchangeable seat assemblies to adjust seating configurations without requiring manufacturer involvement, including the use of struts, a doubler, and a spacer to attach the secondary pair to floor beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed seating arrangement is used in the vehicle, then the structural simplicity and manufacturing ease are maintained, but the adaptability to changing seating needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seating system is divided into independent modular components: primary seat tracks permanently attached to floor beams, and secondary seat tracks that can be installed or removed as needed. This segmentation allows the system to maintain structural simplicity while gaining adaptability, as each module can be independently configured or replaced without affecting the entire seating system.
Solution Approach 2:
The primary seat tracks are designed to serve multiple functions: they provide permanent structural support for standard seating configurations and also serve as the foundational attachment structure upon which secondary seat tracks can be mounted. This multi-functionality allows the same primary structure to support both fixed and reconfigurable seating arrangements.
2Quantity of substance
If secondary seat tracks are added to increase seating capacity, then the seating capacity is improved, but the installation complexity and time required deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The primary seat tracks are pre-installed and permanently attached to the floor beams during vehicle manufacturing, creating a prepared foundation structure. This preliminary action eliminates the need to install primary tracks later, allowing secondary seat tracks to be quickly added or removed without disturbing the primary structural attachments, thereby reducing installation time and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The primary seat tracks act as an intermediary structure between the floor beams and the secondary seat tracks. By providing this intermediate attachment layer, the system enables quick installation and removal of secondary tracks without requiring direct modification of the floor beams or permanent structural changes, thus reducing installation time and complexity.
3Ease of operation
If seat assemblies are made interchangeable to improve adaptability, then the ease of operation for reconfiguration is improved, but the reliability of load distribution may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the seating system have specialized properties optimized for their specific functions: the primary seat tracks have robust permanent attachment features for structural reliability, while the secondary seat tracks have simplified attachment mechanisms for ease of reconfiguration. This local differentiation allows each component to excel at its specific task while maintaining overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a completely static fixed seating arrangement to a dynamic reconfigurable system by introducing secondary seat tracks that can be installed or removed based on operational needs. The primary tracks maintain permanent structural integrity, while the secondary tracks provide dynamic adaptability, allowing the system to adjust its configuration without compromising load-bearing reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a seating-system kit for a vehicle that comprises floor beams, a primary pair of seat tracks, attached to the floor beams, and a first seat assembly, comprising a first seat support and a first plurality of seats, attached to the first seat support. The first seat support is attached to the primary pair of seat tracks and the floor beams support floor panels that define a floor surface. The vehicle has a virtual longitudinal plane, perpendicular to the floor surface, and a virtual longitudinal axis, parallel to the floor surface and lying in the virtual longitudinal plane. The seating-system kit comprises a secondary pair of seat tracks and a second seat assembly, comprising a second seat support and a second plurality of seats, attached to the second seat support, and wherein the second seat support is configured to be attached to the secondary pair of seat tracks.