AIRCRAFT SEAT WITH OCCUPANT WEIGHT SENSING MECHANISM TO ADJUST TILT-RECLINE FORCE

• US 20150307194A1
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Oleson, Michael L., Koustubhan, Arjun, Starikov, Anatoly
• Granted Patent: US 9,738,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/919 Positioning and locking mechanisms B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/924 using electric or hydraulic energy
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A weight sensing mechanism for an aircraft seat pan configured to adjust seat pan recline force and including a gas spring arranged between a fixed seat frame member and a movable seat pan member, the gas spring arranged to compress as the seat pan reclines in response to a load on the seat pan, and unloads upon removal of the load on the seat pan to assist in returning the seat pan to upright, and a helper spring positioned forward of and coaxially with the gas spring arranged to deflect under any load on the seat pan. A recline-capable seat pan assembly including a passenger body weight sensing mechanism.

Claims

1. An aircraft seat pan assembly, comprising:

left and right spreaders;

a seat pan including left and right seat pan members each pivotably attached proximate a forward end to the left and right spreaders and free of attachment at a rearward end to the left and right spreaders such that the left and right seat pan members are configured to pivot to adjust seat pan angle;

a first transverse beam interconnecting the left and right spreaders;

a second transverse beam interconnecting the left and right seat pan members;

a third transverse beam arranged to travel along guide slots of the left and right spreaders;

a link interconnecting the second and third transverse beams; and

a gas spring connected between the first and third transverse beams;

wherein seat pan recline in response to passenger body weight drives the third transverse beam toward the first transverse beam to compress the gas spring, and removal of passenger body weight from the seat pan causes the gas spring to unload to drive the third transverse beam apart from the first transverse beam to assist in returning the seat pan from a reclined position to an upright position.

2. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 1, wherein the left and right spreaders are arranged to translate horizontally relative to fixed seat frame members.

3. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of spaced gas springs connected between the first and third transverse beams.

4. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 1, further comprising a passenger body weight sensing mechanism configured to adjust seat pan recline force.

5. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 1, wherein the passenger body weight sensing mechanism comprises the gas spring as a primary recline actuator and a helper spring arranged to deflect under any passenger body weight.

6. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 5, wherein the helper spring is mounted forward of and coaxially with the gas spring.

7. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 5, wherein an amount of helper spring deflection increases as passenger body weight increases.

8. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 5, wherein helper spring force is directly proportional to passenger weight within an established range as dictated by helper spring size.

9. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 5, wherein the passenger body weight sensing mechanism further comprises:

a plate attached to an underside of seat pan springs;

a lever attached to the plate; and

a cable attached at one end to the lever and at an opposite end to a bracket that slides along a rail thereby pulling an attached chain along therewith, wherein lateral projections on certain ones of chain links of the chain extend through openings in a cylinder of the gas spring to limit compression of the helper spring.

10. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 9, further comprising a return spring arranged to return the chain to a neutral position upon removal of the passenger body weight from the seat pan.

11. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 9, wherein seat pan loading depresses the lever thereby pulling on the cable an amount proportional to passenger body weight, and the cable in turn pulling on the bracket, which in turn pulls on the chain.

12. The aircraft seat pan assembly of claim 9, wherein as the chain moves the chain links move relative to the gas spring and engage through a cylinder wall thereof, thereby limiting compression travel of the helper spring.

13. A weight sensing mechanism for an aircraft seat pan configured to adjust seat pan recline force, comprising:

a gas spring arranged between a fixed seat frame member and a movable seat pan member, the gas spring arranged to compress as the seat pan reclines in response to a load on the seat pan, and unloads upon removal of the load on the seat pan to assist in returning the seat pan to upright; and

a helper spring positioned forward of and coaxially with the gas spring arranged to deflect under any load on the seat pan.

14. The weight sensing mechanism of claim 13, wherein an amount of helper spring deflection increases as the load on the seat pan increases.

15. The weight sensing mechanism of claim 13, wherein helper spring force is directly proportional to the load within an established range as dictated by helper spring size.

16. The weight sensing mechanism of claim 13, further comprising:

a plate adapted to attach to an underside of seat pan springs;

a lever attached to the plate; and

a cable attached at one end to the lever and at an opposite end to a bracket that slides along a rail thereby pulling an attached chain along therewith, wherein lateral projections on certain ones of chain links of the chain extend through openings in a cylinder of the gas spring to limit compression of the helper spring.

17. The weight sensing mechanism of claim 16, further comprising a return spring arranged to return the chain to a neutral position upon removal of the load on the seat pan.

18. The weight sensing mechanism of claim 16, wherein the lever is depressed in response to the load on the seat pan, thereby pulling on the cable an amount proportional to the load, the cable in turn pulling on the bracket, which in turn pulls on the chain.

19. The weight sensing mechanism of claim 16, wherein as the chain moves the chain links move relative to the gas spring and engage through the cylinder wall, thereby limiting compression travel of the helper spring.